Portillos

Man,does sure feel great to get my appetite back again. I've been sick for about a week,and after living on a liquid diet of Nyquil,water and soups,I needed to eat some real food for a change. So after doing a few errands, I had to grab some lunch and there's a place I've had my eye set on for a while now.
Portillos is one of those places that has a vintage but yet familiar atmosphere to it.  A Chicago based typed of diner/ eaterie that's decorated with old photos,bright neon lights and signs and serving up good food with great service.
Their menu has expanded a lot since they first opened,which now sells pastas, burgers,desserts,salads and of course hot dogs. I was interested and tried  a Italian beef sandwich, a nice portion of sliced  Italian Beef dipped again in natural gravy served on a French bread with sweet peppers and mozzarella cheese.
Definitely was as mouth watering as it sounds. As I finished up eating I just kicked back and enjoyed the environment all while listening to the music of the oldies that was playing throughout the place. If you love good food and looking for a new place to try,this place I definitely suggest you give it a try.
Well in a few days I'm heading again to California to see my family and besides good times,laughter and memories, well you know we'll find a few good places to dine at too.. So stay tuned for that, and aloha for now
Love, peace and feast(m0de)

Detroit Coney Grill

Yes!! Spring has arrived and with that the weather here in Phoenix is slowly getting warmer and I'll be spending my time outdoors as much as I can enjoying and soaking up some sun. Today the weather was really nice and I ended up spending my day off from work roaming around downtown and taking care of a few errands. Well, you know how it goes when I end up going on my little outings haha yup, my stomach started talking and I had to quiet the beast in my belly.
Here in Arizona, springtime also marks the time of the year where baseball spring training begins and next to baseball and apple pie, hot dogs and burgers is an all American staple.  Detroit Coney Grill can be found in the heart of downtown Phoenix and you can definitely get your burger and hot dog fix on here and then some.
Even though it was my first time here, the service of the staff, the portion of my meal and the flavor of the food itself was top notch. I ordered the coney burger combo: 2 fresh and handmade burger patties, with cheese, loose ground  beef,chili ,onions and some mustard and the icing on top was a butterflies coney dog. A fork is highly suggested and extra napkins are a must, or you could do what I did as I  used my fresh cut fries as a makeshift spoon and enjoyed this  creation in  all of it's messy glory.
I may grab me a few chili coney dogs next time around or even one of the various gyros and pitas they have there as well. They have daily specials as well as everyday combo specials and either way,their prices are very reasonable, then again, I normally don't put a price tag to a meal if overall my experience was very satisfying. Check it out for yourself and see what you think and met me know.
       Aloha for now..love,peace and feast(m0de)

La Casita Cafe

March 20,2016
I'm not a morning person ( then again who really is ? Lol) and I actually prefer and enjoy breakfast for a late dinner instead at the "normal" time, but seeing that I am on my way to work to pull a 12 hour shift, I guess I should fuel up on some food to get enough energy to start my day.
  Well they say that breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day and luckily for me I know a place around the corner which is close to my home and job called La Casita Cafe,a little cafe similar to Starbucks, but with a twist and much friendlier service. So typically what you find at small cafés you can find here such as coffee, Latte's, Frappuccinos, pastries but they also sell breakfast items such as breakfast burritos, sandwiches, oatmeal and crêpes, which is what I ordered.
Crêpes are French syled thin like pancakes are usually stuffed with fruits or cream cheese,which mine had plus a little bit of peanut butter and topped with bananas, strawberries, pecans and nutella.  The fruits were fresh and although my crêpes looks more like a dessert, it was a nice balance of sweetness and wasn't overbearing or sent me to a sugar rush.
I eventually will try out their panini sandwiches on a later visit. I have had their Frappé though,the last time was a caramel frappé. I did enjoy their mixed berries smoothie as well,definitely refreshing on a hot day. So if you're 
on the south side of phoenix and you're looking for a new spot to check out to get your caffeine fix on or you want to avoid the lines or people usually found at some places such as Starbucks, then this is a place I would recommend.
If you know of a place like this I should check out, drop me a message then.
Aloha for now!!
       Love,peace and feast(m0de)

Aloha Festival 2016

Aloha!!! This past weekend I attended the Aloha Festival once again at Tempe Beach park and it was just as amazing as last years event. Being away from Hawaii,my home sweet home, it's nice to have a bit of my paradise brought closer to me. The turnout seemed pretty good and with many entertainment around, a variety of vendors and of course the food court area,there was something for everyone.
  So let's talk about the food haha.. I know it's a festival of different Polynesian cultures and being part Hawaiian, there's more to our culture than just the traditional things,especially when it comes to food. I only can talk about what it's like being Hawaiian and growing up in Hawaii.  For example, one of the most popular thing to eat in Hawaii,which I was able to get at the Aloha Festival is poke ( pronounced po-kay). Cubes of raw ahi tuna mixed with soy sauce,green onions, Maui onions and  sea salt.  For lunch I had Korean kalbi short ribs and teriyaki chicken which of course came with white steamed rice and macaroni salad. Being that it was such a nice day out,to complete my day I had shave ice ( not shaved ice haha, it's just a Hawaii thing) with orange pineapple and lilikoi (passion fruit) syrup on top. Unlike snow cones,shave ice is ice that's shaved down to almost a fluffy and soft mound of ice instead of cubed or chunky ice, which literally just melts in your mouth with each bite.
I  am already looking forward to next year's event already. Luckily I know how to make most of my island favorites at home as well as I have a few spots I can hit up to get my island flavor fix on.
Aloha for stopping by and trust me ,there's more adventures I'll be going on in the up coming weeks so stay tuned..
Love,peace and feast ( m0de)

