For a full week in July (the 20th through 26th), the popular website Yelp will be sponsoring its own restaurant week, Yelp Eats!, showcasing 15 local restaurants that will offer three-course prix fixe menus for only $25 per person. Thanks to the crappy economy, restaurants have been dishing out prix fixe…
When it rains, it pours . . . candy. Last week I got the lowdown on Smeeks, a new candy shop coming to Central and Camelback. And now there’s already word of another place in the works for Grand Avenue — right between vintage tiki bar Bikini Lounge and alternative performance and music…
This Sunday, June 21 is Father’s Day. What are you doing for the special dad in your life? We’re pretty sure he’s thinking “not another tie, please!!”, so a better choice might be a special Father’s Day meal he won’t forget. In this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, we’ve got…
Did you catch this news? The Associated Press reported on SB 1113, a bill passed by a state Senate panel last week that would allow people to bring handguns into restaurants — provided they have a concealed carry permit and do not consume alcohol. Governor Janet Napolitano vetoed a similar…
I hardly recognize Biltmore Fashion Park anymore. Haagen-Dazs is gone. Now the windows are covered up and adorned with a big sign announcing that Zinburger — a spinoff of restaurateur Sam Fox’s Tucson eatery — is “coming soon.” But the Republic reports that it’s not opening until January of next year…
Craving a burger? Bored with the usual? Well you’re in luck. Today’s the opening day for 25 Degrees, an upscale burger joint/wine bar at the new CityNorth in north Phoenix. (The name, by the way, refers to the temperature difference between a medium-rare and well-done burger.) It’s the third outpost of…
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: Last Night’s Sea Saw Finale Last Night: Skyy Vodka…
Dumpings, rice congee and chicken feet; there’s nothing not to love about dim sum. Admittedly, we weren’t up on the best Valley location to go for this Chinese delicacy. Luckily this week’s cafe column has the answer: Great Wall Hong Kong Cuisine. Food Critic Michele Laudig on Great Wall Hong…
Summer travel season has arrived. It seems everyone’s starting to leave town, talk about their vacation plans, or post quirky Facebook updates from far-off places. Me? I’m looking forward to an overdue jaunt to New York City, but it can’t come soon enough. And in the meantime, a good friend…
This afternoon, the City of Phoenix Planning and Zoning Committee has a scheduled hearing on the establishment, through rezoning, of the controversial Jackson Street Entertainment District — ground zero for those five new Bernie Kantak restaurants I mentioned yesterday. And it looks like a protest is in the works, too. I found…
Just got the skinny from chef Joshua Hebert that Posh is rolling out a special $35, four-course prix fixe dinner that will be available all summer long, from 5 to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. If you’re not familiar with Posh, go back and read my review from February. The…
Former Cowboy Ciao chef Bernie Kantak and his business partners have finalized a deal to open not one, not two, but five new restaurants downtown, reports the Republic today. The concepts will be Southwestern, Southern, steakhouse, Latin, and wine bar, and will be located at 1st Street and Jackson, at the heart…
Sure we prefer fresh pasta over the dried stuff, but we always imagined chefs slaving away for hours rolling dough and cutting semolina spirals with crazy thousand-dollar pasta makers. Little did we know that making noodles is literally easier than pie… In this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, Chef Payton…
“Why doesn’t somebody open a _____ in Central Phoenix?” Fill in that blank for any kind of stylish indie business (especially anything food- and beverage-related), and I’ve wondered it aloud. For all the interesting things going on in CenPho these days, there’s still room for plenty more. Literally a day…
Last night, a dozen local bartenders gathered at Scottsdale’s fashion-forward CANAL restaurant for an Iron Chef style competition which tested their cocktail making prowess. A few of the culinary scene’s big names were also there, including chef James Porter and emcee Dave Johnson, head of the wine and spirits program at Sol y Sombra. When Johnson showed…
Fans of chef Nobuo Fukuda and his sophisticated contemporary Japanese cooking were treated to an all-you-can-eat splurge this past weekend, with a two-night cocktail party-style dinner at Sea Saw. It was the restaurant’s final hurrah before Fukuda goes indie (visit his website, www.nobuofukuda.com, to keep up with him while he’s…
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: Monday Night Martha: Dr Pepper Brownies Closed for Business:…
This part of Arizona’s growing season, though somewhat curtailed by heat, is a fun, quirky treasure hunt, too, because every local ag-head is harvesting a unique mix of produce. But colorful fresh peppers are a constant at the moment, just about everywhere you look. Carl Seacat enjoys introducing us to…
Tangy non-fat frozen yogurt, a trend spawned by food-savvy South Koreans, has flourished here for a couple of years, but I’ve always found it odd that some of the big-name fro-yo companies (Pinkberry, for example) haven’t entered the Arizona market. We have a five-month-long summer and they hesitate to bring us frozen desserts?…
Although the French Open preempted this morning’s episode of Live! with Regis and Kelly on the local TV affiliate, Joe Johnston’s Gilbert restaurant, Joe’s Real BBQ, still got national airtime for the TV show’s Ultimate Hometown Grill-Off. The good news? Joe’s made it to the next round in the Best Brisket category,…
You want to see a shitstorm? Get a look at the comments following a blog post I wrote about Regions back in April. For some reason, the thing is still getting tons of hits, as if it were a message board. I’ve written about plenty of restaurant closures over the…
So many delicious things are in season right now, and Voltaire French Restaurant is making the most of the fresh-from-the-farm produce it’s getting from McClendon Select. First off, they’re offering a special $35 prix fixe dinner this Friday and Saturday (reservations are required), featuring an heirloom tomato salad with sherry…
