Worth Takeaway is a small craft sandwich and coffee shop that is like the perfect neighborhood spot. It's cool, cozy and ultra local. They feature tons of other local businesses, like: Huss Brewing Co | Iconic Cocktail Co. | Myke’s Pizza | Noble Bread | Park St. Studios | Provision Coffee | Steadfast Farm | Stonegrindz Chocolate | SunUp | Simple Soda Co. | The Simple Farm | Think | Wild Tonic Kombucha | Wren House Brewing Co



There was a bit of a wait when we walked in the door, but, to me, that's just a good sign. As we stood in line to order at the counter, I took a minute to peruse the menu, which consisted of super craveable options.



Buffalo chicken dip, grilled cheese, spicy candied BLT, mac & cheese, and so much more. And to drink: They have local milk from Danzeisen Dairy. I ordered one of the mini glass strawberry bottles, which was so cute and delicious.



I ordered the roast beef sandwich with horseradish crema, giardineira, greens and cheddar on ciabatta. Plus mac & cheese.



The sandwich was great. It has the creamy, tangy and crunchy components down pat. I think some pickled red onions could've added a touch of sweetness. But, still, I loved the tangy crema. The mac & cheese was solid - extra points for the chives to give it a little freshness.



Good food, nice atmosphere and a great experience.



Grade: A

How can you not be intrigued by a restaurant named "Fruit Daddy"? Their Facebook reads: "We serve Authentic Mexican Cravings or as we call them 'Antojitos.'"



I've mentioned previously how Arizona opened my eyes to fruity Mexican treats. And they're one of my new favorite discoveries. They have frozen, fruity treats that are refreshing but have a little bit of a kick, too. Raspados are shaved ice treats; they can come with chamoy, which gives it a spicy and salty flavor that rounds out all the sweetness.



When you have a raspado that does have the chamoy, it's then referred to as aa chamoyada. And then, if the flavor is mango, it can be called a mangonada. Got all that? I'm trying to keep up. And, that's exactly what I ordered here at Fruit Daddy. 



The mangonada has chunks of mango fruit, shaved ice, chamoy sauce, tajin, mango syrup, chili powder, spicy peanuts and a drinking straw with tamarind candy on the outside. Despite being someone who is a wimp when it comes to spicy food, this was a deliciously complex combination of flavors that was so, so tasty. 



You know how when you eat the same flavor over and over again, it loses any actual taste? You need a reprieve from that flavor to break it up, and when you go back to it, you get that good flavor again? That's how I can describe this. The fruity sweetness is delicious. But then you get a tangy bite of the tamarind, and it tingles your taste buds. Then when you go back to the. shaved ice, it's almost even sweeter. I'm obsessed with these flavors. Not spicy, just exciting enough to keep it fun.



Grade: A

"Danzeisen Dairy is a local, family run dairy with over 60 years dairy experience in Phoenix, Arizona. Our dairy is the first local dairy to offer glass bottles to grocers within the Arizona market – direct and fresh from a local dairy farm only 10 miles from downtown Phoenix. Danzeisen Dairy offers the freshest, best tasting milk direct from the farm to your local grocer," according to the website.



The milk is indeed delicious. I bought a small bottle of the strawberry milk and kept the glass bottle as a souvenir. But, when you go to their creamery, they offer milkshakes, ice cream, waffles, floats, smoothies, lemonades and more.



I went with the Salted Caramel Stack - Salted caramel flavored milkshake with salted caramel sauce, pretzel rods, Cracker Jacks®, Twix®, and whipped cream.



Think about what makes a good milkshake a good milkshake. It's that thick, full-fat deliciousness. And this shake had that, plus the silky smooth caramel and crunchy candy pieces. Doesn't get much better.



Grade: A

My friend Kayla and I visited Café Patachou for breakfast recently. "Founded in 1989 by six-time James Beard Foundation semifinalist Martha Hoover, Cafe Patachou is an award-winning restaurant offering a world class breakfast and lunch experience," according to the website.



The light, airy dining space was like an adult student union, with coffees, breakfast items, and friendly chatter bouncing around the walls.



The menu features all day breakfast, which, of course, includes eggs, french toast and avocado toast.



I ordered: "SMOKED SALMON BAGEL - Sustainable Ora King smoked salmon, cream cheese, dill, red onions, capers on an open face bagel. Served with microgreen salad: cherry tomatoes, carrot, red onions, EVOO, and salt."



This bagel was stacked high and came with ample components for me to build it to my liking. I especially liked the pile of capers, because I love adding a little extra briny-ness to my sandwich. Fresh and flavorful, this bagel was delish.



I added a side of fresh fruit, which is key to adding a balance of sweetness to the meal. It offers a reprieve from the fattiness in the sandwich.



Overall, a nice space with some tasty food that I would certainly not hesitate to visit again.



Grade: A

Drunken Tiger is Arizona's first Korean pub serving up authentic and modern Korean street and bar food.



"Casual, dark and gritty, with just a touch of intoxication, Drunken Tiger deviates from traditional restaurants and bars as the first Korean pub in Arizona. Drunken Tiger—the ‘misfit of Korean restaurants’—celebrates the best of Korean and American cultures and presents a bodacious menu filled with quintessential Korean street and bar food along with creative Korean-American culinary concoctions," according to the website.



"Gentle palates will quickly accustom to bulgogi fries or ‘chimek’ (Korean double-fried chicken and beer) while more daring foodies can broaden their horizons with silkworm pupae soup or chicken gizzards. If you're somewhere in the middle, classic dishes like the tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) customized with cheese and ramen noodles are always a good idea. Prefer your food as hot as the summers in Arizona? The fire chicken or fire corn cheese is sure to singe the tastebuds of people who claim to be reincarnates of fire-breathing dragons."



I ordered a Makkoli (Korean Rice Wine) in peach, which was sweet but potent. And we tried two different snacks: Takoyaki - ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter with octopus (tako), tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger (beni shoga), and green onion (negi). The balls are brushed with takoyaki sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce) and mayonnaise, and then sprinkled with green laver (aonori) and shavings of dried bonito (katsuobushi). The bonito was a bit much for me, but I loved this sweet and sour seafood meatball. The last was tteok kochi, which are these chewy rice cakes in a spicy red sauce. Loved the textures of both these dishes. Tasty and satisfying.



Grade: A