Restaurant Review: Native New Yorker, Show Low Arizona

As you may know, I started a diet in January. It was my New Year’s resolution to make 2012 the year I would lose weight. After getting off to a slow start (I’ve only lost 5 pounds total so far!) I decided to gradually add back in some foods with a bit more fat and calories. I think one of my mistakes was to almost completely get rid of all the fat in my diet and stick to a low (1,200) calorie diet. My body went into shock and storing up fat because it didn’t know when the next good meal was coming.

Consequently, I’ve gone with my husband to the Native New York in Show Low the past couple weekends. It’s in a convenient location for us and has a nice, well-rounded menu (unless you’re dieting…). We went into the bar and played the trivia game while we enjoyed a beer and a glass of wine and then ate. The service was great (most likely because we were sitting right in front of the bartender) and the ambience typical of a sports bar.

Review of Native New Yorker, Show Low February 4 and February 11, 2012

The first time we went, my husband ordered the fish sliders and I opted for NNY Bruschetta. My husband enjoyed the sliders, which came out hot and moist along with a large helping of French fries. These are nicely seasoned home fries, with a good mix of thick, chewy pieces (my husband's fave) and thinner, crunchier ones (my faves). My bruschetta was quite good, topped with spinach and artichoke chunks and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. The garnish was a mild salsa which was kind of an odd choice, but went pretty well with the bread. My husband and I both finished our plates (and I even sneaked a fry or two off his plate).

The second time we visited Native New Yorker, my husband ordered the boneless Native wings in both medium and hot versions (this is the dish NNY is best known for), which were served with the ubiquitous celery strips garnish and a side of ranch dressing. He liked the hotter wings best and easily finished his plate. I tried the spinach and artichoke dip this time, which is served with tri-color tortilla chips. I’ve had this appetizer at NNY before and I remembered it to be better than it was this time. I don’t know if this was just an “off” day or if the recipe has changed, but the dip was almost tasteless. As for the spinach and artichokes? The spinach was nowhere to be seen and the artichokes were pathetic, which to me means they were either chopped really, really small or perhaps it was just a dehydrated seasoning packet that was added to the cheesy base. Because I was hungry I finished it all, but I had to add salt and pepper to the dip to make it palatable. Even the chips were barely salted and tasted like a lot of nothing.

The lesson here is that if you’re going to a restaurant like Native New Yorker, be prepared to ditch your diet and go with one of the house specialties, such as a sandwich or pizza or wings. Even the salads are full of calories so there’s really no low-fat or low-cal choice on the menu. If you’re looking for a family-friendly, comfortable place to watch the game and have a beer, Native New Yorker fits the bill – but don’t expect fine dining or great food.

The scores for Native New Yorker Show Low are as follows (on a scale from * to *****):

Food: ***

Service: ****

Ambience: ****

January 30, 2012: Guest Post Restaurant Review The Christmas Tree

Here’s another review from my secret restaurant reviewer, Sherry. This time she’s reviewing The Christmas Tree restaurant in Pinetop, Arizona.

Review of The Christmas Tree Restaurant, January 28, 2011

The Christmas Tree restaurant is a venerable old favorite of White Mountains diners. It’s been in Pinetop for many years and after closing for a couple of them, it’s open again and being operated by the daughter of the original owner (or so I’ve heard). After learning this, I expected nothing less than the restaurant living up to my fond memories of visiting this restaurant several times over the past decade. Unfortunately, that’s not how my dining experience went.

For the uninitiated, The Christmas Tree is known for its unique starter of pickled beets as well as serving warm, homemade cinnamon rolls instead of dinner rolls with each entrée. The beets are slightly sweet, slightly sour, slightly spicy and a perfect way to get your palate ready for a delicious meal. Nothing has changed here; this starter is still as good as ever. The cinnamon rolls, however, aren’t quite as good as what I remember. Instead of being light, flaky and buttery sweet, they’re dense, heavy and not particularly flavorful. They smelled better than they tasted.

