Plan for
Easter
Plan for Easter
Neighbors
Page 45
Where to eat
EV Chorale
at CUMC
EV Chorale at CUMC
Spirituality
Page 67
Where to eat
Pages 75-78
Phoenicia Grill introduces splash of Mediterranean
by Joan Westlake
Delicious homemade dishes, affordable prices and a friendly welcome are winning over the palates of SanTan Sun area diners to healthy Mediterranean cuisine. Fouad and Sylvia Belgaied opened the doors to Gilbert’s Phoenicia Grill in May 2005, following the continuing success of their Tempe restaurant. “We moved here from Michigan in 1996 and raised our family in the Gilbert area; our kids go to school here,” says Fouad. “A lot of our friends and neighbors from Chandler and Gilbert who drove to Tempe for our food kept asking us to open up a restaurant here. They convinced us.”
While many customers are quick to embrace the meaty gyros, rich humus and tender shish kabobs, Fouad says they want to reach out to a dining audience that might be timid about trying something new.
“We’ve switched from offering strictly Mediterranean to offering what we call Ameriterranean,” he explains. “We’ve added more American cuisine to our menu like pancakes, French toast and cheese omelets.”
Sandwiches ($5.99 to $6.99) include American fare such as Philly cheese steaks, fish with fries and the Gilbert burger. Grilled chicken breasts and chocolate shakes are some other red-white-and-blue fare.
However, Fouad says items with a “touch of Greek,” such as a burger with feta
Get jazzed about downtown festival
Enjoy a weekend of free jazz in a variety of outdoor and indoor venues in downtown Chandler during the 11th annual Chandler Jazz Festival Fri. and Sat. March 26 and 27. The music kicks off with Royce Murray Jazz Ensemble at 4:45 p.m. March 27 on the Main Stage located at Dr. AJ Chandler Park, 3 S. Arizona Ave.
From 4:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and 3:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, the Downtown Chandler Community Partnership (DCCP) offers a beer & wine garden adjacent to the main stage, featuring beer from SanTan Brewing Company and wine from Kokopelli Winery. Dozens of vendors, selling everything from food to art, will be in the park on both days of the festival. New to the festival this year is the “New Orleans Music Stage,” located at the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort fountain courtyard. There will be continuous music from 1 to 8 p.m. Sat., March 27 and a “parasol walk” at 1 p.m. presented by the Arizona Classic Jazz Society.
Royce Murray
As co-leader of the group Bleu Orleans, Edward Anderson appears at 8 p.m. Sat., March 27. Anderson has been recognized as one of New Orleans’ leading trumpeters and artists, and was named 2007 “all star” trumpeter by New Orleans Magazine.
Edward Anderson
Leading the Dmitri Matheny Group, Dmitri Matheny of Chandler takes the main stage at 5:45 p.m. Saturday. An honors graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and the Berklee College of Music, his
discography lists more than 50 compact discs on which he appears as a composer, arranger, producer, annotator or flugelhornist. After 20 years in San Francisco, Dmitri relocated to Chandler in 2009.
STSN photo
AMERITERRANEAN: A combination of Mediterranean and American cuisine is on the menu at Phoenicia Grill.
cheese or eggs with gyros are often the first Mediterranean dishes that win patrons over to food that is not only delicious but good for you.
One of the best ways to sample the cuisine is at the popular all-you-can-eat buffet for $8.99. There are 18 different items served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
From the delicately sliced chicken shawarma dinner ($10.99) to the Couscous Phoenicia with its tenderly cooked lamb shanks ($12.99), the food is reasonably priced and flavorful. The baklava ($1.99) is thick and rich, not some pale attempt at the legendary dessert.
See Phoenicia Grill Page 43
Two Chandler pools open for spring break
Hamilton and Mesquite Groves Aquatic Centers are open for water play and recreational swimming during the spring intersession break for the Chandler Unified School District. The water is heated at both facilities.
The Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center is open the following days and hours: • Noon to 5 p.m. Sat., March 20
• 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, March 22 through 26
• Noon to 5 p.m. Sat., March 27
The facility is closed on Sundays during spring break, but
STSN photo
SPLASH INTO SPRING: Swimming at Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center, one of two Chandler pools open during spring break, is a healthy alternative to TV and video games.
will be open on Sundays starting April 11. It features a lap pool, diving area, two slides, water vortex, lazy river with tumble buckets and a play area for kids. Mesquite Groves will maintain preseason operational hours for most weekdays and weekends after the spring break recess. However, only portions of the facility may be open at certain times. For a complete listing of open dates, hours, and available amenities visit www.chandleraz.gov/aquatics.
The Hamilton Aquatic Center opens the following days and hours: • Noon to 5 p.m. Sat., March 20 (free admission day) • Noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, March 22 through 27 The facility is closed on Sundays. It features a lap pool, diving area, two slides, water vortex, current river and a play area for kids.
Dmitri Matheny
See Get jazzed Page 43
Admission is 75 cents for kids ages 2 to 17, $2 for adults and $1 for seniors 55 and older. A season pass is also available for a Chandler family of four for $112, which is valid March through November. Additional family members can be added for $15 each. Discounted punch passes are also available to Chandler residents at a discounted rate. For more information on the City’s aquatic facilities, programs and fees, including swimming lessons, swim teams and lifeguard jobs, call 480-782-2733 or go to www.chandleraz.gov/aquatics.
Where to eat
March 20 - April 2, 2010
43
Neighbors
www.SanTanSun.com
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