(gentle music) - I'm Chef Mark Tarbell.

Welcome to "Check, Please!

Arizona," the show where Valley residents recommend their favorite restaurants.

Coming up, we have three guests that are passionate about their picks.

They've dined at all three and are ready to share their reviews with each other and with you, right here on "Check, Please!

Arizona."

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Arizona," is supported by.

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- I'm Chef Mark Tarbell, welcome to "Check, Please!

Arizona."

In this episode, we're enjoying Mediterranean meals, Chinese dishes, and elevated comfort food.

Let's meet our diners.

Sarah Yaron is a writer and professor.

She's a mom of twins and loves watching TV, especially cooking shows, and she's a wizard with trivia facts.

Katie Smith works in business development for ASU.

She and her husband have a full house with two kids, and a lab puppy and a cat.

She escapes the chaos by doing hot yoga.

But up first is Caryn Lewis' pick.

Caryn spends her day crunching numbers as a financial analyst.

She volunteers with an Alzheimer's awareness group and also sings with the choir at her work.

She discovered her favorite place running errands with her sister.

This is Beginner's Luck.

(bright music) - I would describe Beginner's Luck as me and my business partner, Andrew's, homage to diners.

For brunch, you can find a pretty wide variety of things.

The Lucky 7 Cereal Bowl is maybe one of the most favorite things that I've made.

It's blue corn polenta, chia pudding, a granola with coconut and pecans, little agave syrup.

On the dinner menu, some of the stuff rolls over the slow-roasted pork, the Cubano, the burger, but then we also add little heartier dishes.

Our bestseller for dinner is a chopped salad.

It's really awesome.

The dish on the menu that best describes me is Not Quite a Cubano.

Little salty, little spicy, little pickled, little cheesy.

(Bernie chuckles) I would describe the vibe of Beginner's Luck kind of like my grandmother's kitchen.

I spent a lot of time in my grandmother's house and she was cooking constantly, and she was the best entertainer.

And she would be behind the counter making food and making everybody laugh.

That's what we do here.

I really love this space.

I love the windows.

I love the building.

It just feels very cozy.

I want the guests to feel super happy the whole time they're here.

I want 'em to leave with a full belly and a big smile on their face.

(sultry music) - So Caryn, this is your place.

Why do you like it?

- I really like Beginner's Luck because it's tucked away in Old Town Scottsdale.

There's a lot of interesting shops around.

It has this really neat vibe that it's so distinct between, you know, the main street and the touristy part of Scottsdale.

It's got an extensive patio, which is very nice to enjoy with the beautiful Arizona weather.

- What'd you have for an appetizer?

- We had the Dole Whip wings and it was a blend of sweet and spicy.

They were very crunchy and flavorful and hot, and it came with a herb buttermilk dressing that was actually used on the chopped salad.

- Oh, cool.

Double down with the goodness.

Double down with the goodness.

And you like spicy food, right?

- I do, yes.

- Was it spicy?

- It wasn't spicy for my taste.

It was spicy for my husband's taste, so they gave me a little side of spice that I could bring it up a notch.

- Yeah, it sounds like you like to bring the heat.

- That's right.

- Katie, what did you have for an appetizer?

- So I also had the chicken wings.

- Okay.

- And it was delicious.

What I liked about it is that there was a subtle sweetness to it with the pineapple, but it wasn't overbearing.

When you hear Dole Whip, that seems like that could be really sweet.

So it was perfectly sweet with the savory from the miso and the sauce as well.

I also love heat so I could have used way hotter, but I think it was great, especially because we are there with friends and everyone was able to enjoy 'em, and then my son took them and finished 'em off.

- So Sarah, you didn't have an appetizer.

What'd you have for an entree?

- For an entree, I had to go with the classic chopped salad.

They were really great about customizing it.

I don't eat gluten, so I couldn't have the couscous, and I didn't eat the salmon, but I was able to get, I asked for extra Asiago cheese and they gave me some extra Asiago cheese.

It doesn't look like it would be super filling, but it is.

