Chevy's Fresh Mex

Last night I was craving something spicy and flavorful. Chevy's was an obvious choice! We have missed their fresh ingredients and roasted salsa, and we were all excited to be going there after our year in Massachusetts.

The atmosphere in Chevy's is very festive and casual. Patio lights criss cross through the restaurant and the whole place has a very festive and authentic vibe.

The tortillas are made fresh daily, with the flour tortillas being made right in the dining room.

I love the fresh and flavorful options they have on their menu. Anything involving asparagus or artichokes promises to be good, and they have several vegetarian options that involve these delightful vegetables. (Not that I'm a vegitarian, but some vegis are worth it.)

My mouth watered as I browsed through all the delightfully tasty options, and snacked on the fresh roasted vegetable salsa. Finally, my eyes came across that magic word... "Artichoke" I was very pleased to see that it was also used in the same description as the words "Mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, jack cheese, roasted pablano peppers and spicy habenero pesto sauce"

Chevy's KNOWS how to combine ingredients!

The combination of these ingredients was MAGIC! An indescribable combination of flavors that no one should miss!

I drooled over the desert menu that sat displayed on our table, but since I had forced all those light and crispy chips down before my meal, I felt certain I could pass on desert. My guests did not fill up on chips, clearly, so the Flan was ordered.

Now, I will be honest, I have never had flan. It always appealed to me, but I felt certain I didn't "need" it. After having this Flan, however, I am addicted!

I apologize for not having a better picture, I didn't expect that much flavor in such a simple little desert. As I proceeded to overfill my poor stomach, I decided that everyone should taste the Flan at Chevy's. Order your doggy bag with your meal and save half for later. Save room for desert!

How the Best got even Better!

Well, if you've been following the sisters, you may have noticed a slight decrease in our activity. Not to make excuses, but have you been in Phoenix during the summer? The human brain has a melting point, and it's been touch and go for a while.

As some of you may know, I recently moved back to the Phoenix area from beautiful Massachusetts and have been searching for a home. My quest for a peice of MA in this lovely town has been exhausting. Apparently nobody has thought to build that yet. What's up with that?

I have had very little time to blog lately, but that is about to change. The house search is taking a break, time to focus on the food! :)

Everyone knows that a few of the wandering sisters are regulars at the Pita Jungle. For non Mexican food, that's as good as it gets!

Pita Jungle has been mentioned on the wandering sisters site before and for good reason! It's worth mentioning every time one of us goes there, but we try to keep limits, so that we don't bore you.

However, during my last visit, I recieved a surprise that may have increased my families visits, and I think it should increase yours as well.

For the first time, Pita Jungle now offers a kids menu!

I know... you may be thinking... "yeah, so?" But wait... these are not just your typical kids meals. You will not find a simple assortment of fried options on this menu. Your child, for $4.95, recieves a protein, a vegitable, fruit, a grain and a beverage. Yeah... I don't think my kids eat this healthy at my house!

Now, if you're not eating from the kids menu, I would also like to stress that Pita Jungles Garlic dip makes all your house hunting worries go away... or whatever worries you may have. If you order it with the chicken, it's practically a meal by itself. A heavenly delicious meal... makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

Of course you know, my meal doesn't just stop there, I can not justify going to Pita Jungle without having a little of their greek salad. It's like an addiction... only it's healthy.

Now, if you haven't gone to Pita Jungle yet... for SHAME! Run to your nearest location immediately! You won't go wrong with any item on the menu, and now your kids can eat healthy as well, for a good price.

Skipping Ahead, to PF Changs we go!

Enough stalling already! Somewhere in Florida, possibly in Walt Disney World, my brain went into overload and all blogging was lost. But I'm in recovery and it's time to get back to work. I've tried to organized my folder filled with pictures of delicious plates of food, but in the mean time, many many meals have passed us by, unreviewed! I know, it's just not right!

So on we go, skipping past the Organic taco shop in Miami, the Voodoo BBQ in New Orleans and hesitantly passing by the unforgettable Chuy's in Houston (not the same as west coast Chuy's).

The dish that will renew my blogging is at PF Changs, specifically the one located in the heart of Tempe, AZ. For those of you who are not aware, PF Changs is the more sophisticated version of Pei Wei, a favorite in our family. With reasonable prices, great atmosphere and nutritious, low calorie food... both of these restaurants rank very high on my list.

This visit in particular was more than about the food though. We were celebrating the reunion of some very special people in our lives. PF Changs provided the perfect atmosphere for this occasion. The restaurant itself is beautiful inside and with tall windows facing Mill Ave it provides a great appeal for any size party.

Our meal started with several well placed plates of the chicken lettuce wraps. I say "well placed" mostly because I was sitting next to 3 people who think anything wrapped in lettuce is too healthy for their taste... so more for me! Deliciously sweet and tangy minced chicken is layered on top of light, crisp rice noodles and then served with a separate plate of crisp, chilled iceberg lettuce. The combination is light, but full of flavor. This dish is one of my favorites at Pei Wei, and it was even better at PF Changs due to the delicious sauce that they served and mixed to your liking at the table.

For our meal, we decided to do Family Style. That means someone is elected to order all the right dishes (or hung if he fails) and the plates are passed around for everyone to share. For those of you who know me, know that I am all about tasting many things at one sitting. How great is that? That being said, I took one bite of the Candied Walnut Shrimp and my brain refused to accept anything else. I tasted several other dishes, but I can not for the life of me remember what they were.

These delightful little shrimps were very lightly fried and covered in a creamy, sweet and tangy sauce with candied walnuts and garnished with balls of honeydew melons. This combination created the perfect meal for a summer evening in Phoenix. The shrimp was warm, but the melon was cool and refreshing. With a measly 412 calories per serving, this was definitely a dish worth going for.

PF Changs is a semi formal environment with reasonable prices. Meals range from $8-$24, with every meal being made with the freshest and healthiest ingredients. Whether you're having a night out with your significant other, or your having a reunion of 12 of your closest friends and family, PF Changs is the perfect place to go.

If you visit the location in Tempe, AZ, don't fret about the parking, they will also validate your parking ticket.