The Arizona Republic's 2008 Readers Choice Awards for Food and Dining
Posted At : May 17, 2008 9:59 AM | Posted By : Rob Brooks-Bilson
Related Categories: Wine, Dessert, Japanese, Italian, Breakfast, Arizona, Chinese, Glendale, Tempe, Mexican, Rant, Chandler, Thai, Press, Phoenix, Gilbert, Sushi, Mesa, Mediterranean, Steak, Ahwatukee, Pizza

Back in 2006, I wrote a post criticizing the Ahwatukee Foothills News for their Best of Ahwatukee list. The winners in almost all categories were well known chain restaurants, leading me to wonder whether it was the paper pandering to their advertisers, or the case that people in Ahwatukee just had no taste.

You'll understand then why I became completely infuriated when I came across the Arizona Republic's 2008 Reader's and Critic's Choice Awards for Best Dining & Food. While I can say that the critic's awards were all within the realm of possibility (although I find some of the categories odd), the Reader's Choice awards were completely appalling. By an amazing happenstance, Oreganos's Pizza Bistro (no link, their site requires an annoying ActiveX control, which is a possible security hazard) won 11 out of 31 categories. That's right. Not only did they win best pizza, but also best Italian, best sandwich, best dessert, best family owned, best for a first-date, best local treasure, best takeout, best patio dining, best worth the wait and best quick (non-fast) food. How the heck do you win both best quick and best worth the wait? I don't even know where to start with this. If Oregano's had simply won best pizza, I could have lived with that, although I would have personally disagreed. However, winning 11 out of 31 categories, some of them totally ridiculous completely smacks of ballot-stuffing. Come on AZ Republic, wake up! Learn how to run a poll. I've never lived in or visited another major city with such a crappy (and consistently crappy) reader's choice awards.

Just so you can see the full list for yourself, here it is, along with some snarky commentary from me:

  • Best Dessert: Oregano's Pizza Bistro - I know people like the pizza cookie, but come on. There are some seriously talented pastry chefs in the valley, and this is the best that people could come up with?
  • Best Breakfast: Crackers & Co. - never been there, so I can't argue with this one.
  • Best Indian Restaurant: Indian Maharaja Palace - Indian food in the valley is mediocre at best.
  • Best Pizza: Oregano's Pizza Bistro - If this is the will of the people, fine. However, there is much better to be found as you can see from the runner-up list.
  • Best Neighborhood Mexican: Carolina's Mexican Food - This makes sense.
  • Best Bakery: Wicked Witch Bakery - Works for me, although I find the bakery selection in the valley to be seriously lacking.
  • Best Family-owned Restaurant: Oregano's Pizza Bistro - it is a family owned restaurant.
  • Best Late-Night Eats: Fez - Couldn't agree more. Excellent food all the way through closing.
  • Best Place for a First Date: Oregano's Pizza Bistro - if someone took me here for a first date, it would also be the last date.
  • Best Salsa: Macayo's - WTF?!!?
  • Best Sushi: Ra See best salsa!
  • Best Restaurant 'Worth the Wait': Oregano's Pizza Bistro - with long waits both at lunch and on weekends, Oregano's is definitely popular. However, I can't say it's really worth the wait.
  • Best Wine Selection: D'Vine Bistro & Wine Bar - Been there and wasn't that impressed. If wine selection is really the criteria, then how could a place like Cowboy Ciao (even though I hate how their wine list is organized), or Kazimierz not win?
  • Best Barbecue: Famous Dave's Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que - very hot topic. My pick would be Joe's Real BBQ, but that's just me.
  • Best Local Treasure: Oregano's Pizza Bistro - Seriously now. Local treasure? Can you say huh?
  • Best Chinese: P. F. Chang's China Bistro - Good Chinese isn't great in the valley, but we do have better than P. F. Chang's, and I don't mean Pei Wei.
  • Best Place for Takeout: Oregano's Pizza Bistro - NO!
  • Best Non-Chain Hamburger: Zipps Sports Grill - Oh boy. It's a typical bar burger. It isn't bad, but it's by far not the best. Both Delux and Chuckbox should easily have been at the top of the list.
  • Best Ice Cream/Frozen Novelty: Maui Wowi - Wowi Maui. Good job.
  • Best Middle Eastern Restaurant: Haji-Baba - Very popular and supplies most of the rest of the middle eastern/Mediterranean restaurants in the area.
  • Best Italian Restaurant: Oregano's Pizza Bistro - It's a pizza place with a handful of other Italian dishes! There are many, many more Italian restaurants in the valley that are far superior.
  • Best Sandwich: Oregano's Pizza Bistro - This is such a broad category. In many other cities they would break this one out. Mention this wind to a dozen of your friends and see how many of them react with "are you kidding me?"
  • Best Restaurant to Splurge: Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar - it's definitely $$$, but for the money, I'd rather go to Kai.
  • Best Quick (Non-Fast) Food: Oregano's Pizza Bistro - This one defies logic. Considering the long waits that are a staple of Oregano's, I don't see how you can read this one with a straight face. Even when you do finally get a table, it's often a long wait for the food!
  • Best Steakhouse: Donovan's Steak & Chop House - I think you'll find a lot of people divided on this one.
  • Best Romantic Restaurant: The Melting Pot - Fondue can definitely be romantic, however, for overall atmosphere, there are better choices.
  • Best Pub with Grub: Zipps Sports Grill - For the love of all things! Four Peaks, Sonoran, and about ten other places come to mind before I would have ever thought to myself "hey Zipp's!"
  • Best Patio Dining: Oregano's Pizza Bistro - The AZ republic actually got this right in their commentary on the win when they wrote "Located all over the Valley, with patios overlooking parking lots, streets and walls, it's hard to say what, exactly, it was about the outdoor dining spaces at the various Oregano's that azcentral.com voters found so alluring."
  • Best Health Food Store: Trader Joe's - I love Trader Joe's, and so does everyone else.
  • Best Sunday Brunch: T. Cook's - There is talent there, although the execution can be spotty.
  • Best Thai Restaurant: Pink Pepper Thai Cuisine - NO WAY IN HELL. Swaddee, Maylee's, Yuppha, and many more should be at the top of this list.

