Rokerij

Where:   Phoenix, AZ
When:    June 2, 2012
Who:       Mo and Doug
What:      Restaurant
Cost:       $15.00-$50.00 for dinner entrees
Rating:    4.0 stars (out of 5) – Didn’t eat

So I have to be honest, I was pretty intoxicated when Doug took me to the Rokerij, pronounced Rokery.   We had dinner at Donovan’s earlier and wanted a night-cap before heading home, so Doug knew of the perfect spot.  We parked in the parking lot and he escorted me around back, into a door that looked like the staff entrance, through the kitchen and down the stairs.  When we got downstairs, I felt as if I was in a quaint put in Europe somewhere; stone walls, fireplace, dark, romantic, etc.  I was in love with this place already and we hadn’t even sat down.

Downstairs Bar

We got to the Rokerij about 11pm and all the seats at the bar were taken, as well as most of the tables for dining.  Luckily, two people were finishing their drinks and gave us their bar stools so we didn’t have to wait or stand around awkwardly.  We were given the bar list and I noticed that they had my favorite bottle of Zinfindel, Murphy- Goode Liar’s Dice.   So, we ordered the 1/2 bottle and enjoyed everything that Rokerij is…spectacular! 

Romantic Corner Table

Apparently there is an upstairs portion of the restaurant – I thought it was just a quaint little spot for drinks, appetizers and dinner.  But what the hell do I know, I was drunk!  I’ve mentioned to 1/2 dozen people that I went here and they all have wonderful things to say.  Most of the feedback is, “I love that place” or “I always forget about it” or “I need to go back”. 

Doug and Mo

We had finished out wine and it was sadly time to go.  As we looked at the bill, we thought they must have made an error since our 1/2 bottle of wine was only $10, but it was no mistake.  It was part of their happy hour menu and it was a wonderful surprise.  Next time, I will go at the beginning of the night and not the end to really take it all in – it’s that special and unique. 

Donovan’s Prime Steakhouse

Where:   Phoenix, AZ
When:    June 2, 2012
Who:      Mo and Doug
What:     Restaurant
Cost:      $40.00-$60.00 for dinner entrees
Rating:    4.5 stars (out of 5)

Okay, okay, so I broke my rule of going to a chain restaurant.  Whoever reads this blog regularly knows that we boycott all chains whenever possible and try to find those hole in the wall gems around the valley.  Sometimes, you have a special occasion and a particular chain seems fitting; especially steak houses like Ruth Christ, Flemings, Maestros, etc. 

Well, it was Doug’s birthday and we decided to go to Donovan’s; neither of us had been.  In terms of a chain, I don’t know if this so much qualifies since there are only 3; Phoenix, San Diego and La Jolla.  In addition, Doug had $75 in gift cards which made the decision that much easier.  One of the gift cards had to be used in the bar area, so we decided to just spend the evening there, at a nice high top in their gorgeous bar area.

Mo and Doug

We got there at 6:30pm on Saturday June 2nd and we were surprised how empty the place was.  I thought the bar area was going to be packed with people waiting for their tables, but to our surprise, we were the only ones in the bar.   They have a great happy hour; $5 select glasses of wine and $8 martinis up to 8pm.  Doug also got a free cocktail when he checked into Foursquare – man this waitress was going to HATE us.  First the gift cards, now the Foursquare…

We ordered our cocktails and an appetizer while we relaxed.  It was so nice and cozy in there since we were the only people in there; we didn’t have to shout over other people’s conversations or worry about any awkward PDA – just kidding. 

After another cocktail, we decided to order dinner but neither of us was super hungry so we decided to split a steak.  By the way, this place isn’t cheap folks – entrees are $40-$60 a la carte.  So, for a couple, be prepared to drop $150-$200 with drinks.  The waitress accommodated us with our splitting of a Caesar salad and steak entree and even cooked each portion to both of our liking.  Doug likes to see blood – not so much for me. 

Mo and Doug

The total bill came to $123 and that was with one entree!  Okay, so we had a few cocktails, kill us;-)  The waitress was very accommodating and pleasant despite our coupons/gift cards/splitting of meals.  If you want a great steak with romantic ambiance and top notch service, head to Donovan’s, you won’t be disappointed!  Your wallet may hate you, but your taste buds won’t.

Humble Pie

Where:   Scottsdale, AZ
When:    March 25, 2012
Who:      Mo and Doug
What:     Restaurant
Cost:      $10 – $15 for 11″ Pizzas
Rating:   4.5 stars (out of 5)

It was a Sunday afternoon, around 4:30pm and Doug and I were trying to figure out where to go and get a bite to eat.  We wanted something casual, inexpensive and good!  We both avoid chain restaurants whenever possible.  We also enjoy wine…probably too much but we all have our faults;-).  Doug had been to Humble Pie since it’s a stone’s throw from his house in Desert Ridge but this was my first time; hold me!

