Coney Island

March Restaurant Openings and Closings in Metro Phoenix

Another busy month on the Phoenix food scene. We bid adieu to a handful of restaurants, including Chick Rotisserie & Wine Bar. But welcomed a fresh crop of new eateries, including a new Bink's location and the Salty Sow. See Also: --February Restaurant Openings and Closings in Metro Phoenix --Janu ... More >>

Phoenix Coney Island in Glendale Serves Up a Touch of Detroit

When a new spot opens in town, we can't wait to check it out -- and let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that have just opened, sampling a few item ... More >>

Top Five Must-See Shows This Weekend

Curious about what's going on around town this weekend? Need some suggestions where to rock, dance, or krump in the Valley of the Sun? Don't fret: These are our Five Shows to See This Weekend.

Garland Jeffreys @ Talking Stick Resort

Garland Jefferys: Cult NYC Songwriter Is Somewhere Between Interesting and Dangerous

When Garland Jeffreys broke onto the New York music scene in the early 1970s, the same scene that spawned Patti Smith, Television, The Ramones and (via New Jersey) Bruce Springsteen, his songs were a little too close to the pressing realities of the times. Music was supposed to be an escape, not so ... More >>

Nick Lowe, The Musical Instrument Museum, 10/1/12

Nick Lowe @ The Musical Instrument Museum|10/1/12If the tag "The Jesus of Cool" strikes you as hyperbolic or overblown, you've never watched 63-year-old Nick Lowe strut onto the stage, strap on his big Gibson J-200, and proceed to crack jokes and break hearts for 90 minutes. Lowe, with his easy En ... More >>

New York Flavor: Egg Creams and Winning Sandwiches in the West Valley

Good Old War @ Crescent Ballroom

Spicy Chili and Sweet Orange Blossom Beer at Hoptoberfest in Chandler

This turkey chili (front) made us reach for the Kleenex with its creamy heat, but the chicken chili was more of a bland sniffles cure. ​After two weekends of foodie and wine festivals, Chandler's beer drinkers got their fix this Saturday at the Hoptoberfest Chili Cook Off, hosted by the Hung ... More >>

Erik "The Red" Denmark Chomps 29 Hot Dogs at the Nathan's Famous Qualifier in Tempe

Jonathan McNamaraThe aftermath of Saturday's Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Qualifier at Arizona Mills Mall.​Next time you prepare to chow down on a plump, all-beef hot dog, ask yourself this question: how many can you eat in ten minutes? Two? Four? If you think that kind of lazy eating is goi ... More >>

Erik "The Red" Denmark Takes on Big Dogs at Nathan's Challenge in Tempe This Weekend

Major League EatingErik "The Red" Denmark ​Erik "the Red" Denmark isn't one to back down from a challenge -- any challenge. A former golfer on Seattle's amateur circuit, Denmark turned his attention towards a less conventional sport in 2005 when he downed a boatload of chicken in a San Francisco w ... More >>

New in CenPho: The DawgFather Grill

​How many ways can you dress up a hot dog? At The DawgFather Grill, a new CenPho spot that grew out of a food cart business, there are eight variations inspired by different regional specialties. There's a Chicago Dawg on a poppy seed bun topped with relish, onion, tomato, pickle, pep ... More >>

Weezer's Hurley as More Corporate Branding?

The cover of Weezer's forthcoming album, Hurley.​It was bad enough when Weezer felt the need to insert Best Buy into their incredibly overplayed radio hit "I Want You To." Now it seems that their record Hurley, scheduled to be released on Sept. 14, may not be a direct reference to the Lost charact ... More >>

Hell's Kitchen Season 7 Opener: Continued Abuse, Crazy Contestants, and a (Yech!) Chef Ramsay Make-Out Session

Another Hell's Kitchen, another ride on the Chef Ramsay roller coaster. In last week's first episode, it didn't take long for Gordo to send food flying all over the kitchen, repeatedly kick defenseless stainless steel appliances, and shout out such gems as, "You're gonna blow someone's mind off!" ... More >>

