(Note: Judges have now been selected.) Big thanks to everyone who applied to be a reader judge for this Friday’s Caramelpalooza event at Smeeks, co-sponsored by Chow Bella. We had a wonderful assortment of entries — everything from a reader celebrating her wedding the next day; to a reader drooling…
Sure, Twitter might be a fantastic time-suck at work, a distraction at play (admit it, you’ve tweeted at dinner!), and even a tempting place to spill your soul or make absolutely no sense at all after that one last cocktail you shouldn’t have had. (You mischievous thing, you!) As for…
Host Beau MacMillan was in fine spirits — or shall we say, in the fine spirits — last night at the inaugural WestSide Throwdown culinary challenge at Arizona Broadway Theatre in Peoria. The event was bizarre. Attendance was spotty, and everyone (even the host) seemed to have tapped into the free…
Even with top shelf alcohol, a mixed drink is only as good as its mixer. A cheap, artificially flavored juice can totally ruin the taste; and the usual “soda, juice or energy drink” mixer options are limiting (and rather monotonous) for those who prefer fresh or non-traditional flavors. You can…
One of the realities of living in this urban sprawl is that friends and relations can be scattered across the Valley from East to West and places in-between. We needed to find a place to dine with our motley crew. Cousins were in town, a baby had been born and…
How well do you know your favorite cookhouse contraptions? See if you can guess today’s gadget and check back next week for the answer, and to see if you’ve won a most-awesome prize. Here are a few shots at this week’s trickster, add yours to the comment box below: -…
Hot fried arancini were appealing, but these days I’m a little obsessed with The Parlor’s roasted brussels sprouts, tossed with caramelized onions and salty bits of sopressata. I like to feel good about myself for eating veggies, but let’s face it — these are a secret vice…
Chris Danowski The artistic director for Theater in My Basement and owner of the Basement Gallery in downtown Phoenix is gearing up for a mediated ritual for live performance event this summer. Check out http://timb.org for more details What’d you eat for dinner last night? Pinto beans, spiced with epazote,…
An early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives. This is the last week to get to Joe’s Farm Grill to take advantage of great food specials and to be entered in The Big Raffle. Watch “Real Deal Fast Food” on the Food Network (the episode featuring…
In the end, we get what’s coming to us. Let’s hope it’s sweet. Ah, spring. That time of year when the axis of the Earth increases its tilt toward the sun and the length of daylight rapidly increases for the relevant hemisphere. Or: Pretty flowers! Pretty flowers! And with the…
While thumbing through the pages of the latest Food Network Magazine, I came across one of the strangest suggestions for an Easter gift I’ve ever seen. Chocolate bunnies? Too bourgeois. Baskets of faux grass and jelly beans? Yawn. Even this year’s chocolate-covered Peeps aren’t exactly hitting the mark. http://www.flickr.com/photos/29233640@N07/ / CC…
What’s a goy like Martha know about making matzo balls? Here at Monday Night Martha we’ve decided to find out. We’ve never made matzo ball soup before but we’d like to perfect our skills in time for Passover. For this cooking adventure, we’ve enlisted the help of a friend with…
It’s an idea so obvious it’s surprising it hasn’t been done before: beer with donuts.Though someone somewhere has probably tried it (maybe Paul Westerberg?) Mesa’s Il Vinaio took the pairing of microbrews and hot-out-of-the- fryer gourmet donuts to a new level Saturday with its first in a planned semi-annual series…
Just got the word that local celebrity Chris Bianco will be spinning tunes instead of pizza dough today. He’s set to be a guest DJ on ASU’s The Blaze 1330 AM today from 1 to 2 p.m. Ever talked music with Bianco? Dude’s got great taste, actually — I’ve run…
Wow, being asked to join a major network like NBC must be quite an honor. Imagine being in the same category with respected show hosts like Jay Leno and Regis and Kelly. Looks like the Food Network’s own cutting-board jumping/Mortimoro offending chef, Bobby Flay, is going to take the leap…
Oh, the anticipation of Twitter.This morning, the James Beard Foundation live-tweeted the finalists for its prestigious culinary awards.Nobody from Arizona made the cut. There were five finalists for each category.In the running was Sam Fox of Fox Restaurant Concepts (Outstanding Restaurateur), Janos Wilder of Janos in Tucson (Outstanding Chef), Vincent on…
They came for delicious smoked meat. They left having found long lines for some of the worst barbecue served this side of the Mississippi.If you follow a lot of local foodies on twitter — or if you’re otherwise plugged in to the world of barbecue — you’ve probably heard that…
What a sugar rush! Usually, we shy away from super-sweet coffees, choosing instead to add sugar and cream on our own to often bitter house blends. But in the case of Urban Beans’ caramel toffee nut mocha, we didn’t need to add a thing.Urban Beans serves a variety of coffees,…
An early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives. Free pastry day at Starbucks! Tomorrow until 10 a.m. you can get a free pastry when you purchase a “handcrafted beverage”. Click here to get the coupon. Tomorrow night, Nils Venge, owner of SaddleBack Cellars in Napa Valley,…
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: A Sweet Ending for the Devoured Culinary Festival Phallic…
It may be their shared Germanic roots — or their common Midwestern ubiquity. But for some reason, we’ve always associated burgers with beer and beer with burgers.But not anymore. Now we’re thinking burgers and wine, baby!The genesis of this happy change of heart? Sam Fox’s latest gift to Phoenix, Zinburger…
We knew he’d show up sooner or later. How could Man v. Food host Adam Richman resist the chance to get his picture on the wall at Chompie’s? Word is, the Travel Channel star is in town right now — earlier today, he tweeted, “Hellllloooooo Phoenix!” — and joined in the Tempe restaurant’s…
