- I'm Chef Mark Tarbell.

Welcome to "Check, Please!

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

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

They've dined it 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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(relaxed jazzy music) - I'm Chef Mark Tarbell.

Welcome to "Check, Please!

Arizona."

In this episode, we're checking out a pizza place, a neighborhood spot and a coffee shop with a twist.

Let's meet our diners.

Kelsey Roger works as a supply chain coordinator.

She moved here from New Jersey and considers herself an old soul.

She loves all things retro and even makes her greeting cards for friends and family.

Marii Covington-Jones has lived in Arizona her whole life.

One of her more interesting jobs was working at the Renaissance Fair.

She loves to cheer on the Arizona Cardinals, go Cards, and spend time with her rescue greyhounds.

But up first is Frank Altier.

He's a retired dentist whose new career is playing a lot of golf.

When he is done on the Links, he drives to his favorite pizza place that he says is definitely above par.

This is Sal's Gilbert Pizza.

(upbeat music) - Sal's Gilbert Pizza, it's a restaurant with pizzeria.

We do a lot of unique pizza, pasta, salads.

We have a lot of good dish like chicken parm, lasagna.

We make everything fresh here.

We do, the dough we do every day.

The sauce we make every day.

And we do regular New York style pizza and Sicilian.

New York style pizza, it's like a thin, crispy, you could fold.

It doesn't break.

We do Sicilian, too.

Sicilian, it's a deep dish.

We cook in a pan.

They're both different but delicious.

My favorite pizza is a grandma pizza.

It's between regular and Sicilian.

We put a provolone cheese, crushed tomato, olive oil, oregano and basil.

When you walk in, just the smell alone, you feel like in the pizzeria in New York.

So like, the noise, the loudness, the booth, typical New York style family restaurant.

I'm original from Italy, Sicily.

We came on vacation Arizona to see the Grand Canyon.

It was about 20 years ago.

I fell in love with the weather, people so I decide to move here.

My wife name is Grace.

I'm more like in the kitchen, and Grace, she's more in the front and take care of the guests.

We've been in business 18 years.

Success, it's a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication, a lot of love, and become friends with my customer.

It's like we're like one big family.

When you see my customer, it's like being home.

Everybody's like family.

(jazzy music) - So Frank, how did you find Sal's and what do you have when you go there?

- Well, I found Sal's Pizza.

I was taking my kid to a basketball practice, and I swear I saw that on TV before and I did see it on another show.

So, I stopped in and that's how I actually found it, just on a whim.

Anyway, when I go there, I like to get the eggplant rollini because it's difficult to make at home.

And by the process of breading it, frying it, getting the ricotta, rolling it, it's tough to do.

Sal's has a wonderful one.

They slice the eggplant long ways.

A lot of times they, these places they just cut 'em like carrot sticks and deep fry.

So the long way and then they roll the ricotta in there with the sauce and cheese on top.

Excellent.

That's my favorite thing as an appetizer.

- Oh my gosh, and you know, I had a conversation with a server there who is friends with Sal or her family is and when, that's what won me over immediately before I had one bite 'cause they do, culinarily speaking, treat eggplant perfectly there.

Thin, also give it a little bit of cure.

You know, get some of the moisture out of it so it's not too mushy.

It can be and it's super flavorful.

Great, great pick.

What did you have for an entree?

- For my entree, I just had the pepperoni lover's pizza and I get it well done and I get extra sauce on it, so it's wonderful.

I get the extra large, eat two pieces, take the rest home.

- Yeah, and how long does that last?

- Oh, day and a half.

- A minute.

(group laughs) That is awesome, and you can ask for it well done, extra char?

- [Frank] Yes, correct.

- [Mark] That's really good.

Kelsey, what'd you have to eat?

- I got the stromboli.

I did a make your own one.

So, I got pepperoni, sausage and red bell pepper in it.

And my husband actually came with me and he got the drunken meatball sub.

- What is that?

- It's a meatball sub that has vodka sauce on it instead of marinara sauce.

- Wow.

You had me at vodka.

So how is that?

How's that taste?

