Arizona Surprise

 

As I type today's title, I realize there is a city named Surprise in Arizona.   But my entry is all about another town.  Glendale.  And there's a surprise there, too.

After lots of talk about doing this trip, my lifelong best friend Leo and I finally made the six hour drive through California and Arizona desert and nothingness to watch the Dodgers in spring training.  Indeed, Leo and I didn't need a reason to do some male bonding.  We are as close as they come.  No surprise there.  But, nevertheless, the journey was much fun and one of those highlight reels for life.

Now, Glendale is a town that looks like a work in progress.  There's not much there but you can see tons of office buildings and homes in mid-construction.  For those already residing there, you don't have a lot of choices for entertainment.  There is the Dodgers spring complex and stadium.   The Arizona NFL team stadium is about a mile from that.   And right around the corner from that is one of those entertainment complexes full of chain restaurants and an AMC Theater.  On a Saturday night, I am guessing all the residents wind up there.

And so did these two visitors from LA looking for some place decent to eat.  We stumbled upon a semi-Asian restaurant.   When I say "semi," it's because there were burgers on the menu alongside the Kung Pao stuff.   

Glancing at the offerings, I noted a Korean dish that I had previously seen TV producer Phil Rosenthal having at a Koreatown restaurant on his Netflix food show.   BBQ pork with kimchi fried rice and topped with a fried egg.  I was intrigued.

And ultimately delighted.   This dish may have been one of the best meals I have had.   Right near a Dave and Buster's in...surprise...Glendale, Arizona.

There was more to come.

After a Sunday afternoon of baseball, we trolled back to the same entertainment center and found a hole-in-the-wall pizza joint.   Leo and I decided to split a pie.   

As I was enjoying my first slice, I was astounded.   The pizza sauce may have been the best I have ever tasted.   And I'm from NY.   I called one of the clerks over and asked if the pizza place made their own sauce.   On cue, she brought out the place's manager/chef...a nondescript gal you might wind up as a checkout stand at the local supermarket.   

I told her this was one of the finest pizzas I had ever had and she mentioned it was a family recipe she brought from her home...in Syracuse, NY.   That town, like Glendale, Arizona, is not a place you expect to find one (or in my case, two) of the best dishes I ever eaten.

Now that's my Surprise...in Arizona.

Dinner last night:  Coconut chicken fingers.