Heavenly Bakeshop

Hopefully, third time's the charm. Heavenly is now the third Filipino bakery to open in this same spot in the Lee Lee's shopping center.




First impression, clean, lots of product on shelves to choose from, friendly customer service.
I was only able to quickly eye their goodies, before my little one started trying to rearrange their product display, dropping a package of "Palitaw" on the floor. It didn't pop open, but I bought it anyway, since the fall made it's contents all jumbled up. Good thing I have fond memories of this treat from New Years in my Mamalo's house back home. I also ordered one of their Cheese pastries. Curious if it tasted like or better than the previous owners flaky cheese pastry.
I paid with my debit (couldn't do that with the previous bakery) so that's a plus. While paying, I noticed off the back left of the store behind the register, was a refrigerator stacked with ready made take home dishes, like menudo, If i recall correctly. So, next time I'll definitely take one home, but, I didn't this time, because I still had to do my grocery shopping at LeeLee's.

Once home, I tried the Palitaw. It was soft and pleasantly chewy with a non-sweet powdery coating. I think I recall coconut flakes on the ones my dad made for me back home. I'm not sure what the powdery coating is, it's got a subtle flavor of perhaps toasted crushed rice. But, It might not be something everyone would like. If I were to compare it to something, it reminds me of mochi. which i love. I put these in the fridge and they didn't get hard.
I didn't treat the cheese pastry with care as I shopped around that day. When I got home to open the bag, it's top layer was almost all flaked off. So, I'll be ordering this again & eating straight from the case next time. Overall it was light and flaky and not greasy. The cheese filling was also nice, not too sweet. My toddler loved this treat and that it wasn't overly sweet was good for her too. I'd love it if they make another variation with some kind of fruit to contrast the cheese.

I'd like to go back without my little one, so that I can fully experience all that this 1 month new bakery has to offer & take better photos. I'm giving them a middle of the board solid rating of 3 stars, A-OK. I am expecting that on my next visit, Heavenly will be getting more stars.

Paletas Betty - A Cool Spot in Chandler

I have now experienced Paletas Betty three times and each time has been a refreshing pleasure! The first time I tasted Paletas Betty was when my friend Iris treated me for my birthday in the begining of this year. We picked out several flavors and then brought them home to share with the family. We cut up the paletas in cubes, so that we could all sample every flavor! I can't recall all the flavors we tried that evening. I remember loving them all. But, being the spice loving kinda gal that I am, I had to try the mango con chile. It was a zippy treat, that was at the same time sweet/tangy and cold/hot. I'm not going to share next time.

The second visit, I attempted to treat my friend to her first Paletas Betty. But, I didn't recall that they only take cash or check. I wasn't able to get cash from the nearby Irish pubs ATM. (That's another story, that ended in tears, to say the least.) But, Betty being so thoughtful and wanting me to have a happy experience that day, bought a Paleta of my choice to cheer me up. That's not something she does on the regular, I'm sure. But, it certainly locked me into loyal fan status, as if the freshly hand crafted frozen pops aren't enough. The Mexican hot chocolate was delicious, by the way. My friend Ninette was pleasantly surprised by her Arroz con leche...nice & creamy & just the right amount of sweetness.

On our third visit this Sunday, we multiplied into a group of 7 adults and 2 energetic toddlers. Our group tried had Mexican Chocolate, Arroz con Leche, Sandia (Watermelon/mint), Puro Mango, Nuez (creamy roasted pecans), Fresa con Crema (Strawberries/Cream) and Platano (bananas foster/caramel/rum). There was not a popsicle stick left unlicked in our bunch.

Our two rambunctious toddlers amused themselves for a long time with the stickers that come with each pop, as the adults chilled on the mod indoor seating, sipping on complimentary water infused with orange slices and mint. For fun, you can also bring your Paletas Betty sticker with you on your travels and photograph it in interesting places. Email it to them, and if chosen, you can win a free paleta! Lastly, let me just say, these are not ordinary popsicles. You can tell that these are hand crafted with lots of attention and love, with only the best ingredients. They have some heft to them and will be a perfect after meal treat on a warm-scorching hot AZ day.

I'll be keeping my eye out for their "carrito" rolling around the Downtown Chandler Farmer's market every Thursday. You can also hire Paletas Betty for your event and they can even create custom flavors for your event. I only wish they were around back in '05 for our wedding!