How's it change the flavor?

- [Kelsey] The flavor has a better, a little bit spicier to it.

- [Mark] Okay.

- Not sweeter from the marinara sauce.

It has kind of a more peppery-er flavor.

- Well, I'll tell you alcohol in your palate, what it does is it creates a white pepper or black pepper sensation.

That's kind of how alcohol is.

There's too much in wine or if you have a high alcohol spirit, that's what it does.

So, the pepperiness kind of translated without using flakes.

That's good.

Did you have an appetizer?

- Yes, we got the garlic knots with the marinara sauce, and the garlic was just the right amount on it.

Some places, you get it with like huge chunks of garlic on it and it kind of gives you a bitter taste to it, but this one was perfect.

Like, the marinara sauce was sweet with it and it was a good combination.

- Fresh garlic, perfect.

Old garlic, woo.

Stay away.

What'd you have?

- I had fried zucchini to start with that came with ranch and marinara sauce and they were really nice and crisp.

- [Mark] So, they were really flaky, crispy?

- [Marii] It was real crunchy.

- [Mark] Thin, right?

- Yeah, and they're cut like oval instead of sticks like a lot of times you get.

Then I had the grandpa's drunken pizza, which is also done with the vodka sauce.

It's kind of like a Margherita but with, instead of a marinara sauce- - [Mark] So, they use the vodka marinara?

- [Marii] They used the vodka sauce instead.

- [Mark] Did you pick up the spice, too, a little bit?

- It had some spice in it.

It certainly wasn't a lot.

I put a little chili flake on top.

- Okay.

So Marii, what'd you have for dessert?

- [Marii] Tiramisu and cheesecake.

And the cheesecake was delicious.

- [Mark] How was the texture?

- [Marii] Very smooth.

- [Mark] Smooth.

- [Marii] Smooth and creamy, yes.

- [Mark] Kelsey, did you have any dessert?

- We actually took some home.

We got the three mini cannolis and the texture was perfect.

I'm a snob for cannolis, so, like, the dough for it was super crunchy.

It wasn't soggy, and the ricotta in the middle was super smooth, not gritty, and there were no chocolate chips on it.

- [Mark] Yay.

No chocolate chips.

I love chocolate, but not in my cannolis, so I'm like you, Kelsey.

- [Kelsey] Yeah.

- Frank, did you have dessert?

- My wife had the cannoli.

She loved it.

And I'm not a dessert person, but I had a Frangelico.

- I'm like you, but, oh, you did?

So, there you go.

You had something, a little topper at the end.

- Exactly.

- Frank, it's your restaurant.

Do you have any one sentence or one pro tip about going there that's gonna make it a great experience?

- A good pro tip is sit in the lounge bar area, especially if you don't have a reservation 'cause it's open seating, and during specific times, happy hour per se is half price appetizers.

- I would say I would get the garlic knots.

I would definitely recommend that.

- [Marii] Definitely make a reservation if you're going on a weekend.

We went there and it was quite a long wait.

- Total pro tip.

- Absolutely.

- It is packed.

This place is busy- - [Marii] Yes, is busy.

- [Mark] Every night of the week.

- [Marii] Yes.

- [Mark] I was there on a Tuesday, packed.

- Yes.

If you wanna try Sal's Gilbert Pizza, it's located on Gilbert Road just south of Warner.

An average meal is around $25 and they do take reservations.

(upbeat jazzy music) Up next is Marii's pick.

She first checked out her place when she moved into the neighborhood, and now it's her go-to spot.

There's something on the menu for everyone at this Southern influenced restaurant.

This is Grassroots Kitchen & Tap.

- Well, Grassroots Kitchen & Tap to me is that neighborhood place where you can go once a month, twice a month, once a week, twice a week, and we have guests doing both.

But really, the food, the culinary, it was a culmination of some of my travels and it was really exciting for me to bring that flavor profile of my time in the South to here in Scottsdale.

Well, some of the hits that people can find on the menu are blackened red fish, shrimp po' boys, jalapeno cheddar grits.

