Foods

Nikki's Five Picks for Arizona Restaurant Week (May 18-27)

Arizona Restaurant Week -- the Spring 2013 Edition -- begins Saturday, May 18 and ends Monday, May 27 (which is Memorial Day, when most of us will be grilling burgers and drinking beer at home . . . but never mind). By the end of this week, ARW officially will be upon us: a 10-day eating extravaganz ... More >>

3 Easy Recipes That Call for Nut Butters

Forget peanut butter. There are all sorts of nut butters just waiting for your morning toast. More important, every jar of cashew or pumpkinseed butter is the secret ingredient to thicken your sauce, bring depth to your salad dressing, or turn tortilla chips into fancy hors d'oeuvre. See Also: And ... More >>

The Original ChopShop in Scottsdale Caters to the Healthy Crowd

Pomo Pizzeria Heading to New Home in Scottsdale

In a couple of weeks, fans of Pomo Pizzeria, the stylish Scottsdale spot serving certified authentic Neapolitan pizza (complete with a stamp of approval from the Italian trade group Associazone Verace Pizza Napoletana), will need to travel north to score their favorite artisan pies. See also: - Lam ... More >>

Mother's Day in Metro Phoenix: 7 Restaurants Perfect for Spoiling Mom

Mother's Day is on Sunday, May 12, this year -- that's about two weeks away -- and this is one occasion where you can't put off reserving a table (or special take-home dinner) until the last minute. Whether your mom prefers fine dining or a simple steak, a lavish outdoor brunch or a stay-at-home gou ... More >>

Surprise's Amuse Bouche: Excellent French Cuisine, With a Few Downsides

8 Great Guacamoles in Metro Phoenix

Some snooty conquistador way back when once noted that in Mexico, avocados and guacamole were "butter for the poor." My, how times have changed! Guacamole -- a literal and linguistic mash-up of the Nahuatl (Aztec) words ahuacatl (avocado) and mole (mixture) has gone so upscale, customers now routine ... More >>

The Best of the Cheese and Wine Worlds Converge at Ahwatukee's Wedge & Bottle

Last Night's Scottsdale Culinary Event: The Chocolate and Wine "Experience"

It was a fairly sizable turnout at Talking Stick Resort last night for the Chocolate and Wine Experience, the decadent Day 2 of the week-long Scottsdale Culinary Festival. True to title, the event offered all forms of chocolate indulgence and bottled vino, but left plenty of room for interpretation ... More >>

Green Chile Mac and Cheese Smackdown: The Main Ingredient vs. Roaring Fork

In Arizona, we want things done a certain way. We like our hot dogs Sonoran, our margaritas prickly peared, and our mac and cheese chock-full of green chiles. A classic dish of Americana delivered with a Southwestern spin is the comfort dish of many locals. So whose kitchen should you head to when y ... More >>

New Restaurant Opens at Chase Field: Think Barbecue, Sandwiches Wrapped in Tape Measures, and the "Hottest Wings in Baseball"

Just in time for the Arizona Diamondbacks' opening day, Game Seven Grill, the new barbecue-style restaurant at Chase Field, will open its doors to hungry baseball fans. See also: - Chef Justin Beckett Opening Restaurant in Old Beef Eaters Building - Squid Ink Sushi Opening Second Location at Downt ... More >>

10 Places in Metro Phoenix to Get Great Pancakes

Despite our mother's best advice about breakfast, most of us give the all-important first meal of the day short shrift during the work week. We gulp down sugary cereal, grab a granola bar (which probably shouldn't be considered food, much less breakfast), or just settle for a few thousand cups of co ... More >>

Chicken Pot Pie Fight: The Duce vs. Porte Cochere

This might be the last week we can handle hearty comfort foods before the heat imposes a salad-only diet on us. In honor of the waning winter, we put two local pot pie makers against each other to see which savory pastry is the tops. Chicken pot pies have several components that must be executed an ... More >>

