When J.K. Grence is working behind the bar at Trader Vic’s at the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale, he imagines himself to be playing Penn to the other bartender’s Teller. “I’m standing there talking constantly,” he laughs, “while he’s just standing there silently making drinks.” He’s busy telling you stories…
It’s too hot to cook, so just skip to dessert. That’s our philosophy, anyway. Besides, most summertime desserts have the added benefit of being cold, and anything that helps beat the heat is a winner. This week we offer you a daily guide to the sweet treats of summer, from…
Here’s a juicy summer read we can’t wait to dig into: Cooking Dirty by Jason Sheehan. Sheehan happens to be the food critic at Westword, New Times’ sister paper in Denver, but long before he launched his award-winning career as a food scribe, he worked his way through kitchens across…
If you drink China Mist bottled tea and want tickets to the Arizona Diamondbacks game on September 9, this is for you. Twitter was designed to answer the question “what are you doing,” but local promoters Activating Word of Mouth are using the social media site to create a stir…
Some people are born lactose-intolerant. Not us! No, we earned it. Maybe it’s the companion splash of milk in every cup of coffee that keeps our journalistic fingers hard at work that has trained our body to associate mammalian lactation with stress. Either way, we can’t handle milk products when…
OK, folks. So, yesterday, when we announced National Lasagna Day deals at Buca di Beppo, we said, it seems like every day on the calendar is the National Day of Something. As it turns out, we were right. Today is National Cheesecake Day! You know what that means: cheesecake deals…
J.K. Grence has big dreams. He’s planned out the ideal bar — the one he would like to open one day in the distant, fuzzy future. “I’d want it to be some tropical hideaway,” he says. “You just sink into the atmosphere of it and have nice people bring you…
It’s too hot to cook, so just skip to dessert. That’s our philosophy, anyway. Besides, most summertime desserts have the added benefit of being cold, and anything that helps beat the heat is a winner. This week we offer you a daily guide to the sweet treats of summer, from…
Thank you, Chipotle — and not just for your giant burritos. The chain is sponsoring a free screening, tonight at 7:30 p.m., of the newest watchdog documentary, Food, Inc. at the Harkins Camelview theater in Scottsdale. It’s first-come, first-served, so get there early. The film comes from co-producer Eric Schlosser,…
Heads up, uptown Phoenix. You’re about to get another hot spot in your backyard. The Vig, the Arcadia restaurant with the best bocce ball in the city, is opening a second location, on 16th St. and Bethany Home in north Phoenix, according to General Manager Pam Vincent. Yes, that’s just…
When I was pregnant with my first daughter four years ago, a craving for chocolate milkshakes grabbed hold of me. I blissfully spent my pregnancy drinking shake after shake. When I was in the hospital for the delivery, a nurse asked whether I had tried milkshakes all around town and…
Some like it hot. This time of year, though, there’s a huge difference between a hot kitchen and a hot beach. Somehow the latter inevitably wins out. But that doesn’t mean you can’t plot your future kitchen adventures while soaking up some rays. In fact, the new Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes book…
Pita Jungle vs. DeluxGazpacho is a cold soup, originally from Spain, and is the perfect antidote to these hellacious summer days. There are so many variations on gazpacho (chunky or pureed, spicy or mild) but they’re all tomato-based and raw, making them vegetarian and, more often than not, vegan-friendly.In One…
It seems as if there’s a National Day of just about anything. And today is no exception. It is National Lasagna Day! So, wave your Italian flags, stick a napkin in your collar and get ready for some cheesy, meaty, noodle-y goodness. If you head on down to any Buca…
It’s too hot to cook, so just skip to dessert. That’s our philosophy, anyway. Besides, most summertime desserts have the added benefit of being cold, and anything that helps beat the heat is a winner. This week we offer you a daily guide to the sweet treats of summer, from…
When one of Chef Brian Ferguson’s young cooks wanted to leave his restaurant, 98 South in downtown Chandler, to move out of Arizona for the first time in his life and cook in Oregon, Ferguson said, “Take-off young man, go see the world!” “That’s what the guys that brought me…
Pete (or, in Thai, Tossapis) Pholtosa is working around the clock in the former Big Wong location, on 6th Ave. and Indian School, painting, tiling, decorating, and all around renovating the restaurant he is making his own: Thai E-San. When we walked in, he was grouting the floor. The name,…
After a hiatus for renovations and development of a totally new menu, the transformation of Nine 05 (from the restaurant formerly known as Fate) is complete. The restaurant opened last night. Executive chef Matt Carter of Zinc Bistro and The Mission, joined by chef Jay Bogsinske, has created an upscale…
Wine lovers, are you tired of hearing about “Sonoma this” and “Napa Valley that?” It’s time to put Arizona’s wineries on the map. In this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, we’ll tell you who’s headed to Page Valley’s vineyards and how you can get in on an upcoming tour. We’ve…
Brian Ferguson runs the most organized, least serious army platoon in town. It’s also the tastiest. Those are his words, by the way, “army platoon.” He describes his team as “a very tight, cohesive unit. You don’t have to have a lot of explanation or talking; the guys know exactly…
Chef Joseph Gutierrez wasted no time in opening Tutto in the recently vacated Digestif space, and there was word that he’ll be opening two more eateries at SouthBridge this year. As of today, it’s official. In a press release just issued by SouthBridge, there’s confirmation that Gutierrez will also be…
Don’t be surprised to hear your stomach growl if you look at the menu at brand-new Karey’s Kitchen, which bills itself as a “Filipino-Mexican Fusion Cafe.” The food sounds mouthwatering. Along with South of the Border fare like flautas and chimichangas, the eatery offers Filipino treats such as lumpia (pork…
