Looking back at the best bites of last month makes me confident in saying that 2015 should be quite a delicious year. Two of my most memorable dishes from January come from collaborations between local chefs, and I have a feeling that the trend of kitchen collaborations isn’t going anywhere…
Last month eight Valley restaurants earned D’s during county health inspections. Many of the violations relate to food storage and safety, making these violations a high priority for health inspectors even though they may not sound so shocking to diners. Other restaurants seem to be slacking on simple sanitation practices,…
Street Eats Food Truck Festival Saturday, February 7 and Sunday, February 8 This weekend the biggest street food celebration in the Southwest takes over Salt River Fields in Scottsdale. The fourth annual event, co-sponsored by New Times, will feature dozens of trucks including The Grilled Cheese Truck, Press Italian Street…
After just about a year and a half, chef Paul McCabe is preparing to leave his position as executive chef of T. Cook’s at the Royal Palms Resort in Phoenix. McCabe will go to San Diego to help relaunch the Town & Country Resort & Convention Center, the largest property…
The Guilty Pleasure: Red Velvet Oreos Where to Get It: Your favorite big box grocery store. Price: Same as the regular box of Oreos. What it Really Costs: More money per cookie, considering the smaller box. When someone tells me that Nabisco is going to unveil a new flavor of…
On Sunday, March 1 cocktail enthusiasts will want to be at Crescent Ballroom in downtown Phoenix to see some of the city’s top bartenders compete in a boozy throwdown of skill featuring locally-made spirits. The finalists who will compete in the sixth annual Devoured Bartending Competition have just been announced…
Rice, beans, fish, and root vegetables are standard fare, but within the cozy red and gold walls of El Chullo, a casual Peruvian restaurant in Central Phoenix, such ingredients are anything but. Take a seat in this small restaurant and your server will greet you with a little dish of…
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If you’re in the market for a restaurant that will appeal to carnivores and herbivores alike, look no further than Salty Sow in Phoenix. The self-described “American Gastropub” specializes in simple but well-executed comfort food, and their vegetable dishes are no exception. Whether you ascribe to a plant-based diet or…
A new year brought some new restaurants to metro Phoenix including a new concept from one of the city’s best-loved chefs and four new restaurants at Westgate in Glendale. We also got a new location of Squid Ink Sushi, and a pizza spot that’s bringing a taste of The Windy…
We’re going behind the scenes and getting up close and personal with some of the Valley’s favorite chefs, learning what it takes to make one of their best-known dishes. Welcome to The Trail. “All I ever wanted to do was to open a restaurant where I was the chef,” Aaron…
All over town, Mexican restaurant menus offer “street style” tacos. Somehow everyone accepts them as street tacos — and we don’t understand why. It’s time to put the spotlight back on the real street taco, the kind you buy off a taco truck. It didn’t take much searching for us…
When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out — and let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that…
According to Arizona Public Service, scammers have targeted several Phoenix restaurants within the last few weeks by threatening to shut off a restaurant’s electricity and demanding payment over the phone. Less than a month ago the management of Scottsdale’s FnB restaurant fell victim and paid $900 to scammers who claimed…
During the third quarter of Sunday night’s Super Bowl, Budweiser aired a commercial. It did not go over well with the craft beer community…
Crepe Bar fans, I know you’re out there. And I also know you’re probably going to mildly freak out when you hear that Jeff Kraus and the Crepe Bar crew have come up with two special donuts that will be available tomorrow, Saturday, January 31, at Welcome Chicken + Donuts…
Scottsdale will get a new destination for French cuisine next week when Bistro du Lac opens its doors to the public. Located at 8320 North Hayden Road, the restaurant and bakery takes over the space formerly occupied by Buster’s on the Lake. Francophiles probably will be happy to hear that…
Truckin’ Awesome Super Fest Today through Saturday, January 31 This weekend you can get a sneak peek at the soon-to-open DeSoto Central Market located at 915 N. Central Avenue in downtown Phoenix by heading to the three-day Truckin’ Awesome Super Fest. The party will be held on the outdoor patio…
We aren’t quite done with winter eats yet, and butternut squash is a classic ingredient for some popular seasonal dishes — including butternut squash soup. While soup season is still in full swing, we decided to try out two local butternut squash options and see which one wins our battle…
It’s been several weeks since a sign went up in the window of Mamma Mia Original Pizza & Subs located at 3937 East Indian School Road in Phoenix. The handwritten sign states simply that the restaurant is “closed for vacation.” After weeks of waiting, there’s still no word about when…
The East Valley got a new place for freshly-baked bread last month when Rise Up Bakery opened its doors at 861 N. Higley Road in Gilbert. The bakery comes courtesy of husband and wife team Jay and Danielle Lunt, who owned a bakery in Las Vegas before picking up and…
The Guilty Pleasure: Gelato Panini Where to Get It: Cool Gelato Italiano, downtown Scottsdale Price: $4.50 What it Really Costs: Still on the low-carb bandwagon? You’ll definitely have to sit this out. My craving for a really good ice cream sandwich knows few bounds lately. Just last week I was…
