Took my sister and her two kids from VA there, along with our Mom- our first visit, after our living here for five years now! They had combo dinners consisting of one tiny butterflied shrimp and one eggroll each, egg flower soup (aka eggdrop), pepper steak and sweet and sour pork, chicken lo mein and sweet and sour chicken. I had the 1/2 roasted duck. I only tasted the egg roll (good), lo mein (tasty!), and duck (delicious!), bec. I cannot have cornstarch (often used in Chinese sauces, and, unfortunately, used here).

I didn't care for Delux' ultra-limp sweet potato fries. Stax' fries aren't any better. The server offered to have them redone, but it just seemed they just threw the same batch in for a re-fry, which just caused them to char. Awful. The SPF I had at Fez were AMAZING. Thank goodness I didn't need the apricot aioli that accompanied them to enjoy the dish- I honestly couldn't tell what it was supposed to be; it was so bland, I had to ask the server what it was. The fries were perfectly crispy and tasty, albeit a little too sweet at halfway point :)

The Keg serves great SPF as well, in conjunction with their burgers!

I'd like to take back my comment that Redfish made the best SPF... the last two times I ordered from there before it seems it closed shop, the fries had no flavor whatsoever... just sorry burnt strips of sweet potatoes.

I tried the sweet potato "planks" at Urban Campfire- not bad, but not great. I thought they were sliced too thin, very greasy, and had heavily sprinkled with herbs and spices.

Has anyone tried the SWF at Gallagher's? I've never been. Does Flancer's offer them? I've never been, either.

I had the opportunity to dine at Roy's two locations last week. I had two sushi rolls- the Waimea (soft-shelled crab tempura) and the fresh and tasty Aloha (tuna, salmon, yellowfin) in Scottsdale, and the butterfish in Ahwatukee. I suffer from food allergies, so after a lengthy discussion with Ruben, an "executive chef partner" in Ahwatukee, I settled with the tried-but-true butterfish. Along with bok choy, wasabi butter sauce, and black Thai rice, my dinner was exquisite!

I also tried the ribs and beef satay on previous visits. I was disappointed that I was served with dry and overcooked skewers of beef, but they were promptly replaced with fresh ones when I brought the old ones to the chef's attention.

If you like martinis, particularly sweet ones, the Hawaiian Martini is sublime, with fresh pineapple and coconut rum. I found the chocolate martini to be too sweet... I never thought I'd see the day I would say such a statement about anything with reference to chocolate!

As for desserts, the chocolate lava cake is fool-proof. The pumpkin cheesecake served in the fall is pretty good, too. Has anyone tried the strawberry shortcake served now?

Finally tried the cinnamon sugar-dusted sweet potato fries served here yesterday, along with the Fez burger. Fez' SPF beats Delux hands-down! (So what if Delux serves theirs in a mini-shopping cart? Sure the cart looks cute, but does it taste great? Will the cart satisfy my cravings for crispy-crunchy goodness?) The Angus-beef burger, with honey bbq, onions, feta cheese, and pears on ciabatta bread was also delicious. $20 for a burger, side salad, and a basket of fries, with tip, won't send me here for lunch every day, or even every week, unless I can find someone else to split the sandwich and fries with- it was a HUGE meal, and I even weeded out the soggy bits of fries and most of the bread. This meal ended up being my only meal of the day, too... serves me right for being such a glutton :(

Finally visited this place yesterday. I enjoyed the lunch buffet very much! Included in the $10.95 buffet (plus tax, drinks excluded) are Aushak, Mourgh challow, Banjan,Sabzi, Seekh kabab, Khorma, Koufta (beef and chicken), and Feereney. My favorite items were Kaddo, baby pumpkin pan-fried then baked with sugar and covered with garlic mint yogurt and Qabelee, pallow rice with lamb, carrots, and raisins. The kaddo normally features ground beef, but the beef was missing in yesterday's buffet. It was my first time trying it, and I LOVED it! It was like dessert :D I'm sure the beef would taste great with it, but I enjoyed the dish as it was served. The qabelee was very flavorful...

I cannot wait to return!

