Here’s another good question from a pal: What’s open on Christmas? A few minutes after I got that email, I heard from PR whiz/gourmet cook/blogger Kirsten Shaefer from InterContinental Montelucia. Turns out, chef Claudio Urciuoli is going to be cooking up a special dinner menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: Prado Christmas.doc …
Last month a dear friend was distraught when she missed out on NOCA’s fried chicken night. So this blog post is for her, in the hopes that her holidays are a little happier after getting her chix fix. Here’s the latest Sunday Supper schedule: Noca Sundays Dec – Jan.doc — Michele…
Here’s something for beer drinkers to look forward to in 2009: the debut of Odell Brewing Company’s beers in the Grand Canyon State. Starting in January, you’ll be able to find four different beers from this green, sustainable microbrewery out of Fort Collins, Colorado. There’s an English-style ale called the…
Sunnyslope has seen its fair share of changes in the last decade. But what hasn’t changed is dessert – namely, from Karl’s Quality Bakery. Stefanie and Karl Boerner have managed this family-owned sweet spot on the corner of 7th Avenue and Dunlap for the last 15 years. Specializing in German…
Liver’s not a very popular dish, but liver lovers know a good grilled organ when they see, smell, and taste it. Once people get past their prejudices (whether it’s a childhood aversion to liver for dinner, or the oft off-putting idea of eating organ meat), they might find that liver, when cooked and flavored properly, is actually quite tasty.
Last Friday we reported that Top Chef Winner Stephanie Izard was planning to join culinary forces with the good people at Digestif to create an eight-course meal. Now we’re happy to give you a glimpse of the dinner party in slide show form. Take a look and try not to salivate…
I suspect that the reason I’m reviewing Budweiser American Ale today has much more to do with the subliminal messages I received after seeing this new brew’s commercial about thirty times this week than a genuine interest. Yet even if my brain now belongs to the Budweiser collective this still…
The Arizona chapter of the American Food & Lodging Association held its annual luncheon this month, and honored the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa with two awards: one for being green and the other for hosting John McCain’s election night party. The green thing tends to get lost on us around…
The Veggie Garden: Love the hand-cut fries.There’s a relatively new bistro on Central that I hadn’t heard of until Monday morning. That night, as I was researching watering holes along the light-rail system, I coincidentally stumbled upon Maizie’s Cafe & Bistro. This charming little place just north of Campbell has…
My food handler’s Card reads “Food Service Worker,” not “Industry Analyst.” But on the flip side, those are credentials enough to see the kind of economic Love Canal the Scottsdale Waterfront’s becoming for a number of its restaurant tenants. Second helpings of Scottsdale Galleria anyone? Sniffing around SouthBridge just after…
Ever since I heard of Faith Popcorn and trend forecasting, I have been fascinated with the notion of predicting the next big thing. Well The Food Channel has a crystal ball, too. Check out the new list of predicted food trends for 2009: 1.) Home on the Range — Downsized…
A few years ago, I was involved with a little Italian girl who moved all her belongings into my house. Yes, we had just taken that fabled step into co-existence/co-dependence. But I ended up essentially storing all her gypsy shit for three months while she ran to Mommy’s because she…
Recently, I was struck by some pleasant surprises at District, a downtown eatery that didn’t exactly give me high hopes from the get-go. And this week, I find myself considering the exact opposite kind of place: a restaurant where I couldn’t help but have inflated expectations. In business since late…
In his second installment of Forking, C.M. Redding explores the strong virtues of the simple garlic bulb. Appropriately, here’s his incredibly easy recipe for roasted garlic. And a slide show of him making it in his kitchen. Bon appetit! Roasted Garlic How to Prepare: Go to the store and buy…
As I’ve written before, here in Phoenix we have amazing access to Mexican sodas – not to mention a store that sells nothing but soda – making this a truly great place to explore unusual soft drinks. Peñafiel Strawberry isn’t quite an obscure soft drink, but it’s not widely available…
My significant other is a notorious grump — which has never been more evident than in his initial response to Hanny’s, Karl Kopp’s new downtown Phoenix hotspot. Here we have a gorgeous old building transformed into a stylin’ new space, courtesy of the same people behind Scottsdale’s AZ88. Here was…
Who’s hungry for some hot meat? You know you want it, and the folks at Scottsdale’s brand-new Fogo de Chao (6300 N. Scottsdale Rd.) are happy to serve it up just the way the gauchos like it in Brazil. At this traditional churrascaria, servers bring around 15 different sizzling cuts of meat and serve…
After posting about Luc’s sudden shutdown yesterday, I heard a rumor that Luc’s won’t change its concept to Bistro G after all. Apparently the landlords at El Pedregal wouldn’t approve the new concept unless the restaurant owners committed to keeping Bistro G open seven days a week, for both lunch…
Gotta love the name: Recession Proof Tuesdays at Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar. It’s the budget-friendly new event that launches tonight, and it looks like a great excuse to knock back a few. They’re offering all of their more than 300 bottles of wine for half off, and it’s only…
I spent a few years living in Seattle, and today feels just like a typical day up there — gloomy and gray, with softly falling rain and car headlights making everything a little fuzzy and shiny. In a typical week, I’d eat Vietnamese food at least three times for lunch. So today,…
You won’t be able to resist La Grande Orange’s vegetarian sandwich. Local vegetarians have described it as “the best they’ve ever tasted.” It’s gotten lauded by gourmands across the Internet. And it’s something that we’re certain even the most die-hard of meat lovers will enjoy.And the particular “it” in question? The vegetarian…
Well-heeled, well-preserved, and ready to play, the club-crawling “cougar” has become a cultural icon. One need only survey such fertile habitats as Barcelona, Skye, Eli’s, Pane e Vino, et. al. to know the local cougar population is thriving. Good news for both predator and prey…
