Subject: Foods

• Chestnut Lane Café Fills Your Economic Depression With Tasty Tarts and Scrumptious Salads

  March 26, 2009

• Moira Sushi Bar: Downtown Phoenix Deserves a Better Japanese Restaurant

  June 4, 2009

• New Lunch Option: Coup des Tartes

  Can't wail 'til dinner to pop the cork? No prob. One of Phoenix's finest BYOBs, Coup des Tartes, just started a weekday lunch service (11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday). And even if you're not up for a little day drinking (a girl can dream, can't she?), this place is worth a visit for its super-charming vintage house settting and its lovely European-inspired dishes. The midday menu is more casual than its dinnertime counterpart, so instead of the famous Coup des Tartes Moroccan lamb ent

  March 24, 2009

• Phoenix Phoodies: Nogales Hot Dogs From Pablo Perez

  Sloane Burwell Pablo Perez makes the kind of hot dogs people dream about. For the last seven years, he's been introducing Phoenicians to the magic of the Sonoran Style Hot Dog, served out of a cheerful hot dog stand called Nogales Hot Dog #2. You'll find Perez and his assistant seven nights a week from 6 PM to midnight, in the parking lot of Guitar and Keyboard City near 20th Street and Indian School in Central Phoenix. His south of the border spin on a hot dog wraps the meat in bacon, adds a

  March 27, 2009

• Budget Beat: The Hero Factory

  "Life is like a sandwich. The more you add to it, the better it becomes." I have no idea what genius offered that pearl -- Shakespeare? Thoreau? Charles Schulz? -- and, frankly, I don't care to take the time to look it up, because I'm too busy planning my next trip to The Hero Factory, a breakfast 'n' lunch spot in downtown Phoenix's Orpheum Lofts building.

  March 27, 2009

• Pistachio Growers in Arizona Bracing for Impact of Salmonella Warning

    Arizona pistachio farmers are hoping the government soon lifts a blanket warning against eating the nuts, which was issued after a California batch tested positive for salmonella. So far, there's no indication the illness-causing bacteria infects any Arizona products, but the FDA wants people to avoid anything containing pistachios until further notice. In the meantime, the state's pistachio growers are waiting for the Food and Drug Administration to get more specific

  March 31, 2009

• Saturday: Locavore AZ Dinner at Superstition Farm

  Tapino's Locavore dinners started off as special events at the restaurant, always featuring locally grown produce, ingredients from local purveyors, and Arizona wines. Inevitably, the events would sell out, and they'd have to add new dates. Lately, Tapino has taken things to the next level by going straight to the farm. Saturday's event at Superstition Farm in Mesa sounds like a total blast -- a wine reception with hors d'oeuvres, a tour of the dairy and a chance to talk to participating farmers

  April 2, 2009

• Prado at InterContinental Montelucia Resort Doesn’t Live Up to Its Atmosphere, Thanks to Lousy Service and Watery Paella

  April 2, 2009

• Metro Brasserie & Bar Has a Way to Go Before It's Considered Scottsdale’s French Connection

  April 9, 2009

• The Phoenician’s Partnership with Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s J&G Steakhouse is a Perfect Pairing

  April 16, 2009

• Sapna Café Brings Calcutta Egg Rolls, Gypsy Stews, and Other Fare Fit for Globetrotters to Downtown Phoenix

  April 23, 2009

• Cooking School Secrets: Controlling Pesticides

  If cost were not part of the equation, I'd choose to eat organic everything. After all, who wants to eat toxic chemicals or feed it to our children? But money does matter and, like most of the people I know, I am always trying to find my way to a healthier diet. Studies have shown that organic produce has slighter higher levels of trace minerals, but what really makes it better for us is that the plants are grown without pesticides or other chemicals. Minimizing the amount of pesticides we ing

  April 16, 2009

• Top Ten Dessert Trends

  Have you ever heard of the International Food Futurists? Me neither, but it sounds damn cool, like a space-age network of culinary spies. Can I join? Anyway, The Food Channel just released its predictions for the Top Ten Dessert Trends, based on research the website conducted with the International Food Futurists. And Phoenix is pretty with it on these hot new treats. Think of Sweet Republic's bacon ice cream, NOCA's milkshakes and doughnuts, District's whoopie pies, Digestif's mint-chocol

  April 17, 2009

• Monday Night Martha: Strawberry Limeade

  Apparently spring is over. Brace yourself because the temperature is supposed to rise to 100 degrees Tuesday. To keep cool,we're making strawberry limeade. It's a makeshift recipe we pretty much created on the spot.

