Food critic John Mariani’s annual list of best new restaurants for Esquire magazine hasn’t hit the streets yet, but it’s already shown up on the web, courtesy of the Eating Las Vegas blog. For 2009, the lone Arizona pick in Mariani’s roundup is Prado, chef Claudio Urciuoli’s Spanish-themed fine dining spot…
A little more than six months ago, the grand opening of an independently owned neighborhood grocery called Luci’s Healthy Marketplace stirred up excitement in the neighborhood around 16th Street and Bethany Home. But that was nothing compared to the shocking news that came in July, when Richardson’s, the legendary restaurant…
Cooking is all about the rock ‘n roll lifestyle for chef Joshua Riesner. He stays up late, wakes up at noon and sometimes gets to enjoy a drink before Atlas Bistro opens. His menu is based on whatever he has in stock for the day, and he enjoys the freedom to…
Looking for somewhere new to go for lunch in Scottsdale? Add Estate House to your rotation. Last week, the SouthBridge fine dining restaurant launched a casual, reasonably priced list of starters, flatbreads, salads, sandwiches, and pastas available at lunchtime (11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Saturday). Prices range from…
For dinner tonight, try this quick quiche recipe courtesy of my husband. He calls it his “3-2-1 Quiche” and he used to make it when he was a latch-key kid in the seventies. It’s one of the few things he cooks, and it’s excellent…
PETA caused some hullabaloo (shocker) a couple months back with a billboard posted in Jacksonville, Fla. that said “Save the Whales, Lose the Blubber: Go Vegetarian.” The billboard had a picture of a heavy-set lady on the beach in a not-so-itsy-bitsy teenie-weenie pink polka-dot bikini. Understandably, issues were raised questioning…
I need another cup of coffee.The big, big, big shocker news of the a.m. today: the New York Times reports that Conde Nast is closing Gourmet magazine, which has been in publication since December 1940.A must-read for food fanatics for its impeccable writing, lust-worthy photography, and of course, recipes, Gourmet…
The Xyience Xenergy drink is “the official energy drink” of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). That factoid, combined with all the “x” references in the brand (as in “extreme,” we assume), had us thinking that this drink was gonna either majorly kick our asses or help us kick some major…
The anticipation has been building for months, but we’re happy to report that Taste of Tops has finally opened right next door to Tops Liquor in Tempe. The new neighborhood bar opened last night at 6 p.m. to a crowd of thirsty, Tempe citizens. As we reported way back in July,…
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: Brew Review: Biergarten at Desert Botanical Gardens New Restaurant…
One of the more high-profile fine dining destinations in the Valley is no more.Chef Deborah Knight released a statement explaining that she and her husband, GM/wine director Matt Rinn, will not be reopening their restaurant Mosaic after their summer hiatus.”We are closing Mosaic because we have decided it is the…
Z-Trip, Murs and Supernatural said it best: “On Saturday mornings I used to like to get a big, fat bowl of cereal and watch cartoons.” Well guess what gang, so do we. But we’re sophisticated adults which means we can afford to make sure we have the right cereal for…
The other day, a friend and I stopped by the new La Casita Ice Cream & Deli on 16th Street, and recognized a familiar face. The girl behind the counter was a longtime employee at Calabria Italian Grocer & Deli, so we were surprised to see her out of context.Sure…
To celebrate the mid-October opening of the Downtown Phoenix Public Market’s Urban Grocery and Wine Bar, market organizers put together a raffle to tantalize taste buds. Two lucky winners will get the opportunity to dine at some popular Phoenix hot spots. We were pretty jazzed because the website says “Enter to…
It’s no secret that the Lone Star State — and all of its legendary down-home cooking — is the inspiration at TEXAZ Grill. All year long, the place serves up chicken-fried steaks and barbecued brisket fit for any Texas-sized appetite.There’s a little extra love right now, though, since the restaurant…
Start saving your appetite now.This Sunday will be a splurge worth blowing your diet for, courtesy of more than 20 high-profile chefs from across the Valley who’ll be dishing up mouthwatering tastings at Scottsdale’s fourth annual Dine Out With the Chefs event.The festivities, which run from 4 to 6:30 p.m., are…
When it comes to making drinks, Linda Q. Chu is a somewhat of a Muhammad Ali. She lacks the inflated ego, but her drinks are known to “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” Nearly every cocktail, martini and saketini on the drink menu she created for Sens Asian…
Attention burrito eaters: Just because you’ve gorged yourself on over-sized burritos in the past does not mean you’re ready to eat more than one burrito at America’s Taco Shop. Trust us. Every time we go we have to decide between the carne asada burrito and the equally yummy bean and…
This is only the fourth week of downtown Tempe’s own farmers market — called the Market on Mill — and it looks like things are already growing, from the latest list of participating vendors. Hopefully the community will rally around it and it’ll continue to expand its offerings. Check it…
Allez-Cuisine! Whether you’re viewing the uniquely Japanese original or Iron Chef America, the concept of pitting culinary greats against each other in a timed cooking battle has been proven time and time again to result in an amazing spectacle and tasty dishes. Last night’s Iron Chef II: The Duel in…
Can any metropolitan area top the Valley for sheer quantity of culinary festivals? Seems doubtful, since the number of food-centric events across town only continues to grow. This Saturday happens to be the debut of TASTE Chandler’s Culinary Festival, which will take over AJ Chandler Park (between Arizona Ave. and…