You had me at...wine

So the first thing I notice is the uneventful location; a small shopping plaza off Tatum Blvd in Desert Ridge.  But, I quickly got over the location once I stepped inside and saw how absolutely quaint the place was.  After all, how can you not love a place that has a tagline, “A Delicious Experience” or at least give it a shot?  Humble Pie now has four locations around the valley which is a not an easy thing to do in this land of chain restaurants we call Arizona. 

Great place to belly up to the bar

Doug and I got to the restaurant around 5pm and decided to take a look at the Happy Hour Menu.  From 3pm-6pm daily, all glasses of wine are $5 and 9″ pizzas are $6.50 – how can you go wrong??   I had a glass of the Murphy Goode Cabernet – which is usually $9 a glass and Doug tried out a Malbec.  We ordered some Tempura-Fried green beans to nibble on while we enjoyed our wine and did a little people watching.  We also put in an order for 2 pizzas; a pepperoni and a margarita.  I love pizza but haven’t gotten sucked into the big hoopla of Pizzeria Bianco and waiting in line for 2 hours for some wood fired dough.  But I was curious as to how this would rank because I was already sucked into the vibe of the place and did I mention the $5 glasses of wine, ?

Cute patio area with large windows

Our pizzas arrived as did our 2nd glasses of wine and everything was fabulous!  The pizza’s was just as good as the infamous Pizzeria Bianco.  Add in that you don’t have to wait for an hour, the great happy hour prices and the quaintness (is that a word?) of Humble Pie and you will be completely satisfied!  I really enjoyed Humble Pie and look forward to going back.  I got the chance to meet the owner, Dave, aka Mark.  Dave came over to Doug and I since Doug is a regular and we chatted for a while.  Dave was down to earth, sarcastic and sweet – he’s a hugger - I love that!  Anywho…Doug told me his name was Mark so I asked him to take a picture with me for this blog.  He obliged and after we snapped the pic, I said, “Nice to meet you Mark”.  He quickly corrected me saying, “My name is Dave”.  Thanks for the misinformation Doug!!!  It was hysterical and we all got a kick out of it.  I was never good at names anyway.  

Do yourself a favor and check out Humble Pie.  Heck, go when you can suck down some $5 glasses of wine, beat the rush and enjoy the place.  The only reason why I didn’t rate it 5 stars is the service was a little slow.  Hey, they employ mostly high school girls (easy guys) which is makes it the perfect neighborhood spot.  We weren’t disappointed with the service, but it could have been better.  Eat, drink and be merry, oh and try out these little hole in the wall gems!!

Hidden Valley Trail (via Mormon / National)

Where:   Phoenix, AZ (South Mountain)
When:    February 13, 2012
Who:      Mo
What:     Hike
Cost:      Free
Rating:   4.5 (out of 5)

Well, a desert hike doesn’t get much better than this folks!  It has it all; difficulty, city views, serenity and beautiful sights and smells!  I have been doing the Mormon/National 6 mile loop at South Mountain for over a decade and love the hike.  The biggest drawback to the hike is the tedious long road in to get to the good stuff.  Well, it seems that I’ve found out a trail to cut out the boring road and just hit the trail.

Great Views

The trailhead is on 24th Street, south of Baseline; take 24th until you hit the parking lot.  For this hike, you start off on the Mormon trail, which is a semi-tough ascent for about a mile.  After a mile or so, you’ll come to a plateau with a sign that shows the Mormon trail continues both to the left and straight – continue going straight until you hit the “National” trail.  When you get to the National Trail, you can either head left or right but I recommend going right which is 1/2 mile or so of pretty easy incline.  Click here to see a map of the mountain. 

First Mile Ascent

Once you hit the trailhead for “Hidden Valley”, head left and have fun.  This is the best part of the hike, back among the rocks and different topography.  The “trail” is not well marked, but you can figure it out – hell if I can do it, you surely can; I am directionally challenged.  I have done this hike three times now and haven’t seen anyone on the Hidden Valley loop – so it’s great if you want to climb all the rocks and mess around.  Someday I want to take all my goofy friends back there with a camera and just have fun. 

This is just fun!

Once you hit back to the National Trail, head left and then right when you see the Mormon Trail.  Then just keep going straight out and down the mountain he way you came.  The reason why I think it’s a perfect hike is because (1) it’s 4 miles long, which in my opinion is a perfect exercise hike.  (2) The hike is both difficult, yet fun.  The first mile is straight uphill with no breaks.  But then you can pretty much run the rest of the trail after you catch your breath.  (3) Its not crowded since it seems not a lot of people know about this trailhead.  (4) Its got great views of the city! 

