By Michele Laudig David Tanis must lead a charmed life. That’s the impression I have of this Renaissance man after reading his lovely new cookbook, A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes. I mean, the Chez Panisse chef got a cover blurb from none other than Michael Pollan (who, btw,…
By Michele Laudig Here’s an exciting upcoming event to put on your calendar (although you should get tickets a.s.a.p.). It’s the October 19th booksigning and tasting held in honor of the new cookbook, Cooking with Les Dames D’Escoffier: At Home with the Women Who Shape the Way We Eat and…
By Michele Laudig Three sister restaurants in Chandler — 56 East Bar & Kitchen, 98 South Wine Bar & Kitchen, and KiZake Sushi & Martinis — closed abruptly on Tuesday. Any one of those places shutting its doors would’ve been a loss to the East Valley dining scene, but losing…
By Michele Laudig Lydia Ruiz didn’t expect to be back in business at In Season Deli, but now that she’s in the swing of things, she’s happy to be in her old digs. Ruiz owned the Mill Avenue eatery for 27 years, but sold it a year ago after she…
By Michele Laudig When I heard that The Art of Soup was expanding its hours to include breakfast service, I had to stop myself from shaking my head in bewilderment. Of course soup for breakfast makes sense. The Vietnamese already have that figured out (pho), and so do the Japanese…
By Amy Silverman I have always believed that diners should have a separate rating system, when it comes to cleanliness. C’mon, haven’t you ever heard the term “greasy spoon”? But apparently the Maricopa County health inspectors don’t share my nostalgia for a time when waitresses smacked gum and no one…
Tacos and burritos will always be reliable standbys, but when it comes to Mexican fast food that Phoenix does really well, tortas are my hands-down favorite option for a quick, cheap bite. What’s not to love about the scrumptious Mexican sandwiches? When they’re made right, tortas are one of life’s…
By Amy Silverman At this point, I’ve gotten accustomed to seeing news of cockroaches and soda guns with “bacterial slime” — both of which afflicted the Texas Roadhouse on Stapley Drive, during a recent inspection. But there was something about the litany of complaints involving hands that got me: A…
Aji sushi with scallion and ginger (left), and fresh katsuo with shiso, onion, and roasted garlic chips By Michele Laudig Do you have a favorite restaurant that is the first place you visit when you get money in the bank? Whenever I’m dying for payday and need a light at…
By Jonathan McNamara Convenience stores are too expensive and grocery stores are better reserved for doing a lot of shopping. This seems to be the hope of Marketside, a store that sells groceries but does not identify as a grocery, a store that aims to be as efficient as a…
By Michele Laudig Here’s some more porno for foodies. A dear friend and I stopped by NOCA last night and couldn’t resist the night’s special, a lobster roll with a big pile of duck fat fries. My god, we were ecstatic. The meat was impossibly tender and sweet, mixed with…
By Michele Laudig Lunch at Digestif yesterday was quite a treat — an orgy of pancetta and Epoisse and homemade pastas. Although the menu is essentially the same format as it’s been, there were quite a few new interesting dishes I was curious about. I ended up with the tripolini,…
By Amy Silverman Is there a curse at the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix? I’m starting to wonder. I’ve had more bad Asian meals than I can count from a grouping of businesses that should be the best in town, given the billing. I’d about sworn off the CCC entirely…
The stock market may be sinking, but at swanky new Sushi Roku, you can still party like it’s 2005. That was my stunned first impression of the super-trendy Japanese restaurant that opened a month ago at the W Scottsdale hotel. How to describe the decadence? Completely over the top. Good-looking…
By Michele Laudig Yes, it’s true. The team behind Urban Campfire is at odds over the future of the business. According to co-owner Robert Stempkowski, his business partner Stephen Wolff’s vision for the Tempe restaurant is so different from the original concept that Stempkowski says he “can’t participate in it.”…
By Michele Laudig What just happened? I heard from a couple of sources that chef Matt McLinn — former owner of the now-defunct Methode Bistro — just got fired from his postion as chef de cuisine of BLT Steak, celeb chef Laurent Tourondel’s fancy new steakhouse set to open at…
By Amy Silverman There seem to be some storage problems at Tortas Ahogadas Guadalajara in Chandler. A recent inspection revealed a first aid kit stored on top of tortillas, and a hat on top of the potatoes. Raw chicken was stored above “ready to eat items” — a big “no…
By Michele Laudig Are you a chef? Are you a glutton for punishment? And are you willing to let brilliant British chef Gordon Ramsay rip you a new one on national television? If so, hit up the Hell’s Kitchen casting session from 5 to 10 p.m. next Tuesday, October 7,…
By PJ Standlee SanTan Brewery’s first ever Oktoberfest on Sept. 27 packed a crowd of hundreds to sample tasty beers from Arizona breweries, but the long lines, tiny tasting cups, and lack of lederhosen relegated the advertised German styled Oktoberfest to a lesser beer tasting event. While most happily suffered…
By Michele Laudig Tammie Coe. I’m an Obama girl myself, although I wouldn’t mind taking a big bite out of that shiny McCain-Palin cookie, too…
By Amy Silverman If you were a teenage girl in Phoenix in the 1980s, chances are that you indulged more than once in Tokyo Express. The whole notion of (relatively) healthy fast food was a novelty at the time — except for the baked potato at Wendy’s, everything quick and…
By Michele Laudig Is it a bible? Is it a phonebook? Is it the September issue of W? No, it’s the New Times Best of Phoenix issue! The thing finally comes out today, and it is full of so much food and restaurant stuff that you won’t believe your eyes…
