Isabella’s Kitchen at Grayhawk Golf Club

Today we had a family birthday celebration and had the opportunity to go to lunch at a new spot called Isabella's Kitchen. I am completely impressed!

It’s spacious, interestingly decorated, swanky, delicious and wait for it… Kid friendly! Hey, oh!

This is the view from where we sat, nestled next to the sprawling arms of a 150 year old Saguaro cactus. You’re looking out on the Grawhawk Golf Course, here in Scottsdale, off Thompson Peak, from a beautiful, 8 person wooden table in a secluded corner of Isabella’s Kitchen. A new Italian addition to North Scottsdale, Isabella’s opened in October of 2012 and offers upscale service, food and surroundings for South Scottsdale prices.

Those colorful bits in the grass are pieces of hula-hoops brought by thoughtful parents who know Isabella’s is the place to let the kids play while you relax, soak up some sunshine (or not, as there is plenty of indoor and shaded seating available) and take in the view.

The menu was simple and easy to understand, beer is served in frosty mason jars and for being at an upscale golf club, the vibe is noticeably laid back. Wide open floor plan and picnic table seating in some parts, couches in others, and even rocking chairs give you a relaxed “down home” feeling, while the details really are the icing on the cake. Check out the photo above, the sweet little bottles they bring extra water to your table in. It’s adorable!

I indulged in a generic brew because my little angel was fast asleep and after being at Build-a-Bear for a birthday earlier in the day, in which he was a bit of a stinker, Mommy needed a little Rn’R. I’m usually a wine girl, but daytime is too early for a glass of wine, for me and the glasses start at $7, which for a lunchtime buzz, is a little much. Beers start at $3 for a Pabst on tap and don’t go past $6 for a craft on tap. They don’t have a happy hour menu as of yet, but one could only hope that would be in the works soon!

Oh, did I mention the food? Yep, you guessed it, delicious, distinctive and budget friendly!

We got the 12” pepperoni pizza and I added ricotta, it was only $12 and split between two people, was just enough. I could have used an appetizer, but I was absolutely starving and we were in a bit of a rush, which is why I don’t have more pictures. The crust was crunchy, thin and had a great taste... Everything was fresh, flavorful and unique, which is often a difficult task to accomplish when making pizza.

If you’re in the area, go check this place out for lunch, dinner, anything. Or, if you’re playing a few holes at Grayhawk, I saw a little cart zoom off, so I know they feed the golfers near and far!

Enjoy!

Isabella’s Kitchen is located at 8623 East Thompson Peak Parkway, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. 480-502-3100
Check out their Facebook for more information, as well.

Green Chile Carnitas Tacos

So, if you live in Arizona, you  may have been to a Food City. If you have, you know what incredible deals they boast on produce, meat and pretty much anything else. I go for the produce and meat, but it helps that they have the essentials, if I don’t want to stop at more than one store. At first approach, you feel like you should just go somewhere else to shop, but I assure you, press on. They’re part of the Basha’s and AJ’s Fine Foods family, so you’re getting the best food for your dollar. Also, Food City is more than willing to tell you where and who their meat and produce comes from, so you’re never left wondering exactly how many different chickens went into one flat of breasts.

Anyway, I didn’t take a picture, BUT, I got 8lbs of picnic roast for only $7.65. I used a little over a pound to make these tacos, making about 8 tacos out of it. You can see how this kind of purchase goes a LONG way. Since the beans and rice were home made, they cost literally pennies. Ah, the satisfaction I get from feeding my family something delicious and health conscious that costs less than a dollar a plate! #winning

I’ve said it before, but it begs repeating, I cook my beans and rice in advance and freeze them in portions. I cook up POUNDS of pinto beans, because my darling son loves to eat “Bees wice” (refried beans and spanish rice, mixed) almost every day. I either remove half the beans from the crock pot, before they’re cooked to super soft refry ready status, and freeze them after they’ve cooled, or I cook them in separate batches. Those I use for chili while the others I refry for the boy and freeze.

 

INGREDIENTS:

For the tacos:

Picnic roast, or another large, well marbled cut of pork
3 Anaheim green chiles, sliced into strips
Bell peppers, about 2, I like red and green, you can use whatever color you like, sliced into strips
1 white onion, sliced
Oregano, cumin, chili powder, thyme
Corn tortillas

Rice and beans:

I’ve posted before how I make these… You can find the instructions for the beans here and the instructions for the rice here.

INSTRUCTIONS:

I roasted the pork in the oven, at 350, covered, for about an hour, before I hacked off a chunk to shred, leaving the rest of the roast to finish while I finished cooking. Obviously it’ll take a different amount of time, depending on the size of your roast.

