Dapper & Stout takes coffee seriously.

"Espresso Drinks feature our locally roasted signature Ensemble Blend. The combination of four coffees from around the globe are masterfully selected and tailor roasted with espresso preparation in mind. The richness stems from Brazil & Ethiopa. The balanced, smooth flavor experience completes the roast with the addition of Costa Rican & Guatemalan beans."



This coffee shop is beautifully polished and feels very high-end. From the lighting and the finishes to the layout and bakery options, the space is refined while bordering on cocktail bar vibes.



They offer coffee drinks of all kinds, including: lattes, cappuccinos, macchiato, Americanos, cold brew, tea, mocha and more.



I ordered a large iced caramel latte. It was good and as expected. Not too sweet, a tad bitter, but fairly refreshing as well.



we also had a number of grab and go pastries that were already packaged. I found a croissant that looked pretty good, so I went for it.



The croissant was a bit too dry for my taste; maybe I should've known better with it being prepackaged.



The two together, though, made for a decent start to the day.



Grade: B

Listen, not every meal can be a glamorous night out. Sometimes, you want to eat well but not leave the house. This is precisely why delivery exists in my mind. And on this occasion, it was Yama Sushi House in Chandler, Arizona.



I went with these two:

Caterpillar Roll - crab mix, avocado and cucumber wrapped inside, topped with avocado and eel sauce

Godzilla Roll - crab mix deep-fried with yum sauce and eel sauce

Both were decent, but nothing mindblowing. The crab mixture could be a bit more flavorful, the fried part could be crisper, but the avocado was fresh and layered in a lovely way.



Grade: B

I'm back with another culinary love letter to Hawaii. It may have taken me traveling to Arizona to discover this love, but it is going strong. I discovered Golden Hawaiian BBQ on a delivery app, and wasted no time placing an order.



I bought an entire smorgasbord: crab puffs, egg roll, manapua and a chicken katsu combo with steamed rice, macaroni salad, and cabbage.



The eggroll and crab puffs were standard – fried to a golden brown with a tasty filling. But the manapua was a soft bun filled with barbecued pork, and it was amazing. I love the toothsome, pillowy texture of the bun with that rich, meaty interior. The combo entrée was the real star. There's not a better way to cook chicken, and when there's a rich sauce to bring everything together, it is just *chef's kiss*. And the mac salad is key; the fattiness helps break through the fried flavors



Grade: A

My favorite Bloody Marys are full meals. Not simply a brunch beverage. There are so many garnishes that the drink itself is secondary. That is my kind of Bloody Mary. So, when I learned about a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar, I was in.



Hash Kitchen in Chandler, Arizona, specializes in brunch and claims to have the original build-your-own Bloody Mary bar. From hashes and scrambled to benedicts and waffles - there are endless options here that all sound amazing.



I ordered the herb fried chicken benedict with two buttermilk biscuits, fried leeks, warm, maple reduction, hollandaise, two poached eggs, and served with hash potatoes. My favorite part of this dish was the fried leeks that gave it a little bit of a pungent flavor on top of what is otherwise a pretty standard flavor combo. I enjoyed the touch of sweetness, but this is a pretty heavy dish, so I put most aside in favor of the main event.



At the Bloody Mary bar, you start with a celery salt or bacon salt rim. Then, you get to choose what type of vodka: cucumber, jalapeño, celery, cilantro lime, dirty vodka or bacon. Next, it's the spice level of the mix: classic, tomatillo, chili, pepper or habanero. Finally, you can choose to upgrade from the house vodka and then it's on to the toppings.



There are over 50 craft toppings to create the ultimate Bloody Mary: Calabrian chilis, pickled red pepper, pickled jalapeno, cocktail onions, spicy pineapple, artichokes, pickled fennel, pickled green beans, celery, bacon, raviolis, meatballs, oysters, spicy mango, pickled eggs, blue cheese-stuffed olives, cheese cubes, beef jerky, pickles and more.



I tried to fit as many different toppings onto various skewers as I could. It was like an amusement park full of pickled and spicy goodies. I almost used the Bloody Mary itself as a dipping sauce for all of these fun, savory toppings. Plus, some were pretty creative. I love a fun, delicious, new way to enjoy a meal. This checked all those boxes.



Grade: A

Grindhouze Coffee is a local roaster offering several types of coffees. I recently purchased some of their products from Etsy to try out and add to my collection.

They offer Ethiopian, Costa Rican, Peruvian and Aurora's blend.

All coffee is dark roast and whole bean.

Ethiopian coffee has flavor notes of blueberry, peach, and watermelon.

Costa rican coffee has flavor notes of chocolate and citrus.

Peruvian coffee has flavor notes of chocolate and walnut.

Aurora's blend is a fan favorite. This blend combines all three flavors of Ethiopian, Costa Rican, and Peruvian coffees to host a perfect combination of chocolate, caramel and berry notes.

Have you tried them yet?