  April 20, 2009

• Calistro California Bistro Coming to Scottsdale

  Just got a hold of the menu for a new Mediterranean-inspired restaurant that's in the works. It's called Calistro California Bistro, and it's scheduled to open the first week of August at DC Ranch Crossing, 18221 N. Pima in Scottsdale. Seasonal, organic ingredients from local and regional farms will be a focal point at the "green concept" restaurant, where the operations and even the building itself will make use of environmentally friendly practices. Dinner will feature shared

  April 27, 2009

• Chef Michael DeMaria’s Heirloom Is Tasty but Not Worth the Trek

  April 30, 2009

• Sprouts, Golden Door, and Other Phoenix Spas That Will Feed and Relax You

  May 7, 2009

• Early Peaches at Roadrunner Park Farmers' Market

  Julie PetersonOne Windmill Farms' Queen Creek peaches are the belles of the ball.Each of the Valley's farmers' markets has its own distinctive atmosphere. That's fun to suss out, but we're all about the produce, too. The Roadrunner Park Farmers' Market, just off the 51 on Cactus Road, is Phoenix's oldest -- it'll celebrate its 20th birthday in October -- and both the setting and the vendor lineup have a mature, settled feel, like a portable weekly neighborhood where everybody's known each other

  May 8, 2009

• Eliana’s, Guanaquito, and Restaurante Salvadoreño Fill You Up with Pupusas

  May 14, 2009

• Scramble: The Future of Phoenix Breakfasts Comes Loaded with Bacon and Cheese

  May 21, 2009

• Gallo Blanco Café at The Clarendon Kicks Up the Taco Shop With Cochinita Tortas and Fresh Crepes

  May 28, 2009

• "Awesome" Figs, and Lemon Closeout, at Ahwatukee Farmers' Market

  photo by Eric Hunt, used under Creative Commons LicenseThis is what they look like when they aren't dried and stuffed into a Newton -- it's fruit, man!We talked with farmer Sri about what's in this week's harvest, and she waxed eloquent about summer fruits: "The figs are awesome! And we have a whole big apple box of lemons for ten bucks. Lemons are almost gone -- they're dropping," probably from those storms just before Memorial Day. A lot of people have never had a fresh fig -- it has a short

  May 29, 2009

• Death to Chocolate in Phoenix?

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/misbehave/Lately, it's gotten downright impossible to get a chocolate fix in Phoenix. Sure, you can still find a Milky Way at Walgreen's, but we're not looking for the waxy stuff that you'd find in a 5-year-old's trick or treat bag. We want our chocolate grown up, funky-flavored and locally made. Recently there's been a trifecta of chocolate tragedy with the closure of three chocolate spots in town: Godiva Chocolatier, Granny's Chocolate Creations, and Chath

  June 19, 2009

• Takeda Thai in Scottsdale Feeds Your Cravings for Thai Delicacies with Panang Curry and Tom Kha Gai

  June 25, 2009

• Luci’s Healthy Marketplace, The Kitchen Market Café, and D’licious Dishes Save You from Slaving Over a Hot Stove

  July 2, 2009

• Avalon Tantalizes Heat-Stricken Foodies with Coastal Cuisine

  July 9, 2009

• Coming Soon: Petite Fromage Gourmet Cheese Shop

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuse/Wishes do come true. Talk to me long enough and I'll start talking about all the interesting businesses I think Phoenix could use. A great independently owned cheese shop is always at the top of my list. Well, it's finally happening. The fromage gods have listened. Cheese expert Lara Hardwick already owns a gourmet cheese distribution company, Fromage a Trois Fine Foods, and soon she'll be launching a sister business -- a retail shop called Pet

