The Gaslight Square is on fire and this is another bright option to this strip mall. Why am I so hooked to The Market? They didn't copycat any typical new restaurants. All of their interiors are fastidious and tasteful (not just thrown up yesterday) and they definitely have the cafe vibe. I'm excited about the cheeseboard and charcuterie options plus happy hour. Baked goods are very yummy and quiche was gorgeous. Staff were extremely professional - even making sure that tidying up (sweeping) wasn't a bother to me. Thanks for the great option in our neighborhood! Looking forward to kicking back on your patio this spring. Folks, they also have ample parking... A commodity in Arcadia.

positive

Lots of reasons to go to F&L's: 1) Food is made fresh. Yes, it takes time to make food from scratch instead of heating up pre-prepared dishes. So, sit back and enjoy your drink and the chips and salsa. 2) Special orders are happily accommodated. I wanted the the rolled enchiladas but with veggies instead of the other options (beef, chicken or spinach). The waiter (actually the manager since our waiter was busy) happily accommodated my order as well as giving me the option to have either or both of the green and red sauce (the red is better). 3) Huge portions. Yes, I'm small but I have a big appetite. Lunch at F&L's held me over until 8 p.m.! 4) Warm sopapillas. Warm, deep-fried bready goodness with lots of honey. What more could you want? 5) Location. Nestled in the midst of galleries, boutiques and other retail stores. I'd suggest starting your day at F&Ls so you are ready to spend the rest of your day in the surrounding area, only to break for the 5 p.m. martini.

positive

Hotel prices around Chandler are insane. I stayed at Hilton Bayfront in San Diego for $90 (granted, during promotional period...). I certainly was not about to choose Hilton Chandler at triple that price. However, at the under $90 range, acceptable choices basically come down to Red Roof Inn or Super 8. The difference maker here is that there's a bus stop directly in front of Super 8. Car rental in Phoenix is insane too, taxes and fees combine to more than double the daily rental price. But I digress. This is actually the first time I stay at a Super 8. I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised. The room is small, but very functional. I am furnished with a 32 inch LCD TV with a full cable line-up, a small fridge with a separate freezer compartment, a small microwave, and a coffee maker. There is no iron inside the standalone closet though. The bathroom is old, but well-maintained. Room service furnished ample toiletries. The bath towels, however, are definitely old and need to be replaced. A particular highlight during my stay is the high speed wireless internet. At no point was there any disruption in service in terms of downtime or speed. I was able to get quite a bit of work done during my stay. However, my major complaint is that the walls are very thin and the air conditioning is too loud. What this means is that when neighbors spend a night in, they will turn the TV up to as loud as possible (55/100 is the volume cap) so that they can hear it over the AC. Unfortunately, their TV sounds will transmit directly through the wall. One night, a neighbor kept ESPN on (with its sports anchors with full baritone voices) until 2 in the morning. It completely killed my sleep and I was a walking zombie the next day. I called front desk to complain because the neighbor refused to open the door. The front desk was unable to do anything either. Thankfully, my other 2 nights were quiet and uneventful. This motel does give a limited selection of breakfast. There's a collection of different pastries, toast, and bagels. There are some fresh fruits as well, 4 different kinds of cereal, and pitchers of milk, OJ, and water. A highlight is the waffle maker. Unfortunately one of the three mornings I stayed there, the waffle makers were both broken. Also, there's coffee. In the lobby, the motel offers two computers and pitchers of ice water and lemonade. The housekeeping staff is very polite and thorough with their cleaning. For $65 a night, I couldn't be any happier. However, the fact that I lost a night of sleep due to unruly neighbor docks a star off of my rating.

positive

VERY authentic. Makes sense as the head chef dim sum was kidnapped by Mafiosos right out of Hong Kong. Every item you try, will either be a 3/5 star experience, or 4/5 star experience, but you'll have mostly 4/5 star experiences. I dine fully comped, so I don't know if it's expensive or not, but dim sum here is one of the few reasons why I might want to wake up early-ish in Vegas.
positive