This Ain’t Your Mama’s Macayo’s

I wonder what Mexican food was like in 1946. Not so much the food in Mexico, but in the few little mom-and-pop spots in the US, where it was still a novelty. It must have seemed so exotic back then, in the year that the first Macayo’s Mexican Grill & Cantina opened in Phoenix.

While most of Macayo’s restaurants continue to serve their traditional brand of Arizona-style Mexican food, the Scottsdale location is mixing things up with chef-inspired menu items and a renovated restaurant (including a dog-friendly patio!). Their grand re-opening was this week, and they raised over $2000 for charity.

My friend Kelli and I got to be part of a preview event for their new menu one fine Taco Tuesday.

How Macayo’s Scottsdale spiced up their menu…

Comida

Jicama Shrimp Tacos – Instead of dicing up the crunchy vegetable and putting it inside the taco, the jicama is actually thinly sliced to create the taco shell. I have to admit, the first few bites were a little weird. But, once my taste buds got over the initial shock of the slightly sweet, juicy outer layer where there’s usually a blander, drier corn or flour tortilla, I enjoyed it. It complements the fresh fruit salsa and fried shrimp inside really well, and I’d order these again.
Fried Avocado – How do you even fry an avocado without it all falling apart? I don’t know. I just know it puts a nice crispy outside around that lovely avocado mushiness. Macayo’s adds queso fresco, salsa, and chipotle crema, all layered on top of individual tortilla chips.
Homemade Churros – By the time there was a break in the conversation where I could say, “Kelli, you have to eat a churro!” they had cooled off and she was less impressed than I was. My advice: Order the churros, then pounce when they arrive. Dip one in the accompanying Mexican Chocolate the moment they’re under mouth-burning temperature. They’re good a few minutes later, but, when they’re still warm, they’re transcendent.

Also delicious: Bosio’s Shrimp, Queso Fundido, Rolled Tacos.

Bebidas

Specialty Margaritas – I was intrigued by the Watermelon Jalapeño but chickened out, thinking it might be crazy spicy. One of our tablemates gave it a try and said it had just the right amount of kick to it. I ordered the (very pink) Prickly Pear, which turned out to be more regular pear than cactus fruit. It was good, just not really out of the ordinary. They all are served in tapered glasses (which my brother/barware expert Ian and I determined were some kind of hybrid that should be called “margatini glasses”) rather than the typical bowl-like stemware.
Macayo Mule – Kelli ordered Macayo’s answer to a Moscow Mule, made with tequila instead of vodka. It still comes in a copper cup, particularly appropriate here in the Copper State.
Happy Hour – Specials go from 3:30-6:30pm on weekdays. On the weekends, it’s happy hour all day long, amigos!

The new menu (which also includes some old favorites) is available now at the Scottsdale Shea Macayo’s.

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Thank you to Macayo’s Mexican Grill & Cantina for allowing us to be part of their media preview night and to RSVP & Associates for the invitation.

June 18, 2015June 29, 2022

Summer of the Waffle

I don’t remember how we got on the subject, but somehow I ended up speculating on what would be the next food trend to follow fancified cupcakes and ostentatious donuts.

“Maybe waffles. Do you think waffles could be gourmet? Like will there be food trucks selling artisan waffles?”

Yes and yes, as it turns out.

There are now waffle trucks. And, here in Phoenix, there’s a waffle trailer that serves traditional Belgian liege waffles with the recipe, technique, and even sugar imported from Belgium.

The trailer is the latest venture of Chocolade van Brugge, the chocolate shop I was introduced to during the Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale. So there are all kinds of tempting topping options, including, of course, really good chocolate.

They’ve declared this The Summer of the Waffle and threw a party to kick it off, parking the trailer in Scottsdale’s Eldorado Park on a lovely May evening. Peixoto Coffee Roasters was there with big jars of iced coffee and cascara (coffee cherry tea) and their pour-over coffee setup. Hoot and Holler had organized the event and set the tables with beautiful flower arrangements.

We tried a mini waffle topped with Nutella, strawberries, and whipped cream. Yep, that’s as awesome as it sounds. Our other mini waffle came with delicious dark chocolate, caramel, and more sea salt than I personally would’ve prefered – but I’m sure they’d lighten that up on request. I’d definitely order it again.

Peixoto did a decaf pour over for me, since it was late in the day. Ridiculously good. Did not taste like decaf. Phillip got an iced coffee, which he enjoyed (even though it kept him up). I like their iced coffee too. It’s my pre-CraftHack beverage of choice.

We got to meet and chat with the owners of both shops. Both are passionate about their craft and their ingredients. Both have come from other continents, bringing along their heritage and sharing a part of it with the Phoenix community.

Besides the waffle truck that’s a trailer, you can find Chocolade van Brugge waffles at their main location in Old Town Scottsdale, and they frequently do pop up shops in Downtown Chandler at Peixoto.

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Thank you to Peixoto, Chocolade Van Brugge, and Hoot and Holler for allowing us to be your guests at this event!

December 30, 2014May 23, 2023

Scottsdale Walking Tour Has Chocolate Lovers Covered

I have two words for you, friends: chocolate. tour.

Yep. That is now a thing that is happening here in the Phoenix area. So I did you a huge favor and checked that out for you.

I know. Sacrifices.

Stephanie Haworth also sacrificed and came along, tasting chocolate and taking the photos for this post (except the one of her below).

The Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale winds through Old Town to Fashion Square. You taste chocolate in various forms – hot, cold, cake pops, candies, cupcakes – from 8 different merchants. Some share a little about what they do and what sets them apart, and they all offer discounts to tour-goers.

