(sound logo chimes) - I am Chef Mark Tarbell.

Welcome to "Check, Please!

Arizona".

The show where Arizona residents recommend their favorite restaurants.

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

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

Arizona".

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(all chattering) - I'm Chef Mark Tarbell.

Welcome to "Check, Please!

Arizona".

We're at my restaurant, Tarbell's, and in this episode, we're enjoying a hidden gem at Old Town Scottsdale, Southern delights and traditional Mexican fare.

Let's meet our diners.

Allie Knoble is a comedian and artist who recently moved here from Chicago.

She and her husband love karaoke and spending time outdoors.

Thomas Doely is a retired hair salon owner.

After 50 years behind the chair, he now has more time for his other passions, traveling and dining out.

But our first restaurant is Ana McCann's pick.

Ana owns an assisted living facility.

She grew up in France, so it's fitting her pick has a French flair.

This is Sel.

(moderate music) - I would describe Sel as the collaboration of Southern European, Mediterranean, a lot of Asian influences.

It's a restaurant that provides a great atmosphere of tasty menu and just a very comforting restaurant to be in.

We change the menu often, usually about every quarter.

I wanna stay within the seasons, say, I want the ingredients to be as fresh as possible, don't wanna use ingredients that are outta season.

I love layers of flavors and know textures.

All these things kind of come into play, but just over the years, I've developed my own solid cuisine.

I think Asian is probably one of my favorites when it comes to just big, bold flavors.

Josh is our, he's our mixologist.

He's a rockstar when it comes to his craft.

His cocktail program really helps emulate what we do here, and his cocktails change according to our menu as well.

We are a family-oriented restaurant.

My wife and I, we do run Sel.

My son, he comes to the restaurant almost every single day.

He's a fun kid and he likes to have a good time with the guests, and you know, he's not shy.

I would recommend people experiencing Sel as come as you are.

We want people to feel like they're in our home when they walk in.

You're not pretentious at all.

We really like to enjoy and celebrate whatever experience that you come here to have.

- So, Ana why did you pick Sel?

- I picked Sel because it is one of the most charming restaurants with the best service and quite frankly, some of the best food I've ever had in my life.

- Yeah, it is like checking all the boxes, right?

This place is amazing.

- It definitely is.

- Chef, husband and wife team.

They often have their family there.

It's a real family affair.

- They do.

I have seen them.

- What'd you start with?

- I did the diver scallops, and I was so disappointed, honestly.

When they came and brought it, it didn't look like a lot, but the presentation was beautiful and I started eating it because I think most people are used to having the scallops, you know, fully formed, I guess.

- Sure, yeah.

Seared and, yeah.

- But this was crudo.

- Oh.

- So it was raw.

And when I started digging into it, I was like, "Oh, no, this is so rich and so satisfying that my initial thought was completely off."

(Ana laughs) - Oh, that's great.

A good turn.

I love it.

- Yes, yes.

It was phenomenal.

- So what did you have?

What's your favorite thing when you go there to start with?

- I always tend to pick seafood first.

So my first pick was the king salmon dish, and it did not disappoint.

- You like that one?

Allie's going, "Uh-huh.

Yep."

(Mark and Ana laugh) Just kidding.

- So I also grew up in New Orleans, so I grew up on seafood, and the king salmon was a knockout.

- So Thomas, what did you start with?

- I thought it was really interesting.

You know, when you order a cheese platter, you're thinking, "Eh, you know," but it was delicious.

Gouda and blue cheese with this wonderful flatbread that was so delicious with a dipping sauce, which was very creamy base to it and it was so delicious.

- Wow.

- And we ate all the sauce and everything off the plate, it was really good.

And my friend that went with, she didn't like the blue cheese, so I had a lot more blue cheese.

- So you were like, in heaven, you're like, "Ah, all right."

- I love the blue cheese.

- That was a great start.

And it's like, "Wow, this is a great way.

This restaurant's gonna be good."

Any restaurants, you go in and you have the starter, and usually, that's how you could tell what the rest of it's gonna be like.

- It's true.

- It's the gauge.

- It's the gauge.

- Yes.

- It's gonna be a good night.

So speaking of that, what'd you have next?

- I had the cacio e pepe, which is a noodle base.

It's almost like a stroganoff, and it's very French, of course.

And it was really delicious.

It had mushroom and the taste was just so unique with the noodles.

And the noodles had absorbed a little bit of the sauce, and it was really delicious.

- So Allie, what did you have?

- So I had the Wagyu sliders with a side of truffle fries.

