The Cove Grill earns 3.5 stars in my latest review for AZ Central:
When Breanna and Robert Tomfohr bought the six-month-old Boatzhouse Grill last summer, it didn’t make much sense to introduce a lot of changes to the south Chandler restaurant and bar.
The Boatzhouse – which got its name from owner Dave Boatz – already had established itself as a popular neighborhood hangout. So when the Tomfohrs took over the restaurant, they expanded the menu but kept the nautical theme and rechristened it the Cove Grill.
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La Stalla Cucina Rustica earns 4 stars in my latest review for AZ Central:
Downtown Chandler has evolved into one of the East Valley’s premier dining destinations, with more than a dozen well-regarded independent restaurants lining A.J. Chandler Park.
One such restaurant is La Stalla Cucina Rustica, which has been serving classic Italian dishes since 2003.
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The Chuckbox earns 4 stars in my latest review for AZ Central:
There’s a strange dichotomy between The Chuckbox’s decor and its dining clientele.
While waiting in line on a recent Saturday, however, we were surrounded by a mix of cultures from around the world. Two couples in front of us chatted in Arabic, while behind us three young women conversed in Chinese.
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Slices earns 3.5 stars in my latest review for AZ Central:
Rodd Kestenbaum and Stephen Nielsen worked their way through college at a Boston pizzeria. In 1998, after a cross-country move, they opened Slices, hoping to bring a small slice of East Coast big-city vibe to downtown Tempe.
Rino D’s earns 3 stars in my latest review for AZ Central:
Our original plan was to put together a group of six or eight people to visit Rino D’s Pizza & Wings, an Italian restaurant on the southeastern corner of Gilbert and Baseline Roads in Gilbert.
That plan fell through. Lucky for us.
For Rino D’s, it turns out, isn’t so much a restaurant as it is a strip-mall takeout/delivery pizzeria. The spot works in a pinch as long as there aren’t more than two people in your party.
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House of Brews earns 3.5 stars in my latest review for AZ Central:
As its name suggests, House of Brews serves beer – two dozen kinds on tap, and more in bottles, from local labels like Four Peaks and SanTan to national brands like Budweiser and Coors.
The menu also received a major upgrade with the addition of all-natural beef burgers, hand-cut fries and made-from-scratch entrees.
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Cucina di Vita earns 3 stars in my latest review for AZ Central:
Downtown Mesa has never been an easy place for a restaurant to succeed. Closures in recent years include such independent eateries as S’Bistro, Christel’s and Picnic Company, as well as national chains, including Jack in the Box and Quiznos.
The Original Flame Burger Factory earns 3 stars in my latest review for AZ Central:
The Original Flame Burger Factory is one of several new burger concepts that opened in the Valley last year, taking over a space formerly occupied by an El Pollo Loco fast-food restaurant on Arizona Avenue just north of Warner Road.
The locally owned independent restaurant targets neighborhood clientele looking for higher-quality ingredients than offered by fast-food burger chains and lower prices than demanded by gourmet burger joints.
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Golden Gate Chinese earns 2.5 stars in my latest review for AZ Central:
Hostess Twinkies. Styrofoam containers. Dick Clark.
We hadn’t eaten at the Mesa restaurant in nearly two decades, but when we recently returned, we were amazed how it appears so unchanged by time.
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Philly Steak & Wings earns 3.5 stars in my latest review for AZ Central.
We’ve all heard the adage about not judging a book by its cover. Yet don’t we do exactly that? Take Philly Steak & Wings, for example.
If you happen to stumble across the Mesa eatery, hidden behind a McDonald’s on Southern Avenue, you probably wouldn’t expect much.
Located across from Fiesta Mall in a rundown, mostly vacant strip mall in front of a larger rundown, mostly vacant strip mall, it’s the kind of place you expect to be, well, rundown and mostly vacant.
And that’s why you just might be surprised.
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