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January 26, 2021

Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog

Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 1201 Restaurant Reviews, More Than 11,700 Visitor Comments…And Counting!

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Arizona

Arizona / Dog Friendly / German

Haus Murphy’s – Glendale, Arizona

December 27, 2020January 10, 2021 - 3 Comments.

To some of us of a certain age and generation, the term “grandma’s food” evokes emotionally-arousing childhood memories of the foods our grandmothers would prepare. That’s especially true for those of us who no longer …

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Arizona / New Mexican / Rated 23

Richardson’s Cuisine of New Mexico – Phoenix, Arizona

December 26, 2020January 10, 2021 - 15 Comments.

My friend and former Intel colleague Steve Caine will forever rue the day he asked me to help him with an expense report for a business trip he made to Portland, Oregon. His itemized expense …

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Arizona / Dog Friendly / Italian / United States

Fat Ox – Scottsdale, Arizona

December 25, 2020January 18, 2021 - 1 Comment

In the Alpine village of Carrù in the Piedmont region of Italy stands the “Monumento al Bue Grasso” (monument to a fat ox).  Depicting two fat oxen under yoke, the monument celebrates the beast of …

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Arizona / Dog Friendly / Italian / Pizza / United States

DeFalco’s Deli: Italian Eatery & Grocery – Scottsdale, Arizona

December 24, 2020January 10, 2021 - Leave a Comment

My Kim usually leaves the recitation of movie or television quotes to me (apparently it’s a guy thing), but every once in a while she’ll surprise me with an utterance or exclamation she could have …

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Arizona / Dog Friendly / Italian

Barrio Cafe – Phoenix, Arizona

December 23, 2020January 10, 2021 - 1 Comment

A neighborhood should never be defined solely by grids and lines on a map or by a physical area where people live.  Nor should a neighborhood be defined by areas made homogeneous by restrictive covenants. …

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Arizona / English

Cornish Pasty Company – Scottsdale, Arizona

December 22, 2020December 24, 2020 - 2 Comments.

There’s a European joke that uses stereotypes to deride British cooking, among the most maligned cuisines in the world culinary stage. As the joke goes, in the European conception of heaven, the French are the …

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Arizona / Dog Friendly / Hot Dogs / Illinois / Rated 23 / Sandwich

Portillo’s Hot Dogs – Tempe, Arizona

December 21, 2020December 23, 2020 - 7 Comments.

Portillo’s story is the story of the American dream, a rags to riches saga that began with a single hot dog stand opening in 1963. That single investment has blossomed into a multi-million per year …

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American / Arizona / Breakfast / United States

Butters Pancakes & Cafe – Scottsdale, Arizona

December 23, 2017October 13, 2018 - 2 Comments.

“Spread your tiny wings and fly away And take the snow back with you Where it came from on that day So, little snowbird take me with you when you go To the land of …

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Arizona / Rated 24 / Southwestern

The Turquoise Room – Winslow, Arizona

June 22, 2014July 15, 2018 - 24 Comments.

The concept of “fast food” had a far different connotation during the Southwest’s Frontier days than it does today. This is especially true if one traveled via railroad through hundreds of miles of desolate, open …

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Two Sonoran Hot Dogs, one with beans and one without.
Arizona / Hot Dogs / Mexican / Rated 23 / Sandwich / United States

El Guero Canelo – Tucson, Arizona

June 28, 2013July 17, 2018 - 8 Comments.

If asked to participate in a word association exercise, any well-traveled foodie undergoing psychoanalysis would find it easy to name the first food that comes to mind when a city is mentioned: Philadelphia – the …

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Arizona / Burgers

In-N-Out Burger – Chandler, Arizona

July 21, 2012July 17, 2018 - 7 Comments.

During a 2011 episode of Break the Chain, the enlightening and entertaining food-centric radio program hosted by the brilliant Ryan Scott, Larry McGoldrick, the professor with the pulchritudinous palate, made some rather unkind comments about …

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Arizona / Closed in 2019 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Rated 23 / Thai

Mint Thai – Gilbert, Arizona (CLOSED)

May 15, 2012January 6, 2021 - Leave a Comment

You might assume that because of my unabashed online promotion of culinary adventures, I would be the classic prostheletizer seeking to convert to the joys of more adventurous dining all lost and wayward souls who frequent …

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American / Arizona / United States

Roadkill Cafe – Seligman, Arizona

November 12, 2011July 18, 2018 - Leave a Comment

 I had my dinner yesterday In a place they call the Roadkill Cafe They serve their dishes full of tricks Scraped off Highway 66. From the Roadkill Cafe menu The legality of gathering and consuming …

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Arizona / Rated 23 / Thai

Malee’s Thai Bistro – Scottsdale, Arizona

June 1, 2011July 19, 2018 - 3 Comments.

