Good Eats

I’ve blogged before about my obsession with healthy foods, so the places I eat at most often are places that have healthy things. Okay, call me strange, but there’s nothing I like more than going to a restaurant and ordering an amazing salad – mainly because there’s so much work/cleaning up that goes into making one at home. My favorite salad place is Chopped – not only can you get basically any ingredient under the sun put in your salad, but also it’s a super-fast order at the counter kind of place, which is great for bringing little kids with you, which I always do. I also love Sauce, which has amazing flatbread pizzas, wine, and great salads, and a nice outside seating area that’s perfect for Arizona winters.

But I don’t always eat healthy when I go out, of course! On the rare occasions I get to go out alone with my husband, I like going to The Melting Pot. I love the fondue, and especially the dessert fondue. Plus I love the dark, romantic atmosphere for an evening without kids. (Although, no matter what my husband and I do, somehow whenever we get a night out to ourselves there always ends up being a screaming child at the table behind us.)

I also love Mexican & southwestern food, and Blanco has a good combination plus the best fresh squeezed margaritas I’ve ever had. (The pomegranate grapefruit is amazing!).

And my favorite reminds-me-of-my-roots restaurant is Frankie’s Philadelphia Cheesesteaks. Everyone who grows up in Philadelphia knows that you can’t get a real cheesesteak anywhere outside of Philly. But I think Frankie’s is the exception. In fact, I had a cheesesteak the last time I went back to Philly to visit my parents, and decided that Frankie’s is actually better.

I love eating out, but these days, I’m much more a fan of take-out and cooking at home than I used to be in my pre-kid days. Half the time when we decide to go out now, my husband and I try to think of the quickest and/or loudest option. Because, yeah not having to clean up or cook is great, but trying to keep a toddler from jumping out of his high chair/letting out high-pitched screams/throwing crayons makes restaurants seem not quite as fun as they used to.