The Sign
While driving south on N 40th St, we saw it – Tasty Food This Way. My friends and I had just come from hiking to the top of Camelback Mountain and we were treating ourselves to lunch before driving home. We were actually on our way to someplace else, but intrigued by the bright yellow umbrellas shading the busy patio, we turned in and found the last available parking spot. We took it as a sign. This was meant to be.
Ingo’s Tasty Food and Beer Garden has only been around since November 2013 so it isn’t an institution… yet (but we think that it will be). Billed as a gourmet food stand, they do have interior eating counter where you can catch all the kitchen action, but to order you’ll need to head outside to the walk up window.
But what to choose?
I grabbed a menu and took a look. Everything sounded great, even the post it note salads hanging on the window (which change every time the post it note does). Since none of us had been here before, we were stumped, that was until Sakkara spotted us.
She asked if she could take our order, and suggested that the crispy chicken sandwich would be a sure fire winner. Granny Smith apple slices, pickles and spicy aioli sauce paired with chicken schnitzel (organic, of course), how could we not take that recommendation? Make it three with a side of fresh made potato chips.
Can we meet the chef?
We found our seats under the shade of one of those aforementioned yellow umbrellas and sipped on our drinks while we waited for lunch to arrive. It wasn’t long before Sakkara found us with sandwiches in hand. After just a few bites, we were all in agreement that the food was fantastic. It was obvious that words on the window, weren’t just for show, there really was love in every dish! I had to meet the chef.
Dom Ruggiero is the sandwich creator and executive chef at Ingo’s. The pride in his kitchen was apparent and his smile was proof that he was happy that we enjoyed (actually devoured) our lunches. The philosophy behind his creations? Use simple, fresh, all natural ingredients to create quality food. The verdict? Quality tastes delicious.
If you plan to try Ingo’s Tasty Food, it's open from 11am to 9pm, Tuesday through Sunday and is closed Mondays. Say hi to Dom and Sakkara for me!