Queen Creek Olive Mill

Last week on a rainy day in Arizona, I met friends at the Queen Creek Olive Mill for lunch.  It is always a treat to go there as there is so much to see!  Add that to best friends getting together and you have a recipe for a great time!



 

 

The first thing you see after parking is the herb garden.

 

 

 

Note the shade cloth over the garden - AZ sunshine and herbs - not a good mix!

 

 

You know the food will be good when fresh herbs are used!

 

Here is the area to order food.

 

 

 

I opted for the vanilla Bean and Olive Oil Waffle which is served with a big dollop of whipped cream in addition to the syrup.  My friends chose sandwiches.  They also serve soups, salads, Frittatas, Bruschetta, Panini and Antipasto among other things. Most things come with a garnish of olives -- big surprise!   Everything I've had there was good! Sorry no photos of the food, we had limited time to spend together so we talked and ate instead of taking photos.  I took the other photos after my friends had to head back home.

 

 

I adore the chalkboard signage.

 

 

You know how I love anything with vanilla flavor!

 

 

There are gift items galore as well as pantry supplies.

 

 

This is not a small place!

 

 

Want dessert?

 

 

Yum, no problem!

 

 

Would you rather take some home?  No problem!

 

 

Coffee anyone?

 

 

How about a loaf of artisan bread?

 

 

What flavor tapenade to go with that?

 

 

Or maybe some wine and cheese?

 

 

Plenty around.

 

 

Gift boxes galore.

 

 

All ready to ship!

 

 

Or choose your own flavored oils for the pantry.

 

 

The Olive Mill Cookbook will tell you what to do with the oil!

 

 

You can visit the olive bar and buy by the pound.

 

 

A lovely selection!

 

 

Chips to take home, anyone?

 

 

How about some local honey?

 

 

According to the sign, it helps with allergies.

 

 

Arizona grown citrus is available.

 

 

Beauty supplies

 

 

and soaps too.

 

 

Perhaps a kitschy T-shirt to wear.

 

 

Love the sign advertising pistachios -- right above the Green Valley pecans! LOL

 

 

How about some jam or jelly to go with that artisan bread? Oh, how I love these chalkboards!

 

 

Next time I want to take the tour to see how the olive oil is extracted.  Although, I did see the "Dirtiest Jobs" episode featuring the Queen Creek Olive Mill a couple of years ago.

 

 

On a warmer day, we might have taken our lunch under the Ramada,

 

 

or at one of the picnic tables in the olive grove.

 

 

Even Thomas Jefferson has something to say about olives.

 

If you are ever in the Phoenix area, it is worth the drive to Queen Creek to experience the Queen Creek Olive Mill.  They are having the Festival of New Oil right now, so it's a perfect time to visit!

 

Hope you enjoyed my brief tour of my favorite restaurant and shop for foodies!

 

xoxoXOXOxoxo

 

Lois

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



NQA Show - North Market Experience

The view from my window each morning was really spectacular if you ignored the roof below.  The sky with the sun rising and the distant lights of cars heading to work made me want to start my day!

One of my favorite things to do during the NQA Show in Columbus, Ohio, is to visit the North Market.  Thursday was the only day I actually got outside the convention center as my friend, Diane, was leaving that day.  She stopped by the Registration Desk to say "Goodbye" just as I was going to get a lunch break.  We decided to walk a block over to the North Market.

It's always fun to walk in the older downtown areas of cities and observe the various architecture.  The dome on this Greek Orthodox church peeks between buildings and the ever present construction!

Just look at the wonderful brick detail on this old building.  I really wanted a chance to go out again to take photos just of the buildings around the Convention Center, but it never happened!

Ah, there it is!  Just look at the charm of this area!  This parking lot was full by the time we finished lunch a mere 20 or so minutes later!

Just Charming!

Inside are foods and other goods from around the world.

Feel like a little Indian cuisine?

How about some soup?  A salad or a sandwich?  It's in there!

Just look at the fresh produce.  Oh, how I wanted to take some of this back to the hotel!  I could have taken it in one of the wonderful French market baskets the shop also sold.

But, instead, I had a slice of goat cheese pizza.  It was delicious!  See the name?  I'm not sure what a Clever Crow has to do with pizza, but it's an interesting name.

All too soon Diane needed to leave for the airport and I needed to get back to work.

I had hoped to get back to North Market to take more photos and to stroll the downtown area taking more photos.  On Saturday I could have had time, but there was a parade on High Street and taking a stroll would not have worked at all.

If you ever get to the Convention Center in downtown Columbus, Ohio, you just must take in the North Market and experience the Old World Market experience there.

Hope you are having a terrific Tuesday!

xoxoXOXOxoxo

Lois

Sonny Bryan's -- Dallas

Hi friends,

One last item before moving on from being in Dallas.  We had to visit some places that are pure Dallas!

We ate a lot of places in addition to the hotel where we stayed.  We visited Media in the Hilton Anatole 3 times.  The best was the last night before leaving.  The waiter treated us to butter squash soup because our meals were taking a while for some reason.  We sat in the patio area and it was just very pleasant dining.

We also ate at Pappadeux, la Madeleine (twice as the first time we only had 50 minutes to get there, eat and get back to the convention center!), Ojeda Mexican (twice -- it was good the first time!), Panera Bread and a steak place that I've forgotten the name.  Those who know me well will know why I forgot the steak place name -- steak just isn't my thing.  I do know it didn't sound like a name of a steak house in Dallas.  We sampled fried pickles there -- also not my thing!

The most fun was Sonny Bryan's.  Walker of Walker Texas Ranger et al were always going to Sonny Bryan's in that TV series.  Just thought you'd like to know.  Not being from Dallas, I didn't notice that when the show was running.

Sonny Bryan's is a place designed to get you in and get you out -- FAST.  There were no frills.

The food was good and fairly fast.  It was crowded so it must be a good place to go in Dallas.

Inside the door were lines of people either waiting to order or waiting for their name to be called to pick up their food.

This is what my tray looked like.  Inside the paper was a shredded chicken barbecue sandwich.  It was good.  You could add barbecue sauce if desired, but you had to go to the other room to get it. LOL

Seating was either outside at tables or inside at what I would call study hall desks.  You know a wooden chair with one arm that is smaller than the size of the platter the food comes on, but about the size of an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper.  Not a place you want to linger and visit a while.

The signs on the outhouses er rest rooms said something to the effect that if you didn't get a key before entering expect to be interrupted.  Interesting concept -- usually you need a key to get in rather than keep others out!  I wish I'd taken a picture of the sign.

This was the most unique dining experience of the trip.  If you go to Dallas, you must plan to visit.  The Sonny Bryan's in the airport wasn't nearly as interesting!

Hope you are all having a great St. Patrick's Day/National Quilting Day.

I think I'll go quilt.

Until next time,

xoxoXOXOxoxo

Lois