But I did save room also to get home fries on the side because like they have the girl dinner, which is a Caesar salad and french fries, and this was my variation of it.

And the home fries were okay.

They left a little to be desired because I desire peppers and onions in my home fries.

Like, I like it to have a little spice and be like a little jazzed up.

And they were just kind of little square potatoes.

I ate them all.

- Yeah.

- But I just like a little extra.

- So Caryn, what'd you have for an entree?

- We also had the original chopped salad.

My husband and I decided to split dishes.

And so we had the chopped salad and then we had the Not Quite a Cubano, and it was slow-roasted pork with pimento and pickles on a crunchy roll.

- Nice.

Oh, well, it sounds really delicious.

That is Not quite a Cubano, 'cause the pimento cheese is super unusual.

- The pickles and the pimento were not overbearing.

- Cool.

- I think to add to the crunch, they add the chicharrones to the sandwich as well.

- Yes.

- [Sarah] To give it that extra crunch.

- That's the best, chicharrones can be on anything for me.

Thank you very much.

I'll just get the chicharron.

(everyone laughing) Katie, do you have an entree?

- Yeah, so I was there for happy hour and genuinely so impressed with their happy hour.

I think it's hard to find anywhere that has $13 hamburger.

The burger was cooked perfectly.

It had grilled pineapple, so it paired well with the Dole Whip wings, and then a Chipotle aioli.

So it's just very flavorful.

Really, I mean, it was one of those burgers, super juicy, falls apart in your mouth.

I absolutely enjoyed it.

So my husband and I split that.

And then my daughter got the mac and cheese and it actually had potato chips on top, so.

- Crunchy potato chips?

- Oh, my gosh, it was.

It was creamy, crunchy, delicious.

She absolutely loved them.

- That's really awesome.

Desserts, sweets?

- We had the bread pudding.

- Oh yeah, that's- - Blueberry, yeah.

Yeah, the blueberry with the vanilla ice cream.

And it was really tasty and warm, and we probably could have used a little more ice cream, just because it melts all over the bread pudding, and.

- But Caryn, when is there enough ice cream?

I mean, let's be honest, right?

- [Caryn] It was a good portion for two.

- That's good.

- Yeah, it was delicious.

- That's awesome.

So he's known for his mixology and cocktail programs, or they are, this group, and they're wonderful.

Drinks, Katie?

- Yeah, so that was really the standout.

We were there with friends, and of course, for science we tried all of the happy hour beverages.

- Very good.

- And as we should.

- Analytical mind, yes, I love that.

- And all of 'em were amazing.

They were very unique.

I had the Carajillo drink, which was a tequila, coffee, and orange liqueur drink, and it was very much reminiscent of an espresso martini, which I love with tequila.

- Yeah.

- [Katie] But it was elevated.

And the orange in there was amazing.

So it was so well done, that was definitely the standout.

All kind of tried each other's drinks and that was voted by far the best one out of everyone's.

- Cool.

- And then I also had the Paloma with Mezcal.

- Oh, I love Paloma.

- I do too, and I love the Smoky Mezcal.

- Especially with the Mezcal.

Yeah.

- It was perfectly paired.

So yeah, I would recommend to everyone.

Go there for a happy hour.

- Sounds like you like agave-based spirits.

- Yes, absolutely.

- Me too, wonderful.

Sarah?

- I had the champagne with sorbet because it was breakfast, so you have to have a little, it was like a mimosa but without the orange juice.

And it just had a little sorbet, which added the right amount of sweetness.

- That also keeps it really cold.

- Yes, it does.

- That's very smart.

- It was very refreshing.

- Wait a second.

- Yes.

- That's right.

I love that.

Yeah, I'm gonna remember that one.

- I also had the Paloma, and instead of the Mezcal, I did the silver tequila.

- [Chef Tarbell] Okay.

- I'm not a big smoky flavor fan, but I like that the wait staff explained the difference to me before I put in the order, which I appreciated.

And it was very reasonable.

It was on the happy hour they called the lucky hour.

- I love that.