The sliders came in two, so they were a bit small, but it was actually like a lot.

They were really good.

They were very texture-based.

- [Mark] Was it like a slice of Wagyu, like- - It was like ground Wagyu - Oh, okay.

- into like little patties.

- Oh, cool.

- [Allie] And then the truffle fries were really good.

They had like the truffle oil and a lot of Parmesan and salt.

And so they were very seasoned, very good.

- Good, little sel.

- [Allie] Yeah.

(laughs) Yes, very crispy.

- [Mark] Cool, cool.

- And my spouse, he had the fish and chips, which were phenomenal.

- So fish and chips at a fancy restaurant like Sel, you have to describe, what made them special?

- They were like a miso-battered fish and chip.

So it's not just any kind.

It was the best we've ever had.

They had little like sesame seeds and all types of Tokyo fries and all types of just different exotic flavors.

So it was the best that we ever had.

- So that's a twist, and I love that.

So what does your guest have?

- I have been there so many times with so many different people, family, friends, coworkers.

It tends to be that my guy friends or you know, they always order the filet mignon.

- Yeah.

- They're meat eaters.

- Yeah.

- That's a delicious dish.

I always steal a bite and just, it's cooked to perfection.

It comes with this mashed potato from heaven.

(laughs) It's like little clouds.

It's delicious.

And the most tender asparagus, all with a sauce.

And again, I'm a sauce person.

I just grew up that way.

- Being from France.

Yeah.

- Yeah.

So we love that.

- Yeah, so the mashed potatoes, the French mashed potatoes are really just butter with a little bit of potato folded into it and whipped to it to a divine pleasure, like you say it, cloud.

- And you can tell.

- Yeah, that's the way it is.

Now to the piece de resistance, for you in French, what did you have for dessert?

- My absolute favorite dessert in the world used to be back home in New Orleans at Brennan's, their strawberry shortcake.

So when I saw it on the menu, I'm like, "There's no way it can even compare."

It did.

It did.

- It did.

It nailed it.

- It blew it out of the water.

The part I really like is the shortcake is like a biscuit type of thing.

- Yeah.

- And you can really taste the salty caramel, just the combinations of the sweet and savory.

It comes layered with a little ball of ice cream on the side.

- Ooh.

- [Ana] I'm pretty sure they put dehydrated strawberries on the ice cream.

- Oh, cool.

- [Ana] So you know, you get all the textures combined.

- [Thomas] And also the way they present it to us, so French.

The biscuit was here.

It was so good.

- The presentation, I think Allie was saying earlier, is just really, really nice.

- So this is our time when we do takeaways and pro tips.

So Ana, this is your restaurant.

We're gonna start with you.

- I think the pro tip is come hungry because you can eat and eat and eat there and try all sorts of different things and never get tired.

- That's great.

Thomas.

- The way the food was presented was very impressive, and everything we ate was delicious and we were very, very happy when we left with our stomachs full.

- That's good.

- [Thomas] So as a restaurant, that's a plus.

- Okay, good.

Pro tip?

- Pro tip, don't be intimidated by the prices or anything.

Go during happy hour if you would like to go, then yeah, happy hour is a great time.

- That's a great way to enter into it, see if you like it and see if you wanna become a regular.

- Happy hour is key.

- If you want to try Sel, it's located in Old Town, Scottsdale and Main Street between Marshall Way and Goldwater.

An average meal will cost about a hundred dollars, and they do take reservations.

(cheerful music) Allie just moved here from Chicago, but she's already found her must-eat-at spot, a mother-and-son-run restaurant that's serving up Southern dishes Allie loves.

This is CC's on Central.

(steady music) - CC's on Central is a family dynamic restaurant.

It's home-style cooking down home.

It's the heritage of how I was raised and what I was raised eating, watching my grandmothers and my aunts cook, my mom cook.

So here, I cook with Creole flavors.

That's who I am.

It's the onions, the bell peppers, the celery, the seasonings, the cayenne peppers.

But then there's also that soul food side of it.

I'm that melting pot here in Phoenix.

The most popular dishes coming out would be our jambalaya, our fried chicken, fried catfish.

Sides that we offer is macaroni cheese, candy yams, red beans and rice.

We do a fried corn, which we call maque choux.

If you've never been to CC's and you wanna try some good Creole food, I always suggest that you start with our tasty three.

Our tasty three is you get a combination of the red beans and rice, the jambalaya, and etouffee.

Arizona voted us the best fried chicken.

I think what sets our fried chicken apart is I season heavily.

I believe that if you're not sneezing, it's not seasoned.