I ordered the 1/4 dark meat (I normally eat white meat only) soul food platter (small leg, small thigh, and a wing), which came with 2 sides [greens (1/2 cup?) and candied yams (3/4 cup?)] and one pc. cornbread. Additionally, I ordered one (5-inch?)waffle ($3), and a glass of water. $18 was my total bill, including tip. Perhaps my 5-foot 100-pound frame is the cause of the smaller portions; this isn't the first time I was served with smaller meals than the people around me. A muscular friend of mine (5'8") and I once ordered two entrees from a restaurant known for its ample-sized portions; my entree arrived on a plate half the size of his!

www.downtownbrunch.com (Palatte's website) shows many breakfast items that are $9 or less. Some of these are equally fattening as the platter I ordered at Lolo's, but served with friendly smiles, and the atmosphere is beautiful and serene. Perhaps the one time I visited was not the ideal time to experience Lolo's hospitality (the male cashier even reprimanded a female server in front of a few customers, including me), but I've seen enough to keep me away. I mentioned Bisquick and Jiffy only bec. I spied staff members entering the kitchen with a bag of Bisquick and a few boxes of Jiffy cornbread mixes. Perhaps the brusque attitude I encountered stemmed from many variables that may have included an emergency run to the grocery to buy products Lolo's isn't known to use (if what winedubar says is true)? Who knows? So much speculation can come out of this (do they only use Bisquick to make the batter for the fried chicken? If so, why use another mix to make waffles out of?). All I know is what I saw that afternoon (2:15pm order to be exact, and clearly not the lunch-hour crowd). I saw that Bisquick package and thought to myself, "$3 for one Bisquick waffle?" I don't even use Bisquick at home as it contains cornstarch and maltodextrin- I'm allergic to corn. [Yes, yes, I know I tried the cornbread, but I have been known to suffer through my corn allergies for the best skillet cornbread ANYWHERE-- Old Town Scottsdale's Bandera!! Having just said that, I haven't had the skillet cornbread in almost a year :(].

Serves me right for succumbing to fried chicken cravings... Chalk it up to bad timing on my part. Glad you all had much better experiences!

Thank you for reading.
Stay safe,
starlightjulian

Vintage Market, on Baseline Rd. is now featuring a dinner event every Friday and Saturday from 6p to 9p, and is having their grand opening dinner event, a wine dinner, this coming Friday night, 10/26. $35, plus tax and gratuity, buys you a three-course dinner, complete with wine. According to the owner, there will be fruit and cheese platters with an assortment of wine to start, a salad with champagne vinaigrette and goat cheese, a choice of two entrees of "cambazola spinach cheese ravioli or stuffed flounder with steamed vegetables with garlic butter sauce," and a dessert.

I've never been to a wine dinner before, so I just might make it to this one...

L'Ecole has unveiled their three- and four-course Fall menu ($20/$30 for lunch and $25/$35 for dinner) at www.dinewithsci.com. I enjoyed a tasting of their summer menu, and I also enjoyed dining at L'Academie last week! (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the crab cakes and the roasted pork tenderloin with the three-potato hash).

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Vintage Market
2501 E Baseline Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85042

L'Academie
8100 E Camelback Rd, Scottsdale, AZ

L'Ecole Restaurant
8100 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Finally tried Lolo's a few weeks ago. While I enjoyed the fried chicken, Bisquik waffle, greens, and candied yams, and Jiffy cornbread (this I did NOT enjoy), I won't be going back due to the super-slow, no-nonsense borderline-unfriendly service, and a little price-y considering the small a la carte portions. While waiting for AT LEAST ten minutes before even being asked what I'd like to drink, I had a chance to watch the servers and the cashier interact with other customers and coworkers, and NO ONE cracked a smile. My order took longer than 30 minutes to arrive, and together with the unfriendly and slow service plus meager portions, I won't be going back.

To think I could've enjoyed two great entrees AND embraced the beautiful and tranquil atmosphere at Palatte for that entree price... what a shame!

