James Porter

Chefs Christoper Gross and James Porter Unite for a Staff Meal Hanukkah Hoedown

Not that Valley chefs Christopher Gross (Christopher's & Crush Lounge) and James Porter (Petite Maison) need another reason to stay up late and have some fun, but Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights, seems like a good reason to mix the late-night revelry with a bit of holiday spirit. ... 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 >>

Shock Your Palate with Petite Maison's Offal Halloween Menu

Halloween can be enjoyed by dressing up in crazy costumes, decorating your house with skulls and cobwebs, or passing out candy to the kiddos. But if you ask us, the best way to celebrate any occasion is with food. Frighten your palette in the best way possible -- eating delicacies that might freak y ... More >>

Bacon Dishes We'll Miss from Five Metro Phoenix Restaurants That Do Bacon Right (Assuming the Bacon-Apocalypse Really is Coming, God Forbid)

Got a freezer? Like, a big one? If so, you might want to stock up on bacon and other pig products pronto before the world-wide shortage on all things porcine hits your wallet. See also: - Global Bacon Shortage - S'Mores Smackdown: Frank & Albert's vs. Beckett's Table Bad enough that it'll cost an ... More >>

Chewed Up

Top Five Things to Eat and Drink This Weekend

See also: New Times Calendar of Events Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We've got you covered. Check out what's on our plate. Dinner & Drinks @ Angels Trumpet Ale House Downtown Phoenix's newest drinking establishment opened this past Tuesday night with a stellar beer line ... More >>

James Porter Explains Why Deadliest Catch Is Better Than Anything on Food Network and Names One Local Chef He Could Happily Spend a Week With

See also: James Porter, Eddie Matney and Others Team Up with Local Brewery to Make Their Own Beer This is part two of my interview with James Porter, chef-owner of Petite Maison. If you missed part one of the interview, read it here. Favorite food smell: Saffron and white wine. If your cooking we ... More >>

James Porter Explains What He Hates About Foodies and Gives the Best Description Ever of Phoenix as a Restaurant Town

See Also: Chef James Porter Leaves Big Earl's BBQ James Porter Petite Maison 7216 E. Shoeman Lane, Scottsdale 480-991-6887 www.petitemaisonaz.com This is part one of my interview with James Porter, chef-owner of Petite Maison. Come back tomorrow for part two, when Porter explains why Deadliest Cat ... More >>

Three Things to Eat, Drink, and Bake this Weekend

Saturday, July 14 is the French holiday Bastille Day and we're celebrating with a three-course French meal, a few glasses of red wine, and a batch of spicy French macarons. Check out what's on our plate. Eat This: Three Course Dinner at Petite Maison -- Chef James Porter and his team are creatin ... More >>

Three Things to Eat, Drink, and Bake this Weekend

This weekend, we're trading in our pint glasses for stems of red and white. We'll be making a trip to Cave Creek for a couple of glasses of wine and a plate of grilled duck or we'll be hittin' the road for a not-to-be-missed wine festival in the pines and we'll also be whipping up a beautiful batch ... More >>

What's Your Hangover Cure?

Missing teeth, stolen police cars -- and where the hell is Mike Tyson's tiger? At one time or another, most of us have experienced the unpleasant and sometimes even life-altering effects following the heavy use of alcohol. Most everyone's got their swear-by-it hangover cure, but what about Valley ... More >>

Petite Maison's Sunday Brunch a Fine and Frenchy Affair

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 >>

Petite Maison Bringing Back Lunch and Champagne Brunch in March: Think French-Style Pizzas and Crepes au Canard

On the heels of last week's announcement that chef James Porter was leaving Big Earl's BBQ in Scottsdale, where he was chef and operating manager, comes that news that his Parisian bistro in Old Town Scottsdale, Petite Maison, will be resuming its lunch and champagne brunch the first week of March. ... More >>

Chef James Porter Leaves Big Earl's BBQ

After just over a year, chef James Porter is leaving Big Earl's BBQ in Scottsdale, where he was chef and operating manager, and focusing full time on Petite Maison, his Parisian bistro in Old Town Scottsdale. Porter was able to open Big Earl's (formerly Jac's Pizzeria) just thirty days after he to ... More >>

Big Earl's BBQ Fans Pay the Ultimate Homage: Permanent Tattoos

In what may be a Valley first, two fans of Big Earl's BBQ, chef James Porter's home of "old school 'Q" in Old Town Scottsdale, have paid the ultimate tribute to the restaurant by having themselves tattooed with the restaurant's logo. Kyle Ohland and Ike Conrsolle, both visiting from Minnesota, stop ... More >>

Bloody Good Time

Valley Chefs Demonstrate How Not to Saber a Champagne Bottle

Looks as if a few notable Valley chefs may have benefited from our post last week on sabrage, the name given to the practice of opening a champagne bottle with a sword. Last month, during a benefit dinner at the home of Jamie Hormel (owner of the Wrigley Mansion, heir to the Hormel meat-packing emp ... More >>