I shred and/or dice the rest of the roast, using the shredded meat for tacos and chili and the diced meat for chile verde/colorado. This one roast makes about 4 dinners, each with it’s respective leftovers for the following day and sometimes the day after that. We’re a BIG leftover family, Daddy takes them with him to work, because the man needs to eat ALL day long. I rarely find time to eat during the day, but it provides a great little buffet of food for a picky toddler!

Meanwhile if you are making your beans and/or rice from scratch, get those cooking!

 

Next, sauté those veggies while you’re shredding the pork.

Add the shredded meat to the veggies and cook a little longer until the veggies are soft to taste.

To heat your tortillas, use a flat iron or a large skillet on the stove. You can even throw them into the oven, if it’s still warm, for a few minutes to get a little crisp. Avoid the microwave when heating tortillas, please, you’re not helping the taste or texture and flour tortillas become rubbery when microwaved. No bueno.

 

 

 

Now, just assemble and enjoy!

Keep an eye out for a adobada taco post where I use the rest of this roast and slow cook it in some homemade red chile I made! I’ll post the chile as well, because it’s AMAZING. I made almost 20 cups, and ran out in less than 2 weeks, neighbors won’t leave me alone, Cinco de Mayo is upon is and I MUST make more (as I sit here using chips as a salty segway to shovel the last bit I hid for myself, into my fat face, smh).

PEACE!

Take me out to Spring Training!

It’s Spring in Scottsdale and if you’re vacationing or a native, you know what that means! We get to go outside! Joking, we have the best winters in ‘Merica, haha.

Spring time means spring training! Here in Arizona 15 MLB teams have their spring training facilities which makes us the home to the most teams in the country, come spring time. We have the Diamondbacks, Cubs, White Sox, Reds, Indians, Rockies, Royals, Angels, Dodgers, Brewers, Athletics, Padres, Giants, Mariners and Rangers. Phew, that’s a BUNCH a baseball!

This season, I had the absolute financial pleasure of bartending for one of the MANY new facilities here in the Valley of the Sun.

Opened in time for the 2011 spring training season, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale is brand spankin new and absolutely beautiful. And I can’t stand baseball!

I’ve worked at almost all the sports complexes in the valley and I have to say this one is by FAR my favorite. It’s easy to get to, clean, has lawn seating galore and of course, is completely over priced. Come on, you can’t have everything!

Spring training games there are awesome. I can’t imagine any other stadium would be better. We have the most lawn seating out of any, the demographic is so eclectic that weather you want to people watch or make friends, you’ll have an easy time and since it’s Scottsdale, they keep it sparkling clean! If you’ve never been to a spring game, ladies, I’m talking to you, I would suggest it. Your man can enjoy some time with the boys, you get to tag along and you’re not stuck in those shitty stadium seats. You can bring a few girlfriends, kick off your shoes and relax in the grass on a blanket! Most people go to the Goodwill next door, buy a few big blankets and camp out for the afternoon. It get’s hot, but they’re considerate enough to provide complimentary sunscreen, awwww. Don’t be a fool and try to get your bronze on, straight out the gate, in late February. Opening day found me burnt to a crisp under the jumbo tron for well over 6 hours. It snowed a few days later. Smh. Don’t try to sneak in a flask or get fancy, it’s the AZ heat we’re talking about, you’ll die red faced in a puddle of your own spilled vodka, because your body will be too dehydrated to throw up. For realsies. If you’re gonna smuggle anything in, avoid the $6 price tag on a bottle of Aquafina and find a way to sneak in some hydration. Word to the wise.

Anyway, I wanted to post a few pictures I took of the place, because it is pretty incredible!

Enjoy!

 

 

Fly over on opening day. I was setting up my bar and didn’t know they were going to do this, so I snapped a pic as quick as I could!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The view from the VIP area – The Pepsi Patio

Looking out from the Pepsi Patio to the main entrance of the facility

Salt River Fields also hosts a ton of events for the city as well as personal events, like a wedding rehearsal dinner I bartended last weekend! I thought it was strange at first, but the views are incredible, it’s completely private, nobody could complain about noise and they’ve got everything you need!

Check out their website here for more information.

Local Love…

I’m happy to announce that while I’m busy writing and planning blogs, I’ve started a new page up there at the top, called, “Local Loves” which will serve as a handy little list of all the posts that feature things to do around the Scottsdale area! Everything from restaurants, splash pads, attractions, museums, bars, road trips within the state, everything that has to do with the Valley of the Sun and experiencing all it has to offer!  
I’m excited about it, because I love this town, it’s a “Yuppie” paradise for sure, but when you look closer, there’s endless things to do, see and experience. That’s what “Local Loves” is all about.
Weather you live in town or are planning a trip, I hope you find it useful, or at the very least, entertaining.