Check, Please! Arizona
Tacos, BBQ and Brunch
Season 13 Episode 2 | 28m 7sVideo has Closed Captions
Join us as we visit Sweet Magnolia Smokehouse, Taco Guild and Brunch Kitchen & Cocktails
Neighborhood spots serve up memorable meals.Tucked inside a Chandler strip mall is Sweet Magnolia Smokehouse where you'll find Southern-style BBQ. An historic church in Central Phoenix has been transformed into Taco Guild where guests enjoy modern Mexican dishes. In the heart of charming Cave Creek, Brunch Kitchen & Cocktails is the spot for brunch items alongside sandwiches, burgers, and salads.
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Check, Please! Arizona is a local public television program presented by Arizona PBS
Check, Please! Arizona
Tacos, BBQ and Brunch
Season 13 Episode 2 | 28m 7sVideo has Closed Captions
Neighborhood spots serve up memorable meals.Tucked inside a Chandler strip mall is Sweet Magnolia Smokehouse where you'll find Southern-style BBQ. An historic church in Central Phoenix has been transformed into Taco Guild where guests enjoy modern Mexican dishes. In the heart of charming Cave Creek, Brunch Kitchen & Cocktails is the spot for brunch items alongside sandwiches, burgers, and salads.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(gentle music) - I'm Chef Mark Tarbell.
Welcome to "Check, Please!
Arizona", the show where Arizona residents recommend their favorite restaurants.
Coming up, we have three guests who are passionate about their picks.
(soft, rhythmic music) 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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Arizona" is supported by.
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(diners chattering indistinctly) - I'm Chef Mark Tarbell.
Welcome to "Check, Please!
Arizona".
In this episode, we're doing brunch, barbecue, and tacos.
Let's meet our diners.
Angela McWilliams works in finance and has three boys.
In her spare time, she enjoys creating art, and back in high school, she even won first place in the state fair's art contest.
Brad Berg is a loan officer and a dad of four.
Fun fact, Brad, his mom and his grandmother were all born on 4th of July.
But our first pick belongs to August O'Neill, a standup comedian who invites Eddie Murphy to all of her shows.
If he ever shows up, she'll take him to her favorite spot, Sweet Magnolia Smokehouse.
(rock music) - Sweet Magnolia Smokehouse is a combination of southern love and spirit, and tradition, where a good gathering always revolves around food.
We're serving up southern style barbecue, everything from pulled pork to beef brisket, baby back ribs, beef ribs, hot link sausages, southern style barbecue.
It's a combination of southern style cooking, which is low and slow, and we coat it really thoroughly with our dry rub seasoning.
We offer scratch made macaroni and cheese that we bake.
I start with that one because it's our number one seller.
We also have baked beans that have a little brisket in pieces chopped up.
We do sweet potato yams, we have collard greens, one of the southern staples in my opinion.
My recipes, they come from my grandmothers and my mom, because they're all phenomenal southern cooks.
Here at Sweet Magnolia, this is definitely the identity of a family owned business.
My kids are here, my wife helps me, I also have a group of other people here that have been here from the start like my father-in-law, Duke, he's my warrior.
But then I have people like Mr.
Eddie on the grill.
That's why Sweet Magnolia's still up 14 years later.
So there's something about the challenge of this art of barbecue that I fell in love with.
'Cause you build your fire, you put your wood, you know, you season your meat, you rub it.
However you do it, but the art of making that taste like something, making it taste like love, that's kind of what I fell in love with with the art of smoking meats.
We wanna make sure that when you leave this small little family owned restaurant, that you have had the best barbecue experience that you expected to have when you came.
And we appreciate that.
(rock music ends) - So August, I have some questions about this.
Good barbecue in Arizona.
There is some good barbecue.
- [August] Yes, there is.
- How did you find this place?
- Well, Mr.
Hammond, the whole company, they used to have a food truck.
I would see it every now and then.
