Jamaica

10 Best Margaritas in Metro Phoenix

Summer is coming. Time to switch our drinking regimen from stouts, red wines, and whiskey to more refreshing beverages. The first thing that always comes to mind when the temps top 80 degrees is a margarita, and, boy, do we know quite a few places around town that serve up unique and delicious takes ... More >>

Dwayne Allen of Rum Bar Gives a Tasty Tutorial on Rum

If you've ever been inclined to dismiss rum as a legitimate spirit because of slushy vats of hot pink strawberry daiquiris, flaming tiki drinks or frat boys chugging Bacardi and Coke, hang on one little minute. Dwayne Allen, who co-owns The Breadfruit and Rum Bar with his partner Danielle Leoni, is ... More >>

Should We Come Up With a Better Name For Third Wave Ska?

I won't beat around the bush: I don't really like the music of Reel Big Fish. I don't like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones either, and found No Doubt a giggly waste of my time. In fact, while as a music critic I respect these bands for what they are trying to accomplish and the fact that they all have a ... More >>

S.S. Coachella Cruise Lineup Announced Featuring Pulp, Girl Talk, Z-Trip, and More

See also: Z-Trip Talks Growing Up in Phoenix, Johhny D., Crate-Digging, Mexican Food, Smite, and More See also: Up on the Sun's Coachella 2012 Coverage Goldenvoice promised an announcement at 6 p.m. today, but looks like someone jumped the gun: Get ready for the S.S. Coachella cruise, which takes a ... More >>

Tamarindo: The Best Agua Fresca You've Never Tasted (And Where You Can Find One in Phoenix)

If you've ventured beyond the gringo-ized Mexican food served at chain restaurants or wandered into a Latino grocery store, chances are you've run across aguas frescas (fresh waters) -- the non-alcoholic coolers that combine fruits, cereals, or seeds with sugar and water. Kept in clear jugs and di ... More >>

Three Things to Eat, Drink, and Bake this Weekend

It's the first weekend of June, which means downtown Phoenix is going to be hoppin' with First Friday art action, a whole lot of sunshine, and maybe a pool party or two (check out Jackalope Ranch for all your summer pool party info). And just because we'll be out and about checkin' out the art gal ... More >>

Just Like Mom's: Congrats to the Winners of Chow Bella's Mother's Day Essay Contest

From Jamaica to Panama, the entrants in Chow Bella's first-ever Mother's Day essay contest took us on a whirlwind tour of maternal culinary inspiration. And boy, are we hungry. Thanks to all who entered, and particularly to Gayle Shanks, co-owner of Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, who graciousl ... More >>

Fu-Fu Cuisine Is a Journey to Africa and the Caribbean

To eat at Fu-Fu Cuisine on Phoenix's west side, is a journey far from the sprawling Arizona desert. The new restaurant owned by Esther Mbaikambey, who was born in Nigeria and spent her high school years in Jamaica, offers a culinary journey to Africa and Caribbean.

The Aggrolites' Reggae Sound Avoids Needless Polish

Jerk Hut Delivers a Taste of Jamaica

Ten Favorite Margaritas in Metro Phoenix

pinterest.com​We don't really go for all the hoopla over the made-up holidays that have crept onto the calendar in recent times, thanks to clever marketers. You know, like Orange M&M Day and Brown Rice Tortilla Week. (We made those up, don't worry.) But there's one fabricated celebration w ... More >>

Sipping Rums: Beyond Bacardi

After working at Trader Vic's for its entire five-year run at the beautiful Hotel Valley Ho, I developed quite an appreciation for rum. Most people's familiarity with rum is limited to a mere two brands: Bacardi and Captain Morgan. Sometimes people are also familiar with Sailor Jerry. It's a crying ... More >>

Chef Danielle Leoni of The Breadfruit, Part Two

Lauren Saria ​Today we've got the second part of our chat with Chef Danielle Leoni of The Breadfruit. Although the restaurant's been open for several years, The Breadfruit stays true to its roots and original mission to offer fresh, Jamaican cuisine in a friendly, casual atmosphere. Leoni pride ... More >>

Chef Danielle Leoni of The Breadfruit

​In many ways the exterior of The Breadfruit -- tucked away on a quiet street and so unassuming that even walking right by, it could still go overlooked -- reflects the amiable persona of its unpretentious chef. We met with Chef Danielle Leoni this week to get to know the woman churning out some ... More >>

Reggae Music and Jokes Collide at Sail Inn This Upcoming Saturday

​​Bob Marley once said that "One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain." Reggae music, especially, has a way of making you forget your problems. Maybe because the kinds of people who listen to it are the usually same kind of people who enjoy getting ferociously high. At ... More >>

