North Phoenix Blog Salutes Our Veterans

We at the North Phoenix Blog would like to take a moment to reflect on what Veteran's Day means. It is more than just a day off from work and school. Veteran's Day is a way of showing our appreciation for those who serve in our armed forces, past, present, and future.

We are very grateful to the brave men and women who have served our country, both in combat and here at home. We thank the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines, and the Coast Guard. We thank the reserves, and everyone here at home who works so hard to keep us safe.

We pray for our troops over in Iraq and Afghanistan, that they will return home safely. We pray also for the families of the enlisted, that they will find the strength to endure the time apart from their loved ones with courage and love. We also pray for the families who have lost loved ones, that their sacrifice will not be forgotten.

We thank our veterans for their service today and every day. Thank you and God Bless!

Fast Times at Penske Racing Museum

By now, it is no secret that Phoenix has plenty to offer the automotive enthusiast. Between car shows, cruise-ins, and auction events, there's something for almost everyone. If there is one thing Phoenix is short on however, it's car museums. There's just one that I know of, but it's definitely worth checking out.

It's called the Penske Racing Museum, and it is home to both cars and racing memorabilia from the personal collection of Roger Penske, who is the owner of the Penske Automotive Group. The museum is conveniently located on Scottsdale Road, just south of the Loop 101 freeway.

Okay, so before you get all revved up at me, I know that this is the North Phoenix Blog and the museum is not in Phoenix. But Phoenix and Scottsdale are neighbors, and around here we try to "Love thy neighbor" as the old saying goes.

Getting back on track here, why should you visit the Penske Racing Museum? Well, here are a few good reasons I can think of: it's free, it's open to the public, and the collection does not disappoint. The museum is wedged between the Land Rover dealership and the Jaguar dealership, in a mirrored glass building two stories tall. From the outside it looks like every other office building along the freeway, but inside you will find some important specimens of racing history.

The majority of the collection features open wheel Indy Cars, which are not to be confused with similarly styled Formula One cars. I don't know much about them so I'm not about to pretend that I do and embarrass myself in the process.

There are a couple of NASCAR vehicles on display, including the #2 Rusty Wallace Dodge Charger from 2005 and the #12 Ryan Newman Dodge. Vintage NASCAR fans will appreciate Roger Penske's 1963 Pontiac Catalina with the #02 on the doors. With its flawless black paint job and vintage racing decals, it is too nice to be anywhere other than a museum. Although I'm not much of a NASCAR fan, I really enjoyed seeing what they look like up close.

Other collection highlights include a 1973 IROC Porsche RSR, a vintage Indianapolis 500 pace car, and a modern Corvette Z06 pace car. There were several Indy V8 engines on display throughout the museum, each one an intricate work of art that must have taken a large amount of some skilled mechanic's time to assemble. I was astonished that an engine with just 2.65 liters of displacement could generate over 700 HP at 12,500 RPM!

Upstairs you'll find the gift shop and trophy case for Penske Automotive Group along with the cafe. After grabbing a sandwich and something to drink, you can eat indoors or outdoors on the shaded balcony. The balcony provides an excellent view of the Land Rover test course, where prospective buyers can put their new Rover through its paces on a series of uneven surfaces and hill climbs.

The Penske Racing Museum is a wonderful place to visit. It's a class act all the way, from the track lighting to the black tiled floor, which was polished to a mirror finish. Nothing about the place seemed cheap and visitors were encouraged to spend as long as they like browsing the collection. My recommendation is that you mark this on your To-Do list under "Must See."

An Honest Review of Culver's Deer Valley

Overview
If you do not venture up near the Deer Valley Airport on a regular basis, then you may not have heard of Culver's by now. It's the newest contestant in the battle for fast food supremacy along Deer Valley Road, and it's going to be a tough one to beat.

The Wisconsin-based franchise has selected Arizona for its newest test market. Culver's Deer Valley opened up earlier this year, in March of 2008. Besides the Phoenix location, there is another one in Mesa and a third one under construction in Surprise. That's a very small number of restaurants and if you do not live nearby, you may be wondering if it's worth the drive. Maybe I should start by explaining what makes Culver's different from the other fast food franchises.

