Delicious news, cheese freaks. Lara Hardwick’s indie cheese shop, Petit Fromage, is open for business. It’s located inside D’licious Dishes, at 7th Avenue and Missouri, and boasts a well-curated selection of gourmet cheeses from artisanal producers around the world. Business hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday,…
Listen up, downtown watchers. A brand-new, independently owned restaurant is in the works for a Phoenix landmark. It’s an Italian eatery called Via Roma Ristorante, set to take over the space inside the historic Hotel San Carlos that used to house the often-dead-seeming Copper Door. The menu’s not available yet, but the…
Is the Mondrian Scottsdale about to say adios to Asia de Cuba? Hotel management could “not confirm or deny” any imminent changes at the high-style Asian-fusion restaurant, and Asia de Cuba’s parent company, China Grill Management — which owns two-dozen eateries around the world — officially says there are no changes in…
Saturday night, a group of thirty or so animal activists led by Dani Thumma — with the help of the California-based Animal Protection and Rescue League and In Defense of Animals — pounced on the Biltmore in East Phoenix to protest the serving of foie gras at Christopher’s Restaurant and Crush Lounge. Not the best…
Call me a shameless arugula eater, but I still can’t get over the Obama family’s choice of dinner destination when they were in Phoenix this past Saturday night: Macayo’s Mexican Kitchen on Central Avenue, the flagship among the Southwestern chain’s 18 locations. Seriously? Sure, Macayo’s has been around long enough to…
Strictly speaking, this is not a “Monday Night” dish but a “Sunday Morning” one. We made it for breakfast over the weekend but it was so good, we say you could easily talk yourself into having it as part of an easy-breezy weeknight dinner. This dish is adapted from a…
Coffee Rush’s plain house blend is good, but its menu brims with such decadent flavors that anyone with a sweet tooth would be hard-pressed to just “plain Jane” it here — caramel macchiatos, coconut mochas, tiramisu mochas, and caramel nut lattes beckon the caffeine consumer beyond just black coffee. It’s…
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: Macaron Mania: Essence Bakery Cafe Keeps Fans in the…
Goodbye, DC Ranch. That’s pretty much the sentiment coming from chef Aaron May, who closed his casual Italian restaurant Autostrada on Wednesday, and now tells me he will be closing his other DC Ranch eatery, Sol y Sombra, this weekend. Sunday brunch will be the last service. “It’s a tough…
Today, while discussing Asian beers, I was asked the following question: do you prefer Kirin to Sapporo. Allow me to suggest an experiment. Next time you eat sushi, instead of reaching for a frosty Kirin or Sapporo, drink Budweiser. That’s right. Event after I lambasted President Obama for drinking the…
Foie gras is on menus at some of the best restaurants in the Valley. But tomorrow, a group of protesters will do their best to shed a different light on the culinary delicacy — and they’ll do it in front of a well-respected Phoenix restaurant, James Beard Award-winning chef Christopher…
Chase Crain is not a bartender who messes around much with garnishes or puréed fruits or little umbrellas. He’s more about throwing a great party. When Crain is behind the highly-stocked bar of Bar Smith downtown, his showmanship comes through in a different way — with fire, flips, tricks and…
Breakfast is usually considered the most important meal of the day because it fuels you through the morning, but who says you have to eat it in the a.m.? Tonight, it’s an opportunity to help the Arizona Children’s Association. Hickman’s Family Farms is sponsoring “PJ and Eggs” this evening, a breakfast-for-dinner…
According to a representative from Market Street at DC Ranch, chef Aaron May’s casual Italian restaurant Autostrada closed two nights ago. There is a sign on the door inviting customers to visit May’s neighboring tapas restaurant, Sol y Sombra. I wasn’t able to reach May yet today, and the restaurant’s…
You never know where your passions might lead you. For beer aficionado Rob Sizemore, an obsession with suds turned into to a homebrewing hobby, which eventually led to proper training with the American Brewers Guild. Now he’s working on opening his own microbrewery in Tempe, Sleepy Dog Saloon & Brewery,…
Cheap, greasy and not all that good; that’s Pancho’s Mexican Buffet for you. Yet if there is one redeeming concept within this bastion of low-end comida, it’s the magic flag. Raise it up and a waitress will bring you as many soggy enchiladas as you’d like. Genius! Knowing that this…
From Fatburger to In-N-Out Burger, there’s no shortage of burger joints in Tempe, but with thousands of ASU students to munch on them, what’s one more? This fall, Denver-based burger chain Smashburger is hoping to take a bite out of that business with the opening of its first Arizona location, at 777 S. College Ave…
Flairtending occupies a realm of its own in the bartending world — there’s fire, alcohol, flips, spinning and juggling. Chase Crain has spent a good part of the last two years learning the craft. “It makes people wanna know your name” he says. “‘Using attitude,’ I like to call it.”…
If you’re playing part-time vegetarian, beware of Fogo de Chao. When you set foot in this traditional Brazilian steakhouse, don’t be surprised to fall off the wagon right into the middle of a meat parade. Abandon your diet, if only for the night. Forget about moderation, too. To truly make…
“I love American food,” he says, “and I just seem to always be drawn to that — like I’m drawn to blues music, like I’m drawn to country music, I’m drawn to the same, original foods.” But, from the beef brisket and the pulled pork to the potato salad and…
Corbin’s vs. Cheuvront There are so many ways to make grilled cheese. Sourdough or white bread? Cheddar cheese, American cheese or Swiss? With or without tomato? We explored a few grilled cheese haunts this week to bring you a sandwich face-off. In One Corner: Corbin’s Bar and Grill 8729 N…
Yep, that’s right. Chipotle is doing good for the community, again. Last week it was a free showing of food industry documentary Food, Inc., and now it’s putting on a fundraiser for none other than the food awareness movement’s top dog, Slow Food USA. Tomorrow night, from 6 to 8…
