Leslie Keller Books

As it was my friend's (L.A. Keller) birthday, a group of us decided to have a happy hour celebration at Spiga Cucina Italiana in north Scottsdale. This was my first time checking out their happy hour and I was very glad I did. The happy hour menu wasn't huge but the pizza I had for $8 was awesome. It was large enough for me to have lunch and dinner the next day, although I did also have half a caesar salad with it. The special on the night we went was pepperoni and mushroom. I left off the mushrooms and it had a slight spiciness in the pepperoni. The sauce was yummy. The caesar salad was a bit heavy on the garlic which would be my only criticism, but I see that frequently, where chefs seem to think more garlic makes the best dressing - sorry but so not true! The rest of my party sampled the pizza, affetato (meat & cheese board) and calamari. Everyone was happy with their selections. Service was top notch and the ambiance very good.  This is a place we will definitel...

You know that I do like to have a sip or two of wine, every now and then, so when my friend invited me to try this wine restaurant in the Scottsdale Quarter, I was more than a little excited. Now keep in mind that the last time I was at the Scottsdale Quarter something really bad happened. If you don't know what I mean, then you'll have to read Menu for Murder to find out. Sorso has a wine vending machine concept - yes I am serious. You decide how much you want to spend and then simply put your card in the slot and bunch a button to sample from around thirty wines. You have a choice of a sip, a taste or a pour. I really wanted the Silver Oak, but it was a bit out of this server's budget. Since they also had great happy hour prices, I opted for the $5 glass of wine. They also have a great wine pairing menu which includes cheese and meat plates to share, delicious bruschetta, salads and sandwiches. Our food was very good and inventive. Next time maybe I'll try a sandw...