And then I actually found out they had opened a restaurant, and because I lived far out in Maricopa, I was hungry, I was like, I'll let the traffic die down, I'll go sit there and eat.
- What do you eat when you go there?
- I get the same thing every time.
- [Mark] Okay.
- I'm very simple.
I'm like, just give me the usual.
They should just call it the August, right?
Like it- (laughing) - After this show, it's gonna be called the August.
- So I just get a slab of ribs.
Sometimes I get a half slab or a full slab.
- [Mark] Pork beef?
- [August] Pork.
- [Mark] Okay.
- [August] And then I say, gimme the double mac and cheese, and gimme the double greens.
They're like, okay.
- [Mark] Alright.
- And then it comes with the cornbread, which is really good too.
- Pork rib, so yeah, it traditional, you know, just for the viewers talk about sauce.
I know they do a spicy and they do a regular.
- [August] Yes, I get the regular.
- [Mark] You get the regular?
- [August] Yeah.
- [Mark] So you like it that way?
- [August] Yes.
- [Mark] And what do you think of the level of smoke there?
- Oh my gosh.
Well, I'm very simple.
Like I don't eat anything too spicy, too heavy too... I just wanna eat and go, - Okay, eat and go.
- I just wanna eat and then fall asleep.
(group chuckling) - I love that.
- So if I gotta be like this the whole time, (panting) I'm like, oh, I'm not gonna enjoy my food.
- So do they nail the greens?
Tell me a little about the flavor and texture.
- [August] Yes, so the flavor is absolutely delicious.
Now, if they could add a little, you know, they can't make it like they're at home all the time, but it is absolutely delicious.
But I would love if they added, you know, a little bit more turkey, or some pork ham hock, or something- - Okay, put a ham hock in there when you're doing the greens?
- Yeah, put something in there.
But other than that, it's absolutely delicious.
Like I loved it.
- So tell me what your experience was like there.
This is your first time to go going right?
- I thought it was great.
Unfortunately I don't get enough exposure to barbecue.
I think I tend to barbecue at home, and it was really nice to go out and have barbecue, and the level of the flavors and- - Yes.
- It was delicious.
I really liked it.
They have a nice, big board, and then you can pick one, two items, and then you can add sides, which is nice.
And so for us, my husband and I, we wanted to try a little bit of everything 'cause it was our first time.
- [August] Oh, okay.
- So we went with two item, and then the two sides.
And so for the two items, we got the beef tips, and so we treated that somewhat like an appetizer.
- [August] Okay.
- [Angela] So we shared those.
We also got the pulled pork, which was delicious.
- [August] Yes.
- [Angela] You could tell - [Mark] Moist?
- [Angela] A long time cooking it, the flavors were very developed, it was very good.
And then for the sides, I got collard greens, and those were delicious as well.
I haven't had a lot of collared greens.
- [August] Yeah.
- These were a step above the woods that I had before.
- [August] Okay, good.
- They were tender, acidity was there.
- Yeah, they added like a little bit of vinegar.
- Yeah, the flavor profile was delicious, it was great.
We also ordered the roasted chicken, which was super good.
It was tender.
Chicken can be hard with barbecue.
- [Mark] Very hard.
- [Angela] I can sometimes, it can be too dry.
It was not dry at all, it was very flavorful.
And then my husband, he ordered the coleslaw.
He loved the coleslaw.
And typically, I can figure out what the ingredients are in something.
There's something in there, and I am not sure what it was.
- I don't know if it's celery seed or something, I- - Did you pick it- - I picked it up too, yeah.
- There was something, and I- - We'll have to ask 'em.
- You know, I tried it a couple times, I was like, what is that?
- We're gonna ask chef.
- Yeah, it was delicious.
And the cole salad was nice, it was nice and cold.
- [Mark] Yeah.
- [Angela] I'm kind of a little picky with my coleslaw, like it to be cold.
They have crafted lemonades and teas.
So I had the pineapple tea, and my husband got the Arnold, he loves Arnold Palmers.