I only offer desserts that I make well.

(Sharon laughs) So your basics, your red velvet, I'm gonna do a blue velvet.

Our carrot cake is real popular.

Of course, Louisiana, you gotta have red pudding.

And our church lemon cake.

The name CC's on Central comes from a multitude of Cs.

We're from California, our last name is Cunningham, we're on Central, we're Christian.

Pick a C. We are tucked between the two office buildings.

We are a true hidden gem, but once you're in here, you're away from the hustle and bustle.

I would love for people just to feel the family, to feel the love, to wanna come back and say, "You know what, we were comfortable.

We were met with hospitality, good Southern home hospitality."

And to know that you're welcome and you're appreciated.

- So you're from Chicago, and you found this little place in Phoenix?

- Mm-hm.

Yes, I did.

- How'd you find it?

- I was recommended to it by several different people on social media, Instagram, all of that.

They told me I have to go, I have to try their fried chicken, and so I did go.

- It was voted by the Arizona Republic readers as the best fried chicken in Phoenix.

Did you have the fried chicken?

- Yes, I did, Mark.

I just had a fried chicken dinner with sweet potatoes and greens.

The fried chicken was really great.

It was, I feel like it was double fried.

It was- - Nice.

Oh, so it was extra crispy?

- Yes, it was extra, extra, extra crispy.

Very seasoned.

I would have to say, it fell off the bone.

Very juicy inside.

Sweet potatoes were really good, I did enjoy 'em.

They had a little bit much cinnamon for me, but they were really good.

Very savory, buttery, sweet.

The greens were really good.

I enjoyed that as well.

And the honey butter biscuits are to die for.

- [Mark] Ooh, ooh, ooh.

Soft and tender?

- [Allie] Yeah.

Very, very soft and just pulls apart easily.

- Thomas, what'd you have?

- I had the tasty three.

It was amazing.

And it's jambalaya of the rice and beans and the cornbread and the sticky rice.

It was delicious.

And it's served in this lazy Susan-type looking thing.

And I wanted more.

- The tasty three was not enough.

- The tasty three.

It wasn't enough.

- So jambalaya, I love jambalaya, but you- - So good.

- Yeah, so tell me about that experience.

How was it seasoned?

The texture?

- The texture was really quite interesting.

It was real smooth and creamy.

Sausage was really, really very well done and had a real nice spice to it.

And I love anything that's real spicy and so I enjoyed that.

And the sticky rice, that's very hard 'cause most time, rice is not done correctly, where you pick it up with your fork and it sticks to your fork.

That's the type of rice I like.

The cornbread melted in my mouth and it was not big enough.

- But anyway.

- Yeah, well, that's 'cause it was good.

- It was so good.

- Yeah.

What'd you have to drink?

- I had the yellow diamond, which was amazing.

It was refreshing and very citrusy and packed a punch.

- [Mark] Packed a punch, I love it.

Ana, what did you have?

- I am actually from New Orleans, and so I was very familiar with the menu.

And I brought my family and I had the kids order one of each of the main plates on the menu.

I personally had the shrimp and grits.

We had the fried chicken, which was very crispy as Ali described.

I know that I had to call the server over because two of my kids were fighting (laughs) over the candied yams.

They were so delicious.

- I love that.

- And I was like, "Please bring some more out before, you know, this gets bad."

(laughs) So, I did.

- So there's shrimp and grits and there's shrimp regrets.

How was yours?

Tell us about it.

- No, it was the right amount of spice.

If you know anyone from New Orleans, we love hot, spicy food, and that's what I wanted and that's what I got.

And it's very hard, in my opinion, to get grits right.

- Yeah.

- I don't know why, but they definitely got it right.

- And so how do you, do you like 'em creamy?

Do you like 'em with a little bite to 'em?

- I like them creamy.

- You like 'em creamy, just like traditional.

- I like them creamy.

- Yes.

- Yes, again, the sauce was just had that spicy bite to it.

- And shrimp.

- The shrimp were big and cooked to perfection.

- Cooked to perfection.

Cool.

- Yes.

- What did you have for dessert?

Did you have any?

- You know what?

No, I didn't have any.

- Yeah, because you had that fried chicken.

- I was offered a sweet potato pie, but by that time, I was so full.

I was like, "You know what, I would definitely come back for dessert or come back anytime."

- Thomas.

- Yeah.

They had the red cake and the blue cake.

And in my family, we always had red cake for special occasions.

So I wanted to try the blue cake, and they were out of it.

They were out of the red cake.