Along with an entrée, diners are offered a choice of salad or soup du jour. I opted for the salad, which was quite puny; the only distinguishing ingredient was the addition of kidney beans (I believe I found 3 on my plate). My husband opted for the clam chowder, which was god but not outstanding.

Now onto the main course. My husband chose “House Favorite” beef stroganoff which, according to the menu, is made with beef filet. He received a plate full of egg noodles and the server ladled sour cream sauce with beef and mushrooms over the top (there were no vegetables with this entrée). My husband didn’t finish his plate but didn’t bring home the leftovers, either, because he said it really wasn’t all that good. In particular, the beef was tough. Made us wonder if the menu is really correct in stating they use filet and not a cheaper, tougher cut.

I ordered another House Favorite, duck with honey and almonds. It’s not often I get the opportunity to eat duck so my mouth was watering in anticipation. When it arrived, however, my anticipation quickly turned to disappointment. The plate of whole duck, sliced into thirds (I’ve never seen it arranged on a plate like a chicken…) and served with rice pilaf and sautéed apple slices, had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. The duck was cooked so long it had not an ounce of moisture left. The honey glaze and accompanying cup of sauce was so sweet it was like eating a spoonful of straight honey (which I suspect it was). The rice was a tasteless brown blob on my plate and the apples, which looked like Granny Smiths, weren’t peeled which made it difficult to eat them. The flavor profiles were all wrong, the method of preparation all wrong and the presentation all wrong; the sliced almonds on top were merely an afterthought and not part of its preparation. An entire plate of brown food certainly isn't appetizing, either.

As far as the service goes, it was good with one exception: the busboy who poured our water was asked a question about the menu and his reply was, “I don’t know; I guess so.” I asked him how long he’d worked at the restaurant and he replied, “Not long enough, apparently.” There’s no excuse for either his ignorance or his glib responses.

The only reason a diner might choose The Christmas Tree restaurant is for its ambience. Although the building is comprised of various rooms pieced together in a strange manner, the rooms are all cozy and each has a Christmas tree in the corner, along with homey Christmas decorations.

Unfortunately, this White Mountains landmark has a long way to go if it is ever to return to its former glory as one of the best restaurants in the area. For the money (entrees average about $20 each), I expected far more than just a nice room and good service. Without great food, this venture is destined to fail.

The scores for The Christmas Tree are as follows (on a scale from * to *****):

Food: *

Service: ***1/2

Ambience: ****

November 16, 2011: Guest Post Restaurant Review Sal and Teresa’s

Here’s another review from my secret restaurant reviewer, Sherry. This time she ate at Sal and Teresa’s Mexican food restaurant in Show Low.

Review of Sal and Teresa’s, November 11, 2011

When it comes to Mexican food on the Mountain that is both authentic and reasonably priced, you really can’t beat Sal and Teresa’s. The restaurant moved from a dinky little location off the main drag to their new digs, where Addi J’s used to be, and it’s given them much more room to serve many more diners. Along with the move, Sal and Teresa bought a liquor license so they now serve everything from margaritas to beer.

I’ve eaten some really, really good Mexican food in my time, everywhere from Old Mexico to New Mexico. Comparatively, Sal and Teresa’s ranks somewhere on the middle according to that scale. Let me translate for you: that means the food is still very good.

Just like most Mexican restaurants, the chips and salsa are a free appetizer with your meal. Sal and Teresa’s serves a combination of corn and flour tortilla chips along with two different kinds of salsa, one a mild, fresh pico de gallo and the other a spicier taco sauce in a squeeze bottle. I love them both but tend toward the taco sauce because the spicier the better when it comes to my taste buds! All of it is made there in the restaurant, no cheating here!