- I had the lavender lemonade, and it was delicious.
I had never had that.
My wife ordered it, and it complimented the meal.
- Nice.
Speaking of meals, what did you have?
- So my wife and I went, we went hangry, and we were ready to eat.
We ordered a four meat platter with side of beef ribs as well.
- [Mark] Nice.
- [Brad] So we had- - You had five meats.
- A tray, I mean the tray is like this, right?
So we loaded up.
The show stopper to us was the brisket.
The brisket- - [Mark] Me too.
- [Brad] Was so good, tender.
- [Mark] Brad it was- Oh, moist tender, perfect crust on it.
- [Brad] Yep, absolutely, so that was great.
For sides, we got the potato salad, which was good.
I like a little mustard potato salad, and it had that.
And the beans were as expected, so I like the beans as well.
For the other meats that we got, we got the pork ribs, we got the beef ribs, the rib tips, (Mark chuckling) and the pulled pork, if I remember everything exactly.
- Well man, now that you got it all, you nailed it.
- Yes.
- You wanna go back and order something else.
- Yeah.
- Right, right, so- - I kind did the same thing, I was like, one of everything, please.
- Yes.
- Yeah, it's hard to choose.
- So who had dessert?
Brad.
- I did.
- What did you have?
- So we had the peach cobbler cake, it was good.
It definitely had a spice to it.
The spice actually stood out more than the peach in itself.
The peach was a little soft in its flavor, which was totally fine.
We enjoyed it.
- So with spice, you mean like chili spice or just like- - Like a little cinnamon.
- So, okay, so yeah, okay.
So it popped up on that.
- Yes, yes.
By the time we had the dessert, after all that we ate before.
(chuckling) - [Mark] I know.
- You know, it might have been the smokiness of all the meats that- - Did you even taste anything after the- - Yes, yes, yes.
- 10 meat platter you had?
- Right, right.
- [Mark] I had the peach cobbler cake, it was great.
It was something I didn't expect, you know?
I kind of expect a cobbler, but it wasn't.
It was cake, and it was really cool.
Let's talk about ambience, we'll start with you, Brad.
You hadn't been there before, what'd you think?
- For a midday or afternoon spot, it was unsuspected walking in.
So the tables, and then order at the counter.
Little accoutrements right on the table and all.
- Yes.
- Very comfortable dining in there, and just enjoyed it very much.
- I think the main thing for me was the friendliness.
- Yes, definitely.
(Brad and August speaking indistinctly) - You know you're just, you're welcomed, and you feel welcome, and you're brought right in and walk through the menu, and you know, that's everything.
It's just people, I mean, everything else is just bricks and sticks, right?
- Yeah, that's why I said it feels like when I'm coming in there, I'm with my uncles.
- Okay.
- Or my family.
So that's why I always go in there, I love it.
- It's nice.
- Yeah.
- This is your place, so we do pro tips, you know, it's one word or one sentence about what viewers need to know from your perspective.
- Make sure you have an empty stomach and a to-go box.
- [Mark] Done.
- [August] There you go.
- I think my pro tip would be to follow Brad's lead and order one of the platters, because I think you can get a nice medley of foods, and potentially have things to take home and enjoy the next day.
- I would say you have to get the brisket, hands down.
If you're not, you may be missing out, but showstopper again.
- [Mark] Brisket?
- [Brad] Yeah.
- If you wanna try Sweet Magnolia Smokehouse, it's located off Chandler Boulevard, just east of 48th Street.
An average meal will cost $30, and they do not take reservations.
(upbeat music) Angela was born and raised in Arizona, so she's had her fair share of tacos.
But she's faithful to the ones served in a building with a long history.
This is Taco Guild.
(bright music) - Taco Guild, what you will find here, shockingly enough, is tacos (indistinct).
Beyond tacos, you'll find other classic Mexican dishes.
Enchiladas, chilarianos, torta asadas, And then we have also some outliers.
