Category: Dining on a Dime (Page 2 of 2)

In this Dining on a Dime, Julie and the new DOD-Girl, Emily, try to have an elegant French style lunch at Zinc Bistro in Scottsdale for under $30.

Our expectations were high after all we had heard and Zinc definitely delivered. We ordered the Cheese platter which might not sound like much, but believe us, it was. You get to pick three different cheeses from a list which changes daily; we went with the Ewephoria Gooda (sheep’s milk, smooth, sweet, and nutty from Holland), the Clarissa (goat cheese, semi soft pate from Sardinia, Italy), and the Idiazabal, El Pastor Vasco (ewe’s milk, hard, from Basque Country, Spain).

A cheese list can be intimidating to the average diner but don’t worry the waiters are more than willing to suggest their favorites. The cheese platter also came with sliced apple, grapes, walnuts, marinated olives, and an assortment of sliced bread and crackers, all items that pair well with cheese and wine. Not only did we enjoy the cheese thoroughly, but everything on the platter was Amazing. The olives were soaking in garlic and olive oil and they were to die for. Julie had a glass of the house white wine and Emily enjoyed the house red wine which both paired well with the cuisine.

The service at Zinc is great and our waiter was very friendly and helpful. We got to know our waiter Frankie a little bit as well and since he’s Italian and Greek, Julie felt right at home!

Zinc is the type of place that when you return, you feel a sense of comfort that the cuisine will always be exceptional, the staff will take care of you, and you’ll get the whole European dining experience!

We’d have to say that this Dining on a Dime was a success and even though we were over budget by a few pennies it was worth it for what felt like a mini-vacation

Location:

15034 N Scottsdale Rd # 140
Scottsdale, AZ 85254-8140
(480) 603-0922

For More DOD episodes click here.

Dining on a Dime:

So, this time out we decided to try something a little healthier and chose Pita Jungle in Arcadia for their happy hour. This is a place we come to often with friends especially the vegetarian ones. It isn’t often that you find tasty cuisine that’s not only healthy but reasonably priced. Pita Jungle was defiantly a score!

While we don’t usually go for chains, Pita Jungle is local to Arizona with 10 stores around the state and has the feel of a great mom and pop restaurant. The comfortable, friendly atmosphere makes it a great place to go for a casual dinner or lunch. Art work from local artists is displayed in the dining room and is available for purchase which is helpful in supporting the local community.

The cuisine claims to be the “art of healthy eating” with a Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influence. Tapas (small plates) are a great way to go if you want to get bang for your buck. You can try a variety of specialties for a cheaper price, and if you’re culinarians like us, you’ll want to try everything!

At happy hour (weekdays 3-5pm) an array of tapas are offered ranging from $1-$3 each. A glass of Chardonnay or Cabernet is also offered for $3.  You don’t get to pick which brand, but for that price who cares! The happy hour menu is displayed as a label on the wine bottle which is a fun way of presenting it. We both started off with a nice glass of their Chardonnay (Julie can drink legally now! Woo hoo!).

We really wanted to try everything but stick within our budget to our budget. It allowed us to try about six different plates including a trio of hummus – garlic, roasted red pepper, and jalapeño – with pita, tomato with mozzarella, balsamic, and basil, seared scallops in curry sauce, steamed mussels, sautéed mushrooms (def suggest these), and grilled chicken with lemon and pine nuts.

In consideration of our combined sweet tooths (or is it sweet teeth?), we ordered a slice of apple caramel pie with berry coulis and strawberries for dessert which most defiantly hit the spot.

We ended up getting out of there pleasantly sated for just under $28 including tip. Another success in our book! 

Pita Jungle, Arcadia

4340 E. Indian School Rd. (Indian School & 44th st.)
Phoenix, AZ 85018
602-955-PITA (7482)

For More DOD episodes click here.

into the Soup has recruited two of our favorite young chefs Julie Fiedler and Katelyn Remick for our new feature – Dining on a Dime. 

The Challenge? Find the best meal you can for two people under $30 (ok, so it is a bit more than a dime). These are tough economic times, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy good food. It exists all around at local your local family owned and chef driven restaurants. So get out there, eat well and support your local restaurants!

This week, Julie and Katie picked one of their favorite local eateries in Chandler, Arizona – Floridino’s:

Floridino’s is casual eatery that is well known in its community for its delectable pizza and calzones. It’s a great place to go with friends and family and is always lively on the weekends. We started our meal off sharing a small Greek salad which is ideal for two people. The salad is a heaping bowl of iceberg lettuce, feta cheese, olives, pepperoncinis, and Italian vinaigrette. For our entrée we had calzone’s with house marinara and ranch dipping sauce. The gourmet white calzones are a flaky turnover filled with ricotta and mozzarella cheese, butter, garlic, spices, and tomatoes baked to perfection! When our calzones arrived they looked so irresistible Julie picked hers up with her bare hands and dug in! This is not recommended. Years in the kitchen have given her asbestos fingers – one of the benefits of being a chef.  

We finished the night off with a Sicilian Sundae. This warm, gooey, freshly baked, deep dish chocolate chip cookie topped with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and whip cream is an absolute necessity when dining at Floridino’s! What a great assignment. In the mist of taking thousands of pictures of the restaurant and our visit we quickly got the attention of the workers in the restaurant. One very curious server in particular asked about what we were doing.

We were quick to respond, “Were not camera crazy this is for a website project we’re doing for intothesoup.com!” He was more than willing to get his picture taken with us.

About Floridino’s:

Floridino’s opened its doors in 1996  with the promise to embrace family oriented, full service, true Italian food. The menu boasts of oven baked sandwiches, heaping salads, mouth watering pizzas, generous portions of pasta and calzones stuffed to the brim. Floridino’s serves lunch specials and has banquet facilities as well. Floridino’s claims to be home to the “World’s Largest Calzone” but they also want to be a home to you.

Floridino’s Pizza & Pasta
590 N Alma School Rd # 35, Chandler, AZ
(480) 812-8433‎

For More DOD episodes click here.