The best that Andi Berlin ate in the Phoenix Metro in the week of August 7th

This week, I continued my search for Arizona’s best homemade noodles, digging my chopsticks into an excellent bowl of belt-like biangbiang in Mesas Shaanxi Garden, watching an artist pluck the strings of a traditional Chinese harp between sips.

Other nights we spent exploring high end drinking holes and the fabulous foods they serve. A classic phoenix hangout served one of the largest plates of carne asada fries I’ve ever seen. (Not to mention a deliciously tangy jalapeño margarita.)

In the new location of a popular Prescott Meadery, I paired seared scallops with mead which was great, but my favorite dish was a sweet surprise ending.

What all the dishes on this list had in common was that they were too good not to share. Here are the best things I ate this week.

Carne Asada fries at Dick’s Hideaway

The Carne Asada fries at Dick's Hideaway are three times the size of your normal starter.

The portions at this hidden Phoenix bar are almost too big for anything smaller than the restaurant’s giant, signature tin trays the chorizo-filled pork chop and the seafood linguine tower.

I usually stay away from loaded fries of any kind, but in this case I have no regrets. At the 29-year-old Phoenix hangout, the Papas stay perfectly crispy despite being covered in a volcano of melted beer cheese and heavily charred carne asada. Splitting the entrees is $ 10. So if you’re not that hungry, stick to an order of fries and a jalapeño margarita.

details: 6008 N. 16th St., Phoenix, 602-241-1881, richardsonsnm.com/dicks-hideaway-1.

Biangbiang noodles in Shaanxi Garden

The Biangbiang noodles in Shaanxi Garden in Mesa are coated in chili oil with braised pork and pak choi.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever sipped chili-laced noodles to the sound of a living Chinese harp. After my last trip to Mesa, I can say with confidence that this is an experience to have in your life. The Biangbiang noodles, $ 11.89, were the big ones? The finale of a delicious day eating my way around Asian Corridor on Dobson Road. Thick as a belt and lit with burning oil, this interpretation of the Xi’an classic is one of the better that I had somewhere in Arizona. Unlike simpler versions that are simply topped with spring onions, Shaanxi’s comes with a dollop of sizzling chili oil, cubes of braised pork, bean sprouts, and pak choi. It’s the ultimate dinner and show.

details: 67 N. Dobson Road, Suite 109, Mesa, 480-733-8888, shaanxibiangbiang.com.

Honey brlée with mead and berry compote at Superstition Meadery

The caramelized honey brlée at Superstition Meadery in Phoenix consists of a crust of berry compote enriched with its own honey mead.

What goes with honey wine? At Superstition Meadery, the answer is “all of the above”. When I entered the historic building that houses the second location of this Prescott Meadery, I was delighted with the varied menu that came out of the open kitchen. But I also enjoyed the dessert after a dinner with soy-ginger scallops and bison crostini with chimichurri sauce the most. Honey Cream Brlée, $ 10, Was Served? with a sweet berry crust enriched with the mead of the Meadery. They recommend pairing it with a coffee-flavored mead, but to avoid overloading it with sweetness, I suggest sticking with itWater.

details: 1110 E. Washington St., Phoenix, 602-368-3257, superstitionmeadery.com.

Reach reporter Andi Berlin at [email protected] or 602-444-8533. Follow her on Facebook @andiberlin, Instagram @andiberlin or Twitter @andiberlin.

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