10 Easter Dining Options at Metro Phoenix Restaurants

Whether or not you celebrate Easter, with the holiday falling early this year (Sunday, March 31), a seasonal brunch or dinner is the perfect way to kick off spring. The following 10 restaurants are our top picks for Easter dining, thanks to menus that highlight local greens, succulent lamb, and fres ... More >>

6 Easy Mushroom Recipes

See Also: AndyTalk: Lentil Basics and a No-Recipe Dinner AndyTalk: The Winning Combo of Cauliflower and Mayonnaise When it comes to mushrooms you either love them or hate them. When properly cooked, mushrooms have deep, nutty, caramelized flavors and a combination of soft and crispy textures. What' ... More >>

11 Best Pizza Spots in Metro Phoenix

As a restaurant town, Phoenix still gets a bum rap: too many chains, too few ethnic, no restaurant-rich urban core, and no famous equivalent to Philly's cheesesteak or Chicago's hot dog to call our own. But there's one thing we do have in abundance, and it's great pizza. Seriously, we are a first-ra ... More >>

8 Favorite Fresh-Baked Bread Experiences at Metro Phoenix Restaurants

Bread is such an important part of a restaurant meal. It's the first solid thing to hit the table, the first impression made, the first clue as to what we might expect about all that's to follow. If it's stale or cold or dry or just plain lousy, we're not only disappointed but worried. Bad bread nev ... More >>

Flourless Sunflower Seed Butter Cookies

I've been writing about food related Pinterest finds for one year and have yet to report on cookies. It's about time. And these are wonderful, particularly in this picky day and age. These cookies don't contain flour, or nuts and barely any diary - making them the absolute perfect treat for when y ... More >>

Lunch Under $10 at Cheese 'N Stuff in Phoenix

Cheese 'N Stuff is pretty much the little deli that could. While every other neighboring business rose and fell with time, Cheese 'N Stuff has lasted for decades in Phoenix, distinguishing it as the oldest deli in town. Walking in underneath the iconic large globe sign, we stumbled into a time warp ... More >>

Last Minute Chocolate Valentine You Can Make Yourself

AndyTalk: Salt - It's So Much More Than Sodium Chloride It's Valentine's Day and that means stress, especially if you're a bit of a procrastinator and/or you think that the card you bought just isn't enough. If you've got some chocolate on hand, even in bar form, you can make the best hand-made va ... More >>

14 More Valley Places to Wine and Dine Your Honey Bun on Valentine's

Remember last year when you swore you'd make Valentine's Day plans way ahead of schedule so as not to repeat the twelve-hour scramble of years past? It might be too late to get a reservation at the top spots in town, but you haven't missed the window entirely -- not yet. But put off calling around ( ... More >>

Superbowl Cupcakes This Weekend Only at Urban Cookies

Still don't know what you're serving at your big Superbowl party on Sunday? Urban Cookies Bakeshop has you covered -- for dessert, anyway. One flavor represents San Francisco, the other Baltimore. So if you're a 49ers fan, hopefully you love dark chocolate, red wine, and cheese. Pulling for the Rave ... More >>

Fourteen Valley Restaurants to Take Your Sweetie Pie to on Valentine's Day

On which day of the year does one-third of all Americans visit a restaurant? If you guessed Mother's Day, often referred to as the busiest day in the restaurant biz, you're wrong. Valentine's Day is the holiday that draws out the diners, so if you're planning a fancy date night with your special som ... More >>

10 Favorite Soup & Sandwich Shops in Greater Phoenix

Folks here in the Valley might not experience a true winter chill, but that doesn't mean we don't like to snuggle up with a hearty sandwich and a comforting bowl of soup when we need that extra bit of warmth in our souls. See also: The 10 Best Things I Ate in 2012 10 Favorite Spots for Pie & Cof ... More >>

7 More Picks for Where to Drink and Dine in Phoenix on New Year's Eve

The world didn't end on December 21, giving us even more reason to celebrate our asses off on December 31 as we ring in the New Year. Some New Year's celebrations feel lackluster, but this one is gearing up to be a celebration you won't want to miss. If you still don't know where you're drinking and ... More >>