I like to describe the vibe and the decor at Grassroots Kitchen & Tap as that down to earth, homegrown, comfortable feeling like you're walking into someone's home in the South.

It's just a comfortable, relaxed, extremely inviting, well and pointed environment.

So, the patio here at Grassroots Kitchen & Tap is a huge thing.

We have the patio enclosed, so we have these clear vinyl curtains that drop down.

And so, I get use outta my patio 360 days a year.

The bar atmosphere at Grassroots, it's a dining bar.

No one is coming to our restaurant to just sit down and have drinks and cocktails.

Every single person that you see, lunch or dinner, they are dining at our bar and that's by design.

I'm very lucky being a fourth generation restaurateur.

I can remember my first job was at my dad's restaurant, carrying out pies, hoping to get a tip.

I loved spending time with my dad in the restaurant.

I loved being around with the food.

Like, it was my happy place.

I'm very genuine when I say this.

I have never had the intention, the inkling, the feeling that I was meant to do anything else other than be in the restaurant business.

(upbeat music) - So, Marii, how did you find it and what's your favorite thing to eat?

- It's just right around the corner from my house.

So, just kind of stumbled across it and thought, check it out and just love the food's always great quality.

Everything's prepared well.

We always start with Noble bread and they have some olive oil to dip with and then they have a whipped butter that's got some sea salt and pepper on top that's amazing.

- [Mark] Oh, it's good.

What else do you like to eat there?

- One of my, someone I go with occasionally loves the pork belly.

So, if you like pork belly, it's apparently delicious.

It's just not- - It's not your thing.

- I'm not a real heavy- - Kelsey, you had it?

- I had that, yeah.

- Yeah.

- [Kelsey] Yeah, the waitress highly recommended.

She's like, I eat this all the time.

I'll take it home with me for dinner and I'll eat it.

It was so good.

- [Mark] And it came with grits?

- [Kelsey] Yes, the cheddar jalapeno grits.

- [Mark] Secret to pork belly is it has to be really seared 'cause you know, it's pork belly.

- [Kelsey] Right.

- It's bacon and it's quite a large chunk and they did it perfectly.

The caramelization on it and you know, really.

- [Marii] It looks beautiful.

- My mouth's watering.

(group laughs) What else do you recommend?

- I always get the chicken.

It's a rotisserie chicken and it's got a New Orleans style dirty orzo instead of rice that's just- - [Mark] What's that like?

- Delicious.

It's got a little spice.

It has a little vegetables in it.

Kind of a creamy sauce.

I really don't know how to explain it.

It's just yum.

- It's good, and that's always- - [Marii] And their chicken always tastes, I don't typically order chicken in a restaurant, but that chicken is just, it's always divine.

- [Mark] You know they know how to cook when they can cook chicken.

- Yes.

- Kelsey, what'd you have?

- I had the pork belly.

So, I told the waitress that we've never been there before, what did you recommend, and she recommended that.

So, I had never had pork belly at all before.

I've had grits.

I'm kind of a grit snob, too.

- [Mark] Okay, so tell us how'd they do.

- It was perfect.

They were fluffy.

The pork belly was perfect.

It had a little crust on the top of it, which was amazing, a little crunch with the rest of the textures.

It was delicious.

- Good.

What else do you have?

- I had the smoked brisket sandwich and it came with shoestring potato french fries.

The smokiness in the brisket was amazing.

Pull apart, melting in your mouth.

The bread that came with it wasn't too over crisp where it like cut the roof in your mouth there.

It was perfect.

- [Mark] Cool.

- Yeah, it was delicious.

- Any dessert?

- I did, they gave us a voucher when we were leaving and paying for the Sweet Provision that's right next door that they're affiliated with, and we got little chocolate truffles and had the nice crust on the outside, but it was like melt in your mouth chocolate- - [Mark] Really?

- On the inside.

Yeah, it was really good.

- Those are my favorite.

Frank, what did you have when you went there?

- My wife and I went for lunch.

I started with the sweet pork soup.

It was the soup of the day.

It was excellent.

You could tell that they didn't cook the vegetables within the soup because the vegetables were crunchy.

