The cover of the latest issue of Saveur — a drool-inducing photo of ribs, in all of their charred, meaty glory — really got me craving some barbecue. Oh, you want some too? Well lucky us, a brand-new barbecue joint is set to open by the end of this month. Located in Cave…
Maybe this sounds familiar. You order a medium steak in one restaurant and receive meat with a fair amount of pink. Order it somewhere else and you receive just a tiny line of pink. Frustrating, isn’t it? Equally so for the chef who prepares a perfect medium rare burger that’s…
Change can be good. That seems to be the case for Poco, the Scottsdale Spanish restaurant formerly known as Imagine Spain (7000 E. Shea; 480-991-3170). When I checked out the place last fall (read my review), I liked the paella but couldn’t stand the soulless surroundings. I wrote, “Imagine Spain does have…
Shangri La? Not the first image that comes to mind when you read the recent county restaurant inspection report for the so-named Chinese restaurant on Alma School Road in Mesa. Raw sprouts were too warm. There was no hand soap in the employee restroom. Opened cans of food were stored…
With last week’s abrupt closing of Palatte, I’ve heard several friends complain about the lack of breakfast options in Central Phoenix. But I guess the restaurant gods were listening, because I just found out about a brand-new spot that’s in the works: Two Hippies Breakfast Joint. It’s the latest brainchild of…
Not long ago, we had some scrumptious strawberry basil martinis at Caffe Boa in Tempe. That got us thinking that it would be pretty easy to make the classy cocktails at home. Strawberries must be in season somewhere because 99 cent palettes can be found at every grocery store. This…
Cold coffee drinks have been a cool commodity since Starbucks introduced its Frappuccino line. Since then, makers of energy drinks like Rock Star and Monster have added cofffee-type drinks to their line of products. The latest energy drink to jump on the iced coffee bandwagon is 24:7 Energy. Let’s see…
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: Brew Review: Great Arizona Beer Festival Opening This Month:…
Spring has sprung a new brew from the tanks of our friends at Blue Moon Brewing Co. Rising Moon Spring Ale, an amber wheat ale that “blends three varieties of specialty malts with kaffir lime leaves and lime peel for a smooth, balanced taste” or so says the bottle. We…
Frozen yogurt season is upon us, it seems. Did you see the coming week’s forecast? With highs in the high 80s? Seems like spring has already sprung and summer’s coming soon. The timing’s right for the brand-new Mojo Yogurt at Biltmore Fashion Park, now a week old. Its sister location on Mill Avenue…
When I recently chatted with David Stone, one of the three owners of the upcoming Dos Diablos Mexican Restaurant in north Scottsdale, I couldn’t help but notice the blaring noise coming over the phone. I don’t even think I had to ask him where the heck he was before he…
Wife-and-husband Chandler farmers Sri and Richard know how to make their fresh produce a hot commodity: Control access. You can’t find Sri’s Fruits and Vegetables anywhere, any time, except at the Ahwatukee Farmers’ Market each Sunday morning. (Okay, it’s a small family business, and it’s not as though they’re sitting…
Ana Borrajo is a free-spirited, globetrottin’ foodie. Her first foray into the local food scene was via Sapna’s Chillout Café at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market. Every Saturday lines of people four deep would wait patiently for the Grenada, Spain native’s exotic juices, Spanish regional favorites like potato and tomato…
It didn’t take long for Napa Valley Soda Co.’s marketing shtick to work on our tasters. “Look, it’s from Napa Valley, I bet it’s good,” said our art director, Peter Storch, upon seeing four bottles of the stuff, purchased from Big Lots for $2. After trying the stuff, he wasn’t…
It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for neat old buildings — especially ones that house restaurants — so imagine my delight when I discovered that somebody leased that far-out building in the middle of the Haus/Movies On Central/soon-to-be Lola Coffee strip (4700 N. Central). You know, the one with the…
Before shows like Fear Factor and Bizarre Foods triggered mainstream gag reflexes, I toyed with my own notions of pushing the edible envelope. For much of the ’90’s, for example, I worked for a guy who allowed me the latitude to turn his specials chalkboards into an outlandish culinary canvas…
Hungry for Italian eats? Look no further than this week’s Cafe column. New Times shines some light on the corner of First and Pierce and more specifically on Chef Wade Moises’ PastaBAR. Food Critic Michele Laudig on PastaBAR: The menu is streamlined, nothing tops out over $17, and portions are…
One of our classes closes with a market basket exam. You get surprise ingredients and have to cook with them. Our taste of life as a Top Chef contestant. In our version, each student begins by picking the name of a protein out of a hat. Next we are given…
“Steak and potatoes” is a phrase people often use to describe themselves. As in, “Hey, I’m a steak-and-potatoes type of guy.” But just because you happen to be “that type of guy” doesn’t mean you have to be boring. Let me back up a minute. I like to surf craigslist.com…
I doubt I’m the first person to say this, but I’m certain I won’t be the last: First Street and Pierce has become the coolest corner in downtown Phoenix. It happened in a flash. A year ago, it was a culinary no man’s land (unless you count the Pizza Hut…
This week’s Forking is about taking an every day idea and making it pop. You say your a meat and potatoes guy/gal? You’ll never look at spuds and beef the same way after you try this out:…
I have to ask myself, is there such a thing as a professional chicken wing eater? Because Native New Yorker is billing its Battle of the Bone as “Arizona’s only amateur wing eating contest.” No professionals allowed! (ha) Starting tonight at the Tempe restaurant, the contest will be held at a different Native…
