City council’s favorite foods

One of the best ways to learn more about someone is to find out what they love to eat.

Here’s a peek at a 2024 Restuarant Guide article where your city councilmembers’ favorite foods and which restaurant they would like to see in Maricopa one day.

Eric Goettl
If it is food, I will probably eat it! I love to try new foods, especially foods that have a rich heritage and culture, foods that not only excite the taste buds but also tell a story.
My favorite dish, and maybe it’s because we’re coming off the holidays, has to be my late grandmother’s four-generation recipe for stuffing. Each time I’m able to make this dish, it brings back wonderful memories of spending time with her and family around the Thanksgiving table.

When it comes to what restaurant I would like to see come to Maricopa, that’s a hard one for me to answer. I don’t necessarily have one dream restaurant I wish would come. Instead, I’m excited for any new restaurant to come to town, especially one that might be built around one of their grandma’s favorite recipes!

Amber Liermann
My favorite food depends on my mood. I love Mexican, Chinese, Italian, American, Thai. My new favorite food is Filipino.

I would love to see a Cheesecake Factory here in Maricopa and a Peter Piper Pizza for the young families.

Vincent Manfredi
I grew up in a primarily Cuban neighborhood, so my favorite food is Cuban, followed closely by my family’s Italian dishes. My favorite dish is bistec res empanizado, con arroz y frijoles and platano maduro frita, which is a thin cutlet of choice top round steak, seasoned in classic Cuban spices, lightly breaded and fried golden brown, served with white rice and a black bean soup, and fried ripe plantains.
There was a Cuban restaurant in West New York, N.J., where I grew up named Las Palmas Restaurant, and I would do anything to have that here.

Bob Marsh
My wife and I are omnivores and I have worked as No. 2 in a 4-star restaurant. My favorite dish is Pacific Northwest Salmon. Why? Omega-3 fatty acids in the fish. Healthy.
I would love to see a revival of the old North Scottsdale traditional favorite Pinnacle Peak Patio, with the addition of salmon to their menu. Pinnacle Peak cooked their cowboy steaks over mesquite flames, served with very cold beer, and they cut off your necktie if you ordered your steak well-done.

Pinnacle Peak Patio Version 2 would be a real addition to Maricopa. A real cowboy bar with real cowboy steaks cooked over mesquite by real cowboys. That would get Valley residents driving out to Maricopa for a night out.

Nancy Smith
My favorite food is Italian.

My favorite meal is an Italian feast with lasagna, spaghetti, French bread and salad. This creates a community feel where people share a meal and engage in laughter and great conversations.

Something like RigaTony’s would be great for Maricopa.

Rich Vitiello
My favorite cuisine is Italian. As for my favorite meal, that’s a difficult one, but I would have to say veal marsala. It’s just an absolutely delicious meal.

I would love to see RigaTony’s come to Maricopa. The reason why I like eating there is because it is a family-style restaurant like back home in New York. The staff is very friendly and kind. The food is almost as good as my wife Joann’s cooking, but hers is still better like my mom’s. RigaTony’s would fit in Maricopa just fine and I believe it would do very well here.

Henry Wade
My favorite food is Mexican and that’s probably because I grew up in Los Angeles. I was born in East L.A. and moved to another part of L.A., so those flavors call to me.

I love chicken tortilla soup because it’s so flavorful and so warm. It feels comforting. I want it even if it’s 100 degrees outside.

There’s a restaurant in Los Angeles, a small restaurant where I had my first date called El Torito. It would be nice to have a replica of that because it takes me back to my history.

Elected Officials – InMaricopa