Sing high chop suey house

Sorry for not blogging in what seems like ages, I've had a crazy few weeks that had to be addressed first. Nonetheless, my adventures of being a foodie must press on haha. Oh, I definitely want to say thank you to desoto central market place for allowing me to use of their WiFi to finish up this very blog!! ( great little place to eat at too by the way, cheap plug )
As soon as you enter downtown Phoenix, tucked away in a little corner amid construction sites, court houses and high rises, is a chop suey house, which I've passed many times , that I decided to check out. The inside is definitely more appealing upon entering, with nice tables and chandeliers above. After reading the menu I've decided on indulging and getting my noodle soup fix on.
The menu has many options to choose from and consists of your typical Chinese food fare and the prices are very affordable. I could see the portions from the other tables near me so I know I definitely won't be leaving still hungry.
  I ordered a bowl of won ton mein noodle soup which consist of pork stuffed steamed won ton in a warm bowl of broth, rice noodles ,Chinese BBQ pork and green onions. Definitely filling and heavy on flavor all packed into a bowl.
Tomorrow I'll be back to post a new blog after attending the 2016 Aloha festival in Tempe beach park, so stay tuned for that.
Well I'm off to continue exploring around on my day off and maybe I'll discover new places I'll eventually end up eating at,so until then ,as always, love ,peace and feast( m0de)
              ALOHA \m/

US Fries

There is so many  favorite staples around the United States that are considered a must try, that skipping out on an unique eating  experience is almost down right a travesty haha. I'm serious, I have had the fortunate opportunity to taste some great food coast to coast. You got your luaus, spam musubis and plate lunches to name a few if you ever visit Hawaii, then you got your assortment of street taco spots scattered all throughout Los Angeles,ranging from traditional tacos to hybrids and fusions such Korean tacos and nachos with mouth watering Korean style beef and unique spices. I've had salt water taffy for the first time in New Jersey, Chili Frito pie in Oklahoma, fresh crawfish in Virginia, and one of my favorite pig out spots on the east coast,R U Hungry lunch truck located at Rutgers university in New Jersey which offers Fat Sandwiches stuffed with just about anything your heart desires.
Well, I can add a new entry into my endless list of must haves and pig out spots,located in the heart of Tempe,Arizona: US Fries!! What makes this spot unique is their main attraction called poutine,which is a Canadian-French dish that consist of crispy fries,smothered in gravy and cheese curds. Honestly,my knowledge of Canada is limited ,and I can sum up it all up with 5 words: hockey,Bret Hart, Wayne Gretzky, maple syrup and snow. I can officially add poutine into that list.
What US Fries did was add a bit of american flare to it while still keeping the  dish true to it's origin. There's at least a half dozen different variety's from traditional to the wild such as the one I ordered called pork 3 ways( BBQ pork,honey ham and crispy bacon) topped on top of a order of poutine!
There was a different flavor with each bite I took,with the gravy, smoked flavor of the meats and cheese curds all complementing each other well,it was definitely a party in my mouth haha and my belly did back flips.
There's something on the menu for everyone, yes including vegetarians as well. I also saw that  you can  also substitute fries for rice and that's what I may try the next time. I recommend not only this place  but  also this word of advice:if you're not a big eater or you're dining alone(as I was),then a small order will hit the spot good. For more of a bigger eater or a group of friends who want to share,the large will do that trick alright. Whatever you choose to do or even order,if this is your first time here, I can almost be certain that you may never  just settle with just plain old fries again.
Yes,it's that damn delicious! I promise you that.. Aloha until next time when my belly finds another place to eat at,Love, Peace and feast(m0de)

Rito's Mexican food

Aloha everyone, I sure hope your day is a good and blessed one. So yesterday, me and my family found a little hidden gem to eat at not too far from downtown Phoenix called Rito's mexican food, and judging by how packed they were, I figure not that many people can be wrong about this place. Rito's is one of those places that doesn't need a whole lot to attract business, while there menu isn't as big , their service and their quality of food does their speaking for them.
I ordered the red chili chimicanga , a hefty size burrito deep fried and covered with sour cream, guacamole and cheese, and loaded with chunks of red chili beef. The chili has a little kick, which to me enhanced it a bit more for flavor. The kids got the bean tostadas covered with cheese, and my brother ordered the red chili burrito. My sister in law ended up with beef tacos which she said was simple but delicious,simply tacos with no added fringe,just cheese,and meat and she was happy with it.
  I can definitely say I'll come back again to Rito's to eat  at on another time.  In the meantime, I'll be on the lookout for other places I have yet to discover.  Who knows where my belly will lead me to next but I am looking forward to it haha..
  As always,ALOOOOHHHAAA!
Love, peace and Feast(m0de) 🍴