A lot of times, you get a soggy vegetable within the soup.

It had a really nice sweet taste.

So, I liked it.

For my entree, I had the blackened red fish sandwich and it was served open face.

On the one side they had aioli and then the fish on the other side, aioli, the tomatoes and lettuce.

So, I ate it open face.

You could put it not.

The fish was excellently cooked.

The grill marks on it were perfect, and I also had the jalapeno cheddar grits.

I like those.

My wife had the caprese chicken sandwich.

- [Mark] Oh, okay.

- [Frank] It was really good.

Nice fresh mozzarella on there.

- [Mark] How was the texture of the mozzarella?

- [Frank] It was good.

It wasn't like real watery, so- - [Mark] Okay, good.

So, you could eat it.

- [Frank] Yes.

- It didn't squirt out the back of the sandwich.

- Yeah.

And she had the shoestring fries.

Shoestring fries were good.

- [Marii] The fries are great.

They have a dipping sauce they'll occasionally bring for you.

- [Frank] Oh, I didn't know that.

- [Marii] That's kind of a garlicy creamy thing.

I had one of the waiters recommend it one time.

- I think I had an aioli with the fries I had or something like that.

- Yeah, I think it's something like that.

- It's an aioli, yeah.

- It's so good.

- I don't remember what it was, but it was delish.

Yeah.

Any dessert for your wife?

- No, she didn't have dessert, either.

We were at lunch.

- [Mark] You were full?

- We were pretty full.

- [Mark] You were done?

- Yeah.

- So, Marii, you had dessert I think, though.

- I did.

There's a toffee brownie that comes with gelato, a vanilla gelato on top that, really, really good.

Very chocolatey.

The brownie's really moist and there's a lot of chocolate flavor- - [Mark] Okay.

- [Marii] So if you're a chocoholic, it's good.

- Well, this is your place.

Tell me about the atmosphere.

- It's very comfortable, so it's not too stuffy.

So, it's just a very casual but nice kind of tavern type neighborhood place.

- Yeah, they have a great bar.

Did you have drinks?

- [Marii] I don't drink.

- [Mark] Okay.

- [Marii] So, I did not, but their iced tea and their green iced tea, they do black and green, it's delicious.

- I like Wren House, and they had their pilsner, their Big Spills Pils, on tap, and so I got that.

And then my husband got another local beer, as well, that he likes.

Usually, they don't have those two beers that we got on tap.

So, we were excited that they had them on tap.

- The Wren House, by the way, a story on that real quick, how it got its name.

The first pilsner they ever made, the tank exploded, or it spilled everywhere, so they called it the Big Spill Pils.

That's how it got its name.

It was a great place, yeah.

Frank, atmosphere, drinks?

- Atmosphere was great.

When I walked in, it was very busy.

We sat at the bar because there were no seats available, which, we had excellent service.

The bartender allowed us to try a couple different wines that they had on tap.

And my wife had a glass of wine.

I had a an IPA.

I think it was a Tower IPA, which was- - [Kelsey] Yeah, that's what my husband had.

- Do you like the IPAs?

Do you like- - Yeah, it's a heavier beer.

- [Mark] The hoppy- - You can only have a couple of those.

- Yeah.

- So, this is the time when we do pro tips.

Marii, this is your place.

Pro tip or takeaway?

- Both.

- [Mark] Good.

- Pro tip, make a reservation.

Takeaway is if they have the pulled pork barbecue sandwich on special, get it.

It's delicious.

- Oh wow.

Good.

Kelsey.

- The takeaway that I got was that try the pork belly because even if you've tried it other places, this one is definitely better than any other one that you've tried.

- Thank you.

Thank you, I agree.

I've had it.

Frank, what's your pro tip?

- My takeaway would be it's a great environment, attentive service and I would definitely recommend it.

- Awesome.

If you wanna try Grassroots Kitchen & Tap, they're located on Hayden just north of Via De Ventura in Scottsdale.

An average meal is $30 and they do take reservations.

(upbeat jazzy music) Our last restaurant is Kelsey's choice.