It's hard to get people to take Arizona seriously as a foodie destination when this is the best we can come up with.

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How to Cook the Perfect Steak
Posted At : February 18, 2008 2:12 PM | Posted By : Rob Brooks-Bilson
Related Categories: Recipes, Technique, Steak

I think I have finally found the perfect cooking method for steak. I've tried just about everything over the years - grilling, pan frying, broiling, baking, searing in a pan then finishing in the oven, etc. While some methods have on occasion produced a decent steak, none have done it consistently in a way that could even begin to compete with your average steakhouse. That is, until now.

Several months ago, Cooks Illustrated published a technique for cooking steak that turned convention on its head. Instead of following the advice to first sear the steak, then finish it (either on the grill or in the oven), Cooks Illustrated recommended raising the internal temperature of the steak to about 90 degrees in the oven, then finishing it off by searing it on all sides. The reasoning is that by first bringing the internal temp up to 90 degrees, the final sear is able to give you a nice caramelized crust without the usual band of overcooked gray meat that sits just below the surface and the undercooked, often raw center that follows. I've tried this technique twice now - once on a prime NY strip and a second time on a Kobe NY strip steak, and both times the steak has come out absolutely perfect - seared on the outside with a nice caramelized crust, and completely medium-rare on the inside - all the way through. The steaks have been buttery soft and extremely flavorful and juicy. I'll probably never cook steak another way again.

Want to try it at home? Here's all you need to do:

Preheat your oven to 275 degrees (use center rack). Meanwhile, remove your steaks from refrigerator, pat dry, and rub gently with salt and pepper on both sides (be careful not to use too much salt). After the steaks have rested for about 15 minutes, place them on a wire cooling rack inside of a standard cookie sheet. This will allow hot air from the oven to evenly circulate around the steaks. Place the steaks in the oven and allow to warm until their internal temperature reaches about 90 degrees. This should take 20-25 minutes for a 1 1/2 - 2 inch NY strip steak.

When the steak is almost at 90 degrees, heat about 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat, until it begins to smoke. When the steak has reached the correct internal temperature, remove from the oven and sear in the pan approximately 2 minutes per side. Once the two sides have been seared, be sure to sear the edges of each steak by holding the edges against the pan using tongs. Each edge should only take 30-45 seconds. Be warned, the searing will probably generate a good amount of smoke. You want a good steak, this is the price you have to pay. Open some windows and turn on your exhaust hood!

As soon as the steaks are done searing, remove them from the pan and place them back on the wire cooling rack. Tent with foil, and allow about 10 minutes before serving.

I'll put steaks cooked using this method up against any steakhouse steak I've had.

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