On Tuesday, Oaxaca Restaurant and Cantina, the downtown Phoenix eatery and 30-year-plus landmark near the state Capitol, closed amid a hubbub of activity involving the police and an ominous sign on door stating “closed for plumbing repairs.” “The police aren’t usually involved in these situations,” said Edmundo Hidalgo, President and CEO…
On a late afternoon at Wedge & Bottle Cheese Shop, owners Troy and Krista Daily are serving up samples of a traditional Cyprus cheese called Halloumi. Recommended by a regular, this cheese looks like a breadstick and tastes like a salt lick…in a very good way. The cheeses here run…
Last year we marked the hundred day countdown to Best of Phoenix by sharing our 100 Favorite Dishes with you. Now we’re back – with the 2011 edition. Have a suggestion for a dish you’d like us to try? Leave it in the comments section or email laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. 21: Champs…
Grandiose décor, beautiful-people servers rattling off flavor-of-the-day food themes, a big-name chef, the environmental sustainability of the chair your ass is currently occupying — it’s all about concepts these days. How about this for a concept: no concept. Flickering candlelight, the perfume of baking bread, the laughs of good friends,…
Editor’s Note: This post has changed since it was originally published. The southeast corner of Boston and Oregon streets n downtown Chandler has had many faces. In 1926 it was the town’s first post office. More recently it has been the home of Siracha, KiZake and even a boutique clothing…
As much as we love the hand-crafted croissants from Essence or the crepes and coffee from Jobot, these one-of-a-kind breakfast joints tend to be few and far between. Sometimes we have to slum it at the mega chains. Unfortunately, those deep-fried dens generally do better at scrambling rubbery eggs…
The respiratory system of the food world experienced a shortness of breath today when Marianne Belardi of Cowboy Ciao announced she was leaving after fifteen years. If there were various hats to be worn at Cowboy Ciao, Belardi, a Long Island native, wore most all of them, and stylishly. The…
Rum the presses! It seems Tommy Bahama, the island-inspired brand of clothing, home furnishings, restaurants, and its own brand of rum, has been scouring the country looking for their first “rumologist” (a person with a vast knowledge of all things related to rum), and have narrowed their selection to twenty…
For the last two days we’ve talked with Jobot Coffee Shop’s crepe master, Dominic Fasano. Today, he’ll share one of his favorite recipes from the popular (and soon to return!) Sunday Beats-n-Brunch. “I just tried to covert the mimosa drink that we all know, champagne and orange juice, into a…
Last year we marked the hundred day countdown to Best of Phoenix by sharing our 100 Favorite Dishes with you. Now we’re back – with the 2011 edition. Have a suggestion for a dish you’d like us to try? Leave it in the comments section or email laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. 22: Gyro…
Rumors were confirmed yesterday with a phone call to Sola Coffee Bar on 5th Street in Scottsdale — a recording immediately picks up and states they are no longer Sola, they are now Cartel Coffee Lab. We briefly spoke with Cartel Coffee owner Jason Silberschlag, who confirmed the takeover. According to Silberschlag, Sola no…
Commotion of a “losing a Phoenix landmark” kind happened today at Oaxaca Restaurant and Cantina, the downtown Phoenix Mexican eatery near the state Capitol. Police were on site as items were being moved out of the restaurant — this after a sign was placed on the door that stated “closed…
If you’re a good little fashion hard-liner, the post-Labor Day moratorium on white clothing and accessories is to be taken seriously — which makes us wonder if Narcisse Champagne & Tea Lounge is throwing their First Annual White Party as one last hurrah for the coolest color of summer. At…
This week we are hanging out at Jobot Coffee Shop with Chef Dominic Fasano. Yesterday we chatted about the future of Nachobot and today, he’ll share about learning to make crepes and bringing back Sunday brunch. What are some changes you’ve made since being here? I changed the whole menu…
Last year we marked the hundred day countdown to Best of Phoenix by sharing our 100 Favorite Dishes with you. Now we’re back – with the 2011 edition. Have a suggestion for a dish you’d like us to try? Leave it in the comments section or email laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. 23: Jewish…
If you’ve been to Paletas Betty — the gourmet Mexican popsicle shop in Chandler and now Tempe — you know that your ice pop comes with a sticker. Next time you’re there enjoying a frozen delight on a stick, don’t just take your sticker, walk over and slap it on the wall…
Whether you’re a CSA devotee, a farmers’ market weekender or consider ketchup a veg, we’ll bring you fresh inspiration for how to prepare our local produce.This week’s harvest: Anaheim Chile Peppers I think the most intoxicating scent from a farmers’ market is not from the bunches of lemon basil or…
If you’re hankerin’ for a little blackened salmon with your Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, or an Oreo mudslide with your Contagion, you won’t have long to wait. The new AMC Dine-In Theater in Central Phoenix, the cineplex on the second level of The Esplanade, will open its…
Tired of the same old tired orange chicken and California rolls? Want to venture beyond the standard suburbian-stale take-out? Here comes Chop PHX, with the Valley’s rarer Asian offerings. This Week: Sundubu Jjigae (Spicy Korean Tofu Stew) from Chodang (501 N. Arizona Ave,. Chandler) The Basics: Sundubu jjigae is a…
Maui Dog, the colorful eatery of island-inspired dogs, burgers, and sliders on Indian School Road and 36th Street in Central Phoenix, may be looking for a new home after just one year — thanks to his rent situation. Maui Dog owner John Stamatakis says he’s looking for a new location…
This week we’re spending some time with Dominic Fasano, the guy responsible for the expanding menu at downtown’s coffee and crepe haven, Jobot Coffee Shop. Fasano — who credits his discovery of cooking, in part, to an obsession with infomercial gadgets — trained at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute and studied Italian…
Last year we marked the hundred day countdown to Best of Phoenix by sharing our 100 Favorite Dishes with you. Now we’re back – with the 2011 edition. Have a suggestion for a dish you’d like us to try? Leave it in the comments section or email laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. 24: Parrillada…