I highly recommend this trail.  Get your kids, your dog, your friends and hit the mountain.  Oh and don’t forget your camera, it’s got some great sights!

Classic Italian Pizza

Where:   Tempe, AZ
When:    February 10, 2012
Who:      Mo and Doug
What:     Restaurant
Cost:      $11-$18 for pizza
Rating:   2.75 (out of 5)

I had been to Classic Italian Pizza about 10 years ago but didn’t remember much about it, other than it’s in a rundown plaza. I saw a Groupon come through a couple of months ago for it and figured I’d give it another go.  

Classic Italian Pizza

Date night with Doug seemed like a perfect opportunity to use the Group on!  I made a reservation at 7:30pm as instructed on the Group on; you just never know how detailed business owners are with the “rules” on a Group on.  In addition, I had read some reviews where people had some long waits, so I wanted to avoid this.  

We arrived promptly at 7:30pm and it was packed, which is always nice to see at a true hole in the wall.  Some guy that looked like a cook came to greet us and told us that the wait was about 5 minutes, unless we wanted a table outside.  He did explain that the outside tables are close to the smoking section so we opted to wait for a table inside.

It didn’t take more than 5 minutes to get us seated and while we waited, we picked out our appetizer, pizza & wine that we wanted – so we put the time to good use.  After we got seated, it took another 5 minutes for our waitress to come over and say “Hello” but the place was packed and we were in no rush; just enjoying a night out. 

When the waitress finally made her way over, she was very apologetic for the wait.  We placed our entire order.  To start, we ordered the Antipasto tray for $11.95.  For our Pizza, we ordered the Italian Sausage for $15.95.  For the wine, we ordered a bottle of Durigutti “Classico” Malbec for $34.00.  

Durigutti "Classico" Malbec

The waitress brough over our bottle of wine shortly after taking our order and  it was absolutely fabulous, just as she said.  We enjoyed our wine for a bit when our Antipasto tray was brought out. For $11.95 I was expecting a bit more.  I think we got 6 pieces of Salami (two kinds) 6 small pieces of cheese (2 kinds) and some roasted red peppers with a couple of olives.  It was good, don’t get me wrong, but it was overpriced. 

When the pizza came, we weren’t sure what to expect as the reviews for this place on Yelp were all over the place; from a 1 star to a 5 star.  Our pizza was great, generous toppings and done to perfection.  With that said, the $15.95 price was a little much; it wasn’t THAT good. 

All in all, the place was o-kay.  It’s a neighborhood hole in the wall, and is quaint and charming but it is also a little cramped and plain.  The food is good, but overpriced.  The service was good, but very busy.  We rated it as 3 stars but bumped it down to a 2.75 after taking a trip to the restrooms on the way out.  Is it so difficult to keep your bathrooms clean? 

We wouldn’t go back, but that’s not to say that you shouldn’t check it out.  From the reviews, people either love or hate this place; I don’t have a strong opinion either way.  However, if I’m going to fork over $67, I would rather go somewhere else.   Eat, drink and be merry:)

Flanny’s

Where:   Tempe, AZ
When:    August 29, 2009
Who:      Mo and Malcolm
What:     Dive Bar / Neighborhood Bar
Cost:      $10.00-$15.00 for dinner entrees
Rating:   4.5 stars (out of 5)

I had heard of Flanny’s a couple of times on Newtimes and Mouth by Southwest but for one reason or another hadn’t made my way there until last night.  I saw that they were having a special event;  Tapping a firkin of Odell Brewing Company’s Mint Chocolate Porter. 

We are always up to try a new place for happy hour, so we figured we’d go to hh and take advantage of the beer event as well.  Flanny’s has been open for about a year and of all the reviews I’ve read, it’s a hit and after our visit, hope it stays around for a long time. 

Odell Brewing - Mint Chocolate Porter

Flanny’s is known for their 20+ craft beers on tap that rotate regularly.  There are not may places in the valley with this selection of beer so we are glad to have our own little gem in Tempe!  When Malcolm and I got there around 5pm, the bar area was 1/2 full and the tables around the bar were all empty.  By 6:30pm, the entire bar/restaurant was full with 20+ people standing with no seats. 

The crowd was a mixed as you could get; a few young people in their twenties, most of the people were in their 30′s – 40′s.  We loved the beer selection and were making our way through a few different beers when they tapped the Milk Chocolate Porter.  We decided to share a glass as we weren’t sure how it would taste; solid decision.  It wasn’t bad, just wasn’t worth a full glass. 

