Husband and wife Nattha and Eric Post both grew up around food, she in Thailand and he in Tucson. Both attended Blue Elephant and Napali cooking schools in Thailand and have worked in restaurants in their native countries. They’ve now opened Nattha’s Bann Thai Asian, bringing authentic Thai and Cantonese Chinese cuisine to Tucson.
“Nattha’s Bann Thai Asian is a labor of love and an opportunity for us to invite the dining community in to taste the result of our passion for and dedication to serving authentic Asian cuisine that is approachable and delicious,” says Eric. “We want people to enjoy the experience of trying new things but also feel comfortable eating the familiar dishes they love.”
Tam “Sam” Quan is the executive chef serving a wide variety of “AppeThaizers”, soups, Thai curries & rice and more. Dishes include Yum Nua (grilled beef salad), Yum Woon Sen (glass noodle salad with shrimp and ground pork); soups like Tom Kha (coconut milk) and Tom Sabb (pork ribs); Thai curries including red, green, yellow, mussaman, panang and more; Thai noodle stir fries such as Pad Thai and Pad Kee Mao (drunken noodle); Thai rice stir fries like Pad Prik King (with crispy pork belly) and Pad Krathim (garlic chicken). They serve beer, wine and cocktails along with Thai teas.
Nattha came to the U.S. in 2018 and hopes to be a citizen soon and has worked in several local restaurants. Eric, a practicing attorney learned to cook from his Italian mother and worked at Tucson’s Kipple’s Pizza Parlour. Nattha’s Bann Thai Asian is at 6970 E. 22nd St. Tucson 85710. Hours are Monday – Saturday from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Visit their website for more information.
Phoenix is getting a new burger restaurant when Sid’s Garage starts serving high intensity burgers, cocktails with an attitude on May 15th. With 2 locations in Idaho, owners Nicole and Will Primavera bring their industrial vibe to The District next to AMC theatres where guests will also enjoy adult games, an outdoor patio and a private dining room for group events.
Get ready to chow down on burgers, award-winning cocktails and boozy shakes not for the faint of heart. Burgers include the Boss Hog Burger – half-pound Wagyu and Black Angus Snake River Farm beef patty, 48-hour roasted pork belly, onion rings with scratch-made Sriracha-bourbon sauce or Sid’s version of Bacon and Eggs – four pieces of candied bacon suspended above two flash-fried deviled eggs with a honey mustard dipping reduction.
Enjoy favorite cocktails and shakes such as the Velvet Revolver made with vodka, tyku, lime, muddled cucumber and sriracha; the 420 shake has crumbled Oreo, vanilla ice cream with a buttercream rimmed glass and a huge dark chocolate ice cream sandwich; the Fat Elvis shake includes a peanut butter rim, raspberry jam, vanilla bean ice cream, crunch berries and a full size strawberry short cake bar.
Sid’s Garage will be open daily at 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Sunday – Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information visit their website.
What started as a catering business will soon be a restaurant for Brat Haus’s owner Dave Andrea as he prepares to open SmokeHaus next door in the former Union Barrelhouse come mid January 2016.
This won’t be your typical Texas or southern style BBQ or smoke house but will feature Santa Maria style BBQ influenced from the central coast of California with an Arizona twist. SmokeHaus’s signature dish is the Santa Maria Tri-Tip Sandwich using meat smoked from 2 meat smokers and an open flame grill that uses Mesquite & Red Oak wood.
Entrees include chicken, ribs, pulled pork and salmon as well as rattlesnake chili, Greasewood burger and 1984 Taco salad paying tribute to its roots here in Arizona. Side dishes sound good and will include pork belly mac & cheese, street corn, Ranch beans and more.
One of the benefits of opening next door is the large parking lot included as parking for Brat Haus has always been a challenge and the lot will accommodate parking for both restaurants.
Smokehaus will be located at 3636 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251. Stay tuned to the Smokehaus website for more details at www.smokehausaz.com and be sure to follow on social channels @smokehausaz
Tonight Renegade MOD (formerly Renegade Canteen and Renegade Tap & Kitchen) www.renegadescottsdale.com opens to the public, last night a handful of people including myself got a first look and taste of several of the menu items. Most of the interior has stayed the same with the exception of several large murals on the walls in the dining room and over the bar by local artist Lalo Cota. The biggest change has been in the menu as former Kai executive chef Michael O’Dowd (the MOD in Renegade MOD) has come on board not only as executive chef but as a partner. Previously chefs Robert McGrath and Aaron May were involved but more in a consulting role. While at Kai, Chef O’Dowd garnered numerous 5 star and diamond reviews making it one of the best restaurants in the state and based on what I saw and tasted last night diners can expect more stellar reviews along with his outside of the box menu and creative presentation.
As guests mingled throughout the dining room, bar and patio we were served several samples of a few of the menu items brought to us by the attentive servers and we sipped on rum punch served in a plastic bag and drank through a straw and kept cold with a Kool Aid ice-cube. All of the samples were very good with my first taste being of the Grouper “Fish Stix”($26) is chef O’Dowd take on Macaroni & Cheese that is topped with Blue Crab and Shaved Cabbage and Ginger Slaw and is tossed with Toothpaste of Rouille. Creamy and good I found myself not turning this sample down when asked a couple of more times.
The Heirloom Tomato, Soy Beans and Crab Gazpacho($9) had kick to it and it’s cool temperature makes it a perfect starter for the hot summer months. Served for us in a shot glass made for a nice touch.
The Venison Lollipops Dusted w/ Dry Mole ($14) has a hint of a gamey taste along with traditional mole flavor. If your fan of Mole this is not to be missed.
The chunks of Simply Put…Pork Belly ($11) are infused with Mexican Vanilla, Blis 9 & Peach Cobbler. Nothing else need be said, after all it is pork belly & the name says it all. Get some!
The Kale & Chard Kim Chee on Braunschweiger Pate ($12) looks like a sliced sushi roll and it’s uniquely topped with a poached free range egg, cured meat nuggets and rendered duck scented black bread made for one of the more creative dishes of the evening.
All though we did not taste the Big Azz Burger ($12) as a whole we were served meatballs using the combination ground pork, chuck and buffalo meats that is forged with roasted Poblano peppers, Maple bacon and spices. A great way to tease us as you know I have to go back and check it out as the meatballs were awesome.
A couple of other menu items sounded very interesting including Seafood In a Bag ($33), Kobe Chicken “Jerked” with Sweet Potato Casserole ($28) and the Re-Imagined Panzanella Composition ($16).
This dinner only restaurant should definitely tempt the palate of local foodies and be one of the more innovative experiences that the Scottsdale restaurant scene has been exposed to and with Chef O’Dowd’s reputation it should make the 3rd time a charm for this Renegade.
Renegade MOD is at 9343 E. Shea Blvd. Scottsdale 85260 (480)614-9400 and hours are 5:30-10 p.m. Tues. – Thurs. 5:30 – 11 on Sat. and 5:30 – 10 on Sun. Closed on Mon.