Yesterday’s memorial ceremony for Michael Jackson brought a lot of the memories of the man and the myth to the forefront. One of our favorites was Magic Johnson’s outing of The Gloved One’s love for KFC by the bucket load.While the dearly departed King of Pop relished The Colonel’s secret…
Don’t go serving Silvana Salcido Esparza some over-worked, over-wrought, over-thought dish that sits in a nice little design in the very center of the plate. “I don’t like my food to be puréed, recongealed, molded and then sliced, and they only give me this much,” she says, holding her thumb…
Asi Es La Vida, a longtime favorite for upscale central and southern Mexican cuisine on 24th Street, is under new ownership, and recently got a shiny sign out front bearing its new name as well: La Taza de Oro Bistro. The carpets in the entryway still say Asi Es La…
If you’re craving a little Hollywood glam, you don’t have to take a road trip to California. In this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, we’ve got the scoop on a snazzy Peoria supper club that’s straight out of the Rat Pack era. Or, if your tastes run more towards European…
When she was 19, Silvana Salcido Esparza left her family’s Mexican bakery in Merced, California, and moved to downtown Miami to work in international banking. “Columbians would come into my office with paper bags full of $100,000 in each bag,” she says. It was a far cry from the life…
It’s 110 degrees here today. It’s 83 up in Jerome. Sounds like a good time for a road trip, no? Oh, if only there weren’t that four-letter word called WORK to deal with. Well, if you can play hooky — or hold out ’til the weekend — I already have something…
Today marks the start of a new lunch deal at Lisa G Cafe Wine Bar: Lunch Box Mondays. Through the end of July, the casual CenPho eatery will offer a Monday-only special, with any lunch item (sandwiches and salads) plus an iced tea for $8. It’s a nice perk for…
Digestif is downsizing. Later this month, chef Payton Curry will be working the display kitchen at the former Sea Saw location on Stetson Drive, pending the sale of restaurateur Peter Kasperski’s two SouthBridge restaurant spaces, the current Digestif and the half-finished space that would have become Mexican Standoff. (Plans for…
We dipped into the archives of Grandma Hernandez’s collection of recipes again for this week’s entry — a quick and dirty cookie recipe made from store bought cake mix. You have to wonder who first took a box of prefab cake mix and got the bright idea to try to…
The charming Lola Coffee shop on Central Avenue shares a similar ambiance with hip hangouts like Lola Tapas and Lux — lots of comfortable chairs and couches, magazines laying about, Wi-Fi access, smooth and unobtrusive music (often jazz) in the background, and good-looking people absorbed in laptops or philosophical conversations…
Another week, another stab at finding the most delicious beer built for Summer in the Valley. This week we jaunted over to Turf in Downtown Phoenix to see what Ireland has to offer in beers appropriate for the hottest months of the year. See what we thought about the selection…
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: Caffiend: Jolta Java’s Mexican Joltachino Local Wine Wins at…
Irish beer. Is there anything else so delicious? I decided to find out by taking a visit to Turf, a semi-new Irish pub in Downtown Phoenix. As you might expect, Turf is stocked with well-knowns including Guinness, Harp and Smithwick’s but I wondered if there was a selection off the…
Mike Bunker’s concoctions at The Mission in Old Town are often sweet, often strong, and almost always delivered with a touch of flair. “I feel like I have a good palate for cocktails,” he says. “And I like to drink, so it just fits.” The self-proclaimed mixologist and well-seasoned bartender…
Despite the stereotype, we journalists live off of more than stale coffee and cigarettes; a lot more. We cook very well here at New Times. We’re willing to bet that even the bespectacled food God Alton Brown would dub our eats “good.” Yet there are times when we just don’t…
By Wynter Holden Independence Day is fast approaching, and no doubt you’re either looking forward to attending someone else’s barbecue party or planning a menu for your own grilled feast. If you’re in the latter category — or are kind enough to offer up your grilling skills for a friend…
Unbelievable. We made it almost all the way to July without going up in flames. But now the heat is on, and compared to the balmy, record-breaking low temperatures of May and June, it feels more hellish than ever. Who wants to slave in the kitchen over a hot stove?…
Ooh, I can almost feel the grease on my fingers at the thought of another Lo-Lo’s Chicken & Waffles. You heard me. Another Lo-Lo’s. In Scottsdale, if you’ll believe it. The expanded second location of Larry “Lo-Lo” White’s popular Phoenix soul food joint — frequented by sports celebs and nameless…
West of Western is no more at the Phoenix Art Museum, but the show must go on. The fifth annual installment of the popular culinary festival took place at the museum this past March. In March 2010, look for an all-new culinary fest at the museum called “Devoured,” sponsored by…
The Twilight Farmer’s Market in Glendale is the least farmer-y Farmer’s Market we’ve ever come across. When you may be expecting summer sun, gravel beneath your feet and cowboy hats abounding, Glendale has put together a chic outdoor gathering of vendors selling everything from your usual local veggies and fruits…
When a girl came up to Mike Bunker, asking the question he most dreads when he’s behind the bar, he gave her a drink he called “A Punch in the Head.” Funny, from a bartender who minored in Religious Studies in college. The girl told him: “Make me whatever you…
Talk about a sweet gig. Acclaimed pastry chef Tracy Dempsey has just signed on as “guest chef” at Udder Delights, a gourmet ice cream shop in Gilbert (1385 E. Warner Rd., 480-507-3859), in honor of National Ice Cream Month. Owners Sherene Robinson and Casey Stechnij enlisted Dempsey to create new…
