Restaurants in Arden-Arcade

Spicy food is a great way to separate the men from the boys, the women from the girls, and the girls from the boys if they get too rowdy at coed canoe camp. Thai Fusion lets customers specify their dishes as mild, medium, hot, or Thai hot, for optimal sinus-clearing fulfillment. The menu at this family-owned-and-operated neighborhood hot spot features fresh, authentic Thai ingredients, and ably blocks light from your eyes when it's especially sunny. Start with an order of fresh spring rolls ($5.95) or savory satay chicken ($6.95), or practice your pronunciation of classic Thai salads to have them promptly appear before you in the hands of a friendly staff member ($7.45–$12.95). House specialties ($10.95–$15.95) feature such sweet and spicy fare as Nam Tok, a medium-rare beef marinated in Thai herbs and served in Thai hot and sour barbecue sauce ($10.95), and shrimp spiced and sweetened with chili jam, mango, bell peppers, onions, and cashews ($15.95). The restaurant's traditional and creative varieties of fried rice ($8.95–$12.95), stir fries ($8.95–$12.95), curries ($8.95–$12.95), and noodle dishes ($9.95–$12.95) round out the menu with options for carboholics and vegetarians alike.

Hot City Pizza's menu of deluxe pies is graced with toppings of every variety, organized by chicken, meat, veggie, and seafood options. People combating solid-food phobias can seek refuge in the fresh summertime flavors of the mojito pizza, sprigged with mint, red onions, roasted red peppers, and sweet marinated chicken and drizzled with olive oil and lime juice ($16.99+). The Primo pizza re-engages incurious epicureans with a classic Italian combination of marinara-smothered crust, genoa salami, pepperoni, chicago sausage, mushrooms, black olives, green peppers, red onions, and tomatoes ($16.99+).

To replicate the thin-crust pies found in New York's Italian-American neighborhoods, Giovanni's chefs make everything from scratch and bake their five-borough recreations atop a toasted hearthstone. They load their slices with layers of fresh mozzarella and an eclectic mix of toppings. Tables, draped in classic red-and-white checkered cloths, buckle under the weight of the pies, including the Coney Island piled with freshwater clams, garlic, and spices.

In addition to baking circular eats, the cooks marinate Sicilian-style chicken in extra-virgin olive oil and herbs before fire-roasting it on the rotisserie. Forks excavate the lasagna's layers, burrowing through strata of imported pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and housemade tomato sauce, to unearth hearty pieces of meat or veggies.

Every day since “Daddy Dave” Leatherby Sr. and his wife, Sally, opened the first Leatherby’s Family Creamery 30 years ago, the shop has been churning out fresh ice cream layered in sweet sauces straight from the candy kettle. Milk, cream, and sugar form the base of Leatherby’s more than 30 flavors, which range from staples such as chocolate and strawberry to more exotic varieties including mocha almond fudge and spumoni. Inspired by family recipes that date back a half-century, these frosty treats come in cones, shakes, malts, and sodas, as well as in heaping sundaes and banana splits, the largest of which tips the scales at 54 ounces. Leatherby’s menu has expanded over time, and includes savory options such as sandwiches, burgers, soups, and salads.

The kitchen staff at Cheezer’s Gourmet Pizza has made its fair share of signature White Creamy Pie pizzas since the shop opened in 1986, so staff members have the process down to a science. First, they slap together the dough and stir the homemade white, creamy garlic sauce. Then they toss the sauce onto the dough and blanket it with cheese, pepperonis, mushrooms, bacon bits, tomatoes, green onions, and one regulation-sized golf ball. Finally, they slide the entire disk into a brick oven and bake it until it bubbles.

All 19 of their pizzas receive a similar treatment, the only differences being the toppings and the type of homemade sauce, which include creamy-pesto sauce, barbecue sauce, tomato-basil sauce, and tomato sauce. They stuff the same toppings into paninis and calzones, though they wisely leave them out of the glasses they fill with draft beer.

The aroma of beef and veggie patties, frankfurters, and sliced steak sizzling on the grill fills the kitchen at Mr. Pickles Sandwich & Burger Shop. where chefs busily craft no-nonsense burgers and sandwiches. They keep more fixings at hand for build-your-own sandwiches, which incorporate classic deli ingredients from sweet rolls and cream cheese to tuna salad and pastrami. Specialty sandwiches include the salami and ham combo of the Big Tony and the teriyaki-soaked chicken of the St. Francis, whose namesake became famous for introducing the concept of marination to Rome. Though a cozy dining area accommodates guests feasting in-house, chefs also cook meals for pickup and catered events.