Everyone remembers their first time . . . eating raw oysters, that is. Why, this garrulous gourmand was but a callow underclassman at UNC-Chapel Hill, when during a fall break I was invited to an oyster shuck thrown by some rowdy fellows with whom I shared courses. With kegs flowing…
As a member in good standing of PETA (that’s People for the Eating of Tasty Animals), I’ve long nursed a flesh-eating fantasy that would put serial bison-killer Ted Nugent to shame: a ranch-restaurant where all manner of critters roam the grounds, everything from javelina and jackrabbit to ostrich and Gambel’s…
You can hear one of the best brass bands in town Sunday nights, in a converted old McDonald’s. Luckily, the food is much better at Tacos y Mariscos Kora. And if you’re really lucky, some deep-pocketed patron will shell out some extra cash to keep Banda Santa Cruz, a 14-member…
Korean cuisine can be intimidating. The staples can be bizarre to American palates (yangjulgi gui is pan fried ox stomach, for example, and ke jang is pickled raw Dungeness crab in hot sauce). The spice level can be brutal for any nationality, with massive flurries of red pepper an integral…
Every fall in the West Valley, you can find great green chile burros and topnotch football. Just arrive early. The burros (and often the opponent) are wiped out quickly. “They’re usually gone before halftime,” says Carmen Miranda, president of the high school’s booster club. (And yes, that’s her real name.)…
Not much happens in Litchfield Park. A community of just 3.1 acres and 3,800 residents, this place’s only appeal to “outsiders” has always been the Wigwam Resort. The Wigwam is a gorgeous luxury property, a historic jewel, and home of the national-award-winning restaurant the Arizona Kitchen. The resort is a…
I’m happy to report that the west side of Phoenix can add another gem to its list of outstanding ethnic eateries. It’s called El Coqueto, a tiny half-dozen-table cafe in a tiny strip mall at 35th Avenue and Glendale. What a difference time makes. When I was growing up, that…
They call them “Chica Sexy” competitions, and that’s exactly what they are — sexy girl contests, held at Mexican nightclubs. For the best show in town, head to Paraiso, a cavernous club on the west side. Usually, at these contests, anything goes. Bras and panties barely stay on (flashing is…
W.C. Fields didn’t live long enough to see the modern incarnation of the wine bar, but he had some great thoughts on grapes and grub. “I cook with wine,” he said. “Sometimes I even add it to the food.” My favorite Fieldism: “Some weasel took the cork out of my…
The kitchen is out of frogs’ legs. I’m disappointed. Frog is one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes. My dining companion is wrinkling his nose at the thought of nibbling on the little limbs, but he’s never actually had the delicacy before. Trust me, I tell him: Frogs’ legs, when absolutely…
Let’s get one thing straight. I’ve got strict expectations for high-end eateries — spotless ambiance, spotless service, and, of course, spotless food to go along with the spotless silverware. I’m paying big bucks for perfect, and am quick to complain if I receive anything less. But funky can be a…
As the rest of the Valley heads to Walgreens for another bag of Kit Kat bars, some Mexicans will be rushing out for a loaf of pan de muerto. For a proper Day of the Dead celebration, be sure you have plenty of tequila on hand — if that was…
Luz Acosta, the owner of Pepe’s Taco Villa in west Phoenix, barely took a break from her job to give birth to her first daughter. One day not long ago, she stood very pregnant in the kitchen of her very small restaurant, offering a tour of her restaurant’s expansion into…
Once upon a time, in restaurants far and wide, food was food. There was Italian, Chinese, Mexican . . . but we pretty much always knew what we were getting when we ordered. Spaghetti, chow mein, a burrito. There was high-end cuisine — but the genteel recipes were protected by…
The soup is fashioned from little more than cilantro, garlic, potatoes, avocado and chicken stock. It’s entirely simple. Still, the concoction has me mesmerized. I could buy these ingredients in any grocery store. I’ve got the knives with which to chop, the pots in which to simmer. I could measure…
It’s 7 p.m. on a late summer Sunday, and cars are streaming out of the parking lot at El Gran Mercado, the Mexican swap meet on 35th Avenue and Buckeye in west Phoenix. But just as many cars are entering — and it’s not for last-minute shopping. These people are…
Letters, I get letters. Usually, if a reader takes the time to write or call, he’s pretty passionate about his food. It’s impressive how worked up some folks get over a taco or a burger. Sometimes, these readers are almost scary in their pleas. I have here in my hand…
The waitress at The Willows slipped up. Working me at the new restaurant inside Casino Arizona-McKellips, she showed her hand too quickly. She did a good job pushing the food. The chef crafts each dish to order, she had told me proudly, frying the chicken tenders fresh for the salad,…
Barmouche has always been unpredictable. The stylish bistro debuted with an offbeat menu in 1999, emphasizing French cafe cuisine along with a bit of English pub fare, and even some American diner food. There was elegant brandade de morue (a paste of salt cod and milk with potato gratin) up…
A few weeks ago, the last stop closed in what was once a market run that produced some of the best huevos rancheros in west Phoenix. Nearly 30 years back, mothers and grandmothers — or abuelas — made a frequent trek that took them first to Hickman’s Egg Ranch on…
Let your eyes adjust to the darkness inside Federico’s — a little Mexican bar at Eighth Street and Broadway in south Phoenix — and the first thing you’ll wonder is, how does anyone get a drink around here? The waitresses are all on the dance floor, shaking it with the…