Another Way to Get that Coquito Buzz this Christmas

While some folks can't call it Christmas without their eggnog, we like to sip Coquito during those all-night gift-wrapping binges. We have another, faster, recipe for the popular Puerto Rican holiday cóctel. This one removes the egg yolks and blends three kinds of booze into a creamy coconut base w ... More >>

So We Meat Again Is Stanley's Homemade Polish Sausage -- Only Better

When the Stovanovic family, which opened the original Stanley's Homemade Polish Sausage on McDowell in 1989, closed up shop at that location last spring, they promised a new store right across the street in the months to come. That dream never materialized, although the Stovanovics still own a retai ... More >>

Six More Valley Restaurants Serving Christmastime Brunch and Dinner

The gifts are purchased and wrapped, the tree is lit and decorated, and Christmas cards and packages are in the mail. But what about the holiday feast? If you still don't know what to eat for your celebration, here are six more restaurants in metro Phoenix that are serving Christmastime specialties ... More >>

Seven Restaurants Open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Greater Phoenix

Christmas is a holiday for good cheer and spending joyous time with loved ones, and sometimes being in the kitchen can get in the way of that. Forget about stressing out and make reservations to celebrate Christmas Eve or Christmas Day at one of the top restaurants in town. You'll be wined and dined ... More >>

Chicago's Taylor Street Deli Combo Sandwich: A Delicious Hot Italian Mess

The Guilty Pleasure: Combo Sandwich Where To Get It: Chicago's Taylor Street Deli, Scottsdale Road north of Loop 202 Price: $6 ($7 with peppers, highly recommended) What It Really Costs: You might want to get your shirt dry-cleaned after eating. One of my favorite regional guilty pleasures that has ... More >>

Three Cookie Doughs to Freeze Now, Bake Later

It's that time of year. The holidays. And though it's tempting to wake up early the morning of a holiday party to bake, we recommend making these freezable recipes now, for easy baking later -- and a chance to sleep in. These aren't your typical sugar cookie recipes; these will make you look like a ... More >>

Break Open the Piggybank: Posh and Davanti Enoteca Are Holding Wine-Paired Truffle Dinners. Ooh La La.

19th Century French gastronome Brillat-Savarin called the truffle "the diamond of the kitchen," an apt description of a seasonal delicacy so rare and hard to find that even an ounce of it costs hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of dollars. Truffles (knobby-looking subterranean mushrooms with the mo ... More >>

Reuben Rivalry: Goldman's Deli vs. Miracle Mile

Nobody really knows who invented the Reuben sandwich (but we'd put flowers on his grave if we did). Some say it was Reuben Kulakofsky of Omaha, Nebraska, who served it at late-night poker games at the Blackstone Hotel. Others swear it was invented by a cook at Reuben's Restaurant in New York City. T ... More >>

Petite Maison's Halloween Offal Dinner Puts Elegant Spin on Spooky Animal Parts

For some people, offal (pronounced OAF-uhl) is as cringe-worthy as a slasher film.That's surely why James Porter, chef-owner of Petite Maison, decided two years ago to create a tongue-in-cheek Halloween menu built around animal organs and the occasional odd part. He knows that for the squeamish, liv ... More >>

May I Now Present the Awards for the Chow Bella Halloween Candy Showdown

The best thing about being the judge for the 2012 Chow Bella Halloween Candy Showdown is, well, being the judge for the 2012 Chow Bella Halloween Candy Showdown. Bring on the sugar rush, Baby. With the challenge being to whip up a dessert incorporating their favorite Halloween candy, my fellow scri ... More >>

Karen Olson Makes Chocolate Chip Cookies

Forks up, Phoenix! Chow Bella and Roosevelt Row present the third annual Pie Social Saturday, November 3rd, from 2 to 6 p.m. on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix. We've got an all-star line up of bakers making pies for you to taste, and from now til Pie Social, we'll introduce them to you, one by on ... More >>

AndyTalk: Lentil Basics and a No-Recipe Dinner

See Also: AndyTalk: A Tale of Two Ground Beef Substitutes AndyTalk: Baby Bok Choy, Your New Favorite Lentils are easy. People have been eating lentils for about 10,000 years. Your cave ancestors cooked lentils with no modern conveniences. This means that you, even in the most ill-equipped kitche ... More >>

