Broccolini, chicken liver and raspados: The 3 best bites I ate in metro Phoenix this week

Welcome to my diary. As a food critic, mine happens to be filled with dishes I think about first thing in the morning and late at night as I'm dozing off into a delicious slumber. 

In the Critic's Notebook series, I'll share my current favorites, from fabulous fried chicken to highbrow sushi, taco trucks to white table cloths — whatever bites and sips have left a lasting impression in a given week. Some drinks and dishes may appear again in reviews and other future coverage, while others will be featured exclusively in this one-time ode. 

This week I continued to get reacquainted with The Valley after 15 years down in Tucson, and my favorites were all unexpected. There was a standout salad at a celebrated sandwich shop, chicken livers that stole the show in a Bianco temple of pasta, and down in Guadalupe, I went in search of mariscos, but ended up at a meat market with a strawberry raspado and coconut ice cream in my hand.  

Every dish on this list was too good not to share. Here are the best things I ate this week.

Wood roasted broccolini salad at Noble Eatery 

I can't say I've ever had bad broccolini, but this side dish achieves perfection with its roasted flavor, which plays nicely with the accompanying ball of creamy burrata cheese. The broccolini ($10) is rounded out with saba vinegar, a popular condiment in Italy that tastes like a sweeter version of balsamic. Come for the sandwiches, stay for the veggies.  

Details: 4525 N. 24th St., Phoenix. 602-688-2424, noblebread.com.

Chicken livers at Tratto 

I never expected to put a liver toast on this list, especially at a restaurant that's known for its pasta. I have eaten many a chopped liver in my day, but the organ meat can sometimes be a little much. Made with local chicken from Two Wash Ranch, the chicken liver toast at Trattto ($18) is actually the ideal gateway liver. Yes, there's a little gaminess, but it's cut by a sweet plum jam and served atop fabulous Bianco bread, which adds a complementary sweetness to the creamy liver. I loved it, and I'd be willing to bet you will too.

Details: 1505 E. Van Buren Street, Phoenix. 602-296-7761, trattophx.com/restaurant.

Raspados at Amigos Carniceria 

I've been working my way through the Pascua Yaqui town of Guadalupe in search of Arizona's best tacos. But on this particular 100-degree day, I ended up at a raspados stand inside a Mexican meat shop called Amigos. With bright colored walls and a pastoral cow mural painted by the door, the shop is as charming as it is delicious. The best part about this raspados shop is that you can choose from several different ice creams to put on your snow cone. Can you think of a better combo than chunky strawberry syrup-soaked ice and a dollop of coconut ice cream on top? Or maybe a fruity watermelon raspado with a layer of evaporated milk. At $5.99 each, you can't go wrong.

Details: 9210 S. Avenida del Yaqui, Guadalupe 480-590-4822.

Reach reporter Andi Berlin at amberlin@azcentral.com or 602-444-8533. Follow her on Facebook @andiberlin,  Instagram @andiberlin or Twitter @andiberlin. 

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