By Michele Laudig It’s no secret that us New Times folks are fans of Epicurean Wine, in North Scottsdale. From a wicked wine list and weekly tastings to impressive retail offerings and classes on how to pair wine and food, there’s plenty to love. Now, there’s yet another reason to…
By: Megan Irwin This little guy stands gaurd at Tandoori Times, where I had the best naan I’ve had in years. If I had to choose to eat only one kind of food the rest of my life, it would be Indian food. And I’m spoiled about it – I…
by Wynter Holden I’ve heard of it. I’ve seen it on menus. But honestly, I had no idea what the heck it was. So when I spotted cassava as a solo ingredient on the tapas menu at Havana Café in Phoenix, I figured it was about time I got acquainted…
By Michele Laudig Chef Wade Moises knows Italian food, and now he’s preparing to give downtown a taste of his mad cooking skills. I’m drooling at the thought of such mouthwatering news. The executive chef of swanky North Scottsdale dining spot Sassi, whose resume includes stints at Mario Batali’s New…
By Steve Jansen Guess which one costs more? On a recent weekend night, I was hanging at Vocé Ristoranté, listening to the laid-back sounds of Khani Cole, when I was struck by a serious jones for a dessert. My $11 glass of organic Shiraz, though good, just wasn’t cutting it…
by Robrt L. Pela I borrowed a baking pan from my mother the other day—one of those square, aluminum Wear-Ever pans made in the 1940s, which is when Mom bought this one. I was making brownies and I don’t like to make them in a rectangular pan. One of my…
by Robrt L. Pela I’m a sucker for peculiar old cookbooks. They call to me, from eBay, and Glendale antique shops, and from the shelves of used bookstores in Tempe. I always come running, desperate for a volume I’ll love as much as I love Dishes to Make Him Happy,…
By Michele Laudig I’m telling you, we can’t let word get out about all the upsides of Phoenix in the summertime. More people just might want to move here and cramp our style if they found out about all the sweet deals at luxury resorts, spa discounts for anybody with…
by Wynter Holden Lisa Dowd is a witty, personable New York transplant who likes to gossip with her neighbors and knows an awful lot about “cawfee.” Five years ago, she ditched a lucrative (albeit stressful) career as an X-Ray tech to open a small coffee shop inside a Scottsdale salon…
By: Megan Irwin The latest bar to open at Tempe Marketplace. D’Arcy McGee’s is the latest chain restaurant to come to Tempe Marketplace. And as far as chains (this one’s based out of Canada) go, this one is pretty good. On a scale where let’s say Ruby Tuesday is the…
By Michele Laudig You can count the number of Cuban options in the Valley on one hand — but now, at least, you’ll need an extra finger. Babaloo’s Cuban Cafe is an intriguing new option. Chef-ower Robert Gonzalez, chef Justin Poole, and pastry chef Mayra Gonzalez have crafted a tasty-looking…
By Wynter Holden Sure, it’s easy as fat-free pie to stick to your diet if you’re at home weighing meat or eating entrees out of a box. Some dieters just give up altogether on eating out, but I say…screw that! So I’m looking for creative ways to help you stick…
By Jay Bennett A faithful Budget Beat reader recently steered me toward a place I’d never heard of called El Taco Tote. Like just about every living being, I love Mexican food, so I was excited about this discovery on Phoenix’s west side, on Camelback Road near 35th Avenue. Expecting…
One of the most intriguing things about Phoenix is how people can reinvent themselves and find success here. We need to make a bigger deal about the beauty of the blank canvas that is our cultural scene. Let me start by celebrating the latest example: Restaurateur Dwayne Allen, who leapt…
By Wynter Holden I’m trolling local markets sniffing out the weirdest, wackiest foods found on grocery store shelves. For the inaugural Shelf Life, I was imagining some exotic unknown foodstuff, or maybe a soda pop with a name that got butchered in translation. That was, until I saw this at…
By Michele Laudig Honey, I knew you were hot even before you did. That’s why I did the homework for you and wrote up a whole slew of groovy local joints selling tart, tangy Korean-style frozen yogurt, the kind of stuff that put Pinkberry on the map seemingly everywhere but…
By Michele Laudig Living in other cities, I always looked forward to Restaurant Week — when local eateries would offer prix fixe menus at a special price, as a way of showcasing their food to the community. For the curious and the budget challenged (both, in my case), it was…
Brunch at Mandala Tea Room. (Photo by Oliver Polk.) By Megan Irwin About a month ago a commenter asked me where he could get a decent vegan breakfast in this town. I intended to answer his question the following week, but breakfast seems like such a weekend thing and my…
By Michele Laudig As you know, I did my fair share of splurging when Sprinkles opened its Scottsdale location last month (at Scottsdale Rd. and Camelback), and now, history has repeated itself. This time, it’s in the name of patriotism, as the high-style cupcake bakery is launching a limited-edition flavor…
By Wynter Holden In my freshman year of college, this hot musician I’d been salivating over asked me to dinner at a fancy Thai restaurant. I remember seeing “chili padi” listed as an ingredient in my dish; but I wanted to keep the smart girl image in front of my…
By Michele Laudig So did you catch the New York Times’ feature about food at ballparks around the country? Phoenix gets props for its garlic fries, which I’ve eaten my fair share of, but that’s about it. A creature of habit, I also go for either the Italian sausage sandwich…
by Robrt L. Pela Last week, a reader wrote pleading with me to tell her about my favorite spatula, but I cannot. I’m afraid that if I do, my other spatulas will feel bad. If I single out one spatula, the others might stop working properly. I can imagine those…