Now on to the main dishes. On this visit, I ordered the red cheese enchiladas, a favorite dish of mine. For some reason, these enchiladas were covered in a red chile sauce with chunks of meat…it wasn’t a problem for me but if you’re a vegetarian, you’d better ask about what’s in the sauce before ordering the “cheese” enchiladas. The rice and beans, as always, were very good although the salad on the side was pretty skimpy – a few strands of lettuce and maybe 3 or 4 small chunks of tomatoes.

My husband had a chimichanga, which is his usual order, and according to him it was just as good as usual.

One thing I really enjoy about Sal and Teresa’s is that they serve stuffed sopapillas. Outside of New Mexico, this is a hard-to-find dish.

The service at Sal and Teresa’s is always very good. I’ve never encountered a server who was any less than very friendly and attentive.

As a bonus, on Friday nights the restaurant features live entertainment. Usually it’s the Mountain Saddle Band, which I really love, but this night it was a lone guitar player. It’s not a romantic atmosphere, but it’s a lot of fun for families and small groups.

For the money, it’s hard to beat what you get at Sal and Teresa’s: good food, great service, and live entertainment.

The scores for Sal and Teresa’s are as follows (on a scale from * to *****):

Food: ****

Service: *****

Ambience: ****

October 29, 2011: Guest Post Restaurant Review Torreon

I recently had someone contact me, we’ll call her Sherry, who offered to provide occasional restaurant reviews. Because there hasn’t been such a person up until now, I agreed. Sure, this isn’t a recipe, but the reviews might help you come up with your own at home dinner menus.

Review of Torreon Clubhouse Restaurant, October 28, 2011

For years, my husband and I have been going to the Friday Fish Fry at Torreon because it was such an exceptional value. Diners are given a choice between a single plate or all you can eat baked or fried fish, along with a choice of potato, coleslaw and a basket of warm rolls (soup or salad is extra).

The last time we went for the fish fry (October 28), nothing was the same. We ordered a cup of clam chowder, which is normally quite creamy and full of clams and vegetables. This time around it seemed to be watered down a bit. Still good flavor but not quite the same texture.

When the fish arrived, we wondered if it had fallen off a food truck somewhere along the way to the restaurant. Instead of the thick, large, tender pieces of cod we’re used to, these were thin little slivers of fish that were overcooked and tough. The portion size had changed, as well. Usually we're served enough on the single meal plate to share, or have enough to bring home in a doggy bag, but not this time. There were only four little, measly strips of that tough fish on the plate.

We thought that surely there must be a new head chef in the kitchen but were assured by staff members that this wasn’t the case. To the restaurant’s credit, they didn’t charge us for the fish meal but that wasn’t our reason for pointing out the declining quality of the food. Hopefully the restaurant’s management will take our comments to heart and bring back the delicious fish they used to serve, which we considered the best fried fish we’d ever tasted. If not, we won’t be back.

The service was quite attentive. Even though it’s no longer high season and many of the summer residents have returned home to warmer climes until next year, the restaurant was hopping and thankfully they had enough servers working to handle the extra load. A couple snafus, such as two different wine lists which caused one server to go back and forth from our table several times before serving my wine and too long of a wait without something to drink, weren’t enough to make our dining experience bad but did highlight the difference between Torreon and upscale restaurants in the Valley. 

Bottom Line: Overall, you can't beat the ambience, service and quality of food at Torreon anywhere else in the Show Low area so I'd still highly recommend this restaurant - just not the Friday Fish Fry! I will return and order a different entree next time.

The scores for the Torreon Clubhouse are as follows (on a scale from * to *****):

Food: ** (based solely on the fish fry) - updated score as of January, 2012: *****

Service: ****

Ambience: *****

I want to thank Sherry for letting those of us on the Mountain know what’s up with area restaurants. Unfortunately, she didn’t get a picture of the food but she promises me next time she’ll do better!

UPDATE:
Sherry returned to Torreon in January and her husband once again tried the fish fry while Sherry had the Ahi Tuna Salad. Both were excellent! 

Torreon's beautiful and delicious Ahi Tuna Salad