We now know the answer to our questions about the area at the corner of Campbell Street and 40th Street. Ingos Tasty Food is the new restaurant concept by LGO Hospitality. Popular Arcadia restaurants like Chelsea’s Kitchen, La Grande Orange Grocery, and Gratefulspoon Gelato have transformed the old parking lot of Radio Milano into a single-room, metal-and brick-constructed home. I was so impressed by the beauty of the structure that I had to run home to write Fantasy Photography a note to Will Bruder, a Phoenix-based architect. Instead, I decided to stay and eat hamburgers. It was a good decision.
Part upscale diner, part theater-in-the-round, Ingo’s interior offers a single curved counter where guests can sit on one of a dozen pleather stools and watch Chef Dom Ruggerio and his distractingly attractive staff prepare their meals. I opted, on my first and second visits to Ingo’s, to dine al fresco in the curbside, stabilized-granite-covered beer and wine garden. Kimber Stonehouse (formerly of Sportsman’s Fine Wine and Spirits) oversees a balanced beer and wine selection that’s heavy in French vin. This large, covered patio can be used in summer heat by adding overhead misters or big umbrellas to shade outdoor diners.
Ingo’s food is simple, but the concept of the diner is full of cute gimmickry. There are daily specials handwritten on Postit notes and signage encouraging silly hand gestures. A thumbs up, these signs explain, is a thumbs-up ingos tasty food which means, “We love it!” The best and most creative cooks! “), and a confusing queueing system that involved numbered feet on the floor. A staff member explained this to me twice, but I still don’t understand it.
Ingo’s is not a place to start cautiously. The Fresh Shattered Potato chips are the closest thing you can get to an appetizer. They’re thick-cut, hot, crispy, and lightly salty. The chips were served with a thick, creamy lebni, a Lebanese yogurt dip, and a small amount of soggy chips. I switched to the blush sangria after realizing that the rose I ordered was a sparkling wine.
Equally intriguing was the Heirloom Brown rice Bowl. The combination of black beans and organic rice with feta and pistachios made for a delicious combination. However, the flavor was lost to the heat of a hot jalapeno sauce.
Sandwich-making is clearly Ruggerio’s forte. Crispy Chicken Sandwich is a new take on the classic menu item. It features moist ingos tasty food white meat schnitzel, paired with Granny Smith apple slices, and a dill pickle. The No. The 1 Tuna Burger is a combination of the perfectly moist fish and bulgur wheat and avocado. It’s distinguished by a generous amount of smooth, homemade aioli.