Gourmet burger places continue to crop up like mushrooms across the Valley.The latest on my radar is called Lush Burger, scheduled to open by the end of April in at DC Ranch Crossing in North Scottsdale. (That’s the same plaza where Calistro Bistro and AJ’s are located.)Co-owner Josh Berk, who’s…
Diet Coke, don’t fail me now.A little caffeine boost is usually a good idea this time of day — especially after a lunchtime splurge like I had.Ever been to Rito’s Mexican Takeout? It’s one of those hidden downtown gems, the kind of place you learn about through word of mouth,…
Changes are afoot downtown.Nathan Crouser, chef de cuisine at District American Kitchen & Wine Bar since its debut, will be pursuing a career opportunity in California. Although the restaurant’s name isn’t currently available, I’m told that Crouser will stay with Starwood, the company that also owns the downtown Sheraton that…
It’s time, ladies and gentlemen, for a Martha Stewart Living Cover Challenge. It’s been a while since we’ve tried to tackle a recipe featured on the cover of Martha’s magazine. The last time we attempted it was when we took on Croquembouche, which you can read about here, here, and…
Mayor Phil Gordon, Congressman Tom Simplot and a couple hundred other supporters of Aunt Rita’s Foundation (the folks behind AIDS Walk Phoenix) turned out for Sugar & Champagne: The SAVORlife Soiree at the Phoenix Art Museum this past Friday. The event capped off a round of benefit dinners for the foundation and…
Yes, you read that right. Iron Chef Cat Cora will be the star of our next Chow Bella event, on June 23 at 7 p.m. We’re thrilled to team up with our favorite local bookstore, Changing Hands, for a special night of cooking and chatting with Cora, who’ll give a food…
I planned to smoke a lot of meat while competing in the Arizona Barbecue Festival this weekend. I did not plan to smoke a 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer.I am embarrassed to report that in addition to preparing pork ribs, pork shoulder, brisket, and chicken at the Scottsdale contest, which I was…
One can never have enough Thin Mints. At least that’s what we thought until Managing Editor Amy Silverman brought in a dozen unsold boxes to a recent Chow Bella meeting. If one must make lemonade when life hands one lemons, we theorized one must make desert when life hands one…
Wading through the grease pit of bland food, cooking, and eating shows focusing on cheap shopping, bogus belly busters, and chefs more familiar with cursing than conjuring up a decent dish, we’ve paid our dues to the TV gods (Kraken release avoided!) — at least for the time being. In…
The new Open Book Cafe at the Burton-Barr Central Library has a great atmosphere. Located just inside the library’s west entrance, Open Book Cafe provides a decorative cove for readers to pore over their latest selections. The walls are a mix of metal panels and bright yellow, and furniture ranges…
As the crowd counted down the final seconds of Flancer’s 10th annual charity pizza-eating contest Sunday, Chiun “Jimmy” Peng had to have figured he won. The defending champion consumed 17 extra-large slices — the equivalent of more than two 18-inch pizzas — in just 15 minutes, making his 2009 record…
An early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives. Tomorrow night, April 13th, join 5th and Wine as they present their Zaca Mesa Wine Dinner. Each of the four courses will be paired with Santa Barbara Vineyard’s wines. Dinner starts at 6:30 and reservations can be made…
Another week has come and gone leaving us to ponder the upcoming events that will shape our lives and, more importantly, our dinners out. But before we move on, let’s have one last look at the blog posts from this week: Ramen for the Soul at Republic Ramen Read This:…
Extra PEEPS in the back of the freezer? Leftover hard-boiled eggs from that Easter hunt? Bring them down to the Arizona Science Center this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and have some fun. The science folks will explain what really happens when you put a PEEP in…
We saw these treats featured on seesaw design’s blog, and had to share. Hungry for Mexican food but can’t spare the calories? Enjoy the tasty sight of chips & salsa, tamales and pan dulce — all made entirely of felt, available for sale on etsy by Feltalicious (based in…
Last time, In the Kitchen brought you Italian Wedding Soup, this week we had a much different experience with the firefighters of Chandler. Today I’m eating lunch with engine 287 of the Chandler Fire Department. I’ve been given a tip — bring ice cream — so I arrive with two…
It’s good to be in Phoenix for the food and the architecture these days. We’ve even heard of people coming here for just those two things. As part of the Modern Phoenix Week events, last night a group gathered at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art to ponder the notion…
Yesterday, Josh Warner shared some of the finer points in creating fun and fresh cocktails. The Spa-tini at Wildfish Seafood Grille certainly fits that description. It’s no wonder it’s one of the house favorites–the combination of cucumber and pineapple with a twist of lemon sure seems like a recipe for…
Vintner Eric Glomski’s Page Springs Cellars winery and tasting room, as well as winemaker/rock star Maynard Keenan’s Caduceus tasting room, are two great destinations for a Verde Valley road trip. Three is a better number though, so to complete the trifecta, Glomski and Keenan are unveiling a new tasting room for their shared…
I doubt the AZ BBQ Festival will be a one-off event. Those guys over at the EaterAZ blog, Rick Phillips and Dave Tyda, have done a bang-up job with organizing and promoting their brand-new culinary festival, which takes place this weekend at the Scottsdale Waterfront. I drove by the site yesterday and got a…
Just because the bartender doesn’t hand you a nutritional information packet with your cocktail doesn’t mean those calories don’t count. For some, a night of binge-drinking can reach an entire day’s worth of calories, and it’s gonna take one hell of a workout to counteract that effect (especially with your…
One can never have enough Thin Mints. At least that’s what we thought until Managing Editor Amy Silverman brought in a dozen unsold boxes to a recent Chow Bella meeting. If one must make lemonade when life hands one lemons, we theorized one must make dessert when life hands one…