Many a time have I luxuriated in the pleasures of a memorable repast at a restaurant outside of New Mexico and found myself thinking “if only these tastes were available back home.”  I typically then fantasize …

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Green chile and Cheddar Quiche with a slice of honey rolled oats bread and a cup of split pea soup
American / Arizona / Rated 24

Cafe Cornucopia – Bisbee, Arizona

April 16, 2010July 19, 2018 - 2 Comments.

The Hollywood stereotype of restaurant critics paints them rather unflatteringly as condescending misanthropes to be feared. Those stereotypes would have you believe restaurant critics are eager to pounce on and expose the slightest imperfection.  Armed …

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Arizona / Fine Dining / Mexican / United States

Cafe Poca Cosa – Tucson, Arizona

April 13, 2010July 19, 2018 - 1 Comment

Stereotypes would have you believe English food and Mexican food are at the opposite end of the spectrum from one another…as different as day and night.  Those stereotypes paint English food as bland and unimaginative …

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The BK Mascot carved from wood
Arizona / Hot Dogs / Mexican / Sandwich / United States

BK Carne Asada & Hot Dogs – Tucson, Arizona

April 12, 2010July 19, 2018 - Leave a Comment

Every region across the fruited plain seems to have its iconic foods–incomparable dishes that define the area because they’re prepared better in that region than anywhere else.  Though there may be many capable practitioners in …

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Arizona / Burgers / United States

Delux Burger – Phoenix, Arizona

May 17, 2009July 22, 2018 - Leave a Comment

“I ordered a cheeseburger at lunch the other day. I had never eaten at this particular restaurant before, and whenever I am unsure about the quality of the food at a place, I always order …

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American / Arizona / Closed in 2014 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Rated 25

Orange Table – Scottsdale, Arizona (CLOSED)

May 16, 2009July 22, 2018 - Leave a Comment

There are several scenes in the delightfully heartwarming animated Disney movie Ratatouille that resonate with all gastronomes who delight in the sensual pleasures of the dining experience–those for whom food is an enchanting adventure in …

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Arizona / Closed in 2018 / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexican

Los Dos Molinos – Springerville, Arizona (CLOSED)

August 23, 2008January 14, 2019 - 4 Comments.

Just how hot is the chile at Los Dos Molinos? The New York Times suggests you “travel with a fire extinguisher” and that “everything, with the exception of the margaritas, is incendiary.” New York magazine …

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Arizona / Fusion

Chino Bandido – Chandler, Arizona

June 25, 2008January 10, 2020 - 2 Comments.

Gustavo Arellano has the right idea. The brilliant and hilarious author of Ask A Mexican, a widely syndicated alternative newspaper column, confronts the “bogeymen of racism, xenophobia, and ignorance” with humor. In his weekly column, …

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Arizona / Rated 23 / Sandwich

Pane Bianco – Phoenix, Arizona

March 12, 2008July 22, 2018 - Leave a Comment

In 2007, the Food Network aired a program called “Top American Restaurants – Bon Appetit Picks the Best” in which the editors of Bon Appetit magazine selected the “top places in this country to enjoy …

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Arizona / Burgers / Closed in 2018 / Gone But Not Forgotten

The Original Wineburger – Phoenix, Arizona (CLOSED)

March 4, 2008October 5, 2018 - 1 Comment

Every year, children of all ages fall in love all over again with the heart-warming 1947 Christmas movie, Miracle on 34th Street. We’re aghast when the district attorney demands that defense lawyer Fred Gailey provide …

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Arizona / Barbecue

Honey Bear’s Barbecue – Phoenix, Arizona

October 11, 2007July 22, 2018 - Leave a Comment

Depending on the type of egg, the minimum temperature for frying an egg is said to be 144-158F and on scorching summer days in Phoenix, television news shows perennially traumatize visitors and tourists by frying …

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Arizona / Pizza

Patsy Grimaldi’s Pizzeria – Scottsdale, Arizona

October 9, 2007July 22, 2018 - Leave a Comment

America’s most storied non-franchised pizzeria is Patsy Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn, New York.  Grimaldi’s can trace its pizza lineage to the opening of the very first pizzeria in America in 1905. It may also be the …

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American / Arizona / Breakfast

El Tovar – Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

September 8, 2007July 22, 2018 - Leave a Comment

When Spanish explorer García López de Cárdenas first laid eyes on the Grand Canyon, surely his reaction wasn’t “it’s just a great big hole in the ground.” That was the reaction of a friend of …

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Arizona / Sushi

Sushi Eye – Tempe, Arizona

June 25, 2007July 22, 2018 - Leave a Comment

To Western diners used to restaurant ambience defined by an effusive, sensory bombarding, over-the-top flamboyance, many Japanese restaurants feel stark and barren in comparison. That austerity is actually by design. The Buddhist teaching of “wabi” …

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African / Arizona / United States

Cafe Lalibela – Tempe, Arizona

February 16, 2006October 11, 2018 - 4 Comments.

