Category: Restaurants

Desert Rain Café review

The Desert Rain Café is located in Sells, Arizona. Sells is a census-designated place within Pima County. It is the capital of Tohono O’odham, the native Americans who’re mainly resident in South Arizona’s Sonoran Desert,as well as the northwestern parts of Mexico. Tohono O’odham Nation is a federally recognized tribe.

The Desert Rain Café lies on Tohono Plaza, Main Street. They are dedicated to providing healthy and traditional Tohono O’odham foods for their customers. Each one of their dishes can be characterized a traditional. That mean it includes a traditional product such as cholla buds, saguaro fruit syrup, tepary beans. Sometimes, they serve these delicacies as the Tohono O’odham nation has enjoyed them for generations, or they try new ways them even more interesting. One thing about this café is that they focus not only on traditional desert foods but also on healthy foods. Their menu is often advertised as a great choice for individuals who are looking to regulate levels of blood sugar, as well as control diabetes. They also leverage syrup from the agave as a sweetener, mesquite flour for baked products, and olive oil for cooking.

They serve Monday through Friday, which means no weekend Desert Café for you. Their menu includes a breakfast Morning Dew list, featuring Desert Granola, Hot Cereal, Omelette, Breakfast Muffin and many others. Each one of these costs just $5 or less. They also have a Monsoon menu to cover lunch and a Whirl Wind list that contains side dishes and appetizers. Monsoon lists tepary bean and short rib stews, pear chicken sandwich, quesadilla, Cholla bud citrus salads, and veggie wrap. On the other hand, the Whirl Wind menu lists desert Hummus, Cholla Pico De Gallo, Tepary Bean Dip, Roasted Corn, and House Salad among many others.

Delicious comes out of most of their meals, and this is one real strength for the Desert Rain Café. It seems that the flavors of the desert are rich and wonderful! They provide them in ways that satisfy and excite your appetite at the same time. So if you’re looking to sample some old dietary ways of the Tohono O’odham nation, you’ll most likely enjoy what you get at this Sells restaurant.

For the purpose of this anonymous review, we tried the BBQ ribs on Thursday, and that was quite tasty. The tepary beans are awesome too. And if you’re serious about enjoying a nostalgic summer meal at a place that has a great indoor and outdoor environment, all the same, you’ll probably like what you get here. In some other reviews that we read before making our visits, we encountered some complaints about slow service and not having some items listed on the menu available. We didn’t encounter this – maybe we were just lucky?

To wrap it up, we’d also say that they have a comfortable seating setting. So if you’re looking to for a diamond in the rough, the Desert Rain Café provides traditional, healthy and delicious delicacies in a great environment!

8 best restaurants across Arizona

Phoenix is what comes to mind when most people think about the Arizona restaurant scene. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t lots of other cool restaurants in other parts of the state. Indeed, there’s ample deliciousness to be found within Arizona’s borders. And just you know why, here is a highlight of the state’s dining scene.

1.      Coppa Café

Coppa Café is an awesome restaurant that brings immense flavors to the town of Flagstaff. The European menu is nothing short of outstanding. You’ll find popular dishes such as halibut confit, foie gras, baked meatballs and more. The café provides customers with a delicious lunch menu where they can choose from a variety of brunch dishes.

2.      Core Kitchen & Wine Bar

Housed in the Ritz-Carlton, this is a great restaurant near Tucson, one of the largest cities in Arizona. If you’re looking to experience some top-notch dining, this is the place to be. You’ll love the calming atmosphere and beautiful décor! The meals are also great, plus they have one of the best restaurant service across the state.

3.      Elote Café

Award-winning chef Jeff Smedstad is the owner of Elote Café. Jeff has spent the last one and a half decade traveling to Mexico to learn about their food culture. As a result, he’s proved to create some of the best Mexican foods available in Arizona. All the ingredients sued are local and organic, which perhaps helps the great team at Elote make delicious yet healthy meals.

4.      Binkley’s Restaurant

Binkley is an award-winning restaurant located right out Phoenix’s bustling metropolis. You get a fantastic wine menu and multi-course meals here. The atmosphere is one-of-a-kind. Make sure to try the 4, 5, or 6-course tasting menus.

5.      El Chorro

Going by the mantra, ‘destination dining’, El Chorro is located in Paradise Valley. If you’re looking to take a drive out of the city (Phoenix), this is a good destination. It’s like taking a dining vacation, and it’s well worth it. You’ll love the impressive views of Camelback Mountain, and their extensive menu is a great source list for even the pickiest eaters.

6.      La Stalla Cucina Rustica

Native Italian Antonio Vetrati is the owner of this restaurant, located in Chandler. Antonio has many years of experience working in the New Jersey restaurant scene, and many other places. La Stall is actually his 6th Restaurant (the other 5 are located on the East Coast). If you’re looking for some Italian charm, go to this place and pick something from their fantastic menu.

7.      Romeo’s Euro Café

Romeo’s Café is East Valley’s staple for multiple years. The restaurant boasts awesome Greek food, with a massive menu. You may try out some giant portion sizes, and enjoy the inviting experience. Romeo’s is a bustling hub with loyal customers.

8.      Café Roka

Café Roka is one experience you won’t forget. They’ve got lively music and some very fine dining. Roka is located in Bisbee, South Arizona. The folks at Roka are very big on using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients to create unique Mediterranean and Italian cuisines. The staff render an awesome service and their environment is also worth a mention. This one works for all dietary preferences, from gluten intolerant to vegetarians.

If you’re looking to sample the state’s best dining spots without being fixated on Phoenix, try the above restaurants. You’re sure to just love what they have!

