Last week’s 10 Things to Know If You’re Dining Out struck a nerve with readers — and, we’ll admit, with Chow Bella’s administration. Particularly the part about dining out with children. Sure, yes, absolutely, no doubt about it — it’s gotta suck to wait on people and their screaming, drooling, demanding,…
A week ago, chef Payton Curry wasted no time in rolling out a totally revamped menu at Tempe’s Caffe Boa, where he just started working a couple weeks ago. Now he’s already getting into the swing of special events, with the first of many locavore wine dinners to come. On Thursday, November…
This is one of Radio Milano’s most popular drinks, and it’s no wonder why. The fruity cocktail has a tinge of heat from a special ingredient: serrano chile peppers. They’re available at most grocery stores–just be careful about biting into one–it’ll set your mouth on fire! The cost: $8 The bartender:…
Certain ingredients always tempt me to order a certain way, but sometimes it’s just pure curiosity that makes me order a dish. The brunch menu at Fez, available Saturdays and Sundays, has an omelette called “The Best Egg White Omelette You’ll Ever Have,” and as soon as I saw it,…
Just a few years ago, you would’ve been lucky to find one pushcart vendor or a lousy faux wine and cheese plate at First Friday in Downtown Phoenix. Now, there are dozens of food booths, trucks and free samples to be found on Roosevelt St. during the monthly art showcase. We snuck out with camera…
A little bit of buzz was starting to brew about Scottsdale’s Metro Brasserie, whose executive chef, Matt Taylor, recently left town to work for Michael Mina in Las Vegas. Why hadn’t they announced his replacement? What’s going on over there? Apparently, they were just taking their time filling Taylor’s kitchen…
We’ve harbored a fantasy of opening our own food truck that only serves up pie and coffee. Phoenix Novembers would be perfect for this endeavor. And while we don’t actually have a pie truck, we are always eager to try a new pie recipe. Which brings us to this week’s…
‘Tis the season for coffee shops to start peddling their holiday flavors. Christmas shoppers looking to stay wired while standing in long lines will be running for peppermint, pumpkin, and apple spice-flavored caffeine concoctions. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is one of many java outlets offering seasonal drinks. I…
Beer? In the mail? Yes. Once again I have received a blessing in the form of liquid gold from the brewery gods…or so I thought. The bottles had all the telling signs of something enjoyable. One embossed with the words “Rye P.A.,” the other promising “Bavarian Wheat” goodness. Then I…
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: Lisa G Goes Out of Business on a Halloween…
Just a quick reminder that Welcome Diner has special hours for First Friday. They’ll be serving food from 6 p.m. to midnight. Specials on the menu include watermelon from Crooked Sky Farms and eggplant from Maya’s Farm. If you’re down wandering around Roosevelt Row, hit up Rusty Spoke bike co-op…
It’s a coffee Renaissance in downtown. Just got the lowdown from the guys at Tempe’s Cartel Coffee Lab that they’re opening a second location in the heart of Downtown, at 1st Street and Washington (right across the street from the new CityScape development). The timing is hazy, because they have some construction…
Who’s servin’ up all of the caffeinated haterade? Seems like people complained for years that there was nary a spot around town where goodgrounds could be found. Now we have two, no less, but they’re a toss apart on the main drag in our upwardly mobile central corridor. And are the…
USA Today recently reported that some states are pushing for higher alcohol-by-volume percentages in beer. While the average has about 4.65 percent alcohol in it, in states like Vermont and Montana, you can drink a breskie with upward of 16 percent alcohol in the drink…
As a server at several restaurants over the course of 5 years, you learn a lot about the business. It may just seem like a casual dining restaurant, but oftentimes the hospitality business is one of the most dramatic out there and has a lot of nuances diners might not…
There is a two-year anniversary party at San Felipe’s Cantina and you’re invited! …Well, for part of it. On November 10, the Tempe Marketplace Mexican eatery and bar will be hosting a party from 10 p.m. until closing that’s open to the public. Before that, from 8 to 10 p.m., there…
Whoopie pies are back! This classic dessert has resurfaced in grocery stores and restaurants across the nation, even being named a dessert trend to watch by the NY Times earlier this year. So what the heck is a whoopie pie? It’s basically creamy white frosting sandwiched between two round, cake-like chocolate cookies. Whoopie pies…
Like many local food fanatics, I’ve had mixed feelings about Yelp. And I still do. Some of the most venomous restaurant reviews, posted by users with no prior history on the site, come across as blatant trash-talking by competitors, while some of the blow-jobbish raves also seem like thinly veiled posts by a…
Last week: The British Open Pub in Scottsdale This week: Hint: This downtown Phoenix spot serves up giant soft drinks and contains a whole lot of history. Leave your guesses in the comments and check back next week for the answer…
In addition to the maître d’ or hostess, barkeeps are the cats who occasionally provide patrons with their first tastes of a particular establishment, like Old Town Scottsdale eatery AZ 88, where Hyatt pours it strong Monday through Friday during the daytime. “You’re generally the first person people see when…
Weird! You know I’m obsessed with neat old houses, so imagine how my jaw dropped when Sutra Midtown owner Matt Fritz told me that as he was expanding into the other side of the old factory building that houses his yoga studio — and will soon house a juice bar — he…
Earlier this week, LON’s at the Hermosa announced that acclaimed executive chef Michael Rusconi is leaving the fine dining restaurant at the Hermosa Inn. Where is Rusconi headed? Will the restaurant continue with Rusconi’s emphasis on seasonal cuisine that emphasizes sustainable ingredients? Will the next chef at LON’s be recruited from elsewhere or from…