The tours are lead by owner/operator Ofelia Montelongo, whose passion for chocolate lead her to start the company just this fall, and it’s off to a great start! In fact, she’s already quit her day job to devote more time to her business.

She meets tour-goers at the outdoor patio of Gloria’s Cafe with bottled water, maps, and bags for your extra chocolate. (Really. “Extra chocolate” does exist. I have a pretty serious sweet tooth, and I still couldn’t keep up with all the cocoa confections). She sets a friendly tone, keeping everyone oriented, and sharing points of interest along the way.

One prestigious Phoenix chocolatier, Julia Baker, has her own Cooking Channel show. Since her shop isn’t in walking distance, Ofelia brings Julia Baker chocolates to the tour. So you’re sampling even before the first step.

Then you head to the Paula Jacqueline bakery, which stays open late to greet the tour and hand out delicious fudgy cake pops.

Next, from behind a counter stocked with chocolate in all kinds of inventive shapes (squirrels, anyone? what about mushrooms? corn?) and flavors, a man in a Chocolade Van Brugge apron explained how their chocolate is imported from Belgium. He also claimed we were about to taste “the best hot chocolate [we’d] ever had.”

I was skeptical about that. But he may have been right.

The hot is followed by cold with a stop at Petersen’s Old-Fashioned Ice Cream, where you can sample your choice(s) of their wide variety of favors.

We continued through the 5th Ave Art Festival, which happened to be that weekend, pausing at the Bronze Horse Fountain for a group photo.

Our next stop was Classic Cakes and Confections, a bakery with such elaborate creations that some require signs explaining “this is a cake,” because otherwise you’d never guess. In addition to cakes, they had lots of amazing-looking desserts, teas in tins, and quirky coffee and tea accessories.

In Fashion Square, we stopped at Godiva for truffles and at the locally-owned Caketini for cannoli.

Across the street at Sprinkles, we snacked on mini cupcakes.

It was also the opening week of their cupcake ATM – one of only 8 in the world. It’s located outside, so, if you get a sudden after-hours craving, you just select the flavor you want and swipe your card. The machine gently delivers a boxed cupcake to a compartment with a small door that dramatically raises up to reveal your treat.

Our final stop of the day was actually an alternate, but it was one of my faves. If a merchant isn’t able to accommodate the tour on a certain day (due to an event, etc.), Ofelia has a whole list of pre-vetted backups.

The Chocolate Tour was a lot of fun, and I’d definitely recommend it to both local and visiting chocolate lovers.

– More info –

Chocolate tours run fall to spring. Ofelia will be offering other indoor events over the summer.
Book in advance, especially for weekend tours. As of now, Valentine’s Day is already full, but there are openings the day before.
Get $10 off with promo code CHOCOLATE!
Dress for the weather and wear comfy shoes.
You will probably end up with more chocolate than you can eat. You’ll have a goodie bag – don’t be afraid to use it! Take some chocolate home to enjoy later on.

Thank you to Chocolate Tours of Scottsdale for providing press passes!

November 26, 2014January 4, 2018

Carving pumpkin into pie

As a kid, I didn’t understand where pumpkin pie came from. My best guess was that it was somehow made from the goopy insides we scooped out while getting ready to carve jack-o’-lanterns. I thought of the outside as kind of a hard shell and was surprised to learn that (minus the peel) is actually the edible part. It seemed like magic, and I knew I had to try it one day.

Fast forward to November a couple years ago when I finally gave it a try.

I started with the wrong kind of pumpkin. At least that’s what people kept telling me. This giant orange carving pumpkin came with our CSA box. Even though I knew it wasn’t a pie pumpkin, that’s what I had, and I wanted to make it work. A little internet research made me think it could be done, so I gave it a shot.

I scooped seeds, cut the squash into pieces, and baked it. Phillip helped me remove the peel.

One of the downsides of a carving/non-pie pumpkin is they tend to be more watery. The fix is letting the baked pumpkin set for awhile and then pouring off the excess water. Easy enough. I did this a couple times, then immersion blended it into a puree.

The taste seemed a little bland (another one of the potential side effects of carving pumpkins) until I added my homemade spice blend. All of the sudden it tasted like pumpkin pie.

I had decided not to do the crust from scratch – another project for another time. I made 3 pies and later pumpkin bread. I froze the extra pumpkin puree in large freezer bags.

The pies got rave reviews.

The process took way longer than I expected. Still, I enjoyed the magic of transforming a pumpkin into a pie. And watching the naysayers eat their words.

June 11, 2014

Nutella brownie bites

To celebrate Travelcraft Journal’s 1st year and to thank a very supportive group of smart, crafty people, I brought Nutella brownie bites to Craft Hack on Monday.

They were super simple to make. The truth is, with all the Phoenix Comicon craziness over the weekend, I had almost forgotten I was even going to make something. Thank goodness I had pinned this little gem at some point last year.

The recipe calls for just 3 ingredients (4 if you add sprinkles or hazelnuts on top): eggs, flour, Nutella. What I had on hand was actually non-Nutella-brand hazelnut spread that we had decided to try awhile back. Its thinner consistency wasn’t great on toast but turned out to be fabulous for mixing into brownie batter.

I had about half a cup of spread left in my jar, so I halved the recipe. I poured the batter into a mini muffin pan, added sprinkles, reduced the temperature a little and checked them after 15 minutes. The result was 18 delicious little brownie bites.

Most of which made it to Craft Hack. ;)