We have a Sonoran style pasta, which combines the best of Italy and Sonora, where we are right now.
The Taco Guild, we do have quite the cocktail (indistinct) I take a lot personal pride in that to my background.
It is in mixology, and we like to take on the challenge here at Taco Guild in subbing out tequilas or agave spirits into classic cocktails to give it our own spin.
We have over 300 agave spirits to choose from.
We have something for everyone.
The ambiance at Taco Guild is unique.
It can be great for a date night.
On Friday and Saturday nights, it's great for groups to come out with friends, try different tequilas, and listen to our live music.
For lunch, it's a great, cool place to sit down, have a conversation.
One question we get at Taco Guild all the time, so much so that we made a T-shirt out of it is, was this an actual church?
And the answer is yes.
It is the second oldest building in Phoenix.
It was built originally in 1893.
And if you do come in, there is a piece of stained glass above our giant TG, and that's actually originally from 1893.
And on top of that, the other cool part is, this church does have so much history to it, and a lot of times, we get people that were married in this church, people that used to work in this church.
You get a lot of fun stories with this church, and we always enjoy telling people about.
And like everything else with Taco Guild, it's all about community and it's got a story, and we really do love it that way.
I love coming in here because there's something about either five o'clock in the morning, or 11:00 PM at night when the stained glass is just kind of looking down from the moonlight or the sunlight.
Everything is just kinda calm.
I wouldn't trade it for the world.
(music ends) - Angela, Arizona has tons of great Mexican restaurants.
Why did you pick Taco Guild?
- My husband and I, we were going to a Sting concert, and so I wanted something close to the venue.
And so tacos sounded good at that moment, so I googled best tacos, top tacos in Phoenix.
Looked at some of the pictures, and the architecture inside, the stained glass windows, all these things online caught my eye.
- What's your go-to thing there?
What do you start with?
- Gosh, there's so many good things about this restaurant.
We'll usually start off with a cocktail.
I like the Harvest Moon.
It's very refreshing, it's a good summer drink.
It has gin, agave, lemon, St.
Germaine, which is elderflower.
Muddle cucumber is a very forward flavor in it.
It was delicious.
- What did you start with?
- Typically, we'll start with the fresh guacamole, 'cause my husband absolutely loves guacamole.
This time, we had guests with us.
We had my sister, and my brother-in-law, and my niece.
My sister ordered the queso, which was really good.
- [Mark] Tell me about it, 'cause queso is queso, but again, this queso is sort of special.
- [Angela] Yes, it was good.
It had a pepper jack cheese, like- - [Mark] It's almost like cream.
- [Angel] Yeah, it was very creamy.
- [Mark] It's a creamy base.
- [Angela] It was creamy.
They topped it with cojita.
I believe they gave you that option whether or not you wanted (indistinct) topping on it.
- [Mark] They gave you an option?
And I think that I had chorizo in it.
- [Angela] Oh yeah, you had, that sounds good.
- And I thought it was a soup, and I didn't share it.
(group laughing) - You're like, this is my soup.
That's a good idea, that's a good pro tip.
- Brad, what did you have?
- So we started with the empanadas, and they had a crunch that was really distinct.
Carnitas inside, and then the drizzle on top.
It really popped, it was just great.
And we love libations with our Mexican food, or libations anytime.
(Mark chuckling) So I got the Master Adobo Margarita, my wife got the 1893, which also had elderflower in it as well.
The presentations on everything that hits the table are just spot on.
So love food art, or a drink art even as well.
We had been there once before, so we wanted to go a little bit different than traditional.
So I actually got the Guild pasta, which was a pepper (indistinct) pasta, and it was very soft, and the chicken tango was great on top, and Alfredo as the sauce.
It was just- - Well it's a real chef driving it, so you know, he's playing around with it a little bit.
Yes, it's Taco Guild, but there are some interesting things.
August, do you have anything cool?
I think you'll have something really interesting.
