The restaurant name is so evocative: Imagine Spain. It has me thinking of a country that’s sophisticated, exciting, and naturally beautiful, where the good life is all about sharing fantastic food with friends in a warm, inviting atmosphere. “Convivial” is the word one of my pals used to describe the…
By Michele Laudig The 43-year-old chef who fed many happy customers at Different Pointe of View and Convivo and other Valley restaurants passed away last week in Dallas, Texas, according to an obituary today. How incredibly sad…..
By Amy Silverman And now we bring you a Special Election Edition of Gross Out! For years, the west Phoenix restaurant Pho Bang has touted itself as John McCain’s favorite Vietnamese joint. So we decided to research health inspections at Pho Bang and see if we can recommend it. Um,…
By Michele Laudig So have you checked out any of the local restaurants participating in Arizona Restaurant Week? The first annual event got started on Saturday, and everybody was talking about it over the weekend. But don’t forget — it continues through the rest of this week. Technically that’s four…
By Amy Silverman Okay, I’m back to the whole glove thing. I stand by my previously stated opinion: Gloved hands do not equal clean hands. Consider these notes from a recent county inspection at Steamers, the sorta-hoity-toity seafood restaurant at the Biltmore Fashion Park: EMPLOYEE BREADING FISH WITH GLOVES THEN…
By Michele Laudig Now this is different: A dessert shop specializing in rice pudding. You heard me. It’s a new joint at The Promenade in Scottsdale (southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Frank Lloyd Wright) called Miami Rice Pudding Co., and they serve up rice pudding in more flavors that…
Dinner and a movie should be a no-brainer, but logistically, it’s not always as simple as it should be. Sometimes it takes some strategizing to get in, get fed, and get to the theater on time — especially when you’re seeing the hottest new film. And despite your best efforts,…
By Amy Silverman Bad electricity karma, perhaps? The light in the women’s room was burned out when county restaurant inspectors visited Honey Bear’s BBQ on Van Buren Street on August 31, but that wasn’t the worst electrical failure. The place might not have passed muster to begin with: inspectors noted…
By Michele Laudig I’ve done plenty of drooling in print and on this blog about the charcuterie at Digestif, but now there’s somebody else hamming it up: The Wall Street Journal. They recently name-droped the Scottsdale restaurant as part of a national trend piece. Nice!…
By Michele Laudig I’ve been to enough spas around town to know that brownies are definitely *not* on the typical refreshment buffet. Usually, the offerings are along the lines of shiny ripe apples, herbal tea, and water with lemon and cucumber. Show up hungry, and your growling stomach will drown…
By Michele Laudig After five months on board as the executive chef at Different Pointe of View, the fine dining restaurant at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs, Anthony DeMuro has finally given us a chance to see what kind of dishes he’s been dreaming up over the summer. The brand-new…
By Michele Laudig Yes, it might be a teensy bit premature to start thinking about white truffles — one of the most mysterious and heavenly things I’ve ever eaten — but I get a lot of satisfaction just knowing the season is right around the corner. Thanks to the fine…
There’s plenty in the way of high-profile restaurants in Phoenix, although if you’re really into food, you also have to fine-tune your radar for inconspicuous hole-in-the-wall gems, off-the-beaten-path indie eateries, and humble mom-and-pop spots. But how often do you literally get to meet mom and pop? At La Piccola Cucina…
By Michele Laudig That’s right, Citybakery — the cute, contemporary cafe attached to the cavernous Bentley Projects art gallery — has closed, leaving Downtown with one less lunch option. That’s not to say that you still can’t get Citybakery’s tasty sandwiches and salads, though — there is still another Citybakery…
By Michele Laudig Last Monday, September 1, Quiessence chef Greg LaPrad took over the Slow Food-centric fine dining spot and its neighbor, Morning Glory Cafe, from former owner Santa Barbara Catering. Both restaurants are located at the Farm at South Mountain, an idyllic getaway inside the Phoenix city borders, home…
By Jonathan McNamara That’s right, Peoria. No longer must you venture forth to a sports bar to watch the game and head to a restaurant to get decent food. You can do both things in one place surrounded by like-minded football fanatics. The twelfth Tilted Kilt in the country is…
By Amy Silverman There were dents in the cans of diced peppers and hominy at Arriba Mexican Grill, 4649 E. Chandler Blvd, silverware “soiled with organic debris” and fundito sauce in the walk-in cooler for more than 24 hours. But the violation that stopped me was the following — particularly…
By Michele Laudig The charming stretch of Gilbert Avenue that runs right through the middle of Gilbert is about to get a lot more interesting with the October 14 opening of Liberty Market. Restaurateur Joe Johnston and his wife Cindy bought the building a couple of years ago, and have…
By Michele Laudig There’s something in the air today. I might sound insane to say this, but I feel just the tiniest twinge of fall, like the weather is just a little less brutal than it was a few days ago. And although I’ve gladly pounded the pavement on First…
By Michele Laudig Okay, I fully expect wine dinners coming from the Spaghetti Western camp — have you ever read the wine menu at Cowboy Ciao or Kazimierz? My god, “read” is probably not the right verb. “Study” is more like it, since the thing resembles the bible in its…
By Amy Silverman A reader just called me out on my Sprinkles “Gross Out” from last week, asking how would I feel if I knew the employee who touched my cupcake with bare hands had just picked her nose. Touche. In fact, dear reader, you should know that my own…
Atlas Bistro is one of those local gems that’s had a cult following from the start, but now there’s a new reason to love it. Actually, make that two reasons: chefs Brandon Crouser and Joshua Riesner. Established in 2002, the tiny BYOB connected to AZ Wine Co. has long impressed…
