By Jonathan McNamara Be not free of worries when you face the inebriated monk statues that stand guard in the various sections of Papago Brewing in Scottsdale. Behind their calm exterior lies a secret: they brew beer not with tender love and care but with a balls-to-the-wall sense of the…
By Michele Laudig Yes, it might be a teensy bit premature to start thinking about white truffles — one of the most mysterious and heavenly things I’ve ever eaten — but I get a lot of satisfaction just knowing the season is right around the corner. Thanks to the fine…
By Amy Silverman There are certain rites of passage, I’ve learned, for the Gross Out Girl. Like the first time I read about slimy mold build-up in an ice machine, or my first dead roaches on the floor of an ice cream shop. Blood in the aisles at a dollar…
By Jay Bennett Last week, I wrote in this space about the budget-tastic happy hour at Fenix Eatery & Bar, an otherwise pricey bistro in the Arcadia neighborhood. After that posting, a reader named Joel steered me toward another pricey joint that just happens to have a happy hour for…
By Wynter Holden I admit it. The name alone suckered me in. Every time I took one particular route home from work (or play), I passed a new-construction strip mall with a big, cartoon-y sign in the corner that read “Spicy Pickle,” flanked by an animated icon of the tart-and-sour…
There’s plenty in the way of high-profile restaurants in Phoenix, although if you’re really into food, you also have to fine-tune your radar for inconspicuous hole-in-the-wall gems, off-the-beaten-path indie eateries, and humble mom-and-pop spots. But how often do you literally get to meet mom and pop? At La Piccola Cucina…
By Michele Laudig That’s right, Citybakery — the cute, contemporary cafe attached to the cavernous Bentley Projects art gallery — has closed, leaving Downtown with one less lunch option. That’s not to say that you still can’t get Citybakery’s tasty sandwiches and salads, though — there is still another Citybakery…
Is this the best bread in the world? Or am I just a happy to be alive? By Sarah Fenske I didn’t even realize I was hungry. One minute I was sitting there, chatting away with my friends, and the next minute I’d knocked off an entire pastrami sandwich. There…
By Wynter Holden I’ve never quite understood why some food products have longevity while other seemingly better ones don’t. Jello Pudding Pops and Slice soda bite the dust, while parents are still tormenting their kids with the chalk-like “wholesome goodness” of Ovaltine. In what universe is that fair? And then…
By Michele Laudig Last Monday, September 1, Quiessence chef Greg LaPrad took over the Slow Food-centric fine dining spot and its neighbor, Morning Glory Cafe, from former owner Santa Barbara Catering. Both restaurants are located at the Farm at South Mountain, an idyllic getaway inside the Phoenix city borders, home…
By Benjamin Leatherman An inside look at the Cornish Pasty Co.’s veggie pesto chicken pie. Temptation is quite the bitch. It’s been almost three months since I swore off both fast food and sugary beverages, and lately I’ve been craving these forbidden foodstuffs something fierce. I’ve stuck to my guns,…
By Wynter Holden My original plan this week was to dish on the spotted dick (tee-hee) at George & Dragon, but our own Robrt Pela stole my thunder with his creative post on the can of spotted dick (I just can’t resist saying it again) gathering dust in his pantry…
By Jonathan McNamara That’s right, Peoria. No longer must you venture forth to a sports bar to watch the game and head to a restaurant to get decent food. You can do both things in one place surrounded by like-minded football fanatics. The twelfth Tilted Kilt in the country is…
By Amy Silverman There were dents in the cans of diced peppers and hominy at Arriba Mexican Grill, 4649 E. Chandler Blvd, silverware “soiled with organic debris” and fundito sauce in the walk-in cooler for more than 24 hours. But the violation that stopped me was the following — particularly…
By Michele Laudig The charming stretch of Gilbert Avenue that runs right through the middle of Gilbert is about to get a lot more interesting with the October 14 opening of Liberty Market. Restaurateur Joe Johnston and his wife Cindy bought the building a couple of years ago, and have…
by Robrt L. Pela Okay, it’s not really in my cupboard. It’s hanging on my wall. But, seriously, would you want me to use a 70-year-old bundt pan as anything other than an adornment? This piece reminds me, every day, of how much I love the guy who invented Teflon…
By Wynter Holden If you’re anything like the rest of us, you’d probably rather staple your genitals or commit seppuku with a letter opener than work the same job for a decade. Bartender and previous Best of Phoenix winner Westley “Wes” Nieto disagrees. She’s been working at downtown Phoenix’s famed…
By Michele Laudig There’s something in the air today. I might sound insane to say this, but I feel just the tiniest twinge of fall, like the weather is just a little less brutal than it was a few days ago. And although I’ve gladly pounded the pavement on First…
by Robrt L. Pela I can’t stop staring at the cover of Plain and Fancy Desserts, which I found at an antique store in Cleveland last year. There’s some kind of conspiracy going on here. I think Nabisco is involved. And I love how this big, white, gelatined dessert is…
By Michele Laudig Okay, I fully expect wine dinners coming from the Spaghetti Western camp — have you ever read the wine menu at Cowboy Ciao or Kazimierz? My god, “read” is probably not the right verb. “Study” is more like it, since the thing resembles the bible in its…
By Jonathan McNamara Before pineapple was packaged in fruit cups or placed next to Canadian bacon on stuffed-crust pizzas, it was a symbol for “welcome.” Take a look at the older towns on the East Coast and you’ll see pineapples built right into the architecture. It makes sense then that…
By Amy Silverman A reader just called me out on my Sprinkles “Gross Out” from last week, asking how would I feel if I knew the employee who touched my cupcake with bare hands had just picked her nose. Touche. In fact, dear reader, you should know that my own…