*Please note: Paletas Betty currently accepts cash and check only.

p.s. Betty shared her recipe for her mango chile paleta < here >

My First Pair of Adidas

What: Hey Joe! Filipino Street Food
Where: Tempe Outrigger Regatta AZ Ohana, Tempe Town Lake
When: Apr 9, 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Description: Look for Garlic Fried Rice and Over Easy Eggs in the Morning


Obviously, these are not the kind of Adidas to lace up for your next race.


Believe me, it wasn't my first choice on Hey Joe's menu. We came out for the #5 "The Hey Joe" consisting of one Pork BBQ, one Chicken BBQ & two pork Lumpia ($8) and to watch the 6th Annual Tempe Outrigger Regatta AZ Ohana races.



Unfortunately, the combination of an unusually cold day & a row of tents full of hungry outrigger athletes meant that the truck was SOLD OUT of FOOD even before my family arrived at noon! Too bad we didn't follow them on twitter, because Brian apparently tweeted about how they ran out of food earlier. If you're a die hard Hey Joe! fan, you better follow their tweets!


Disappointed but still determined to eat something, anything from Hey Joe's truck - I insanely asked if they were out of Chicken Feet. To my dismay, they weren't! So, after a bit of some more good natured prodding - I coaxed Chef Brian into also selling us his last four bananas. The Adidas and banana-ques totaled $10.


The vegan banana-que came out first. The warmth of the banana-que really hit the spot as we stood out in the cold lakeside air. We gobbled down four! Nevertheless, we just wished the banana was much sweeter. Hey Joe's banana-Q's were lightly caramelized with sugar. Brian explained that's how a lot of his customers like it. I still requested that he try making it the way I like it - encrusted with a thick caramelized shiny sugar coating.

We were pleasantly surprised that the guys inside Hey Joe's truck rummaged up a nice complimentary sampling of their atchara, one lumpia aka egg roll and their VEGAN -Organic Mung Bean with Coconut Milk and Local Spinach aka Ginataang Mongo.


Coconut in this vegan version is a refreshingly different flavor than what I'm normally used to in my family's mungo dish. I'd order the full size portion of this, if we venture out to the Phoenix Downtown farmer market tomorrow where Hey Joe and other trucks from the street food coalition will be.

What: Phoenix Public Market
Where: 14 East Pierce Street Phoenix
When: Apr 20, 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

But I'll be experimenting with coconut in my next batch of non-vegan Humble Mungo Guisado, with pork, shrimp and patis. Hey Joe's pork lumpia was tasty, with a hint of citrus. If given the opportunity, I'd have pounded half a dozen of those. But I'd need two scoops of rice and a side of Thai Sweet Chili sauce. Their atchara of pickled green papaya & ginger, although not spicy, was still satisfyingly crunchy, tangy & sweet. (It's a perfect pairing with any BBQ skewer.) It especially helped me through my first experience of Adidas. Which I found, of course, tastes just like chicken! It was actually not bad. But, I won't be ordering it again. Once passed the familiarly tasty crispy skin, I just couldn't bring myself to eat the chewy sinews between the tiny bones.

I can't believe I ate it, but at least I tried it. But, this along with the other two items listed under "For The Brave" on Hey Joe's menu (Balut and Chicken Ass) are definitely ones to pair with beer if you go out to the Bikini Lounge this Friday, April 22 9:30 pm - 2 am on 16th Ave & Grand Ave. Be sure to check their online calendar for their next location. I couldn't find a review for Hey Joe! on Urbanspoon yet, so I put in a request for it to be added to their databanks. But I give Hey Joe's a 4 out of 5 for their mungo & accomodating service.

---update--9:07pm
I just got an email from jen @ urbanspoon. she added Hey Joe! per my suggestion. awesome.


Still needing to fill our gullets, we headed over to the nearby Paradise Hawaiian BBQ across from the ASU stadium. We recieved lukewarm service with our affordable combo plates of delicious korean kalbi, rice, noodles, meat jun, chicken katsu, seaweed salad and mac salad. We were so hungry. We pounded the food before we could even take a picture. (Side note: They don't have a restroom, no diaper changing table and no children's high chairs. I believe there's a restroom outside of the building, somewhere...I guess that's part of the college town atmosphere.) Well, I will say this, eat there. You'll most likely enjoy whatever you order, regardless of the lackluster service & lacking comforts.

Gingerroot - 1st Impression

"Will go back for more." by CACTUSmango (1 review) February 17, 2009 - Likes it - I can say that I have stopped over for just a quick bite. I was running errands along Chandler Blvd. and my curiousity brought me to their hidden spot.