A trip to Culver's will do more than suppress your appetite; it will change the way you think about fast food. It's hard to ignore how different this place is from other fast food chains. The building features a shaded patio for outside dining and a fancy stone facade around the main entrance. The dining room features a carpeted floor and neatly framed pictures hanging on the cream-colored walls. There are high-backed booths and the chairs are real wood, not plastic. They even have flat screen TVs hanging on the walls, which (thankfully) were kept at a low volume.

Menu
Apparently, the folks at Culver's don't want you to feel that fast food dining has to be a cheap and unpleasant experience. Just take a look at their menu and you'll see what I am talking about. Unlike their competition, the menu has over 45 items to choose from! For indecisive types like me, this is a baffling ordeal. Not only do they offer burgers and fries, but also sandwiches, soups, salads, and full dinner meals like chicken, fish, and pot roast!

If you find their vast menu a little bit overwhelming, you can always play it safe and order their signature product: a Butter Burger. What makes a Butter Burger different from a regular hamburger? They apply butter to the bun before toasting it on the grill, which leaves the bread warm and delicious when it's brought out to your table. They are also very proud of their beef, which is never frozen and 100% US-produced. When you combine all of this with a mountain of fresh toppings, the results are mouth-wateringly good (yes, I just made that up).

Besides their burgers, Culver's prides itself on its custom dessert menu. Besides ice cream, floats, shakes and malts, they've also their signature frozen custard. The dessert section takes up a good 1/3 of the menu board, so if you stop by without trying the dessert you won't be getting the full Culver's experience.

My Visit
I've been to Culver's about once a month since it opened, maybe six or seven times now. At first, it totally won me over. I liked the food, the atmosphere, and the attractive young ladies behind the counter (hey, I am in college after all). Eventually though, friends and family began to report stories of missing side orders, long lines, and orders made incorrectly.

Then there was the issue of value. Although the food tastes far better than McDonalds or Wendy's, it also costs significantly more. Culver's does not have a "Value Menu" of any sort and I've paid on average $7 to $9 dollars for a meal there. If I felt like getting ripped off, I'd just go to Carl's Jr.! Still, I had been lucky so far and continued to sing a song of praise for Culver's. That is, until recently.

The Big One
It was a Friday night, about two weeks ago. I went over to Culver's with a friend just after 9pm. He was ordering dinner but I had already eaten, so I decided tonight would be the night I would give their "famous frozen custard" a try. Frozen custard is similar to ice cream, only with more butterfat and less air. It's thicker and creamier, and available in a cup or a cone.

Hanging on the wall was a large sign that said "Flavor of the Day: Cherry Chocolate Chip." Sounds good, I thought to myself. I ordered one "Flavor of the day" in a cone and the total came to almost $3 dollars. I settled into a table with my little plastic number and waited. About 10 minutes later, a server walked up and handed me a strange looking ice cream cone wrapped in a napkin. Instead of cherries and chocolate chips, there were giant pecan nuts protruding in every direction! Yuck!

"Um, I don't think this is what I ordered" I said to the girl. She smiled awkwardly and walked away. It looked like I would have to take matters into my own hands, but not before grabbing some napkins, because this thing was already dripping down my arm!

I brought the whole mess up to the front counter and saw the girl I had ordered from. "Your sign says today's flavor is cherry chocolate chip, but that's not what I got here. What's going on?" I asked.

"That is tomorrow's flavor, they've already changed the sign" she said sweetly. "How would anyone know that, when your sign says TODAY's flavor?" I asked her. "Can we do anything about it?" She went and got the manager, an older looking woman with curly gray hair and a permanent scowl on her face. It was worse than a frown; it was the kind of expression that comes from years of hard work for low wages, and dealing with guys who complain about ice cream cones. Well, today wouldn't be her day.

I explained the situation to the manager, who spoke not a word. She grabbed the dripping mass from my hand and made a big show of throwing it away, arcing it high above her head before slamming it into the garbage can. "I can't believe she just did that" I thought to myself. The cashier asked what I would like instead. "Well, do you have cherry chocolate chip?" I asked. The old woman answered for her, and glared at me. "No! We only have vanilla!"

"Well, I guess I'll take the vanilla then" I said flatly. And do you know what? It really wasn't anything special. It tasted just like ordinary ice cream. It was so boring, so...plain vanilla. Here I could have just gone to McDonalds and gotten a soft serve cone for 89 cents and avoided the drama show, instead of paying almost $3 bucks for a "famous frozen custard."