Caryn, your place, pro tips?

One thing you want the viewers to know.

- I'd say go early and try the lucky hour.

- [Chef Tarbell] All right, lucky hour it is.

Katie?

- I completely agree.

I will be going back there for lucky hour.

- Okay.

Sarah?

- I didn't go for lucky hour, but now I want to.

- Okay.

- I think that my tip would be to go when it's really nice out.

The inside, if you're gonna go at night, make reservations 'cause the inside's pretty tight.

Like, it's not that large.

But if you're going during a beautiful day or evening, sit outside.

- So grab the patio on a beautiful day.

If you wanna try Beginner's Luck, they're located in Old Town Scottsdale on Main Street, just west of Brown.

An average meal costs $29 and they do take reservations.

(bright upbeat music) Now to Katie's spot.

Her son was going through a dumpling phase, so they hopped on the internet and found this gem.

Located inside the Mekong Plaza, this is Happy Bao's.

(bright music) - Happy Bao's is a handmade noodle, handmade dumpling, and handmade bao restaurant.

We have a mixture of Northern and Chinese cuisine here.

The literal translation for a bao is a bun.

The bao is handmade, kneaded on a dough, and then we fill it up with different types of filling.

We have chicken, pork, beef, and vegetable.

After you let it sit for like 30 minutes or so, then we steam it.

After we steam it, then we fry it.

Our most popular bao here is definitely our pork Xiao Long Bao, which is the soup dumpling.

Inside of the pork Xiao Long Bao, we have pork meat, green onion, and chicken broth.

The proper way to eat it is, you know, you pop it, and you drink the soup first and then you eat it.

All the guests love that.

If you've never been here before, how would you order is I would stick to the very basics.

I have a page on our menu that says house favorites.

The staff is very helpful.

They describe to you inside of every dish.

I actually require during my training program that my staff learn the menu 100%.

What I want my guests spirits to be is to feel when they come into Happy Bao's, they feel some culture, they learn about our food.

I have a model or a slogan here.

Happy Bao's, happy mouths.

So as long as they leave feeling happy and satisfied, you know, remembering something or learning something new, then I'm happy.

(gentle music) - So Katie, your son brought you here, but it's an appetizer that brings you back.

What is that?

- Really, happenstance that we found this amazing place.

Chinese food is really simple, especially dumplings and wontons, and they just do it so well there.

- Yeah.

- Very simple flavors, but we love the spicy chili wontons.

I will forever say that would be my last meal if I had to have one.

- [Chef Tarbell] That's huge.

- Yes.

- Oh my god, that's cool.

- Yes, they are tender.

The pork and shrimp combination is so flavorful.

And then the sauce itself is super spicy.

So if you like spice, I love spice, I actually get extra sauce, but I know some people maybe even like it on the side.

But then the green onion and cilantro in there as well, just all those flavors together.

It's just one of the most flavorful wonton dishes that I've ever had.

And it's by far the best.

- And you like heat, Caryn?

- I do, spicy.

- All right, so, did you get a little heat there?

- I did, we had the honey sauce ribs and they were very good.

They were fall off the bone type of ribs.

We used our fingers.

We didn't even hesitate to pick 'em up with our hands.

And like Katie said, they had cilantro and green onion, and it just brought out the flavor.

I did add some extra spice to mine.

My husband was good with the spice level on the ribs, but I added that little extra heat.

And they were just very, very tasty.

- I had this noodle dish there that had like 70 chilis in it, and it would, and I like spice.

That was spicy.

Next time, you gotta get that.

We'll talk later.

Sarah?

- I'm on like the cool and refreshing end for my appetizer.

I had the smashed cucumber salad.

I don't know if it's called the smashed cucumbers, but they're literally like smashed cucumbers.

And I was wondering, hmm, why did they smash them?

And then I realized, because the dressing, which was just very light and beautiful, like seeps into all the little crevices of the smash.

And it was really, really great and refreshing.

I know that you two love your spice, but I feel like this would be a good counterbalance, especially for your husband to have a good cool down for the appetizer.

