Yesterday two Phoenician Roodfooders had the chance to take a short trip from our respective home bases and get together for a little eat and greet.
Foodbme and Desertdog decided to meet up at a restaurant we both had frequented separately in the past; the
Carlsbad Tavern in Scottsdale.
The
Carlsbad Tavern specializes in, as the name suggests,
New Mexican food and Beer. We met at the entrance and were immediately seated. The building itself takes on the theme of a Cavern, complete with rock walls, bats (OK, fake ones) and a waterfall. During the cooler months, it is nice to sit out on the patio overlooking the pond.
After a bit of a wait our server came by to take our drink order. I was tempted to order a beer, but I still had plenty of work to accomplish that afternoon, so I opted for Iced Tea and
Foodbme ordered a Diet coke.
Our initial motivation to meet at this restaurant was to try the
Habanero Burger, a house specialty, which in the past, neither one of us had given a try. We also decided to split the burger, just in case it was so flaming hot that we couldn’t finish it, (I know…wimps!) and we also had dinner dates that evening.
Here is how the burger is described in the menu:
Habañero Cheeseburger Warning Hot!! This burger may cause temporary blindness or loss of hearing. Lots of freshly ground habañero chile mixed with lean ground beef, grilled and topped with melted jalapeño cheese. Served with fries & salad and a free glass of milk.
So, when the server came back with our drinks, we ordered the burger to split, and each of us ordered a cup of soup…
Foodbme got the
Posole; I opted for the
Green Chile Stew.
While waiting for our food, we exchanged stories of our past, where we grew up, worked, family, etc, as well as some of our favorite places in the Phoenix area to eat.
We also discussed the lack of local Roadfooders in the Phoenix area. We have posted a “call to arms” several times on this forum, with very little response. I guess it is up to the two of us to carry the torch for a city with endless roadfood possibilities.
Our soups arrived, both looking very tasty.
The Posole, which is Roasted pork and hominy in a cilantro lime broth. 
And the Green Chile Stew - Roasted pork, green chiles, potatoes, carrots and roasted corn. 
We both agreed that our orders were excellent. I can say I really enjoyed the Green Chile Stew, it had just the right zing to it, helping me prepare for the heat of the Habanero Burger coming our way next.
The Burger did arrive a short time later, looking very unassuming, not giving away the fact that 100,000 scovil units were lurking inside. I think both of us expected a different presentation, maybe even some type of sauce or something.
Nevertheless, we sliced it down the middle, split up the very good seasoned fries and freshly tossed salad, (although let it be noted that
Foodbme took much less than his half of the side items) and gave it a try.
Foodbme did notice that the included glass of milk was not readily at hand and was looking for the location of the nearest fire extinguisher, just in case….. The server did run off to get each of us a glass of milk, but not before giving us a “what a couple of sissies” look.
Although I did end up drinking more Iced Tea than I normally do at a meal, I have certainly had spicier food than the Habanaro Burger, and Foodbme agreed. Did I drink the milk? I had a couple swallows as did my dining companion, but maybe more from the fact that we made the server run off to get it in the first place than anything.
Overall, we agreed that the burger was good; I felt that the bun was a bit too big, but that is a common gripe of mine. I think the burger could have had a bit more heat to it; maybe they have toned it down over the years because it was too hot. I imagine one could request it spicier and they would comply.
My top lunch items at the
Carlsbad Tavern still remain:
Green Chile CheeseburgerServed open face on toasted sourdough, topped with green chile sauce and cheddar cheese. (Pic of the Green Chili Cheeseburger that I posted earlier on a thread of the same name)
Roswell Reuben Thinly sliced pastrami with spicy marinated red cabbage, spicy thousand island dressing and jalapeño jack cheese, on grilled rye.
I have yet to visit the place for dinner, although glancing through the menu there are several items that look very encouraging. Here is the link to the restaurant if you are interested, and next time you are in Phoenix I urge you to stop in for a meal.
www.carlsbadtavern.com Thanks again to
Foodbme for meeting me for lunch, it was a pleasure to get to know you. I look forward to trying out other Phoenix cuisine with you in the future!
DD
