Log on to YouTube right now, and you’ll be bombarded with several Thanksgiving videos. We’ve got people cooking, people crafting and even people crafting cookies. Wait a minute…I thought Thanksgiving was about football and drinking brews. Our favorite comes from Spatulatta which features two junior cooks making pilgrim hats with…
Spooning? What the hell is this guy up to? Is this new column going to be a cooking column or a sex column? Well, dear reader, it will be both. After all, what is cooking if it isn’t a way to someone’s heart? A way into someone’s pants, I say…
The Valley is big, but when it comes to good restaurants, sometimes it doesn’t feel quite big enough. Between newspapers, magazines, TV, the blogosphere, message boards, and just the foodie grapevine, in general, decent eateries can get barraged with buzz from all directions, all at once. And then, when the…
A true feast … If there is anything worse than moving — and I’m not certain there is — it may well be attempting to move in that frantic time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. But I’m nothing if not stupid, so my movers are scheduled to arrive bright and early December 3. In the…
By Michele Laudig I’ve hosted vegetarian guests for Thanksgiving before, and let me tell you — it is a challenge to come up with something tasty that isn’t just a meatless side dish like green beans or mashed potatoes. Sadly, there’s no room for tofurky in my oven when I’m…
This week we are proud to present our new column, Forking, by C.M. Redding, the writer formerly known as Booze Pig. Redding has a way in the kitchen — and the bedroom. (We’ll take his word for it on the latter.) And he’s promised to share. Each time we publish…
By Jonathan McNamara See more shots from Blanco in our slide show.There’s no shortage of Mexican places in Phoenix. Whether you’re jonesing for a quick stop at the Taqueria or just looking for the best glass of horchata, you’re almost never more than five minutes away. Amidst this plethora of…
By Benjamin Leatherman A spectacular view of the crystal blue Caribbean Sea from Tulum on the Yucatan Peninsula (photo by Jenna Leatherman). Despite having an ultra-hectic schedule these days, I was fortunate enough to be able to slip off to Cancun with friends and family a few weeks ago for…
By Michele Laudig The Scottsdale Civic Plaza Mall already has a nice variety of restaurants — The Orange Table, Jewel of the Crown, AZ88, Asia de Cuba — but now there’s yet another reason to hit up the area when you’re hungry. Last week, Pure Sushi opened its doors there,…
My caffeine addiction has lead me to try all manner of caffeinated drinks, and I’ll be reviewing many of them for you here in “Caffiend” every week. And as fate would have it, the first drink I’m reviewing is a real ass-kicker that I’d never tried before: the Starbucks Venti Double Shot on ice (with added energy pack).
By Eddie Matney Cowboy Ciao. Grab little burgers from Stax (4400 N. Scottsdale Rd.) or Canal. Check out the bottle rockets from Drift – they pair quite nicely with cold beer. Or grab a few rolls from Ra or Stingray. Your guests (and your local restaurants) will appreciate it. Chef…
By Michele Laudig When Palatte first opened its doors, it was all about quirky brunches — egg “mishmashes,” sweet potato pancakes, tarts, and frittatas du jour. But did you know they’re now part of the downtown dinner lineup? That’s right, from 5 to 10 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, you can…
By Martin Cizmar It’s 10:45 a.m. and you’re thirsty. Do you go for a cup of coffee or a bottle soda? Either you’re drinking coffee in the middle of the say like a cop with 30 years on the force or you’re drinking soda before noon like some punk kid…
By Michele Laudig Thirsty for some beer? You’d better be if you attend the launch of DRAFT Magazine’s new festival, The Big Pour, at Mesa’s Hohokam Stadium (1235 N. Center St.) on Saturday, November 22 (sessions are noon to 4 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m.). General admission is $35,…
“Meaty Girl” is going to be all about meat — some weeks, I’ll be reviewing a particular meat dish from a Valley restaurant or deli. Other weeks, I might be sharing beef jerky recipes or attending barbecue contests. I’m open to any and all suggestions, so if you know of some meaty goodness I might be missing, by all means, hit me up and tell me about it. I’m currently looking for a deli that has haggis, so if you know where to find this Scottish specialty, please drop me a line
By Michele Laudig The Food Network seems to do well in the Phoenix metro area, especially considering all the fun local joints that’ve been showcased on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, including Matt’s Big Breakfast, Aunt Lena’s Creamery, Chino Bandido Takee Outee, and Joe’s Farm Grill. Soon, there’ll be another name…
By Jonathan McNamara It was a day of firsts. We won’t lie. There are many perks to working at a newspaper, but few stack up to receiving a beer in the mail for the first time (subtle hint to other brewers). Yet not only was this our first time to…
By Michele Laudig Consider this the yin to my yang post about new restaurants yesterday. One corner of Mill Avenue is a little darker these days, since Dragonfly Vietnamese Kitchen and Coconut Club Bar & Grill both closed their doors two weeks ago. On the upside, Dragonfly’s original location in…
America’s carne asada tacos: Finely chopped everything. By Jay Bennett My new favorite place to get a cheap, quick, but good lunch is America’s Taco Shop, on Seventh Street north of McDowell. The new taquería, which has been open for about a month, joins a pretty amazing stretch along Seventh…
Early-afternoon sun shines intensely on the sleepy vineyard, where row after row of grape-laden vines run down the slope of the valley, like deep emerald waves in a leafy sea. You can’t easily see the fat clusters of ripe grapes, but they’re there, hanging on every rung in the shadows…
The irony isn’t lost on me. I make no secret of my support for downtown Phoenix. I live here because I want to be close to the action — close to nightlife, shopping, art, and, especially, cool restaurants. I want to see the place thrive. So watch me kick myself…
By Martin Cizmar Few sodas divide like Faygo. The Detroit soda is maligned by many because it’s cheap, super sweet and associated with Insane Clown Posse-loving Juggalos. On the other hand it’s beloved because it’s cheap, super sweet, and also associated with happy Midwestern childhoods spent riding bikes to the…