New Deli and Smokehouse Moving Into Old Stanley's Sausage Location

Stanley's Homemade Polish Sausage Company may have moved out of its location on 2201 East McDowell Road this spring, but the tiny brick structure in Central Phoenix soon will be occupied by another meaty establishment with a rather, er, cheesy name. See also: Stanley's Sausage Company on McDowell M ... More >>

$10 Lunch at Chloe's Corner

Lounge music plays pleasantly at Chloe's Corner as we arrive for lunch. See also: - $10 Lunch at Dilly's Deli - $10 Lunch at Fresh Mint Restaurant - $10 Lunch at Green Vegetarian Restaurant

AndyTalk: A Hard Cheese is Good to Find

See Also: - AndyTalk: Autumn Means Apples - AndyTalk: The Trouble with Balsamic Vinegar Ounce for ounce nothing offers flavor as rich and intense as hard cheese. As cheese ages it loses water, concentrating its flavors. While aged cheeses don't melt as well as creamier young cheeses most of them ... More >>

New Hong Kong: Authentic Chinese Food Hiding in Plain Sight

$10 Lunch at Corleone's Philly Steaks

If you're looking for a satisfying hot meal that won't break the bank, you've come to the right place: Corleone's. The Philly Original "wiz wit" sandwich is a steal for under $10. See also: - $10 Lunch at Dilly's Deli -$10 Lunch at Green Vegetarian Restaurant - $10 Lunch at Maizie's Cafe & Bistro

$10 Lunch at Dilly's Deli

We were in the mood for a sandwich, and after having seen several Dilly's Deli locations around the Valley, decided to stop in for lunch at the Scottsdale Airpark location. See also: - $10 Lunch at Green Vegetarian Restaurant -$10 Lunch at Cafe @ Rio -$10 Lunch at BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse

First-Ever Chile Pepper Festival on Roosevelt Row Promises to Bring the Heat

The First Annual Chile Pepper Festival is upon us, people. September 29, this coming Saturday, Roosevelt Row will celebrate the beloved chile in all forms roast, dried, cooked and fried. And in case you were more or less hesitant about attending an event that would undoubtedly leave a fire in your m ... More >>

New York Deli and Restaurant Coming to Scottsdale

New York deli fans looking for pickled corned beef and pastrami, matzo ball soup, and New York style bagels with lox and schmear would do best to keep their eyes peeled for the opening of Abe's of Scottsdale, the deli and restaurant opening soon in the Acacia Creek Village Shopping Center at the sou ... More >>

Bob McClendon Grows Organic Veggies for Patients at Cancer Treatment Centers of America

See also: Is Organic Food Better For You Than Non-Organic Food? See also: McClendon's Select Snubs Local Growers With Summer Produce Blog If you think the whole organic food movement is a lot of hooey, I have news for you. The Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Goodyear doesn't. In fact, this ... More >>

White Chocolate Banana Cream Pie at The White Chocolate Grill

See also: Pie Social 2012: Call for Entries If you're in the mood for dessert, it would seem there's no better place to go than a restaurant with chocolate in the name. That logic brought us to The White Chocolate Grill, on the surface a generic upscale American restaurant with the typical big plus ... More >>

Ten Favorite Metro Phoenix Sandwiches

See Also: Behind the Scenes at Chris Bianco's Restaurants See Also: The Sandwich Nazi (NSFW, Not Even a Little) See Also: Seven Hate-Free Chicken Sandwiches in Metro Phoenix Everybody loves a good sandwich, right? Bread, meat, cheese, veggies, condiments -- all things that taste pretty good, especia ... More >>

The 10 Best Halloween Candies Ever.

When it comes to shopping for Halloween candy, everyone knows the basics: no generics, no toothbrushes, no mystery baked goods, and if you're giving out king-sized candy bars, word will quickly spread through the trick-or-treat grapevine that your house is the jackpot. But what are the specific ca ... More >>