I loved loved loved their Kalamansi juice. It was spot on authentic, refreshing citrus drink that I enjoyed while living in the Philippines...It didn't taste watered down nor sugared up. This alone is cause for me to go out of my way to come back to Gingerroot.

I also ordered the Lumpia or Crispy Spring Roll appetizer to go and ate it while driving around doing my errands. They were piping hot, perfectly crispy on the outside, and the ground pork filling was tender with finely chopped chestnuts adding a nice delicate texture. Since, I was eating this in my car, I only occassionaly got to dip my Lumpia in their sauce, but, I must say...very nice, sweet 7 sour sauce. Also, the price of $7 for the Lumpia is well warranted, because they do not just give you three small rolls. There were roughly 8 pieces. I didn't get an exact count, because I ate them so quickly. Nor did I take any pictures, again, because I gobbled these up.

The gentleman serving me was friendly & informative. The food came out quickly. My hubby & I are planning on going there to try their dinner menu this Thursday. One thing I didn't tell my hubby, is that I saw they have a Magic Mic set up in one corner...If you know me, then you know how excited I was too see that.

And I'll be back to give an update with photos.

Cozy Spot. Good Eats.

We go to Yuma every holiday to visit our parents and this Thanksgiving weekend, I was so happy that we tried a local restaurant instead of a big chain. To me, River City Grill was a pleasant change in routine.

While our mom was quite hesitant to give this place a chance, because of it's location, brother-in-law & I were able to convice her. Parking is street side, just like many of the "houses turned restaurants" in Tempe and Phoenix. I liked the terra cotta painted exterior, the stained glass windows in the front, the tchotchke wall decor and large colorful mural inside. (Note: The front desk is situated within an arms reach from the front door. It's a tight squeeze. Perhaps if they had the doors left open and against the walls, this set up wouldn't be cramped.)

All the "Black Friday" bargain shoppers surely flocked to the new shopping center, so we had the place to ourselves. That was perfect, since we wanted to avoid a long wait & a crowd. We arrived a little after 1pm and they end their lunch hours at 2pm.

Everything on the Lunch and Dinner menu was open for us to order from. Mind you, the waitress explained they are planning on changing the menu soon...So, the food we ate today, might not be on the menu tomorrow.

We ordered for appetizers crab&salmon cakes with spicy Thai peanut sauce and Hummus with grilled pita triangles. The cakes were nicely cooked, not overcooked, lightly crispy on the outside. if you like things uber crispy, then you might not like these. Mom & I enjoyed the little side veggies & peanut sauce. if you come just by yourself. You could make the Crab & Salmon Cakes as a little meal. The texture & taste of the Hummus was just right and fresh and plenty to share with our family of 5.

We also were served slices of warm crusty bread with EVOO/balsamic, that the waitress refilled for us later too. Hubby had a tomato bisque arrive that went with his Bacon Bleu Cheese Kobe burger. The bisque had a nice balsamic drizzle for presentation & great texture and was not overly salted. Hubby liked dredging his bread in it as well.

Our food arrived shortly after we finished off the appetizers. Hubby sliced the burger in half & saved the other for take-home. (We were all starting to feel full before the entrees arrived.) He liked the meat - said it was good, but that he realized he's not a fan of the strong taste of Bleu Cheese. They do offer the Kobe burger with grilled onions instead.

Brother Ray loves pesto pasta, so he ordered the Chicken Dijon with penna pasta & cilantro pesto. He was disappointed with it, because he was invisioning more pesto. In hind sight, I suppose we could have asked for a side of pesto sauce.

BIL tasted a bite of my Indian Curried Chicken and instantly wished he'd ordered that instead. I love all kinds of curry dishes and am not snooty or picky about it. I rather enjoyed my dish, and loved alternating bites with the variety of sides offered with the plate. I read some people's reviews about the veggies being "mushy", but, I found that in this curry dish, I enjoyed the soft yellow squash, onions and zucini slices. I think if they were crunchy or more firm, that it'd be wierd in a curry dish. They did have one piece of brocolli for garnish that was appropriately firm.

Dad on the other hand was turned off by the idea of fruit with the curry, so he ordered the Coconut Curry Shrimp served in a coconut shell instead. This dish gets high points for presentation and for the size & quantity of shrimp. Dad counted 7 large shrimp. Dad tasted the Indian Curry and decided he liked coconut with his curry better.

