Pugzie’s Restaurant

4700 N. 16th Street (Northwest corner of 16th Street and Highland)
Phoenix, AZ 85016
http://www.pugzies.com/index.html
602-277-6017

Open only for lunch (10-4 Monday through Friday), Pugzie’s makes sandwiches like I’d make at home, only better! Everything seems to be extra fresh. The bread is soft, the tomatoes tasty, and the lettuce leaves whole. The dill pickle, chips and cookie served alongside give me a feeling reminiscent of when my mom packed a lunch for me in elementary school. Pugzie’s is like that, like a Working Mom: supremely busy all the time, but they still try to make you feel like you’re at home. Two sisters own it, Lynn Pugliano and Lisa Pugliano-Wright, and, according to their website, their goal “was to provide fresh, healthy lunches with friendly, fast service.”

The restaurant is hard to miss, painted turquoise, with a yellow toucan up high. What the apparent loudness of the exterior hides is a quiet interior grassy courtyard. There are chairs and tables with umbrellas out on a concrete patio area to sit out and enjoy the weather (when it’s nice here in Phoenix, that is). If it’s too hot (or cold, I suppose), there are chairs inside that face the wall of windows which look out to the courtyard. It’s all very pleasant, and a nice change of pace from the bustle of the Camelback Corridor and the movers and shakers that do business there.

Other than being a nice little escape in the middle of a workday, Pugzie’s food is great, too. They offer classic sandwiches, like Oven-Roasted Turkey (my personal fave), Roast Beef, and Chicken Salad that they proclaim is a “Favorite on the menu!” They also offer the always wonderful combo of a half-sandwich with a choice of soup, chili, or a salad. The salads are varied, ranging from pasta salad to potato salad and even fruit salad. All are served in good portions that are surprisingly filling. And, the soup is really delicious, too, with offerings like Cheese Broccoli (my other personal fave), Tomato Basil and Clam Chowder.
Pugzie’s has vegetarian options and gluten-free menu items as well. And, the prices are very reasonable, given the quality of food and the location.

I would say the Pugliano sisters have succeeded in reaching their goal!

"Monster" Quesadillas

This is a recipe my husband remembers his mom making. We call them "Monster" because of their sheer size. He makes them big! One will easily feed 2 people, or, like me, you can save half for another time. Of course, you don't have to make them gi-normous!

We like these because they are easy, and have good stuff in them. Also, our California roots show with this meal, too, because the ingredients shine in their mostly natural state with few, if any, seasonings.

(This recipe is for 1 quesadilla.)

1 large (or burrito-size) tortilla

1 tsp. butter or margarine

1/2 of 1, 15-oz. can black beans

1/2 of 1, 15-oz. can whole kernel corn

1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded meat (can use turkey, chicken, beef - or you can omit meat altogether)

1/2 fresh tomato, sliced or cubed

2 handfuls of shredded cheese (we use a mix of shredded cheeses with only 2% fat)

1/2 fresh avocado, sliced

Melt the butter in a large skillet (large enough for the tortilla to lay mostly flat) over medium heat, and spread it around the bottom of the skillet. Place the tortilla in the skillet. Layer the beans, corn and shredded meat on half the tortilla. Top with tomato and cheese. Fold the empty-tortilla side on top of the ingredients. Carefully flip in the skillet and continue browning the tortilla. Remove from skillet once tortilla is nicely browned and crispy. Top with avocado slices.

You could add sour cream and/or salso if you'd like. We would have, but we didn't have any!

This was a nice way to use up the leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Have your own adventure with this recipe!

Thanksgiving leftover ideas

Thanksgiving is done, and we are getting tired of turkey. We have come up with some tasty ways to use up the leftover turkey: "Monster" Quesadillas with turkey and Hearty Tortilla Soup with turkey instead of shredded chicken.

Shopping for these two meal ideas was easy since they have similar ingredients. That was a nice perk!

I will post the recipes after they have been made, so I can include pictures. I WILL remember to stop this time and take a picture before I devour it! I just love to eat!