- Oh yeah, so I started off with the shrimp ceviche, which is absolutely delicious.
I loved it, like I love ceviche, so having it there, that was like one of the best appetizers.
And then I had the bone marrow plate, okay?
So the bone marrow entree is different.
I was like this a little fancy, so I'm like, lemme go and be bougie real quick, right?
(Mark chuckling) But it comes with like the little, the hard bread that goes with it.
You have to scoop the bone marrow stuff out and put it on each one, it has a little salad.
It was really, really good.
But then Frank, with his little handsome self, (Mark laughing) comes over and says, "Hey, why don't you try the luge?"
I said, "What is that?"
So it's when you have the bone marrow, and they pour the shot down the bone marrow.
- [Mark] Yeah, so it's the long bone marrow with a groove.
You emptied the bone marrow, and now he's, yeah.
- It was nice.
- What's the shot?
- Did you do it?
- I didn't, because I was, (group laughing) I was with my children.
- Next time.
- Next time, next time!
- It was tequila.
- Tequila?
- But that bone marrow, it was different.
I might go back today.
- [Mark] (Indistinct), yeah.
- It was really good, but Frank, he sold that on me, he sold it.
- Okay.
So Angela, what'd you have for your entree?
- [Angela] The cherry chipotle skirt steak taco.
And then this time, I tried with it, the crispy cauliflower.
Both delicious.
- [Mark] How did they prepare it?
What was the cherry (indistinct) like?
- [Angela] It was good, it was very tender.
- [Mark] Okay.
- [Angela] It wasn't overly sweet, it was just a little sweet.
- [Mark] Well, cherries can be tart and sweet, so.
- [Angela] Mmhm, the cherry chipotle steak taco with some blue cheese, which is nice 'cause it's got that sort of- - [Mark] The salt and the bitterness cuts through it.
- [Angela] That flavor, that bold flavor.
- [Mark] Sure.
- [Angela] They put on the crispy cauliflower, they put pickled cactus.
Really added to the flavor of the taco.
- [Mark] When done right, it's good.
All right who had dessert?
All right, let's talk about it.
(group chattering) - [Angela] We got the churros and they were stuffed with caramel.
- [Brad] Yes.
- They were good, they were very fresh and soft.
Even with being really- - [Brad] Yeah, fresh friend.
- [Angela] You know, sometimes when you're full.
- Now you had 'em too, you were nodding your head.
- Yeah, we had the same- - They were delicious.
- And the Dolce de Leche ice cream kind of complimented very nicely.
But same thing, we were, we had fruit coma by the time (group laughing) we hit dessert, but we're like, we gotta, we just gotta!
- Yeah, yeah.
- So we Thelma and Louised over the cliff, and we had the dessert, and the rest is history, so.
(group laughing) - It was good, very fresh, they must cook each one to order, I would think, yeah.
- This place is magical.
It's in a church that was built in the 1800s.
Let's just talk about atmosphere a little bit, what'd you think?
- I love the atmosphere.
I think every time I go, I notice something new, and the stained glass is really lovely with the light coming through.
There's some of the chairs, I don't know if you noticed, but their benches are pews, which was really unique and interesting, and then the service is exceptional.
- I just echo, you know?
We went for date night, the ambiance.
The light fixture in the center is just so powerful as far as just the size, and the iron, and the soft lighting to it.
It was great.
Typically, we love sitting at a bar, and the bar again is just a majestic, masculine wood bar.
- [August] Yes.
- And it's kind of like, it's from the church perspective, you know, the altar per se, so that was great.
But we actually sat at a table, 'cause we wanted to get a different feel, and it was not our first time, it won't be our last time.
- [Mark] I agree.
- [Brad] So it was great, yeah.
- [August] Definitely.
- [Mark] I loved it.
- [August] We enjoyed it.
- So this time for pro tips, Angela, it's your place.
What is the one pro tip you're gonna share with our viewers?
- Parking is a little touch and go, being it down in Central Phoenix.
