Wasn’t it just New Year’s Eve? Weren’t we just shivering in our sweaters and jackets? All of a sudden it’s March, and it feels like summer’s right around the corner. No complaints from me, buddy. I love this time of year, not only because of the balmy weather, but because…
I don’t get people who hate Las Vegas. What’s not to love about a city devoted to modern-day Roman-style excess, with interesting restaurants at every turn? I just got back from a long weekend there, and I can’t think of any better destination to take you far away from the daily b.s…
We share a modest but scrumptious family recipe this week: no-bake cookies made of peanut butter, oatmeal and cocoa. The cookies were originally called “Oatmeal Candy” but that’s a lame name that doesn’t accurately describe what you are making. Sometime many years ago, our family renamed the cookies. We call…
If you didn’t make it out to the Mesa Strong Beer Festival at the Mesa Amphitheater this weekend, shame on you. You missed out on a chance to meet some new friends, get embarrassingly drunk with some old ones and, lest we forget to mention the most important aspect, drink…
“People have to eat.” This is what Roland C. Spongberg, Corner Bakery Café Franchisee, said in response to Corner Bakery Café’s plan to open not one, but 15 new locations in Maricopa County over the next few years; a plan which happens to take place during one of the more…
Unless you prepare a lot of fish tacos (or old-school relish trays like the one served at Durant’s), it’s a good bet the humble, easy-to-grow radish doesn’t regularly make it onto your shopping list. This is a crying shame, especially in our neck of the woods, where spicy is a…
Once upon a time, many neighborhoods in Phoenix were served by a local butcher. These days, the only butcher some people can recollect is Sam the Butcher, Alice’s main squeeze on The Brady Bunch. For fans of prime, hand cut meat, trimmed to order, Hobe Meats on 16th Street and…
We’ve already let you in on this weekend’s Strong Beer Festival in Mesa, but were you aware that there’s a beer fest happening at Worldfest this weekend? And you thought Worldfest was only about celebrating Phoenix’s ten sister cities. Starting tomorrow you can visit the “World of Beers” at Worldfest located…
How do they make such tasty Thai food at Malee’s? Incredibly, the folks at this long-running Old Town fave are willing to give you the lowdown on how they make some of their most popular dishes — for a price, of course. That price ($60) includes a two-hour cooking class…
Spring Training is the occasion, but even if you’re not headed to a Cactus League game, hit up the after-party at Asia de Cuba, where there will be a shindig out on the patio with live music, drink specials ($3 domestic bottles, $4 sangria, $5 mojitos and margaritas), and selections…
A little live jazz and a bite to eat — sounds like a fun night out, no? That’s the idea behind Doc’s Place Music & Supper Club, which held its grand opening celebration last weekend. The restaurant/nightspot is located in the former Johnny’s Uptown space at the northeast corner of…
Sometimes, happy hour is meant to be enjoyed at a run-of-the-mill bar, passing the time with cheap beer and chicken wings or nachos. But sometimes you want to see how the other half drinks after work. That’s when you belly up to the bar at a joint like Steamers. The…
I was a caul fat virgin. And I wish I had stayed that way…even if knowing about it makes me a member of the culinary subculture. For those of you who are lucky enough to have never encountered it, caul fat is the lacy-looking fatty membrane that surrounds the internal…
Well, it’s around 11 on a Wednesday night and I’ve just pounded a huge cup of coffee. Let me explain. I recently quit drinking, and it seems I’ve replaced one addiction with a few others, namely coffee and sweets. I guess I should further explain that it wasn’t just a…
Feeling adventurous? Then get yourself to Posh, a contemporary American restaurant in Scottsdale where I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised. I mean that literally. Posh calls its food “improvisational cuisine,” so even though you can specify your cravings, you won’t know exactly what dishes you’re getting until they arrive at…
Some of the worst restaurant art is found (unsurprisingly) in the restrooms. I can understand the urge to tuck away a bland floral print purchased on clearance at Ross or an ugly oil painting done by the owner’s nephew and thus forced to be on display somewhere. But when a…
A hip new breakfast joint in Sunnyslope’s Moon Valley happened to score one of the Valley’s most cutting-edge chefs to helm its kitchen. The restaurant’s called Scramble, and it opened its doors in the former Le Peep space on February 9. And I’d say that with chef German Sega’s fine…
Designer Janis Leonard — known for her thought-provoking art installations at Scottsdale’s AZ88, as well as the posh revamp of Hanny’s — is no stranger to buzz. But recently her work has turned a few more heads than usual, and some folks are seeing it as downright scandalous. The latest of…
I know, times are tough in our business. The belt-tightening evidence is everywhere. Restaurants with dollar menus are lining their pockets, while the full service industry is pretty much taking it in the shorts. Still, even with frugality the fashion these days, it’s hard to abide those who wear their…
Talk about ambitious. The folks behind a new concept called Regions Bistro & Bar have not one but two locations in the works. The first, located in Scottsdale’s 9400 Shea complex (9343 E. Shea), is set to open to the public tomorrow, while its sister restaurant at 690 S. Mill in…
I’m a Food Network devotee. I love the Iron Chef challenges. The pressure is thrilling but mostly I’m blown away by the way chefs like Hiroyuki Sakai, Masaharu Morimoto and Bobby Flay combine traditions and ingredients. Fusion cuisine. It’s innovative…and a big part of why I wanted to go to…
I’ve long been a fan of Cris Williamson and Tret Fure. They are folksingers who produced several albums together. They also dated, and merged their musical identities into one onstage presence which they called “Cris and Tret.” You said it quickly, as though it were one word: Crisentret. They sang upbeat…