  July 15, 2009

• Battle of the Cupcakes

  Urban Cookies vs. Cupcakes   It's been several years since the cupcake craze ignited. According to most food fad timelines, cupcakes should have jumped the shark by now, but they obviously haven't because there's still no shortage of frou-frou cupcake boutiques around the Valley. That's fine with us -- what could be better than a delicious little cake topped with rich icing? We bring you a bakery battle royale.  In One Corner: Urban Cookies 4711 N. 7th Street 602-451-433

  July 22, 2009

• Sweet Summer: Ice Cream Sundae

  It's too hot to cook, so just skip to dessert. That's our philosophy, anyway. Besides, most summertime desserts have the added benefit of being cold, and anything that helps beat the heat is a winner. This week we offer you a daily guide to the sweet treats of summer, from lo-cal to oh wow, and best of all, these sweet mood elevators are pleasingly priced with nothing over $6. Sloane BurwellI scream. You scream. We all scream for...well, you know.​ Day Three - Ice Cream Sundae Sweet R

  July 29, 2009

• 5 & Diner, MacAlpine’s, and Udder Delights: A Pregnant Quest for the Valley's Tastiest Milkshakes

  July 30, 2009

• Cafe: Milkshakes

  ​ Some people are born lactose-intolerant. Not us! No, we earned it. Maybe it's the companion splash of milk in every cup of coffee that keeps our journalistic fingers hard at work that has trained our body to associate mammalian lactation with stress. Either way, we can't handle milk products when we're under deadline; which is a real shame because if there's one thing we love it's milkshakes. Luckily for us, this week's Cafe column identifies the Phoenix locations for the best milkshake

  July 30, 2009

• Sweet Summer: Fro Yo

  It's too hot to cook, so just skip to dessert. That's our philosophy, anyway. Besides, most summertime desserts have the added benefit of being cold, and anything that helps beat the heat is a winner. This week we offer you a daily guide to the sweet treats of summer, from lo-cal to oh wow, and best of all, these sweet mood elevators are pleasingly priced with nothing over $6. Sloane BurwellFro-yo perfection!​ Day Five - Fro Yo Mojo Yogurt Valley Locations www.mojoyogurt.com Way bac

  July 31, 2009

• Battle of the Free Samples

  Costco vs. Sam's Club The economy is rough these days and we could all use a free meal. If you head to your nearest bulk goods store on the weekend, you'll find a glut of free samples that would fill anyone. But which bulk store has the better samples going on, Costco or Sam's Club? We mooched off a friend who had memberships at both stores to give you the inside scoop on food freeloading. In One Corner: Costco 1445 West Elliot Road, Tempe (480) 496-6651 In the back of the store, near the bake

  August 5, 2009

• Local Breeze Makes You Forget the Summer Heat With Giant Salads and Ahi Tuna Sandwiches

  August 6, 2009

• Fogo de Chao Brings the Empty Joy of Overeating Chain Restaurant Meat to Scottsdale

  August 13, 2009

• The Parlor Has Transformed a Mid-Century Beauty Parlor into a Popular Pizzeria

  August 27, 2009

• Battle of the Sundaes

  The Brownie Connection vs. Udder DelightsThere are hundreds of places to eat ice cream in the Phoenix area, but this week's foodie smackdown is centered on the East Valley. We visit two cutesy spots in Gilbert that are just two miles apart from each other and compare the way they serve sundaes. In One Corner: The Brownie Connection397 S. Gilbert Road, Suite 100, Gilbert480-633-0402 The ice cream sundae at The Brownie Connection costs $4.90. Brownie flavors include mint, toffee crunch and p

  August 27, 2009

• Battle of the Breakfast Sandwiches

  Drip Coffee Lounge vs. Tammie Coe Cakes & MJ BreadA reader suggested we compare breakfast sammies and we were more than delighted to oblige. That's how we ended up spending Sunday morning flitting between two popular downtown Phoenix eateries. It was an ideal time to scope out the breakfast sandwich scene; there were no crowds, perhaps because everyone was either in church or still asleep. In One Corner: Drip Coffee Lounge 2325 N. Seventh St.602-795-9905 When the chef brought out the sa