Be there a little early, 'cause you might have to do a little bit of come circling.
It's well worth it.
- Yeah.
- It's well worth the hunting for a parking spot, so.
- Yeah, August, what's your pro tip?
- Take your girlfriends with you.
It's a good "Sex in the City" night out.
Like it really is, it's really nice.
- And I would say from, as far as the food goes, we got the street corn Guild style off the cob.
Just the habanero crema to it, little tahin.
It was just unbelievable.
(group chattering indistinctly) - [Brad] Best sides I've ever had in a Mexican restaurant ever, so highly, highly recommend it.
- Well, cool.
If you wanna try Taco Guild, it's located on Fifth Street and Osborne in Phoenix.
An average meal will cost $30, and they do take reservations.
(upbeat music) Our last pick is Brad's.
He discovered it thanks to friends, and it quickly became his favorite place to grab breakfast.
This is Brunch, Kitchen and Cocktails.
(bright music) - Brunch, Kitchen and Cocktails is an elevated scratch breakfast and lunch restaurant.
We pride ourselves about elevating our menu with a variety of vegan and gluten-free options to accommodate people's health needs and preferences.
So when a guest comes in and asks, what do you recommend?
Breakfast enchiladas.
They are the start of the show.
They're the number one seller.
They're a life changing experience.
We have a dedicated prep cook that rolls them full time, so we never run out of them.
You get three hand rolled corn tortillas that contain chicken, mushrooms, and cheese with our signature Christmas red and green salsa, and they're topped with two over easy eggs.
Our donuts are truly a work of art.
We have a display on the counter every day when the guest walks in, so they cannot resist the donut of the day.
We change the flavor every day, and we choose our flavors based on staff and guest input, and some of our most amazing donuts include the s'mores donut, the blueberry lemon donut.
Our team is amazing because we empower them to take ownership as if this was their own business.
They take pride in every dish, every guest, every day, and they are truly instrumental in our success.
Whether it's your first time or your 10th time, we are so excited for you to be here.
We care about the first impression, the last impression.
We pride ourselves in delivering the best experience a guest can have here.
(bright music ends) - So Brad, this is your place.
It is way up there in Cave Creek.
- [Brad] Yes.
- Which is the magical land of the Upper Sonora Desert.
So how'd you find it?
- [Brad] I used to live in Tatum Ranch and Cave Creek, so I'm familiar with the area.
Friends told us about it, and my wife and I, we decided, hey, let's give it a try.
Sometimes in life, you know, you try something, and you say, all right, I've been there, done that, tried it, and then sometimes you try something, and it changes your life, right?
We never really had a go-to spot.
So once we went there after the first time, we were hooked, and it became our go-to spot for brunch.
- Well, speaking of change your life, Brad, I must say the word "donut".
- [Brad] Yes.
- So, please.
- [Brad] Yes.
The donut of the day, and the day I went, it was s'mores donut.
One thing that's really cool about it is that it comes out toasted marshmallow on top.
So you smell it first before you try it, and it just, it pops.
- What was your entree?
- I love Mexican brunch, and their menu hits on so many different types.
So my go-to is the breakfast enchiladas, which it comes in on a big plate with three different enchiladas, chicken inside, great sauce, and then your cotilla cheese and two over easy eggs is what I usually get.
And you open them up, and it just kind of oozes all onto the plate.
(Mark chuckling) And it is just, wow.
So we wash that down with, we love to get a bottle of Prosecco and make mimosas, and it really is just our favorite jam for weekend brunch.
- August, what'd you have?
- I ended up having the chicken and waffles.
- [Mark] Yeah, oh yeah, I did too.
- Something very simple and quick.
- [Mark] Okay, tell us.
- So, it was okay.
- [Mark] Different, right?
- [August] It was different.
- [Mark] Tell us how it was different.
- [August] I mean, I expected it to be a little crunchier, a little bit more seasoned.
It wasn't terrible, it wasn't terrible.
But would I order it again?