Closing Thoughts
I had really wanted to write a glowing review of Culvers, honestly I did! The burgers are delicious and I love the crinkle cut fries. The problem with Culver's is that it's not a great value for the price, and customer service means nothing to these people. They did not make sure I was satisfied when the error was clearly their fault (changing their sign a day early).

I would recommend trying it out once or twice if you're in the area, but it's not worth driving any great distance for. What I have observed is that over time, Culver's succumbs to the same problem that every fast food restaurant has: they are totally inconsistent. You might go there one time and love it, and the next visit everything goes horribly wrong.

While Culver's tries very hard to distance themselves from the typical image of a fast food franchise with their carpeted dining room and expansive menu, at the end of the day it is not much different than any other burger joint. Honestly though, the food is so addictively good that I'm sure I'll find myself back there before long.

Arizona State Fair Going On Now

It's that time of year again! Time for food, fun, rides and entertainment like nowhere else! It's the Arizona State Fair, back again for its 124th year.

This year features a huge list of attractions, rides, and concerts. Look for appearances from Larry the Cable Guy, the Goo Goo Dolls, Weezer, Sheryl Crow, Mary J. Blige, and LL Cool J. All of the old favorites will also be there, like the Midway games, the endless food, and my favorite, Le Grande Wheel.

The State Fair also offers a complete list of attractions, hours, prices, and discount days on its website. Check it out: http://www.azstatefair.com/

Luxury Car Dealerships Cruise Into Deer Valley

It comes as no surprise that Phoenix is a hotbed of activity for automotive enthusiasts. From our growing network of freeways to our laughable public transportation system, there is no question that Phoenix is a drivers' town. I believe it has a lot to do with the fact that people in Phoenix just like driving.

Every year in January, a mass migration of motorheads takes place in North Scottsdale where the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction is held. Other auction houses such as Russo & Steele, Gooding & Co., and RM Auctions have similar auction events scheduled at the same time and in the same vicinity. There's just something about the dry desert air and mild winter climate provides the perfect atmosphere for millionaires to mingle with rare and collectible automobiles.

In fact, the market for classic and exotic cars has grown so large that it has expanded beyond North Scottsdale and into North Phoenix. To meet the increasing demand for collectible cars, a number of small, upscale dealerships have sprung up around the Deer Valley Airport. These luxury car dealerships are different from traditional car dealerships in several ways.

Today I'll be covering three specialty vehicle dealers in the Deer Valley area. They are as follows:

Anthem Motors
Located at 21st Avenue and Lone Cactus Drive, Anthem Motors is easily accessible from Interstate 17. Anthem Motors provides both sales and service, including vehicle restorations and rebuilds. Their office features an extensive garage in addition to a showroom, both of which are packed with exciting automobilia. While Anthem Motors primarily caters to the high performance needs of Ford and Cobra enthusiasts, they are very comfortable with Corvettes, Pontiacs, and exotics such as Ferraris and Lamborghinis.
http://www.anthemmotors.com/

Forman Motorsport
Just across the freeway at 19th Avenue and Williams is the new sales and showroom of Forman Motorsport, who are purveyors of all manner of fine automobiles. From American muscle to European style, Forman is the gathering ground for the high performance marques of the world. What sets Forman Motorsports apart from the competition is their many custom services. They offer special financing options, premium wheel and tire packages, and customized Ford F650 vehicles, all under one roof!
http://www.formanmotorsport.com/

World of Jaguars (Doc's Jags)
Right around the block from Forman is World of Jaguars, also known as Doc's Jags, located at 15th Lane and Parkside Lane. You might have noticed the giant gleaming Jaguar on the roof, which is a strong indicatior of how much pride the team at Doc's takes in their work. At Doc's, their business is transforming the strays and runaways of the Jaguar brand into show-winning pedigrees. Whether your kitty needs a little TLC or a full makeover, count on the experts at Doc's to make it purr again. Check the website for loads of awesome build and restoration photos.
http://www.docsjags.com/

Whether you are ready to acquire the exotic car of your dreams or restore a classic to its full glory, the good folks at Deer Valley's luxury dealerships will be glad to assist you.