If you’re familiar with The Splendid Table, which airs every Sunday on KJZZ, then host Lynne Rosetto Kasper might already be a favorite part of your weekends. With her soothing voice and encyclopedic knowledge of the culinary arts — not to mention her vivid way of describing food — she…
At Wright on Main (on Main Street in Mesa), Maricopa County restaurant inspectors recently found something rare — at least, it hasn’t turned up in dozens of inspection reports reviewed in the last few months. Mice. And roaches. Also “excessive” droppings from both. (What would qualify as non-excessive, one wonders?) Food…
It happened as swiftly as dominoes fall. Just days after the late August closing of Katz Deli, a Phoenix institution on Central Avenue, Craig and Kris DeMarco snatched up the early ’60s building and got crackin’ on their plans to turn it into a second outpost of their popular wine bar,…
Here’s something you don’t see very often, if ever — a special event at the highly acclaimed Binkley’s. On Monday, March 23, the Cave Creek fine dining destination will be hosting a six-course winemaker dinner to showcase Frank Family Vineyards, a boutique winery in Napa Valley. AZ Wines Company’s Carefree location is also involved in…
Lola Tapas owner Daniel Wayne — who founded the ultra-hip Lux Coffeebar, then sold it and opened the tapas joint four years ago — is getting back into the coffee game. He tells me he just signed a lease on a 1200-square-foot space on Central Avenue, just south of Camelback (4700 N…
If you eat at Efes Turkish Cuisine in Tempe (in the same strip mall as Changing Hands Bookstore, southwest corner of Guadalupe and McClintock), chances are, you’ll be doing some naval gazing. The restaurant often features belly dancing. But you might be better off checking out the cooks’ fingernails. A recent…
I got word last night that Palatte, the popular downtown brunch spot known for its eclectic menu and relaxed historic-house setting, just closed yesterday. Supposedly the restaurant was still doing a bangin’ business on the weekends, when people would line up for frittatas, scrambled egg “mishmashes,” and roasted sweet potato pancakes,…
We’ve already reported on the delicious meals and bread to be had at Il Terrazzo Restaurant located at The Phoenician Resort. What if we told you that this Italian eatery also has a new selection of top quality tequila? Surprised? So were we when we sat down at a press…
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: Roka Akor Gets a National Nod Brilliant Blog: This…
Food poisoning isn’t always the unfortunate result of eating at dives. The recent closure of England’s famed Michelin-starred restaurant The Fat Duck, run by cutting-edge chef Heston Blumenthal, shows that even the world’s poshest dining destinations can have a really bad bout of bad luck. According to CNN, possibly 400 customers…
Did I live in Chicago in a former life? Because the thought of a good Italian beef sandwich, drenched in meaty juice, sounds insanely appealing right now. A Chicago-style hot dog with the works sounds good, too. I’m getting all hungry at the thought of a brand-new Luke’s of Chicago opening…
One dollar for a full lunch? Consider it food for thought. A mere buck is the farmers’ and ranchers’ share of the cost of the ingredients that go into the meal served at the annual Arizona Agricultural Day, which takes place this Saturday, March 7, at Superstition Farm in Mesa…
This week’s Cafe column ventures into the food Mecca that is Scottsdale and discovers an eatery that is as delicious as it is economical: Daily Dose. Food critic Michele Laudig on Daily Dose: Sometimes good food is all the reason I need to get excited about a restaurant. At Daily…
If you’re in the habit of getting your Indian food fix at Tandoori Times’ Old Town Scottsdale location (there’s also one in Glendale), you’ll have to get used to driving a little further north. The restaurant is currently in the midst of vacating its 5th Avenue digs and heading up…
No wonder there were rumors. A couple months ago, I’d heard that the acclaimed Barrio Cafe was moving to Paradise Valley, and I just wasn’t buying it. Come on — can you see chef-owner Silvana Salcido Esparza, a pierced and tattooed CenPho gal, leaving her 16th Street digs? Nuh uh. She…
The Mesa Community Farmers’ Market takes place every Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 260 North Center Street, just north of downtown Mesa. John Scott of One Windmill Farm, one of the market’s produce vendors, says he’s been getting a lot of love for his cucumbers. Get your…
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…
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…
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…