1.      Coppa Café

Coppa Café is an awesome restaurant that brings immense flavors to the town of Flagstaff. The European menu is nothing short of outstanding. You’ll find popular dishes such as halibut confit, foie gras, baked meatballs and more. The café provides customers with a delicious lunch menu where they can choose from a variety of brunch dishes.

2.      Core Kitchen & Wine Bar

Housed in the Ritz-Carlton, this is a great restaurant near Tucson, one of the largest cities in Arizona. If you’re looking to experience some top-notch dining, this is the place to be. You’ll love the calming atmosphere and beautiful décor! The meals are also great, plus they have one of the best restaurant service across the state.

3.      Elote Café

Award-winning chef Jeff Smedstad is the owner of Elote Café. Jeff has spent the last one and a half decade traveling to Mexico to learn about their food culture. As a result, he’s proved to create some of the best Mexican foods available in Arizona. All the ingredients sued are local and organic, which perhaps helps the great team at Elote make delicious yet healthy meals.

4.      Binkley’s Restaurant

Binkley is an award-winning restaurant located right out Phoenix’s bustling metropolis. You get a fantastic wine menu and multi-course meals here. The atmosphere is one-of-a-kind. Make sure to try the 4, 5, or 6-course tasting menus.

5.      El Chorro

Going by the mantra, ‘destination dining’, El Chorro is located in Paradise Valley. If you’re looking to take a drive out of the city (Phoenix), this is a good destination. It’s like taking a dining vacation, and it’s well worth it. You’ll love the impressive views of Camelback Mountain, and their extensive menu is a great source list for even the pickiest eaters.

6.      La Stalla Cucina Rustica

Native Italian Antonio Vetrati is the owner of this restaurant, located in Chandler. Antonio has many years of experience working in the New Jersey restaurant scene, and many other places. La Stall is actually his 6th Restaurant (the other 5 are located on the East Coast). If you’re looking for some Italian charm, go to this place and pick something from their fantastic menu.

7.      Romeo’s Euro Café

Romeo’s Café is East Valley’s staple for multiple years. The restaurant boasts awesome Greek food, with a massive menu. You may try out some giant portion sizes, and enjoy the inviting experience. Romeo’s is a bustling hub with loyal customers.

8.      Café Roka

Café Roka is one experience you won’t forget. They’ve got lively music and some very fine dining. Roka is located in Bisbee, South Arizona. The folks at Roka are very big on using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients to create unique Mediterranean and Italian cuisines. The staff render an awesome service and their environment is also worth a mention. This one works for all dietary preferences, from gluten intolerant to vegetarians.

If you’re looking to sample the state’s best dining spots without being fixated on Phoenix, try the above restaurants. You’re sure to just love what they have!

How to find a catering service that works for you

When organizing an event, whether a wedding or a fundraiser, your choice of catering service is crucial. Obviously, you’re investing a lot of your time, money and effort into this event, and you want to make sure that everything turns out perfect! Now, there are tons of catering services available in town, and narrowing down to the best one can be a real hassle (especially if you’re not a professional event planner). The following easy tips should help you find the best caterer to make your next important event rock.

Do a list

You’ve got to start from somewhere – find a number of the best catering service providers so that your options are narrow. Do you have friends who have organized events in the recent past? If so, ring them up and ask them what catering service they used. Also, do a Google search to find some of the best-reviewed or best-ranked caterers from your area. You may also check with the management at your event’s venue and ask them to recommend some of the best caterers they’ve worked with in the past. The point here is to come up with a reasonable list.

Make appointments

Before you make a decision on what catering service you want to work with, book an appointment and visit their kitchens. Your objective is to check the cleanliness of the kitchen, and as well gauge the professionalism of their employees. A professional and clean environment should impress you, right? Look for red flags to avoid, such as a dirty, chaotic kitchen, staff that does not seem happy about what they’re doing. You want to work with a team that’s attentive, clean, and takes pride in their work!

Check out menu options

What’s on the menu? What does this specific caterer specialize in? These are all important questions that need answers before you rushing into hiring a catering service. Have it in mind that not all services will work for the needs of your event. For instance, a caterer who specializes in traditional Indian food might have trouble delivering a Chinese inspired buffet. So make sure that you review your menu options with the caterers, and point out any dietary restrictions that your guests have, if any.

Availability of staff

Before you get yourself into any contracts, make sure that the catering service you intend to settle for has adequate staff to handle your event. Based on the nature and size of your events, bring it out and find out whether the service can comfortably accommodate everything. And if you’re not sure just how many people you’ll need. Assume two servers for every 30 guests at a buffet. For sit down dinners, assume one server for each table. For bar staff, at least one bartender should work for 50 guests.

Do some tastings

A good catering service should be ready to schedule a tasting so that you can sample some of what they serve. This will give you a pretty good idea what dishes will be served at your event. There’s no better way to finally approve the menu than doing a tasting. So if a specific caterer doesn’t offer a scheduled tasting, cease any further negotiations with them and move on to the next service.

Cost

Certainly, the cost is an issue for most people planning to hold events. You should be clear about how much money you’re willing to commit to catering. Obviously, you have a lot of things to pay for right now, including the venue, music system, entertainment, etc.

To avoid any disappointments much later, make sure that the quote you get covers the full service that the catering company offers. You don’t want to be slapped with additional bills much later after the event. So question your caterer and get some clarity whether or not they have any form of hidden fees.

With these easy tips, finding the best caterer for your event doesn’t have to be an ordeal. You only need to approach the entire process with a plan and you’re certainly get away with the best catering services provider in town!

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