In Season: Amaranth Greens

Whether you're a CSA devotee, a farmers' market weekender or consider ketchup a veg, we'll bring you fresh inspiration for how to prepare our local produce. This week's harvest: Amaranth Greens Jennifer Woods​ Amaranth has come into favor with the healthful properties of the seeds (which can be ... More >>

Tony Culture Brings Reggae to the Valley One Night at a Time

Tony Culture on Studio One, Keeping His Music Clean, and Being a 'Rasta Witness'

​ In this week's music feature, New Times takes a look at the music and history of Valley DJ/reggae performer Tony Culture. Culture acts as sort of an elder statesman of reggae in Phoenix, and our interview covered much more ground than I had room to include in the paper. Culture is scheduled to p ... More >>

Tony Culture, Kurt Vile, Katy Perry and More in This Week's Issue

Kurt Vile​This week's issue features Tony Culture, a local artist who has his roots in Jamaica. As a fan of the Studio 1 and "lovers rock," he loves many styles of reggae. He's a do-it-all MC, DJ and Sound System master. His wife owns Afida's Hair Culture, which is where you can see Tony ... More >>

Aguas Frescas from Dan Maldonado of Tacos Atoyac

Maya DukmasovaHibiscus and Watermelon Aguas Frescas at Tacos Atoyac​Over the past two days, Chef Dan Maldonado of Tacos Atoyac has talked tacos and transitions from fine dining to fast food. Today, he shares two recipes for refreshing, Oaxacan style summer "fruit waters" that you can enjoy both a ... More >>

New in CenPho: Rum Bar at The Breadfruit

​Dwayne Allen and Danielle Leoni, the folks behind cheerful Jamaican restaurant The Breadfruit, just opened Rum Bar in the space next door to the restaurant, serving nearly 70 kinds of premium rum, from smooth, young spirits to exquisite aged reserve varieties. There are also several kin ... More >>

Atlanta Customs Agent, Devon Samuels, Thought He was Shipping Illegal Firearms to Arizona, Feds Say

​ An airport-based agent with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Atlanta, Georgia, believed he was shipping drug money and illegal guns to Mexican cartel members in Arizona, officials said Thursday. Agent Devon Samuels, 45, was among 13 people arrested today on suspi ... More >>

The World's Most Unfortunate Food Packaging

Different cultures, different languages, different tastes. Somewhere along the line, things are going to go wrong when it comes to packaging our foodstuffs for the rest of the world to see. We've captured the top five most unfortunate in today's post. ​ 5.) Shitto Hotly Spiced Pepper Sauce: Ghan ... More >>

Brew Review: Nefarious Ten Pin Imperial Porter

Old School

AHK23 fuses our favorite nostalgic sounds with the new

Ojos de Brujo

Techari Live
(Six Degrees)

Island Discovery

Tasty stuff I'm into this week

Rusty's World: The secret life of PHX Kia peddler and anti-Mexican A-hole Rusty Childress.

Big Pete Pearson

I'm Here Baby
(Blue Witch Records)

Caribbean Queen

Jamrock Jaunt

Cool jerk

Sweater Club

Youth is rough, it really is

Reigning Cats and Dawgs

A stylus assault at Old Brickhouse

Star-Spangled Skankin'

Trunk Space goes Fourth with dance frenzy

Red Bull Run

P-town's Pleasure Squad squeezes into Scottsdale's swank Six Lounge for a Satanic Red Sunday.

Shaggy

Lucky Day (MCA Records)

Beenie Man

Tropical Storm (Virgin)

Dancehall Crasher

Hip-hop may have forgotten its debt to him, but reggae toaster Yellowman still knows he's king

Best Gourmet Mexican

La Hacienda

Sax Relief

Gumbo rewrites the tax code with the latest batch of jazz, blues and heritage releases

Jamaican Whoopie

Take a vacation to Callaloo

Bop the Question

Drawing insight from the month's best in jazz, blues and heritage, Gumbo answers readers' nagging queries

Soul Music

Wailing Souls take their vintage reggae skank into the realm of psychedelia

Puttin' On Berlitz

Jamaican Whoopie

Arizona's ska kings trace roots of reggae

Blue Ska Ahead

Thirty years after ska was born in Jamaica, its prospects in the U.S. have never looked better, thanks in part to Toasters founder Rob "Bucket" Hingley

INN SIDE EDITION

BUSTING THE BIKERS

YOU'RE A TATTOOED GIANT ON A HARLEY. YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THE DIRTY DOZEN. YOU'RE TOAST.

THE ANGUISH OF ALEX HALEY'S WIDOWWITH HER HUSBAND'S LITERARY LEGACY DISPERSED, SHE'S LOCKED IN A BITTER PROBATE BATTLE