Q: positive

A: Last night, my friend and I ate dinner at Nan and Byron's to celebrate her birthday. It was my third visit and her first. (My first visit was actually on opening night.) We had a reservation and were seated immediately. I was glad we got one of the tables that's half booth since those are more tucked away than some of the other tables. Our server was there immediately to pour us water and bring the complementary seasoned popcorn. I had a sauv blanc I hadn't tried before - Frog Head I think - and it was really good. My friend had one of the craft cocktails that the server passionately recommended and she really enjoyed it. We had the deviled eggs appetizer, which were extra creamy and super delicious. I'm kind of picky about when restaurants try to get fancy with the deviled eggs, but these were just how I like them. For my entree, I had the shrimp, which I'd had once before and it always delivers. It's shrimp on a bed of pasta sauteed with garlic, butter and wine. It isn't heavy at all and the butter/garlic flavor is just heaven. It's comfort food without being weighed down with a heavy cream sauce or some other such thing. My friend had the mushroom, which came on a bed of quinoa with two sides - she picked the corn and the mashed potatoes. She said it was really good. I'm not a mushroom person, so I didn't try it. Just like at their sister restaurant 5Church, I have had consistently satisfying visits to Nan and Byron's and will keep going back. I've sampled several menu items at this point and have been really happy with everything I've tasted. The complementary seasoned popcorn is always a fun munchie with which to kick off the meals. The only problem I have with it is how hard it is to decide what to get every time. I'm looking forward to the warmer weather to see what it's like when they open up the garage door that runs along the front. I also have yet to experience their patio seating.

Q: positive

A: This gym offers clean, upscale equipment and very friendly service for a price that makes my chin hit the ground. Nowhere in Phoenix will you find this caliber of workout facility for such a low low price. The monthly fee is a small fraction of what I have paid in the past for facilities that were nowhere near this nice--$10 a month (I have paid more than this for a one-day guest pass other places)! OK there aren't a lot of bells and whistles (i.e. no pool, sauna, courts), but for your basic cardio and weight training, it is *perfect*. I am impressed by the number of staff members there at any time of the day, and they always seem to be cleaning with a smile, offering help, etc. The location is super convenient, and you feel good knowing you are supporting a company that is trying to do their part to go green. Kudos YouFit! I can't wait until you open your location in Scottsdale!

Q: negative

A: The food was delicious but the service was dismal. They rush you through the line expecting that you know exactly how it works even if you have never been there. If you ask a question they look at you like you're a bother, and don't take the time to explain how their menu works. The bathrooms were in bad shape and there was no changing table. Not sure if we will return. Overall not happy.

Q: negative

A:
My BFF and I decided to wander the streets and discover an unknown gem as we always sometimes do. It's either a hit or miss. So come upon Cartel, and by the menu seemed a nice place to try- with such a cheap menu and so many great options, we giggled that we could try almost anything and still be affordable. She checked her services online (the reviews) and we decided to go in. With the advice of a previous review it said to order right away as it takes a while for the food to come. And so within 5 minutes we were ready and prepared for the wait. The waitress recommended that we order the "happy hour" drinks right away as it was almost 8pm. $5 wines, and beers & any mixed drinks (not cocktails). So we ordered and had the white wine. Then we ordered a bottle of Chardonnay. The waitress brought the bottle and fumbled with it for 5 minutes, she actually couldn't open the bottle. My gf eventually asked if she needed help and opened the bottle herself. We ordered the Charlevoix burger, maui burger, beef satay, chicken satay, pork belly bao, guacamole with chips. True to form the order came almost 15-20 minutes later- the Charlevoix burger and pork belly boa came first. Ah, no wonder it's cheap. They were the size of sliders, maybe a little bigger. Okay, gotta admit it was good. So good that we ordered another pork belly bao (sliders). The beef and chicken satays came another 10 minutes later. They were average, nothing spectacular. My Maui burger came another 10 minutes later. This was also ver good. Finally the 2nd order of pork belly bao came 10 minutes more later...it was COLD, as if it was sitting there for some time and then they placed it in the microwave to heat. This order was NOT good at all. By this time, we were in a need of shots. We wanted to have PATRON shots but were told that they couldn't give us the patron shots (they had to be in a drink) but any other shot we could have. WTF? Where in this planet is this place from? So we ordered $12 margaritas. They surely take their damn time in this place. Oh, and the guacamole we ordered? We almost forgot about it until it came out 40 minutes into our meal. It was MEH. We had to add a bunch of salt and hot sauce to make it better. We wanted to wait for the margaritas to eat them with. We almost waited 15 minutes! The margaritas came in short water glasses filled to the brim with ICE. I think I took 3 sips of the drink before it was all gone. OMG. What a waste. We were so excited coming in and at the end was totally disappointed. The service is below par...the girl was very nice but all the waiting didn't make it feel like any service. We were going to talk to the manager but we were in a such foul mood that we would've probably taken it out on him. Our server didn't get a great tip. NEVER AGAIN!