Fry Girl Finds Allies at the Lucky Boy Burger Joint

Bob Carey Ballerina Photographs at Bokeh Gallery Perfectly On Point

Bob Carey"Fame," just one of the 14 images from Bob Carey's "Ballerina Series" at Bokeh Gallery​ The starring ballerina is the same in all fourteen of the mysterious color photographs hanging in Bokeh Gallery, Wayne Rainey's newest downtown Phoenix gallery venture dedicated solely to photogra ... More >>

Battle of the Footlongs

In New York City and Chicago, there are hot dog carts on every corner. Philly is home to the Pastrami Dog. Nathan's boasts the famed footlong frank. Hot dogs are everywhere on the East Coast, in all styles and sizes. It's a little more difficult to track down a footlong here in the Va ... More >>

Paul Giamatti’s Wit is the Heart of Cold Souls

Lucinda Williams, Nathan's Hot Dogs, St. Vincent and Myst Over the Weekend

Lucinda Williams Plays the Non-Hits at Mesa Arts Center It takes some chutzpah to read your lyrics off a music stand. When you've been dubbed "America's Greatest Songwriter" by Time magazine (a publication that's not known for its music criticism, but nonetheless notable in any grand pronouncement) ... More >>

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Arizona Qualifier

Jonathan McNamaraA group of competitive eaters downing dogs at the Nathan's Hot Dog Contest Arizona Qualifier at Arizona Mill Mall. See more shots in our slide show. Matthew Ramirez stepped out on to a raised platform in the Arizona Mills Mall food court and struck the sort of body building pose tha ... More >>

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Qualifier This Saturday

Jonathan McNamara Get a good look at last year's mayhem in this Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Qualifier slide show.How many hot dogs can you eat? Ten? Twenty? Sorry, pal. You don't cut the mustard, but I'm betting a mustard-belt or two that there are a few Phoenicians who do and will be do ... More >>

Night Out: 999 Eyes Freak Show at The Trunk Space

By Wynter Holden See more shots from 999 Eyes Freak Show in our slide show. Met any freaks lately? Now, by "freaks" I don't mean the black trenchcoat wearing, Twilight book reading, A Perfect Circle listening, tragically hip wannabe goth set. Or the scary dudes who post pictures of their penis ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Nathan's Hot Dogs, Brand X T-shirts and Eartha Kitt

Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Qualifying Round at Arizona Mills Mall

Wiener's Circle

Contestants try to eat their way to Coney

A Beautiful Accident

Skeleton Key continues its joyous, frightening bang and clang

¡Viva la Revolución!

A rogues' gallery of rock 'n' rollers reflects upon the USA's big day

Street Fighters

The Warriors nicely complements the bloody cult classic that inspired it

Short Loin Legends

Too much at steak

School of Rock

George Tabb pens a piece of punk history

Letters

Letters from the week of December 25, 2003

Art Detour

Some of the Valley's finest artists are getting the hell out of Phoenix

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

One Weak Notice

Only diehard fans of Bullock and Grant need see this predictable comedy

Tom Waits

Alice/Blood Money (Anti)

Lord of the Custard

For Auntie Em's impresario, life is just a bowl of ice cream

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

The loving and loathing of a poufy rhino informs Death to Smoochy

Spanking the Junkie

Requiem for a Dream injects visual hotshot into harrowing drug drama

The Man of Ink

Creator of Wonder Boys and supermen, Michael Chabon is a literary hero

Gang of Three

New York trio plays minimalist punk with a British bite

Reporter's Jokebook

Author Neal Pollack returns to the Scottsdale of his existence and teams with Dave Eggers to take on Big Publishing

Pompousness and Circumstance

Gumbo gets smug as he samples some Coltrane, gets blue with Big Bill, does Duke with the Doc and feels some local Native American muse

Recordings

Recordings

It's Only Agro to Me

Calendar for the week

Doing Drugs With the Devil

The Thrill Kill Kult ain't just whistling disco anymore

Letters

Felix, the Stabilized Cat