Kelsey and her husband love coffee and they're always on the hunt for the perfect cup.

She says she found that and a whole lot more in this woman-owned restaurant.

This is Fair Trade Cafe.

(upbeat music) - The Fair Trade Cafe is so much more than a coffee house providing specialty, sustainable coffee.

We are a gathering space.

We're an art gallery.

We're an eatery.

The menu really is just an eclectic creation of some really just hearty favorites.

We have anything from a non-traditional breakfast burrito to a truffled grilled cheese and soups and stuffed croissants.

So, the vibe of the cafe is similar to the menu.

It really is eclectic.

It's comfy, it's cozy, yet it's super chic in certain places.

Every month, we have a local artist that's featured, and if you take a look around, love it, buy it, support our artists.

However, know that in a month it's gonna be rotated.

I'm a former educator and I had gone on a trip to Costa Rica and I did some touristy things, and on the last day, I went to a coffee plantation, and the teacher in me did a little research and I learned that it's the second highest traded commodity next to oil.

It's the second highest purchased beverage next to water.

And then, it's extremely exploitative to our people and to the earth.

So I just thought, you know, there's gotta be something else.

And I'm a look, see, move kind of woman.

So, 16 years later here we are in the Fair Trade Cafe, and I proudly only serve fair trade and direct trade certified coffee and teas.

We are the longest standing coffee house here in downtown Phoenix.

We've been here 16 strong years, and I really think it's the community support, that we love them and they love us, and there's this beautiful like ecosystem of just love and it's created a successful business.

(upbeat music) - So Kelsey, how did you find Fair Trade and what is your favorite thing to get there?

- So my husband and I did some Googling to find local coffee places in the area and came across Fair Trade, and we said, "Well, let's just try it out."

We've never been to this place before.

So, him and I went and what an experience.

We walk in, everybody says hi to you and it's very welcoming.

So when I go, I get the Phoenix cold brew.

It's their signature cold brew and it has agave and cinnamon on top of it.

It kind of tastes like a churro.

So it's creamy but not too creamy that you can't taste the coffee still.

So, it's nice and smooth when you drink it.

- That blend is great.

- [Kelsey] It is.

- I love cold brew, too.

- I usually get the Phoenix, but this time, I decided I was gonna try their flight.

It's not on their menu, but I saw on Instagram that they posted about it and they come in like little glasses, fancy glasses, and there's three of 'em.

So one of 'em is a soy base with agave and cinnamon on top of it with sea salt.

And then the next one would be an agave with your choice of milk, which, I got almond milk and it comes with amaretto and white chocolate in it.

It was very orange forward, but it was good orange forward.

- [Mark] Nice.

- [Kelsey] And then the Phoenix is the other one that's on there.

That one- - [Mark] That's the one you love.

- [Kelsey] That's the one that I love.

I was so happy that that one was on there.

- Now, you go there for the coffee, but you stay for the food.

- [Kelsey] Yes.

- I thought that was amazing.

What do you eat when you're there?

- So, typically, we go for breakfast, but this time we went for lunch and for breakfast, I usually get their jalapeno and cheddar sandwich, breakfast sandwich, with egg whites I get.

But this time, I got the truffle grilled cheese sandwich.

It's got sun dried tomatoes on it with truffle oil and cheese.

It was the, you pull apart and you got the nice string in between it, and I got a side salad with it that had cranberries and almonds and a really nice light balsamic vinegarette on top of it.

- Great.

So Frank, what did you have when you were there?

- So, I went with my wife for lunch.

I had the Cuban.

Cuban was great.

It had the nice pickle on it.

Now, it said it was on a panini or whatever kind of bread, but it was more a focaccia.

- [Kelsey] Yeah.

- [Frank] And I kind of liked their focaccia because it was real buttery.

The regular Cuban is more flat.

- [Kelsey] Yeah.

- And so, I kind of liked it on a focaccia even though it wasn't like a real Cuban per se, like Miami, but it was excellent.

I would say it's a nice place if you're in the area to stop.

- Marii, what did you have?

- I also had the Phoenix and we went for breakfast.