  September 2, 2009

• Chakra 4 Herb & Tea House Makes Bingeing Good For You

  September 10, 2009

• The Naughty Vegetarian: Top Ten Fatty Meat-Free Foods

  PETA caused some hullabaloo (shocker) a couple months back with a billboard posted in Jacksonville, Fla. that said "Save the Whales, Lose the Blubber: Go Vegetarian." The billboard had a picture of a heavy-set lady on the beach in a not-so-itsy-bitsy teenie-weenie pink polka-dot bikini. Really, PETA? Really?​Understandably, issues were raised questioning PETA's sensitivity and compassion for the folks the billboard makes a jab at. However, our immediate reaction to the billboard was this

  October 5, 2009

• Matt Carter’s Nine 05 Classes Up Fourth Street with Brisket Crepes and Blueberry Mochi Cake

  October 8, 2009

• Battle of the Raspados

  Realeza Michoacana vs. La Reina MichoacanaRaspados are basically Mexican snow cones, but they're better than their US counterparts because real fruit juice is drizzled on top of the ice, instead of the sugary syrup most of us are used to. This gives you the feeling that what you're eating is vaguely healthy. In One Corner: Realeza Michoacana2520 N. 16th St.602-271-4527​

  October 15, 2009

• Is Chef Aaron Chamberlin’s St. Francis Holding Back?

  October 22, 2009

• How Sweet It Is! Smeeks

  Sloane BurwellBoo! It's Halloween candy!​There's nothing like candy to release your inner 5 year old. From all day suckers to wickedly sour candies strong enough to make a grown-up wince, there's a sticky sweet treat to satisfy every taste bud. Nowadays, it seems like nostalgia reigns supreme as quirky candy from the good old days lines the shelves of local candy stores. Tune in for a trip around sugar lane as we visit three confectionary playgrounds. Yesterday we looked at Sweets and Be

  October 21, 2009

• Homemade Candy Corn Easier Than It Sounds -- If You Follow the Recipe

  Amy SilvermanHomemade Candy Corn.​You didn't expect to read the terms "cognitive dissonance" and "homemade candy corn" in the same sentence, but there they are.And so apt -- as soon as we got the idea to make our own candy corn (not knowing if it was even possible or had ever been attempted) we began seeing recipes for and homemade mentions of the usually over-processed, mass produced treat. Lucky us. All of the recipes seem to be about the same (save for a debate over salted versus unsalted

  October 27, 2009

• You Pick It: Apple Annie's

  Apple Annie's​One of the best parts of autumn is the pick-it-yourself patches and orchards opening for public fun. Despite the 90-degree October and desert landscape, Arizona boasts some lovely farms for picking. However, most places close for the season on or around Halloween, so here's a few farms to hit up this week before all the goods are gone.Apple Annie's in Wilcox is our first stop on the orchard tour. Of course there's some "family fun" opportunities, but there really is a lot m

  October 27, 2009

• Forking: Simple German Bread Dumpling Soup

  ​This week's Forking column gets down to the dirty truth about what your surroundings say about you. For the sake of making a good impression on your would-be significant other, make damn sure to clean your bathroom. As for your kitchen, have a pot of this German bread dumpling soup bubbling away on your stove and call it good.  The recipe is after the jump. 

  October 28, 2009

• Amy Donohue, What Are You Eating?

  Find out what comedian Amy Donohue loves to eat.

  November 3, 2009

• Woodlands Vegetarian and Café Krishna Pack Chandler With Ethnic Vegetarian Specialties

  November 5, 2009

• Are Grocery Stores Going Nutty?

  We're noticing a trend in grocery stores lately -- they're all going totally nuts! Literally, that is. More and more local grocery stores are expanding their nut selections, venturing beyond stock bags of pistachios and cans of mixed nuts to bulk nuts, grind your own peanut butter stations and nut counters where customers can sample nuts and take them home by the pound. Make your own nut butter at the Chandler Whole Foods store.Whole Foods in Chandler, for example, has six grind

  November 5, 2009