In which I talk of food

Very cold and rainy in Phoenix lately.  I was not expecting to spend the majority of my holiday vacation cooped up in the house.  Actually, I have been running around the city snatching up frames and having photos printed out, all in effort to get them hung in the master bedroom and guestroom before the weekend.  And now that they're on the walls, I have to give myself tiny kudo's for a job well done (for some reason, I did not have a lot of confidence that I would have everything leveled and aligned properly).

Tomorrow, I am off to the West Side to help the siblings tear down wallpaper from my parent's house.  The husband is staying behind because we are having four boulders delivered to the house -- one of which weighs over 3000 lbs.  I cannot even fathom what 1½ tons of rock will look like in our front yard, not to mention the other three boulders that will be plopped next to it!      

Very excited to learn of some new dining spots popping up in town, especially the casual Japanese restaurant ShellShock (cousin to SeaSaw -- of which I heart).

Two new spots (to me):  Olive & Ivy at the Waterfront.  I met some work colleagues there for a holiday lunch and I have to say that I really liked it.  I describe the decor very modern Moroccan (not that I have ever been to Morocco...) and the food is very electic.  I had an order of their Garlic Bread with Hummus (very nice) and the Haystack Noodles (very misleading description, they are actually Pappardelle) with Crushed Basil and Ricotta.  I noticed they had an interesting Garlic Soup with Shrimp Fritters, but we did not order any (definitely on the list).  And the best part?  They have a small 'convenience area' where they sell fresh pastries, specialty drinks and gelato.  Mmmmm, gelato!

The other night, the husband and I decided to try Noodles Ranch.  We had been there before when it was called AZ Pho.  The new owners splashed on a fresh coat of paint, added mood lighting and the requisite Asian decorations (bamboo, paper umbrellas hung from the ceilings, and black and white framed photos of old Vietnam).  A pleasant bonus was authentic southeast Asian music in the background (instead of some poppy rock and roll music).  The husband ordered their Mango Chicken and Jasmine Rice dish (good, but not fabulous) and I had their Pho Dac Biet (a generous helping of rare sirloin, brisket, tendon, tripe, and meat balls).  Not as good as Maman's but pretty decent (it definitely hit the spot on a cold, rainy evening).  Given the close distance to our neighborhood, it will be a good back up to Saigon Nites (when we're North Scottsdale) and Cyclo (when we're in Chandler).