Right on the heels of our hunt for dollar dining deals, we came across another local restaurant rolling out their own version of a dollar menu. San Gabriel Mexican Cafe at 7000 North 16th St. in Phoenix just introduced a “Dishes for Dollars” menu, which includes $2 tacos and tostadas, $3…
In yesterday’s Chef Chat, we learned that Andrew Ashmore, executive chef of Scottsdale’s Modern Steak, has an affinity for beef. For this recipe, though, he decided to share a non-steak favorite, Maple Bacon Glazed Salmon. The dish is a great fall/winter meal, with a mix of sweet and savory tastes–great…
Bittersweet seems to be the best way to sum up the Valley restaurant scene for 2009 — sweet that more than 100 restaurants opened in the midst of a very rough recession, but bitter that more than twice as many places shut their doors. Some of the bright spots? Read…
Mesa may not exactly be known as the culinary capital of the East Valley — yet! — but it’s catching up now that Boa Bistro, an offshoot of the popular Caffe Boa in downtown Tempe, is open. In this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, Chef Payton Curry discusses menu updates and weekly dining specials at the new location. We’ll also…
Joe DiPadovaThe deep house and techno deejay and founder of ONE spins regularly at places such as Hanny’s and Cream Stereo Lounge and plays at Bar Smith Saturday, January 16. What’d you eat for dinner last night? Well, I’m up in Taos, N. M. right now, so I ate at a…
How well do you know your favorite cookhouse contraptions? Can you tell a melon baller from a cookie scoop? See if you can guess today’s gadget and check back next week for the answer. Here are a few of our guesses, add yours to the comment box below: – Venetian…
At first glance, Andrew Ashmore looks more like a rocker than the executive chef of Scottsdale’s Modern Steak. The 26-year-old from Grand Rapids, Mich. has a youthful appearance, with spiky hair and tattoos peeking out of his chef’s jacket. But the young’n is helming one of the Valley’s newest premiere…
If you’ve ever wanted to name a beer without the effort and work required to, you know, brew it, this is your chance. SanTan Brewery is holding a contest to rename what used to be called the Sun Devil Ale after receiving a “cease and desist” letter from Arizona State…
As the Trib’s Jess Harter pointed out on his blog last week, “Valley chefs are the new homeless.” 2009 saw many of the top toques in town become restaurant ronin after their restaurants closed or they parted ways with their employers or business partners. But at least one of those…
When we heard about the two Social Justice teachers who went on a “Dollar a Day Diet” back in 2008 (they’re now working on a book deal) and Rebecca Currie’s follow-up project on healthy eating for a dollar a day, we thought they all must be crazy. We can’t even eat for…
Tempe certainly lost some major mojo when longtime Mill Avenue hangout Long Wong’s closed a few years back. In its heyday, there was no better place to eat a burger and some wings, knock back a few cold ones, and watch local bands kick out the jams. But now the same…
According to the Valley of the Sun United Way, over 260,000 Arizona residents lack resources needed to acquire food for the next few days. Eighty thousand will skip meals or consume meals that lack adequate quantity on a regular basis. Due to recent economic conditions, the demand on local resources…
I may never eat IKEA’s Swedish meatballs again. After a post-New Year’s Day pilgrimage to ogle fabrics and cute dishware that I really don’t need at Tempe’s uber-retailer, I remembered that new Hillside Spot is just down the street, on the other side of I-10 (4740 E. Warner Rd.). Considering…
We are invited to a New Year’s Day smoked pork roast. Our Southern girlfriend and her husband are going to slow smoke pork for twelve hours on the grill with a secret spicy dry rub. Well, need we say more? Count us in. But we need to bring something along…
If you’re like us, you’re a little sick of having to ask for Midori sour’s and pineapple juice/grenadine combos if we’re craving something sweet and fun at the bars. And, not to mention, it’s a little hard to precariously balance a martini glass while we’re trying to cut it up…
According to its shiny aluminum can, the Ironclad energy drink was “specially formulated for the industrial athlete.” The drink’s blend of Taurine, caffeine, electrolytes, and B vitamins is supposed to provide an unusually high-octane boost for active folks, while also preventing dehydration. The Ironclad energy drink is a registered trademark…
Let’s take one last look back, shall we? That’s what we was thinking when we walked into Taste of Tops on January 1, 2010. 2009 was a challenging year and not just because of $5 gas, a struggling economy and even more reality show bullshit than we thought possible. No,…
In New York City the black and white cookie is ubiquitous; it can be spotted in corner delis throughout the city. It is an old standby — available and steady. It’s just the thing we need for the beginning of the New Year. More cake-like than crunchy — the black…
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: DownUnder Wines & Bistro Opens at New Gilbert Location…
Local chef Beau MacMillan has had a six-month reprieve from some of his usual duties as executive chef of elements at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain as the resort’s signature restaurant gets a multimillion-dollar overhaul. During that time, he filmed the Food Network television series Worst Cooks in America, in which he and…
Last week: Carly’s Bistro in Phoenix…
In the year 2000 we were supposed to see rocket cars and matter transporters. We didn’t quite make it there, but there were several advancements in food. Some are good, some are bad and some are just plain terrible, but for better worse, here are our favorite food trends for…