No.
But the waffle was really good, then it got mushy really quick.
And I said, well, I thought it was 'cause I put too much syrup on it, but it wasn't, I don't know what happened.
(Mark chuckling) - [Mark] I had it too.
- [August] Yeah.
- And I just wanna say that it was, I think it was an interpretation of chicken and waffles.
- [August] Okay.
- I don't think it was like traditional, 'cause mine was like battered in really interesting seasoning, and it was actually a sweet batter.
- [August] Okay.
- [Mark] You know, usually you have that savory and then you put sweet and waffle and da da.
It wasn't, but, and when I just removed it, it was something different.
I was like, oh, it's actually kind of good, it's just different - So, but it was not terrible, I did like it.
- Did you have anything to drink?
- [August] My friend Sarah, she had the espresso martini.
She was not in a brunch mood, but she's like, "Oh my god, this is one of the best espresso martinis I've ever had."
I was like, "Really?"
But yeah, (indistinct) really liked it.
- Angela, what'd you have?
- [Angela] Well, we started off with a creme brulee donut, it had a chocolate glaze on it.
Had a couple bites of it, but my husband really loved it.
(group laughing) So he's got this sweet tooth, so I was kind of like, you know, you go enjoy that.
He loved it, it was delicious.
I had the I Love Benedict.
So I got the pulled pork benedict, and it was on top of a little corn tamale cake.
- [Brad] Yes.
- [Angela] And- - [Brad] My wife's favorite too.
- [Angela It was good, it was good.
And then they had hollandaise on it.
And then to drink, I got the Mary and Bloody Mary that had pickled vodka, and I had never had pickled vodka before, and so that was very unique, and... - [Mark] So it's sort of like a dill pickle juice and vodka kind of thing, or?
- [Angela] I believe it was infused pickled vodka, and then there was some pickle juice in there as well.
And so that was good, and I was a little loopy.
(laughing) I don't usually drink it no morning.
(group laughing) I mean, if I do, it's like a holiday, and you're kind of just at home.
(Mark speaking indistinctly) But my husband was making fun of me, so.
(laughing) - What'd your husband have to eat?
- [Angela] He ordered the Mediterranean scramble, which had grilled chicken, and he said it was great.
I took a bite of it, was good.
Had fresh spinach and feta, and he had a nice side of fruit, like a fruit medley.
- On service, was your service good?
- Oh yeah, our waitress, she was really fast and efficient.
She came over, asked us what we were ready, but it was like, bam, bam, bam.
I was like, oh wow.
- Brad, atmosphere?
- We love it.
We define it as country rustic is what we feel, and we love sitting at the bar, Claudia's a bartender that usually helps us, and she's going a million miles a second.
But very personable, always attentive.
- [Angela] The atmosphere is cherry, bright, it's good for brunch or a breakfast type atmosphere.
When you walk in, they have an affirmation of the day placard, which I thought was nice, and that really shows the positive energy that they have there, it's very positive.
- Made me feel better walking in.
- Yeah.
(chuckling) - And I like the artwork.
- Yeah.
- Like we sat at a table with this- - Yeah, very cool artwork.
- This horse, there was this horse painting.
it was like a white horse, and it had all this hair.
I was like, oh, that's what I looked like last week.
(group laughing) But it was beautiful, it was just so.
But I really liked their artwork there, it was really nice.
- Oh, that's cool.
Brad, this is yours, what is the pro tip?
- It's a layup, it's the donut of the day.
Got it.
- [Mark] Done, boom.
- Definitely the donut of the day is good.
(Mark speaking indistinctly) - I would say fill your gas tank up.
(group laughing) And go around noon.
I had a great time.
- Got it.
(August laughing) If you wanna try Brunch, Kitchen and Cocktails, they're located in downtown Cave Creek.
An average meal will cost $25, and they do not accept reservations.
(bright music) I wanna thank August, Angela and Brad 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 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.
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Arizona" is supported by.
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