And so he says, "Well, we have a lemon cake."

And I went, "I love lemon."

That was amazing.

- [Mark] So the name is an interesting name, is church lemon cake, I think.

- Church lemon cake.

It was very, very good.

- So did it feel like a church lemon cake?

- I ate half of it because the piece was like, and I took the other half home and later on, it was like, oh, it was... - Oh, so it's a huge portion.

- [Thomas] I want to go back for that.

- I actually had the blue velvet cake.

We actually ordered it to go, my kid.

We had to hurry.

All my kids had a hockey game.

By the time we made it out to the elevator, it was gone.

They had finished it.

(laughs) - The pro tips or takeaways, Allie?

- [Allie] Don't mind the parking, it is free.

And be ready to eat.

- Be ready to eat.

- Ready to eat.

So good.

- Thomas, pro tip?

- [Thomas] My favorite was the jambalaya.

It was so good.

- My pro tip honestly is to get as many biscuits from there as humanly possible, the honey biscuits.

I hadn't had a biscuit that good since I was probably five years old from Al Copeland himself.

- Oh, my gosh, really?

- Back in New Orleans.

- You got one of those?

Those epics?

- Their biscuits were exactly like that.

- Wow.

- That says a lot.

- Yeah.

- If you wanna try honey biscuits and try CC's on Central, it's located on Central Avenue just south of Thomas in Phoenix.

An average meal will cost $18.

And they take reservations of parties of six and more.

(cheerful music) Our last pick is Thomas'.

Loyalty is everything in the hairdressing world, and same goes for restaurants.

Thomas has been going to his favorite spot for years, a family-owned Mexican restaurant with steep traditions.

This is Manuel's Mexican Restaurant in Cantina.

(stirring music) - Manuel's Mexican Restaurant is truly families serving families.

My Grandpa Manuel and Alice Salazar started the first location, 1964.

And now there are eight locations.

Diners can find delicious, comfort-style, traditional Sonoran-style Mexican food.

They will not leave hungry.

People love the traditional plates that we've been serving for 61 years now.

The favorites are enchiladas.

Our red enchilada sauce is the best, in my opinion.

It's just delicious.

They love our shredded beef tacos, our chimichangas.

Our must-have dish, I believe, is the Pollo Especial.

What sets us apart is it's a double sauce.

So on top of our Pollo Especial is our norteno sauce with also our jalapeno cream cheese on top of that, plus our shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

And it's just takes it to a whole nother level.

Bringing chips and salsa to the table is a tradition I hope continues forever.

When I first started at 11, my job here was to bring chips and salsa to the table.

People love our chips and salsa, it compliments the meal.

We cannot stop with that tradition.

Growing up, I've watched my parents work extremely hard.

They worked so hard.

I've always looked up to them.

They always inspired me.

Our customers do love to see my parents when they come in.

They love to talk about stories when they used to come in with their children.

The kids that used to walk in the door and now are walking in with kids of their own.

And that is truly special.

Our customers grew up with us.

We celebrate the milestones, the memories with them from birthdays and anniversaries to weddings and celebrations of life.

We're just proud that our customers have kept us open and in business for 61 years now.

- So Thomas, you've been going here for years.

Tell me a little bit about how you found it.

I mean, when was it?

- I was recommended back in the home many, many years ago.

And I am from meat and potatoes country in Montana, and really didn't have Mexican food, was kinda like new to me.

From the first time I went, I went every Friday night after work, and it was like every Friday night for happy hour.

And it was just amazing.

I live right around the corner now and it's like, it's my happy place, you know?

(laughs) - So we'll see Thomas there a lot.

So Thomas, what is your go-to thing to start with when you go to Manuel's?

- [Thomas] They have the best salsa in town.

- Oh.

- The best salsa I've ever eaten.

- Oh, you have to describe it 'cause there's salsa and there's salsa.

- [Thomas] Okay, their salsa is thick and everything in it is all fresh.

This is a great family place.

And the first thing you look forward to is the chips and salsa.

- And what did you have for your meal, Thomas?

- I always have the combination platter, and it's a shredded beef taco, bean tostada, and a cheese enchilada.

And the three are amazing with lots of lettuce and lots of tomatoes on the side.

- So the flour tortilla taco, it's soft taco, right?

- [Thomas] Soft taco and shredded beef, and the shredded beef has onions in it.

I always have the shredded beef because I feel that it's more tasty than the regular hamburger type, you know, the ground beef and- - The ground beef.

- [Mark] And the enchilada, cheese enchilada?

- [Thomas] The cheese enchilada is packed with cheese.