My person had one of their chocolate mochas.

It was delicious.

Had the same sandwich on the jalapeno bagel with egg and cheddar and tomato.

- [Mark] Egg whites, regular eggs?

- [Marii] I had regular eggs.

- [Mark] You did?

Okay.

- [Marii] Yeah.

- [Mark] Cheddar and tomato.

- [Marii] Cheddar and tomato, and it's delicious.

- [Mark] So tell me about the bagel 'cause I'm a bagel fanatic.

- Really nice crust outside, soft inside.

Even though it was jalapeno, it didn't have too hot of a flavor, just a really good jalapeno taste without being too spicy.

- That's really great 'cause jalapenos, they should add boldness and not just tear your mouth apart, right?

- Exactly.

- You're nodding.

You had it, too?

- Yes, yes.

- Yes, that's what it does.

- And what else do you have?

- I also had their pumpkin bread that has a little bit of chocolate chips in it, and it has this real warm, the real warm kind of winter spices that you would expect, cinnamon, maybe a little nutmeg.

- [Mark] How's that texture?

- [Marii] It was delicious.

It's moist but not gooey.

- [Mark] Oh, I like it.

- So, it's a wonderful quick bread.

- I've had that before, as well.

I've had their pumpkin and their banana bread, and their banana bread is really good, too.

It's very good if you, I dunked it just to try it in with the Phoenix to see 'cause sometimes people dump it in their hot coffee.

I wanted to see what it tasted like in my cold.

It was good.

- Oh good.

- The banana one.

- Oh, that's really cool.

I would do that.

- Just to try something different.

- So this is your place.

How would you describe the atmosphere?

- It's very laid back.

It's very mellow, industrial.

The lighting in it is really cool.

They used, it looks like parts of crane anchors to it with the light bulbs and everything.

There's couches.

It's inside, outside seating, pretty much wherever you wanna sit.

- [Marii] Great artwork.

- [Kelsey] Sit, feel comfortable.

Yes.

They use local artwork.

- [Mark] Oh yeah.

- [Kelsey] On the walls that's up for sale.

- [Mark] So, anything you took away from the atmosphere your first time?

- [Frank] It was very cozy.

- Yeah.

- Relaxing.

And it seemed like the staff knew a lot of the patrons that were there.

We were there around noon and they were just hanging out and having a good, relaxing time.

Overall, very calming environment.

- When I went there also, there was about 20 people in line.

And yes, the staff knew 'em and they're like calling to 'em and I just pretended like they were calling me and I cut in line.

No, I didn't.

I did not do that.

So Kelsey, this is your place.

Pro tip or takeaway.

- Pro tip is don't be afraid to try something new.

Don't be afraid to ask the people who work there what their recommendations are.

They could give you a little hint, like trying their flight.

It's not mentioned on their menu, but if you go and follow them on Instagram, they have a lot of different tips and stuff on there.

- That pop up.

- That pop up, yes.

- The secret menu.

- The secret menu, yes.

The secret menu.

- I love that.

Marii, any pro tips?

- Just, it was a very comfortable, very happy, easygoing place.

It was really nice.

- I like that.

Frank, pro tips.

- I'd say a must try is the balsamic dressing.

Balsamic dressing was excellent.

- Very cool.

If you wanna try Fair Trade Cafe, it's located downtown Phoenix near Roosevelt and Central.

An average check is $15 and they do take reservations.

Thank you for joining us here on "Check, Please!

Arizona."

I wanna thank Marii, Kelsey and Frank 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 at spot.

Who knows?

You could be joining me at the table.

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.

(upbeat jazzy music) - [Whitfill Announcer] Whitfill Nursery, proud to support eight, Arizona PBS, a valley tradition since 1946.

Over 200 acres of Arizona-grown citrus trees and palms, complete custom design and installation.

And Whitfill Nursery still does the digging.

whitfillnursery.com.

- [Announcer] Hospice of the Valley, Medical, social, and spiritual care for patients nearing end of life And support for their families.

A not for profit community hospice hov.org (upbeat jazzy music)