Z-Trip, Murs and Supernatural said it best: “On Saturday mornings I used to like to get a big, fat bowl of cereal and watch cartoons.” Well guess what gang, so do we. But we’re sophisticated adults which means we can afford to make sure we have the right cereal for…
The other day, a friend and I stopped by the new La Casita Ice Cream & Deli on 16th Street, and recognized a familiar face. The girl behind the counter was a longtime employee at Calabria Italian Grocer & Deli, so we were surprised to see her out of context.Sure…
To celebrate the mid-October opening of the Downtown Phoenix Public Market’s Urban Grocery and Wine Bar, market organizers put together a raffle to tantalize taste buds. Two lucky winners will get the opportunity to dine at some popular Phoenix hot spots. We were pretty jazzed because the website says “Enter to…
It’s no secret that the Lone Star State — and all of its legendary down-home cooking — is the inspiration at TEXAZ Grill. All year long, the place serves up chicken-fried steaks and barbecued brisket fit for any Texas-sized appetite.There’s a little extra love right now, though, since the restaurant…
Start saving your appetite now.This Sunday will be a splurge worth blowing your diet for, courtesy of more than 20 high-profile chefs from across the Valley who’ll be dishing up mouthwatering tastings at Scottsdale’s fourth annual Dine Out With the Chefs event.The festivities, which run from 4 to 6:30 p.m., are…
When it comes to making drinks, Linda Q. Chu is a somewhat of a Muhammad Ali. She lacks the inflated ego, but her drinks are known to “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” Nearly every cocktail, martini and saketini on the drink menu she created for Sens Asian…
Attention burrito eaters: Just because you’ve gorged yourself on over-sized burritos in the past does not mean you’re ready to eat more than one burrito at America’s Taco Shop. Trust us. Every time we go we have to decide between the carne asada burrito and the equally yummy bean and…
This is only the fourth week of downtown Tempe’s own farmers market — called the Market on Mill — and it looks like things are already growing, from the latest list of participating vendors. Hopefully the community will rally around it and it’ll continue to expand its offerings. Check it…
Allez-Cuisine! Whether you’re viewing the uniquely Japanese original or Iron Chef America, the concept of pitting culinary greats against each other in a timed cooking battle has been proven time and time again to result in an amazing spectacle and tasty dishes. Last night’s Iron Chef II: The Duel in…
Can any metropolitan area top the Valley for sheer quantity of culinary festivals? Seems doubtful, since the number of food-centric events across town only continues to grow. This Saturday happens to be the debut of TASTE Chandler’s Culinary Festival, which will take over AJ Chandler Park (between Arizona Ave. and…
Imagine a world where you can drink cocktail after cocktail and never feel it in the morning. Jeff Freiberger said that’s just what he was doing with a drinking buddy when he came up with the idea for Rhythm Liquor. After talking to doctors and scientists, Freiberger found the cure…
Linda Q. Chu doesn’t just serve the numerous cocktails, martinis and saketinis at Sens Asain Tapas & Sake Bar–she also invented them. As an ASU graduate in international business, the restaurant industry wasn’t even on Chu’s radar. But her career path wasn’t a change of mind so much as a…
Editor’s note: Michele Laudig’s Cafe column will return in next week’s issue. It’s great being the first one in your circle to discover something: the horseshoe jewelry fad, chunky-heeled boots, or a new Vietnamese restaurant. Makes you feel like a trendsetter. By the same token, when something becomes so popular…
It’s one thing when you get a tough cut of steak or a dry chicken breast at a restaurant, but it’s a whole other kettle of fish (pardon the pun) when you’re dealing with bad seafood. Metallic-tasting snapper. Green lobster. Catfish that smells like dirty socks. Yeah, we’ve had it all. At one…
Honey Bear’s BBQ vs. Monti’s La Casa ViejaWe thought we’d let word-of-mouth lead us to excellent peach cobbler in Tempe. A week later, we’re unsure whether we found the best in town, but we had fun hunting.In One Corner: Honey Bear’s BBQ7670 South Priest Drive, Tempe480-222-2782…
Is it finally fall? It doesn’t feel like it today, but this Saturday, between the forecasted mild temperatures and the start of chef Vincent Guerithault’s farmers market, it most certainly will. This is the 19th season for the Saturday market, and it’s a favorite tradition among Phoenix epicureans. Set outdoors in…
Michael Leung of Asian Cafe Express says each of his dishes have a specific taste, smell, temperature, and color that set them apart from other restaurants. As far as we can tell, the specification for most of those qualifications is delicious.Leung’s finger-lickin’-good chicken wraps are one of the most popular…
Now that’s summer’s coming to a close, many of our favorite hotspots are reopening for Phoenix’s best season of the year — FallWinterSpring! In this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, find out which cozy Old Town Scottsdale cafe is back in action with homemade waffles and custom-tailored lunches. We’ve also got the scoop…
Ready for a steak-out? As of October 1, you no longer have to wait until dinnertime to stuff your face with all the grilled meat you can eat. Fogo de Chao, the Scottsdale location of the upscale, Brazil-based churrascaria, will offer its full dining experience — namely 15 cuts of meat, grilled on skewers in…
Fresh from a trip to Japan, chef Nobuo Fukuda is geared up for another special “Japanese street food” event at Welcome Diner this Saturday night, from sundown until midnight. This is the third street food dinner that the James Beard Award-winner has hosted for his hungry masses of fans since shuttering Sea…
You might be saving your dough to dine out over the weekend, but The Cove Trattoria just launched a tempting new dining deal for the beginning of the week. On Monday and Tuesday evenings, grab a friend and head in for the 2 for $20 special — salads and a…
There’s no reason to be in a restaurant rut these days, with all the spots opening around town. The past couple weeks have been especially busy for the season’s crop of newcomers. The newest, two eateries from chef Aaron May, are set to open today in North Scottsdale at the Alltel Ice Den…
