Permanently Hungry Heads West

I'm feeling very listy today.

On a recent military venture, I was lucky enough to be sent south of the Minnesota border... all the way to the  wild wild west! Okay it was only Scottsdale, Arizona. Not so wild anymore, but enough turquoise and desert heat to make you choke up a cactus. 

Yee-haw! Out on my first full-day tour of Old Town Scottsdale.

First, let me offer some context before you assume that I was just sent on a two week mission to eat:

1. I was in a group with five other people. One was a man.
2. 1/5 didn't eat seafood, 1/5 was torturing herself (aka dieting), 1/5 was a fake foodie (WAY too picky), and 1/5 didn't eat animals with hooves. Yes, hooves. I know, it was my first time hearing such a thing too.
3. My work schedule was highly erratic and shifted between four and 12 hour days- hence why some meals are breakfast, but mostly these are dinner tales. And when I wasn't eating/pool lounging/shopping, I was dealing with Code Browns (google it) in the hospital. I'd say the trade-off was still in my favor.

Scottsdale, Arizona, is in the heart of tourist country. The hotels, swag shops and restaurants know that you are not from around there and in the case of food exploration this novelty was particularly useful. Being so close to Mexico (compared to my usual near-Canada status), I suddenly had an immediate need to speak Spanglish and eat Posole. Lucky for me, I headed to the Salty Senorita with my sister Tiffany, who lives nearby, for the first lunch out.


Posole is a Mexican soup that I had once while living in California. I then had it homemade for me in Arizona, but no re-creation I have ever attempted or eaten, has even come close. Jam-packed with hominy, pork, onions, garlic and some mystery broth, I have never actually satisfied my craving for the spicy sweet dish. With high, hopes I opted for the chicken tortilla soup-- how much different could it reeeally be? Well, here is what I learned: 1. Just because I am closer to the border does not mean my accent will be more authentic. 2. I think our server was drunk, but whether it was from margaritas or the heat, I will never know. 3." [Prickly] Cactus Juice" = Pear flavor. 4. If it says chicken tortilla it means chicken tortilla, no matter how much you wish it was otherwise.

Strike one for chain restaurant. And shame on me for making assumptions. Is my special two week food adventure going to be a dud? Read on and find out..