By Jonathan McNamara That’s right, Peoria. No longer must you venture forth to a sports bar to watch the game and head to a restaurant to get decent food. You can do both things in one place surrounded by like-minded football fanatics. The twelfth Tilted Kilt in the country is…
By Amy Silverman There were dents in the cans of diced peppers and hominy at Arriba Mexican Grill, 4649 E. Chandler Blvd, silverware “soiled with organic debris” and fundito sauce in the walk-in cooler for more than 24 hours. But the violation that stopped me was the following — particularly…
By Michele Laudig The charming stretch of Gilbert Avenue that runs right through the middle of Gilbert is about to get a lot more interesting with the October 14 opening of Liberty Market. Restaurateur Joe Johnston and his wife Cindy bought the building a couple of years ago, and have…
by Robrt L. Pela Okay, it’s not really in my cupboard. It’s hanging on my wall. But, seriously, would you want me to use a 70-year-old bundt pan as anything other than an adornment? This piece reminds me, every day, of how much I love the guy who invented Teflon…
By Wynter Holden If you’re anything like the rest of us, you’d probably rather staple your genitals or commit seppuku with a letter opener than work the same job for a decade. Bartender and previous Best of Phoenix winner Westley “Wes” Nieto disagrees. She’s been working at downtown Phoenix’s famed…
By Michele Laudig There’s something in the air today. I might sound insane to say this, but I feel just the tiniest twinge of fall, like the weather is just a little less brutal than it was a few days ago. And although I’ve gladly pounded the pavement on First…
by Robrt L. Pela I can’t stop staring at the cover of Plain and Fancy Desserts, which I found at an antique store in Cleveland last year. There’s some kind of conspiracy going on here. I think Nabisco is involved. And I love how this big, white, gelatined dessert is…
By Michele Laudig Okay, I fully expect wine dinners coming from the Spaghetti Western camp — have you ever read the wine menu at Cowboy Ciao or Kazimierz? My god, “read” is probably not the right verb. “Study” is more like it, since the thing resembles the bible in its…
By Jonathan McNamara Before pineapple was packaged in fruit cups or placed next to Canadian bacon on stuffed-crust pizzas, it was a symbol for “welcome.” Take a look at the older towns on the East Coast and you’ll see pineapples built right into the architecture. It makes sense then that…
By Amy Silverman A reader just called me out on my Sprinkles “Gross Out” from last week, asking how would I feel if I knew the employee who touched my cupcake with bare hands had just picked her nose. Touche. In fact, dear reader, you should know that my own…
By Jay Bennett Seems most of the time, when a restaurant touts its happy hour, it boasts nothing more than $2 domestic bottles and some free chips and salsa. Whee. So when you discover a true happy hour bonanza, you want to rejoice because you feel you’ve found a salve…
By Wynter Holden First, let me start by saying that if you’re counting Weight Watchers points, avoiding carbs or (heaven forbid) taking Alli, just skip this blog. Don’t read it. Shoo. Yes, I mean you. Why? Because sometimes it’s just about eating au naturel. No, I don’t mean dining in…
Atlas Bistro is one of those local gems that’s had a cult following from the start, but now there’s a new reason to love it. Actually, make that two reasons: chefs Brandon Crouser and Joshua Riesner. Established in 2002, the tiny BYOB connected to AZ Wine Co. has long impressed…
By Michele Laudig What happens when you take an accomplished chef and architecture buff and set him loose in the mid-century mecca of Central Phoenix? You get a cool new restaurant called St. Francis Place. Hold your horses — the place probably won’t open until March, at the earliest. Still,…
By Michele Laudig After 7 1/2 years running Postino, a successful wine bar at 40th Street and Campbell, the folks from LGO Hospitality have decided to open a second location, just north of Camelback on Central Ave. It’s in the old Katz Deli space. (Katz’s closed down last week and…
By Michele Laudig Jeez, Robrt, did you put them out of business? Last week, Robrt Pela’s highly entertaining rant about crap service at Willo Bakery was met with an online chorus of “Hell, yes!” Who knew everybody hated it so much? And now the joint’s closed. Not surprising, really. I…
When Joe Lieberman is speaking, ya need a little spice … by Sarah Fenske I was gonna order the salad, I swear. Everyone warned me that once I turned 30, my metabolism would suddenly take a nosedive. This did not happen: I continued to eat like a horse and never…
By Wynter Holden Tonight, I went head to head in a schoolyard-style challenge that pitted my sensitive girlie palette against my man’s testosterone-fueled taste buds. At first sight of Candy Dymamics’ Toxic Waste Hazardously Sour Candy at the Dollar Tree on Kyrene & Chandler Blvd., I literally cackled. The yellow…
By Michele Laudig Although the new Sheraton Phoenix Downtown hotel wasn’t scheduled to open until October, it’s actually going to open a bit early — and along with it, there will be a new restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner: District American Kitchen & Wine Bar. Following on the heels…
By Benjamin Leatherman Who needs Taco Bell when you’ve got the Blue Burrito Grille? Maybe it’s just me, but it seemed abnormally cool and breezy this past weekend. It was toasty, yes, but I wasn’t getting baked by the usually badass late-August temps that melt your teeth. (Maybe Mother Nature…
By Amy Silverman Sounds like things are a bit too wild, over at Wild West Cowboy Steakhouse Mexican at 104 E. Monroe Street in Phoenix. An inspection last month revealed some relatively minor concerns — like an improperly stored ice scoop, and a bottle of rubbing alcohol next to the…
By Wynter Holden Common sense says use what you have, right? If you live by the sea, catch and cook fish. On the plains or in the forest, pick berries and hunt game. And in the desert — well, unless you want to hack up a cactus and start chowing…