Mom, the one who was the least excited to eat here, enjoyed her choice of Mustard Crusted Salmon (with the same pesto pasta). She didn't care for the vinegary & salty taste of the olive tepanad, but I happily ate it for her. Mom said the salmon preperation was nice/cooked just right. She's not a fan of heavy dishes, not really a big pasta eater, and would have loved veggies, so for those reasons she still likes the grilled salmon at Red Lobster. There are several other Salmon entrees to choose from here, including a Wild Grilled Salmon, which perhaps she would have been a closer comparison for mom to try.

Overall, our experience was above average for local small (non-chain) Yuma restaurants and give this place a thumbs up from each of us. I'm already eyeing the spicy cajun Seafood Gumbo, the Pistachio Crusted Salmon with goat cheese ravioli, black beans & chipotle sauce. On our next holiday in Yuma, we'd eat here again for sure!

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River City Grill

600 W. 3rd St.

Yuma, Arizona

928.782.7988

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No more treats?!

Nah, there's plenty of treatin' to be had after Halloween. In my neck of the wood, instead of having to hunt around for it, my friends are bringing them to my door! Have I died and gone to heaven? Maybe not, but friends and food are always a good thing.

First treat bearers, I have to thank, are Ray and Christina...who came by with two huge pink boxes! I knew those pink boxes could be up to no good. And indeed they held some devilishly sweet treats from the local donut shop, Bosa Donuts. They had with them a dozen assorted donuts, some sprinkled, some cake, some chocolate, some glazed. But my eyes zoomed in on two donuts that bring back childhood memories, of cinnamon on my mom's apron and the ring of the bell, as early morning customers stopped in to my family run "Lola Lly's Donutery".



The creations that mom and dad lined their trays with every morning sure could make a girl swoon. But, my first two donut affairs were staring back at me inside those pink Bosa boxes: Cinnamon Crumb and Boston Cream. Oh, my, oh my...I gobbled up the Boston faster than you could say "Lola Lly's Donutery". The donut bread was yummy and soft and filled with oh so good creamy goodness. The Cinnamon Crumb met a similar fate the next day. Unfortunately, I must watch my donut intake, another nuisance of poly cystic ovary syndrome, so I sent the rest of the lovelies to work with my hubby Ron. Lucky co-workers.

This is not the first taste of Bosa, I've had. I went with another friend Ninette, one day, just on her craving for it. This is small mom & pop biz with a drive-through and inside a couple of booths that seat up to 4. We were pleased to learn they also serve bagels, icecream and smoothies. But we focused on donut holes and french cruellers. All soft and yummy. I can't recall what smoothie I had, but I do remember I liked it, but with the combination of donuts and smoothie...it was a bit too mush sweet for me. On the other hand, Little Mia downed a near dozen donut holes! The customer service was friendly and prompt. The food was yummy, fresh and affordable. Simple decor, a little outdated, but it reminds me of my parent's donut shop back in Virginia, so it felt like home.

Bosa Donuts

1016 N Arizona Avenue
Chandler, AZ 85225
(480) 899-7134



~ . ~


The 2nd treat bearer that I have to thank is Myrna! She came to drop off Mr. Marley for some hang out time, while she went to do errands...but before she left she revealed a very dubious white (unfortunately styro) container. Can't judge a book by it's cover, right? So, I opened it immediately because I hadn't eaten lunch and it was already 3pm...inside were two half slices of cake that I knew from looking at them...were Better Than Sex Cake Classic and Chocolate Ecstacy!!!!! Myrna & I shared a slice of BTS cake Classic before and the memories of it's moist sweetness made my eyeballs bulge out of their sockets. So, it was without question, skip lunch. Eat desert first! I wanted "Ecstacy" first and plunged my fork into it's moist darkness: Chocolate Cake, Coffee, Coffee Liqour, Chicolate Mocha, Sweetened Raspberry, Topped with Whipped Crream and Shaved Chocolate. YUM! The raspberry seeds, may be off-putting to some, but, I didn't mind the little bits.

BTSCC is located in a quaint little shopping center, off the main intersection of Arizona Ave and Pecos, just south of Downtown Chandler's town center. Park behind the deli, walk underneath the little vine covered arches and follow the path to the left. That's where you'll hit the spot where they make cake that espouses to be better than sex. Now that of course is a topic I won't go into too much detail. But, I will say, that take a bite of their cake, and you may elicit an ooooh! or an aaaaahhh!
Marely sure wanted a taste, but sadly for him, my BTS cake leftovers were saved for my hubby. I am after all a one man kinda gal.



Oh, don't forget you can get a $1.99 BTSCC slice, if you print out their > coupon <

Better Than Sex Cake Cafe

241 S Oregon St

Chandler, AZ 85225

480-722-1220