If you want to see something scary, click on this transparency by awesome.good.is. It’s a representation of the percentages of people in certain countries who are overweight, and surprise, surprise, the U.S. represents with the highest percent at 66.3 percent. We have to be number one in everything else, right, so obesity may as…
We were actually hungry for soup. It was a Monday. My colleague and I were wracking our brains over where to find a decent bowl of soup, as if it would somehow magically thwart the swine flu (knock on wood, so far so good. . .). But then we remembered…
How far would you drive for great barbecue? Five miles? Fifteen miles? Even farther? When my carnivorous urges are in overdrive, I’m not even sure how I would answer that question, except to say I’d definitely rack up some miles for a pulled pork fix. There’s a certain kind of…
Let’s just get this out of the way: Ra Sushi is not Japanese cuisine. Not proper Japanese cuisine anyway. That being said, it can be delicious as I found out at a new menu tasting at Ra Sushi in North Scottsdale last night…
When head chef Matt Alleshouse of Tommy V’s Osteria Pizzeria created this recipe, he was looking to put a new twist on an old meal–the hunters-style dish. Typical hunters’ dishes are made in one pot, cooked with the meat the hunter caught. It’s a technique that’s been used hundreds of years, but…
Shakespeare’s vs. The Turf Restaurant & Pub When we’re feeling a little low, the first stop is usually Tempe’s Rula Bula for a pint and a plate of shepherd’s pie. With ground beef, veggies, whipped potatoes and cheese, this dish is a comfort classic and one of the first things that comes to…
Tired of the same boring traditional turkey dinner for Thanksgiving? Try something different this holiday. In this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, we’ve got the scoop on unusual holiday feasts, from a meat-free faux turkey dinner to the infamous “Turducken,” a Cajun treat that’s three meats in one. We’ll also…
A friend and I ventured over to Nine 05 recently for her birthday lunch. Once upon a time, this was a gal who used to eat at Fate about three times a week, so I told her she needed to check out the new Asian spot that’s taken its place…
Wine? Did somebody say wine? If your ears perk up at the sound of a cork popping out of a bottle, then this weekend’s First Press events are for you. Friday night kicks off with the First Press Grand Tasting at the Hotel Valley Ho, presented by National Bank of…
When most chefs were graduating culinary school, Tommy V’s Osteria Pizzeria’s Matt Alleshouse was already cooking up delicacies at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa. The 29-year-old, currently the head chef at the newly opened Tommy V’s, has been in the Valley for more than 10 years. He got his start as an…
No, you’re not experiencing deja vu. The Tempe outpost of Regions Bistro — which originally opened at 6th Street and Mill a little over seven months ago, and then closed unexpectedly in early June — is back in business under new ownership. Regions’ Scottsdale location, on Shea Boulvard, reopened in August…
Just chatted with chef Johnny Chu of Sens, and he’s excited about a special event he’s hosting next week, on Monday the 16th. He says 100 percent of the proceeds from the night’s dinner service (5 to 10 p.m.) will be donated to Free Arts of Arizona, a non-profit organization that…
[jump] Favorite local restaurant: Can’t answer just one…for a quick bite I love Otto’s in Tempe. I get the calzone (no meat). If I’m grabbing a yuppie sandwich and dessert, then La Grande Orange in Arcadia. If I’m hungover then the protein pancakes at US Egg. For bar food, I hit…
How is it November and still so nice out? Recently, I used the balmy nights as an excuse to take two pals to Petite Maison in Scottsdale. Neither had been there yet, and I got them hungry for French nibbles and wine. We sat out on the patio by the fireplace,…
A week ago, chef Payton Curry wasted no time in rolling out a totally revamped menu at Tempe’s Caffe Boa, where he just started working a couple weeks ago. Now he’s already getting into the swing of special events, with the first of many locavore wine dinners to come. On Thursday, November…
Certain ingredients always tempt me to order a certain way, but sometimes it’s just pure curiosity that makes me order a dish. The brunch menu at Fez, available Saturdays and Sundays, has an omelette called “The Best Egg White Omelette You’ll Ever Have,” and as soon as I saw it,…
A little bit of buzz was starting to brew about Scottsdale’s Metro Brasserie, whose executive chef, Matt Taylor, recently left town to work for Michael Mina in Las Vegas. Why hadn’t they announced his replacement? What’s going on over there? Apparently, they were just taking their time filling Taylor’s kitchen…
Just a quick reminder that Welcome Diner has special hours for First Friday. They’ll be serving food from 6 p.m. to midnight. Specials on the menu include watermelon from Crooked Sky Farms and eggplant from Maya’s Farm. If you’re down wandering around Roosevelt Row, hit up Rusty Spoke bike co-op…
It’s a coffee Renaissance in downtown. Just got the lowdown from the guys at Tempe’s Cartel Coffee Lab that they’re opening a second location in the heart of Downtown, at 1st Street and Washington (right across the street from the new CityScape development). The timing is hazy, because they have some construction…
Whoopie pies are back! This classic dessert has resurfaced in grocery stores and restaurants across the nation, even being named a dessert trend to watch by the NY Times earlier this year. So what the heck is a whoopie pie? It’s basically creamy white frosting sandwiched between two round, cake-like chocolate cookies. Whoopie pies…
Like many local food fanatics, I’ve had mixed feelings about Yelp. And I still do. Some of the most venomous restaurant reviews, posted by users with no prior history on the site, come across as blatant trash-talking by competitors, while some of the blow-jobbish raves also seem like thinly veiled posts by a…
Weird! You know I’m obsessed with neat old houses, so imagine how my jaw dropped when Sutra Midtown owner Matt Fritz told me that as he was expanding into the other side of the old factory building that houses his yoga studio — and will soon house a juice bar — he…