- I agree, it was delicious.

What'd you have for an entree, Sarah?

- Oh, for an entree, I had the vegetable stir fried rice noodles, which sound very simple, but they were anything but.

They were very light as well.

Sometimes, with like noodle dishes get like greasy.

This was just like light.

And they gave me a whole big, oval-sized- - Giant, yeah.

- [Sarah] I ate the whole thing.

I was, like, the vegetables were crunchy.

- Oh, my gosh.

- [Sarah] I was aggressively eating it.

But it was so, so delicious.

I loved that it wasn't like abrasive in spice, but it did have a little something.

- That's cool.

- A little something.

- Well, Sarah, it's really interesting, 'cause noodles, especially rice noodles, they eat up a lot of flavor.

So when you're saying that's flavorful, which is true of everything there, it's kind of a great culinary win.

- Ooh.

- You know, to make it flavorful.

- Yes.

- 'Cause it eats up flavor over time.

- Okay.

- Katie?

- So what I love about Happy Bao's is that it's very family style.

The portions are really large, and we like to order a lot of different dishes and share them all together.

I ordered the Dan Dan noodles, which was wonderful.

I mean the noodles taste homemade and they have a minced meat on top that is super flavorful, and peanuts in there, which we also then got a lamb soup as well.

And the broth had a very lamb-forward flavor, but then it also had kind of a creaminess from like a peanut butter as well.

So those two paired really, really well together.

- Sounds interesting.

So Caryn, what'd you have for an entree?

- My husband and I opted for one of their signature dishes on the menu, which was the Beef Chow Fun.

And it's a flat noodle and it's handmade at the restaurant, and it has a smoky flavor to it, which I asked the waitress how they got the smoky flavor.

And she said that part of that is when they cook it in the wok.

There was beef that I wish there was a little more beef, but it was very rich in flavor and it wasn't too spicy.

But I added some more spice to enrich the flavors of all of the beef and noodles together.

- Did you get one of those dishes with that red sauce?

- Yes, yeah, yeah.

- And was it spicy enough?

- Yeah, that was, we added that in.

- You were like, yes or whatever.

For me, my head's blowing off of that thing.

I was sweating, spiting.

- [Caryn] I can see why it's a signature dish.

It's very tasty.

And like I said, the noodles were homemade in their restaurant.

- Wonderful.

Well, this place has a vibe.

It's in the Mekong Plaza.

So we just need to describe in your words, what do you think of this vibe and how would you describe it?

- When you walk in, there's so many places to take in.

There are ramen and hotpot, Thai, boba.

So it's a little bit of everything.

Happy Bao's for me is the standout.

But if you have time, there's a lot to look at then as well around the shopping area.

- Shopping too, it's crazy.

- Absolutely.

- A dangerous, dangerous place to take your kids.

- Dangerous, that's right.

- 'Cause I was looking across and they have all the cute little flying things and the little stuffed animals, and I was like, "Oh goodness, if I bring my kids back here, this is gonna be a very expensive dinner."

- What'd you think, Caryn?

- Very casual atmosphere.

It does have the decor that you would see in an Asian restaurant, I like that.

- Awesome, Katie, you had a dessert?

- Yes, so next to the spicy chili wontons, the custard baos are our favorite.

They are super light and fluffy, and inside is a custard that's not too sweet.

So it's not overbearing.

We usually end up splitting 'em because they're so filling.

But you get four and they are the wonderful way to end the dinner with.

- Okay, now's the time for pro tips.

Katie, this is your place.

- Get there early, come hungry, and definitely share with friends and family.

All of their dishes are really unique and it's great to be able to try a little bit of everything.

They're also huge, so you end up being very full and have room for leftovers.

- Awesome, thanks, Katie.

Caryn?

- My pro tip would be if you have young children to use the kiosk.

I think they would really enjoy trying that and having fun at at that.

- Sarah?

- I think I have two.

My first would be that they have dumplings.

I noticed that they have it on the wall, that they have dumplings to go, which I like, or frozen dumplings, which I thought would be really good for like catering and events.