Thank you for your replies. I meant to add 5 & Diner when I mentioned Denny's... I do prefer 5 & Diner to Denny's... I was looking for venues similar to Matt's Big Breakfast, Palatte, or US Egg, but serving breakfast ALL DAY (it is spelled Palatte, not Palette... if you don't believe me, check it out at www.downtownbrunch.com).

I was jonesing for a good burger AND French toast, so I went to Chase's Diner in Chandler (on Warner/Alma School) and ordered the Dave's special, or something like that, and French toast off of the kids' menu. Ask for real maple syrup (it comes in a mini glass bottle!), otherwise you'll be given pancake syrup. The burger is USDA choice beef patty, cooked medium (if you don't specify, medium well), with two center-cut bacon strips (on the side), shredded cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce, and topped with fried onion strings, with a choice of a side (I ordered coleslaw). French toast order came with four Texas toast halves dipped in custard batter and fried, with butter and maple syrup. No powdered sugar or whipped cream for me.

Burger was deliciously tender and perfectly pink in the center; liked the bbq sauce and the onion strings added a satisfying crunch against the burger's tender texture. I couldn't really taste the cheddar, but saw the shredded pieces so knew they were there underneath all the sauce. The center-cut bacon strips contained more fat than meat, so I'll just pass on it next time.

For those who have a corn allergy, like me, you might like to know that Chase's sausage gravy (biscuits and gravy entree) IS NOT made with cornstarch- flour is used as a thickener. I cannot wait to order this dish on my next visit!

Yen Mi, in Chandler's LeeLee Market, also serves boba drinks (my Mom loves the durian and the avocado; I liked the flavors of the smoothies, but didn't care to ingest the empty calories of the tapioca pearls AFTER I'd already ingested all that sugary drink! Sometimes the boba consistency is just perfect, and sometimes they're undercooked. Lumpia Factory, a Filipino resto/cafe, SEC of Elliot and Alma School, also serves boba, but I haven't tried their versions yet.

Funny that boba drinks have become so popular over the recent years... I grew up in the Philippines eating and drinking the stuff daily, either in "halo-halo," or "taho," a snack item made of hot silken tofu topped with brown sugar syrup ... yum! (The Vietnamese have a very similar dish made with the addition of ginger, but this is eaten as a meal rather than a snack. My college roommate and friends and I were delighted to find we shared a similar fondness for a dish that's prepared somewhat differently and used differently, one's a snack and the other is an actual meal.)

The ff. links takes you to the Wikipedia entry for taho and halo-halo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taho
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo-halo

Now I'm craving for some taho and halo-halo!! If you want to try good halo-halo in Chandler, try Jeepney Bistro (in the Garcia Restaurant/Shang-ri-la complex) on Alma School south of Warner (it's been awhile since I've visited, but I think this is correct). Go for the halo-halo especial (special halo-halo; usually includes ube and leche flan). If you'd like a LARGER serving of halo-halo (though less "special" since it lacks a few ingredients), go have one at Asian Cusina (or Ana's Cafe) on NEC of Chandler/Alma School. Tell them Aileen sent you! (It's been awhile since I've visited these places, so they may not remember me!) Better yet, go to LeeLee's and buy a jar of halo-halo mix, a few tubs of ice cream (regular vanilla ice cream is fine, although you can knock yourself out trying Magnolia brand ice cream with such flavors as ube, ube-macapuno, maiz con queso, mango, and avocado!), and a can of either evaporated milk or coconut milk (or both!). Stop by at a Filipino restaurant and purchase some ube halaya and leche flan, and go home. Gather some shaved ice, a few ice cream goblets and your collected items, and have a party! Ok, maybe it's easier to just order from Jeepney Bistro's menu :)

I just may have to visit these Filipino restaurants soon (within the few weeks)...

p.s. The durian boba drink at Lee's Sandwiches is very good!

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Yen MI
2025 N Dobson Rd, Chandler, AZ

Egg Roll Lumpia Factory
2986 N Alma School Rd, Chandler, AZ

Asian Kusina
Chandler, AZ, Chandler, AZ

Ana's Cafe
1076 W Chandler Blvd, Chandler, AZ