Funny how as St. Patrick’s Day approaches, it forces aspiring pub owners to pick up the slack and get their doors open in time for the beer-centric holiday. For example, consider last week’s timely opening of The Turf downtown. Another new place just might be open for St. Patty’s, too…
Pillsbury pie crust has been a kitchen staple of mine for years. It’s quick, easy to unroll and it’s got a texture that works as well for quiche as it does for fruit pie. But those days are over. I now know the formula for perfect pie dough: 3-2-1. That’s…
Sometimes good food is all the reason I need to get excited about a restaurant. At Daily Dose in Old Town Scottsdale, that’s just the beginning. How about an atmosphere that’s as comfy in the evening as it is in the a.m.? Caring service that sends you home with a…
As I’ve mentioned a few times before, our tasting panel seems to loathe super-sweet sodas. In our last review, we made them get over it to appreciate Mountain Dew Voltage, a brilliant new Pepsi product. This week, we picked up something your dentist would like: Dry Soda’s Lemongrass. With 50…
When it comes to restaurant decor, there’s nothing worse than walls that never change. If you’re only popping by once or twice for a meal, no big deal. But if you enjoy the grub enough to make repeated visits, it would be nice to see something new. ‘Cause it sucks when,…
Just got that word that last week’s three-day Spring Training BBQ, held on the patio at Asia de Cuba, went over so well that the restaurant has decided to continue hosting the parties through the rest of the Spring Training Season. They’ll be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on…
Somebody recently mentioned restaurant closings to me, and I had to wrack my brain to think of the most recent casualties. For now, the news is actually pretty upbeat — the last month has seen a flurry of new restaurants opening in the Valley. Here’s the lowdown. Second Line Creole…
He’s outta there. Regions Bistro & Bar was about to open its first location in Scottsdale last week when executive chef Don Nason threw in the towel. A PR rep for the restaurant told New Times he had some “things come up”; rumor has it that Nason and the restaurant’s GM both walked…
Freaking hilarious! A friend just sent me a blog link that has me laughing so hard I just had to share it. It’s called This Is Why You’re Fat, and its food porn at its most obscene. This collection of “deliciously gross food” from across the blogosphere is simultaneously disgusting,…
If you’ve been to the Downtown Phoenix Public Market anytime in the last three years or so, chances are, you’ve encountered Anna Kletkke and her long-running food stand, Sapna Chill Out Cafe. Her tasty soups and salads have been a huge hit, especially since she’s big on vegetarian options. Now you…
Did your April Bon Appetit land in your mailbox yet? Mine just did, and I was happy to see Scottsdale’s chic Roka Akor included in restaurant editor Andrew Knowlton’s list of ten best new places for sushi. Sure, the place stands out from the crowd more for its unusual robatayaki…
Undercooked Pork = Trichinosis. I’ve known that forever. In fact, this lesson was embedded so deeply in my hard drive that I turned my back on “the other white meat” for decades. But the draw of Dim Sum in San Francisco’s Chinatown was too strong. I’ve indulged often, but until…
Wasn’t it just New Year’s Eve? Weren’t we just shivering in our sweaters and jackets? All of a sudden it’s March, and it feels like summer’s right around the corner. No complaints from me, buddy. I love this time of year, not only because of the balmy weather, but because…
I don’t get people who hate Las Vegas. What’s not to love about a city devoted to modern-day Roman-style excess, with interesting restaurants at every turn? I just got back from a long weekend there, and I can’t think of any better destination to take you far away from the daily b.s…
We share a modest but scrumptious family recipe this week: no-bake cookies made of peanut butter, oatmeal and cocoa. The cookies were originally called “Oatmeal Candy” but that’s a lame name that doesn’t accurately describe what you are making. Sometime many years ago, our family renamed the cookies. We call…
If you didn’t make it out to the Mesa Strong Beer Festival at the Mesa Amphitheater this weekend, shame on you. You missed out on a chance to meet some new friends, get embarrassingly drunk with some old ones and, lest we forget to mention the most important aspect, drink…
“People have to eat.” This is what Roland C. Spongberg, Corner Bakery Café Franchisee, said in response to Corner Bakery Café’s plan to open not one, but 15 new locations in Maricopa County over the next few years; a plan which happens to take place during one of the more…
Unless you prepare a lot of fish tacos (or old-school relish trays like the one served at Durant’s), it’s a good bet the humble, easy-to-grow radish doesn’t regularly make it onto your shopping list. This is a crying shame, especially in our neck of the woods, where spicy is a…
Once upon a time, many neighborhoods in Phoenix were served by a local butcher. These days, the only butcher some people can recollect is Sam the Butcher, Alice’s main squeeze on The Brady Bunch. For fans of prime, hand cut meat, trimmed to order, Hobe Meats on 16th Street and…
We’ve already let you in on this weekend’s Strong Beer Festival in Mesa, but were you aware that there’s a beer fest happening at Worldfest this weekend? And you thought Worldfest was only about celebrating Phoenix’s ten sister cities. Starting tomorrow you can visit the “World of Beers” at Worldfest located…
How do they make such tasty Thai food at Malee’s? Incredibly, the folks at this long-running Old Town fave are willing to give you the lowdown on how they make some of their most popular dishes — for a price, of course. That price ($60) includes a two-hour cooking class…
Spring Training is the occasion, but even if you’re not headed to a Cactus League game, hit up the after-party at Asia de Cuba, where there will be a shindig out on the patio with live music, drink specials ($3 domestic bottles, $4 sangria, $5 mojitos and margaritas), and selections…
