Finally, something to cheer about. In a city where preservationists have new reasons to gripe all the time — sharp mid-century homes getting razed to make way for McMansions, architecturally significant buildings being bulldozed so somebody can slap up another generic bank or strip mall — there’s good news about…
Chef Michael DeMaria’s Tempe restaurants, Trattoria M and Aroma Market, might be facing delayed openings, but Heirloom, his new spot at North Scottsdale’s DC Ranch, is coming together really quickly. Opening night is next Tuesday, January 27. “We took over the Flo’s space and demoed it a month ago, over…
Here at New Times, we’ve long been vocal about our love for the Cornish Pasty Co., and how we wished the popular Tempe eatery would serve its savory, flaky English pies all across the Valley. And guess what? They just opened a second location in Mesa last Saturday. The place looks great — bright…
Who says there’s no such thing as a free meal? We found one. On certain days at certain times, Pullano’s Pizza and Wings will give you free pizza with the purchase of any beverage. This includes alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages — and domestic drafts are only $1.50. Not bad. …
Unforgettable mole poblano, mouthwatering carnitas, and naughty flan drenched in Almendrado tequila were already reason enough to head to Los Sombreros in south Scottsdale, but now the charming Mexican restaurant has a revamped menu with some new additions (old faves remain, of course): Los Sombreros Jan Menu.doc Look for the fig…
Move over, cupcakes. I’ve found a new tiny dessert to obsess over. Lisa G Cafe & Wine Bar just started serving miniature pies every Friday and Saturday night, available individually or as a “pie flight.” The flavors change frequently, but I recently got a taste of the most recent ones: Nutella with vanilla…
Sometimes you find an appetizer so good it passes for the main event — and these days (time-crunched, wallet-crashed) that can be a very good thing. Such are the Boiled Won Tons at China Chili near downtown Phoenix. Served in a big bowl, the soup features ten pork dumplings swimming in a…
It’s easy to forget now, when there are over a dozen flavors of Coca-Cola available, but a bottled cherry cola — as opposed to the sort of cherry colas mixed up traditionally at drugstores and diners — was once a revolution. Like you’d probably expect, Coke came up with it,…
After months of delays, including a publicized December opening that just didn’t work out (ah, the restaurant biz), Avalon finally opened its doors for dinner last night. Located in south Scottsdale, adjacent to the 3 Palms Oasis Resort, Avalon serves “contemporary American coastal cuisine.” Executive chef Travis Watson, a Scottsdale…
Inquiring minds want to know. I’m one of those people who pays attention to bylines and actually reads those goofy contributor bio pages in the front of magazines. So when I came across a local food blog called Eater AZ — where there are no bylines — the first thing I…
The concept is simple. Pick up a pink or green tub at the door and serve yourself. Mix and match from 10 flavors of soft-serve frozen yogurt, including New York Cheesecake, Blueberry Pomegranate, Green Tea and Kiwi. Next there are more than 30 toppings to choose from including granola, cheesecake bites, gummy bears…
No, the house that Johnny Chu built is not closing, as far as I know. But Fate is definitely in the midst of a name change, now that Chu’s effectively out of the picture. The signs out front have been taken down, and although employees still say “Thank you for…
So, the Cardinals beat the Eagles, and now Arizona residents get an unexpected perk for seeing their football team head to the Super Bowl: free fish tacos. Tomorrow, January 21, Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill will give you a free taco anytime from 2:30 p.m. to close. Either plan on a…
Before the election, the stretch of Roosevelt around 6th Street seemed unusually busy, no doubt due to the Obama campaign headquarters located in an old house, amid the art galleries and shops. Brilliantly, pastry guru Tammie Coe — whose shop is right across the street — came up with Obama logo…
The Arizona Cardinals headed to the Super Bowl, and unless you’re prepared to brave rowdy crowds at a hellishly over-packed sports bar, you’re probably going to be headed to someone’s house to watch the game. If you’re looking for something fun to bring, try making a fruit-topped Arizona flag cake…
How nice of them. The folks at Humble Pie are celebrating their own one-year anniversary by giving us the deal: half-price pizzas, available all day long, on Tuesday, January 20. That way, if you’re undecided about whether to get the one with Schreiner’s sausage, roasted fennel, mozzarella, and tomato sauce,…
These days, restaurant competition is so tough that chefs can’t just write a menu, keep it static, and ride the wave. The good ones know you need to stay on top of what’s fresh and in season, and find a way to work as much of it into the rotation as…
What better way to show your support for the Arizona Cardinals than to eat an edible version of their mascot? It’s sort of like how ingesting certain animals is believed to give you the power of that animal in Asian cultures. But instead of eating monkey brains to be smarter,…
Last night at dinner, discussion came up about whether it’s a good idea to go back to school during a recession. Of course it is! You’re going to be toughing it out on a student budget whether the economy’s good or bad, so you may as well bide your time,…
For the last three and a half years, Rhonda McDonald and Kathy VanDerworp have been working as coffee vendors at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market, but they’ve recently taken the leap into full-time coffee shop ownership. Coffee & Tea Express (5835 W. Palmaire Ave., Ste. E, in Glendale) has been open since…
Things are starting to perk up downtown. Randall Denton, who managed the Willow House for three years, has a two-month-old coffee roasting business called Xanadu Coffee Co., located behind the former “new” Willow House space on Van Buren (call 480-220-8779 for info). His clients include the Hotel San Carlos, Paisley…
Among our New Year’s food resolutions (yours, too, most likely): Cook more. And eat more healthfully. Trader Joe’s keeps both promises with a fresh, pre-packaged, pre-washed and cut mix of several Southern greens — mustard, turnip, collard, and spinach — all for $2.49. Greens get points from nutritionists as a…