- [Mark] Packed with cheese.

Red or greens?

- Just depends on my taste.

- Your mood?

Okay.

- Yeah.

- Ana, what did you have?

- My friend and I met there for breakfast, slash, brunch.

I had the tortilla soup and the chili con carne omelet.

That was fantastic.

- I love chili con carne.

- [Ana] That was spot on.

A lot of people get it too salty, and this one was just right.

- [Mark] So what was the spice like?

- [Ana] It didn't have a bite to it, but it had a definite smoky flavor to it, which was really, really nice.

- Yeah, 'cause it grilled off.

- Yes.

- A little bit of char to it.

- [Ana] Yes, definitely, and the omelet was light and fluffy, just how you expect a great omelet to be.

And it was.

- What else was in it?

- A lot of cheese.

(laughs) And then we got it with a side of their beans, which were fantastic.

I am a beans connoisseur, and I enjoyed the beans.

- And those are classic too.

- Yes.

- And you had tortilla soup, I think.

- I did.

And it was actually something I recorded because it reminded me of a high-end restaurant where they bring most of what's going into the soup already in the bowl, and then they brought the broth over and poured it in right in front of you.

So I like that little extra touch.

It was nice.

- That's really nice touch.

I mean, this place is so family, so warm and so good.

- Yes.

- So Allie, what'd you have?

- I had the street taco dinner.

It was really good.

They served you four tacos, which is a great portion.

The steak meat was to die for.

It was so good, so juicy, so tender, so seasoned.

I had that on a corn shell, a corn tortilla with rice and beans, a little bit of like a cabbage mixture with a little bit of cilantro and onions on the side.

So it was really good with also like a pico de gallo too.

- That cabbage is really traditional, of course, in Sonoran Mex, so- - Yeah, yeah.

It was.

- [Thomas] And did you sprinkle it on your tacos?

- [Allie] Yes, I put it on all the tacos.

- And the pico de gallo?

- Yes.

Yes.

And I must say the chips and salsa are very, very good.

I love the like Chipotle sauce that they have for the chips and salsa, very, very good.

- Desserts.

Ana?

- Yes.

So my favorite from when I was a kid at any Mexican restaurant is the fried ice cream.

So when I saw that on the menu, I, of course, ordered it, and it was exactly what I expected it to be.

It was crunchy with the ice cream 'cause I believe they have like a corn flake, slash, coconut coating on it, which they fry, and copious amounts of honey spread on that.

- Gotta love the honey.

- Yes, so that was a really nice finale to our brunch.

- [Thomas] Their fried ice cream is just, it's the best.

It's what they're known for there.

When the heat starts melting the ice cream and it makes this wonderful like sauce.

- Then you just stir.

- And the honey, it's like, whoa, it's so good.

- I love that.

Allie, so you had a little something to drink?

- Yes, I did.

I enjoyed the classic margarita.

It was very good.

It was strong, it packed a punch.

I actually left some, you know, there after we left.

That was my dessert, my margarita was my dessert.

But it was really good.

- Liquid dessert, we call it in the business.

- It was margarita on the rocks - Yeah.

- with a little bit of lime, a little salt rim.

I think it was, may have been tajin.

May have been some tajin on there.

- It is, yes.

- But it was really good.

I enjoyed it.

- So Thomas, this is your place.

What's your pro tip or takeaway?

Oh my, you have to order the Wally.

Wally, who owns the restaurant, he developed his own margarita that's called the Wally.

- Oh.

- And it is amazing.

So if you'd go there again, have the Wally.

- Awesome, get the Wally.

Ana, what's your pro tip?

- I think my pro tip would be get the Mexican ice cream, the Mexican fried ice cream.

- Awesome.

- Can't go wrong.

- Your pro tip and takeaway.

- Pro tip, I would say don't be afraid to go when it's bustling and busy.

It's not a wait at all.

Just go head in there five, six o'clock on a Friday.

Enjoy yourselves, and come hungry again.

(Allie laughs) - Come hungry.

I love it.

If you want to try Manuel's, it's located at 11th Avenue in Bell Road in Phoenix.

An average meal will cost $20, and they accept reservations for parties of 10 or more.

I want to thank Ana, Allie, and Thomas for joining me at the table.

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

Arizona".

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

Who knows?

You could be joining me at the table.

Be a part of the foodie conversation in Arizona on Facebook, Instagram using the #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.

- [Announcer 1] "Check, Please!

Arizona" is supported by... (crowd chattering) (dishes clattering) (cheerful music) (cheerful music continues)