One of the first things that caught my attention during a 2006 visit to Cafe Lalibela were beautiful, brightly painted depictions of revered Christian events such as Christ carrying the yew hewn cross to Calvary. …

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Arizona / Rated 25 / Vietnamese

Cyclo Vietnamese Cuisine

February 14, 2006July 23, 2018 - Leave a Comment

Ultra-chic owner, captivating chef and hostess extraordinaire Justina Duong has the perfect personality to run a successful, cutting edge restaurant. Effusive, charming and gracious, she makes you feel at home in the restaurant she launched …

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Arizona / Burgers

Culver’s – Lake Zurich, Illinois

November 20, 2005July 23, 2018 - Leave a Comment

Want a better franchise burger? Wisconsin residents might steer you toward the trademarked ButterBurger, specialty of the house at Culvers, a franchise serving the Midwest since 1984. The ButterBurger is made from ground chuck seared …

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Arizona / Pizza / Rated 25

Pizzeria Bianco – Phoenix, Arizona

October 27, 2005July 23, 2018 - Leave a Comment

To celebrate the 100 year anniversary of pizza in America, aficionado Ed Levine ate nothing but pizza for an entire twelve month period, taking a representative pulse of the best from among thousands of pizza …

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Arizona / Sandwich / Vietnamese

Lee’s Sandwiches – Chandler, Arizona

October 25, 2005July 23, 2018 - Leave a Comment

For years, the American viewing public has been subjected to the bombardment of the airwaves with the exploits of Jared. Once a corpulent fellow who weighed 425 pounds, Jared metamorphosed into a 190-pound shadow of …

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Arizona / Barbecue

Joe’s Real BBQ – Gilbert, Arizona

March 28, 2005July 23, 2018 - Leave a Comment

No ordinary Joe is this, critics would have you believe. Instead, they insist, this is one of the best 59 restaurants in the Phoenix area (Phoenix magazine, 2002). Located in a 1929 brick building that …

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Arizona / Barbecue

Hap’s Pit Barbecue – Phoenix, Arizona

April 28, 2004July 23, 2018 - Leave a Comment

Good barbecue in Arizona? You’d better believe it! Hap’s Pit Barbecue is one happening barbecue joint, one that its proponents believe its name is short for “happiness because that’s what it elicits from its diners–that …

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Arizona / Steak

Pinnacle Peak Patio – Scottsdale, Arizona

April 27, 2004July 23, 2018 - Leave a Comment

To a lexicologist like me, the word pinnacle has connotations of “the highest point of development or achievement.” In other words, it’s synonymous with ultimate, apogee, culmination, peak, summit, zenith, climax or apex…and those are …

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Arizona / Steak

The Keg Steakhouse – Chandler, Arizona

March 25, 2004July 23, 2018 - Leave a Comment

A Canadian steakhouse in the silicon desert city of Chandler, Arizona? You bet! In fact Canada’s most renown steakhouse has made expansive forays into the United States with restaurants in Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Texas and …

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Most Recent Visits

M’Tucci’s Twenty-Five – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 23, 2021January 25, 2021

Urbano Pasta Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 18, 2021January 22, 2021

Marigold Cafe – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 13, 2021January 16, 2021

Dragon House – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 9, 2021January 13, 2021

Ms. Gennie’s House of Chicken – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 6, 2021January 10, 2021

Bibo Bar & Grille – Bibo, New Mexico

January 5, 2021January 6, 2021

Nena’s Food – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 2, 2021January 22, 2021

Red or Green: New Mexico’s Food Scene Was On Fire in 2020

January 1, 2021January 6, 2021

Gil’s “Best of the Best” For 2020

December 30, 2020January 8, 2021

Haus Murphy’s – Glendale, Arizona

December 27, 2020January 10, 2021

Richardson’s Cuisine of New Mexico – Phoenix, Arizona

December 26, 2020January 10, 2021

Fat Ox – Scottsdale, Arizona

December 25, 2020January 18, 2021

DeFalco’s Deli: Italian Eatery & Grocery – Scottsdale, Arizona

December 24, 2020January 10, 2021

Barrio Cafe – Phoenix, Arizona

December 23, 2020January 10, 2021

Cornish Pasty Company – Scottsdale, Arizona

December 22, 2020December 24, 2020

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Featured Posts

  • Introducing the New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail for 2011
  • Introducing the New Mexico Culinary Treasures Trail
  • 2019: Red or Green–New Mexico’s Food Scene Was on Fire
  • Gil’s “Best of The Best” for 2019

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  • Rated 23 (95)
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Your Feedback

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  • Gil Garduno on Urbano Pasta Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico
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  • Justin on Dragon House – Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • Had this for takeout yesterday on Ms. Gennie’s House of Chicken – Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • Emily J. Harrington on Guadalupe Cafe – Santa Fe, New Mexico
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