Decor is nice, but the true substance of a restaurant should be measured in its edible content. Hence the critique of RnR in this week’s “Cafe” column. Food Critic Michele Laudig on RnR: So, breakfast. I might’ve liked the Sundried Scramble if it had been hot. Chopped sun-dried tomatoes, basil,…
Carol Blonder Preparing salmon for sushi So, it’s Valentine’s night in a Missouri college town. At a local sushi restaurant, the chef walks out on his job. The tall blonde waitress convinces the Chinese owner to train her to take over. Sounds like the set up for a politically incorrect joke,…
Butter burgers? Custard? Fried cheese curds? For those not familiar with Wisconsin-based Culver’s, the Midwest’s favorite blue-roofed home of fresh fast food, those eats may as well be served on board the V’s mother ship. Luckily, this Fry Girl’s spent some quality time with the good folks of Wisconsin, where…
T.K. Campo The bassist for The Hunger Artists plays shows all over the Valley and volunteers at The Trunk Space. What’d you eat for dinner last night? Leftovers–sausage and some multigrain rice. Favorite food: Beef burgeon (burgandy in English). I used to work for an executive chef in Tempe who…
With two-month-old RnR, the folks responsible for a major part of Scottsdale’s notorious club scene have made a grand entrance into the neighborhood’s dining mix, and in many ways, the restaurant is much as you’d imagine it. Like Axis-Radius, Myst, and Suede — the long-running, perennially packed nightlife staples owned…
You walk into another dimension. A dimension of far-out fast food. A place where customers eat in rather than drive through, where cleanliness is next to godliness and employees are so happy you’d swear they’re about to burst into song. You’ve just crossed into the Culver’s Zone. Opened on Camelback…
Yesterday we sat down with Bryan Hulihee of Roaring Fork in Scottsdale. Today the conversation continues … Hulihee’s been with the Roaring Fork since 2001 and has brought his own family influences and ingredients to the menu — like pink sea salt and tuna tartare (he saves the spam for…
The pan-Asian restaurant opened in November but lost its interim liquor license in early March after hosting an event for an ASU fraternity. Although frat members 21 and over were issued wrist bands, several underage members failed breathalyzer tests. Siracha chef-owner Virakon Vongphachanh argued most of the underage drinking took…
A longtime friend and fellow East Coast Transplant recently remarked that Phoenix is “a bagel wasteland.” According to him, the best way to get a decent bagel here is to have it flown in from New York. It can’t possibly be that difficult to find a tasty bagel. Or can it? This…
Oh, sweet success. If you stopped by one of the 14 Valley Bake for Hope bake sales last week, you probably spotted Julie Zagars and her pink wig. Zagars, the Regional Director, says the events held May 2 through May 8, were a huge success. Grassroots teams in Arizona raised…
You might pass Roaring Fork’s executive chef, Bryan Hulihee, on the highway. He’s the one in the slow lane and he’ll confess — he takes his sweet, silent time. “My commute to work is half an hour and it’s absolutely my sanctuary. Thirty minutes of silence — no radio …..
How well do you know your favorite cookhouse contraptions? See if you can guess today’s gadget and check back next week for the answer, and to see if you’ve won a most-awesome prize. Here are a few shots at this week’s trickster, add yours to the comment box below: -…
The 120-degree temperatures that turn your vehicle’s interior into a blast furnace. Aerial shots of the thrice-weekly walls of dust generated by the monsoon. The lamentable way the Arizona Diamondbacks play baseball. But here’s something to actually look forward to this summer:…
Happy National Burger Chicken Month? Thanks to high beef prices, my new favorite holiday is looking as sad as the Hamburglar after a bust. Seems burger chains everywhere are giving the heave-ho to hamburger hurrah in lieu of fare that’s fowl. Carl’s Jr., just came out with a Teriyaki Chicken…
7th Street-goers can have a drink and a smoke to celebrate the the newest destination in the budding network of local businesses just north of McDowell Road in the Coronado District. The neighborhood that already boasts America’s Taco Shop, MacAlpine’s Soda Fountain, The Main Ingredient Ale House, That’s a Wrap!,…
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: Kale Salad with Gouda, Pear, and Walnuts: Monday Night…
Not so long ago, when the weather was cooler and holiday spirit was in high supply, whiffs of a Jell-O showdown were in the air. It was Christmas Eve when Michele Laudig made her Jell-O decision and named Laura’s Sparkling Grapefruit Pie supreme: Today I’m counting my Christmas blessings, and…
Our own Michele Laudig needs no introduction. What is the best dish your mother ever made? I’m obsessed with her lasagna and always use her recipe, which has sweet Italian sausage in the sauce. She also makes the best filled chocolate cupcakes from scratch. They’re labor-intensive — you have to…
How can vegan food be tasty? We pondered this question as we picked up this week’s “Cafe” column to find an answer. At the very least, Michele Laudig found some tasty options minus any and all animal flesh. Food Critic Michele Laudig on Loving Hut: First time around, I went…
Sadly, it’s time to take at look back at those we lost during the month of April… Acua Ricky’s Big Philly Simply Unique Gelato & Italian Ice Black Forest Mill Central Grille…
Sous Chef Nick Sheley of Boa Bistro in Mesa joined us for this week’s Chef Chat. When Sheley’s not preparing the next plate to leave the kitchen, he’s getting the restaurant ready for its next cooking class. In late March, Boa opened its kitchen doors for sessions led by executive…