And then my second is to utilize the menus, 'cause they have beautiful pictures on the menus.

And then you can kind of understand what you're getting if you're not as literate in Chinese food as I wish I was.

- If you want to try Happy Bao's, it's located inside the Mekong Plaza in Mesan, Dobson and Main.

An average meal will cost you about $25 and they do not take reservations.

(bright upbeat music) Our last pick is Sarah's.

She discovered her must-eat-at spot while taking her daughter to a theater class.

A family-run business loaded with Mediterranean flavors.

This is Casa De Falafel.

(upbeat music) - Casa Falafel is a family-owned Mediterranean restaurant, where we have the best quality food and the best falafels that you'll ever have.

Our falafels are in a ring shape.

I think people call it a donut shape, usually.

It looks pretty, but that's not all why we make it in a ring shape.

No matter how much you try to cook a falafel ball, in the middle, in the core, there's always gonna be dough.

It's gonna smell like dough, it's gonna taste like dough.

So the reason why we do it in a donut shape, it's because everything on the outside would be crispy and everything inside would be fully cooked very, very much so.

That's why it's just fully cooked and it looks nicer.

Our lentil soup started about 10 years ago, it's a family recipe.

Usually, lentil soups are a little bit chunkier, but we actually made a machine that once we pour it into it, once it comes out of the machine, it becomes very, very creamy.

We decided to start giving it with every single entree.

So if you get a falafel sandwich, chicken shawarma sandwich, no matter what you get, you'll get a lentil soup on the side.

We have wholesale lentil soup, our falafel rings, frozen falafel rings, and falafel mixes.

So all those can be bought at Casa De Falafel here as well.

We started in a gas station, actually.

So they called us the Hidden Gem for a while.

It was actually my mom and dad that ran the gas station for about two, three years alone.

2020 is when we actually left the gas station and came to another location, a bigger location.

Being a family business, when you come in, we treat everyone like a family here.

The guest experience, whenever they come through the door, it's basically just for them to be satisfied, that's our number one thing.

And then as soon as they leave, they're just excited to come back.

- So Sarah, you found this cool place.

It's a great story, tell us about it.

- Yeah, my daughter does theater and she was in a production of "Les Miserables" at Spotlight Youth Theater.

And I was anything but miserable because I got to go to Casa De Falafel.

I was looking for something that my son and I could both enjoy.

And they have french fries and chicken shawarma, so he was golden.

I wanted something a little healthier and lighter than, you know, fast food.

But, so I went to Casa De Falafel.

- We'll start with appetizer.

What would we start with?

- Well, I always start with hummus.

They have the most delectable hummus.

It's light, it's not too oily.

They put olives on top.

I am in, like, I'm joyful when I'm eating it.

They give everybody with your meal a little cup of lentil soup, and you look at it and you're like, "Oh, that's such a little cup."

But it's enough because it's really rich and laborious.

- And it comes with everything.

- It does.

- Yeah.

- And they use like an immersion blender to make it feel frothy and creamy, even though it's vegan.

- Wow.

- And I just highly recommend it and you can enjoy it as your appetizer.

- Great place to start.

- Yeah.

- Absolutely.

Katie?

- Yes, I mean, the hummus was my daughter's entire meal and she ate it all up, and it was super filling.

It comes with two pitas, but you know, can absolutely share it with the whole table.

I also had the tabouli, and the tabouli was so fresh, super flavorful, super crunchy too.

I love in the parsley, you can tell it was like super fresh.

It was delicious.

- So Caryn, what'd you have for apps?

- We had the, the falafel tower, the ring tower.

And I am not a huge falafel fan, but I had to try it because of the name of the restaurant.

And I'm so glad we did because Fridays, they do Falafel Friday and it's a small discount.

And it's just a cute little ring that they bring out and they're donut-shaped, and they're light and fluffy.

And I think I realized why I don't like falafel because- - They were done right.

- Correct, they were done right.

They were very, very tasty.

- Awesome, any entrees?