Flanny's - SE Corner of Elliott & McClintock

 

We decided to get some food as we met a nice couple next to us who also decided to eat.  Malcolm ordered the Buffalo Chicken Sliders – Grilled Chicken tossed with Flanny’s original buffalo sauce and topped with bleu cheese crumbles ($7.25).  I ordered the Quesadilla – filled with grilled chicken, fire roasted peppers, caramelized onions and cheddar cheese ($8.25).  Our new friends had both ordered the Rib-eye steaks – grilled on the open flame, choice of house or cajun seasonings, served with fries and veggies ($14.99). 

While we waited for our food, we were enjoying the company and the great turn out at Flanny’s.  As dive bars go, it’s perfect; you can belly up to the bar, watch a game, enjoy a unique craft beer and relax. 

Flanny's Bar

The food came and we dug in; everything was fabulous!  The pork sliders were unbelievable, Quesadilla was okay (how can you screw up a quesadilla) and our new friends said their steak was great; cooked perfectly. 

We definitely recommend Flanny’s. Check them out on Facebook as it seems that they have quite a few beer events which will be fun to check out in the future.  We dinged them from a 5 star rating because they had Bud Light & Miller Light on tap;-)

Flat Iron – Siphon Draw

Where:   Apache Junction, AZ – Superstition Mountains
When:    December 31, 2011
Who:      Mo & Justin
What:     Desert Hike
Cost:      $8.00 per car
Rating:   5.0 (out of 5)

If you are looking for a challenging, spectacular hike, the Flat Iron / Siphon Draw hike is one that should definitely be on your list.  I’ve hiked  Siphon Draw to the basin, a few times now but the hike to the Flat Iron looked too daunting for something to do by myself (I usually hike alone).  When I hiked Siphon Draw to the basin most recently in December, I was itching to try to hike up to the Flat Iron, which is the top of the Superstition Mountains, 4861 feet!  When I got home, I text my friend Justin and asked if he’d like to hike the Flat Iron with me, so we headed up on New Year’s Eve day. 

We're hiking to the top of this!

If you want to read about the Siphon Draw hike to the basin, click here to read my previous post. 

Mo enjoying the slow ascent to the top of the Flat Iron

Justin and I did a little reading up on this hike and found a few blogs that had some great tips and warnings.  I will give you the same warnings…this is a very technical and difficult hike so if you do not like heights or rock climbing, stop at the Basin/Waterfall and turn around.  We read that you should wear pants and gloves for this hike but we didn’t feel that pants were necessary.  Gloves would have definitely helped, but not imperative – we hiked it in shorts and no gloves and did just fine. 

Flat Iron is not for the faint of heart - but we enjoyed every bit of it

For me, the most difficult part of the ascent, besides the steep vertical climb, was the first section after the basin; it’s pretty much a sheer rock that you have to climb up, without slipping.  Make sure when you are doing this hike that you have sneakers or hiking boots with a good grip / soul.  There are a lot of sections where you could slip and easily fall with inadequate footwear.  After you clear that first section, it’s a mental a physical test to get to the top, but it’s also a lot of fun.  Both Justin and I thought we were in pretty good shape, but we found ourselves stopping every 100 yards so it was a very slow ascent to the Flat Iron. 

The dynamic duo - we made it!!

Take your time on this hike; there is no need to rush.  Justin and I had a great time chatting with everyone on the trail as we meandered up the mountain.  We both agreed that this is what we consider a “hike”; long, challenging, scenic and fun.  80% of the hikes in the valley are more like glorified walks and they surely serve a purpose as I don’t want to hike Flat Iron every week;-)

Tree pose on top of the Superstition Mountains - doesn't get much better than this!

After 3 hours of hiking, we finally made it to the top of the Flat Iron and what a great feeling!  It was kind of surreal to be on the top of the Superstition Mountains and kind of frightening as well when you are at the edge and realize how high up you are, 4861 feet!  We spent about 30 minutes on the top; checking out all the different sights, grabbing a bite to eat and just enjoying the accomplishment! 

Having some fun on the Flat Iron

The way down was a little hairy in spots and we found ourselves on our butts quite a bit, making the descent cautiously.  We made it down in 1.5 hours and it was pretty tough on the knees and quads.

The descent is just as "fun" as the ascent!

I’ve heard this hike be described as hiking Camelback Mountain twice back to back, it’s that tough, but sooo worth it.  We highly recommend this hike, but give yourself 5-6 hours for the entire hike.  Good luck, and enjoy it, we surely did!

Time for a beer!