- We had the chicken pita.

- Yeah.

- [Caryn] And it was very juicy.

I actually got some on my shirt by accident.

That's how juicy it was.

- That's a sign of a good time.

- It was, yes.

We had the lentil soup, and I asked somebody in the restaurant about the lentil soup because I'm like, "What is this?"

At first, I didn't realize that it was lentil soup because I do not normally like lentil soup, but this was just amazing.

Somebody said it was like liquid gold and they were not joking.

- I love that.

That is awesome.

- It was really, really good.

- Katie?

- So I had the falafel as well, and I do.

It's so done right, because I feel like traditional falafel is really dense.

And sometimes, can be a little bit dry.

This was super light fluffy because of the donut shape.

It's cooked evenly and it has this amazing crunch.

And the za'atar seasoning on it, it's so flavorful that I didn't even need the sauce, which was crazy because I'm usually a sauce person, especially with falafel.

But it was delicious.

And then my husband had the beef shawarma wrap, and that was also amazing.

The meat was so tender, so flavorful, and the hot sauce was perfect.

And yes, we loved it.

We'll definitely be back.

- My entree, I always got the eastern salad is what it's called.

It has olives and spiced onions, and cucumbers and pickles.

And that's all just a vessel for me to get the cilantro tahini and balsamic vinaigrette into my face.

I mix the dressings together because it gives it a really nice, creamy balsamic cilantro vibe and it's delicious.

So I enjoy that.

And sometimes, I'll even dip my hummus in with it.

And I make it a whole exciting situation there.

And my son gets the kids chicken shawarma with french fries.

And the french fries are like twice fried and absolutely perfect.

- Ooh, I love crispy french fries.

- Yes.

- That's the best.

- [Sarah] So I would highly recommend them.

'cause I steal them and dip them in my hummus.

- That is awesome.

So Sarah, what'd you have for dessert?

- Oh, they have amazing baklava.

It comes in these little bite-sized pieces.

It's very moist and decadent, but not too heavy.

- Nice, and Caryn, what'd you have for dessert?

- We had the same thing, the baklava.

I really liked how they came in the little bite-sized portion, so you could- - Just enough, right?

- [Caryn] Just enough, exactly.

- [Chef Tarbell] Because it can be a little rich, you know, or a little heavy, right, a lot of sweetness and nuts.

- Yeah.

- Craziness.

- It was just the perfect touch of nuts and honey, and it was very tasty.

- Well, pro tips now.

It's your place, Sarah.

- Oh, I have so many pro tips.

- Oh, we just will pick the best ones.

- Yes, well, really check out their merchandise.

- Okay.

- Because they have dried soup packets that you can bring home and make their liquid gold soup at home, which I do like three times a week when I'm not in Glendale.

When I'm in Glendale, I'm eating there.

But when I'm at home, I'll have it three times a week.

- Good, good, good tip.

Katie.

- This restaurant is right next to ASU's West Valley campus.

If you're ever out there in that area, you need a quick lunch stopping in there.

The prices are also really reasonable, too, for the amount of food that you get.

- I agree with, they were not break the bank, and it's supporting a family business.

They work very hard.

I saw the owner when I was there.

He smiled at me.

You know, I really like that personal touch.

- Yeah, that's excellent.

Great pro tip.

If wanna try Casa De Falafel, it's located near 51st Avenue in Thunderbird in Glendale.

An average meal is about $14 and they do not take reservations.

I want to thank Caryn, Katie, and Sarah for joining me at the table.

And thank you for joining us on "Check, Please!

Arizona."

If you'd like to share your favorite restaurant, head to our website, azpbs.org/checkplease, and nominate your must-eat-at spot.

Who knows?

You could be joining me at the table.

And be a part of the foodie conversation in Arizona on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag, #checkpleaseAZ.

Join us next time when three new guests make their recommendations, right here on "Check, Please!

Arizona."

I'm Chef Mark Tarbell, have a delicious life.

- [Narrator] "Check, Please!

Arizona" is supported by.

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