Petite Maison Brings Back Offal Dinner for Halloween Weekend

​For fans of offal (pronounced awful), those delicious odds and ends of animals, or for those curious enough to want to take a taste or two, Petite Maison, the charming little French eatery in Scottsdale, is serving up something special this Halloween weekend -- and if it's as popular as it wa ... More >>

Man v. Food Nation Visits Big Earl's BBQ in Scottsdale: Chef James Porter Says Adam Richman Is "Juilliard School Meets Rachael Ray Meets Anthony Bourdain"

Chef James Porter with Man v. Food Nation's Adam Richman​Big Earl's BBQ got some mad TV love this weekend when Adam Richman and his 16-person crew of Travel Channel's Man v. Food Nation, (the evolution of Man v. Food, in which Richman recruits locals to take on food challenges instead of doing ... More >>

Big Earl's BBQ Fills Opening Left by Morales with Ex-Mission Chef

Jackie Mercandetti​Looks like Big Earl's BBQ, chef James Porter's home of "old school 'Q" in Old Town Scottsdale has found a replacement for Tony Morales, their pitmaster since January who left last week to focus on Desert Smoke BBQ, his business of signature sauces and spice rubs. Chef James ... More >>

Big Earl's "Fancy Barbecue" Is One Missed 'Cue After Another

Big Earl's "Fancy Barbecue" Is One Missed 'Cue After Another

Hackett House Cooking Class and E.D. Goes Green for St. Patrick's Day in Today's Eater's Digest

www.foodmayhem.com​Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Cooking at the Hackett House Did you know that the Hackett House in Tempe hosts cooking classes most Monday nights? We didn't either till today. Each Monday night the Hackett House host cookin ... More >>

Friday at Devoured: Palette to Palate

Roasted Corn Cocktail and Shrimp Ceviche from the Barrio Cafe​To kick off this year's Devoured PHX Culinary Classic the Phoenix Art Musuem hosted Palette to Palate, a pairing of chefs, artists, and spirits, in the great hall of the museum for a crowd willing to spring for the $45 (plus fees) ... More >>

A Witch in Time

Desert Smoke BBQ Teams Up With Big Earl's BBQ

​It was under wraps at first, but now the word is official. Petite Maison chef-owner James Porter's new Old Town Scottsdale barbecue joint -- Big Earl's BBQ, opening later this month -- has a deal with Desert Smoke BBQ's Tony Morales to provide all of the restaurant's sauces and spice rubs."O ... More >>

Chef James Porter Planning New Scottsdale BBQ Spot

​The next few weeks will be crazy-busy for Petite Maison chef-owner James Porter as he prepares to open a new barbecue restaurant, Big Earl's BBQ, in the Old Town space that formerly housed Nello's, and later, Jac's Pizzeria. The goal is to open by February 1. Porter, who will be the chef a ... More >>

Petite Maison Kicks Off Holiday Food Drive at Staff Meals

Petite Maison gets into the holiday spirit. ​Help keep St. Mary's Food Bank well stocked for the holidays, and Petite Maison will feed you as much as you can handle. That's right -- chef James Porter and his team at the cozy bistro will dedicate one night a week to collecting canned food fo ... More >>

Petite Maison Hosts Chef Matt Carter Tonight

​Petite Maison created plenty of buzz when it launched its late-night "Staff Meal" (offered from 10 p.m. to midnight, Thursday through Saturday) and now the cozy French country spot in Old Town is mixing things up by welcoming guest chefs into chef James Porter's kitchen. Tonight, chef M ... More >>

Challenge to the Chefs at the Scottsdale Culinary Fest is Bleeping Bawdy

Think you can whip this up in an hour? Good luck.​"You're going to hear a lot of interesting language today," announced Chef James Porter, host of today's Challenge to the Chefs at the Scottsdale Culinary Festival and owner of Petite Maison. The question is, was he referring to th ... More >>

Meat Up at This Weekend's AZ BBQ Festival

​I doubt the AZ BBQ Festival will be a one-off event. Those guys over at the EaterAZ blog, Rick Phillips and Dave Tyda, have done a bang-up job with organizing and promoting their brand-new culinary festival, which takes place this weekend at the Scottsdale Waterfront. I drove ... More >>

"Frog Legs Are the New Chicken Wings" at Petite Maison

​So said the ever-quotable chef James Porter at Petite Maison, who just unveiled the new spring menu. One of the new additions has suddenly become one of the most popular dishes at the restaurant: frog legs. Cuisses de grenouille Provencal -- sauteed with tomatoes in white wine, butter, ... More >>

Hung Dynasty

Be careful what you witch for at Salem: 1692

Chefs Lead Farm Sessions at the Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market

Photo courtesy of Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau James Porter​Sometimes shopping at farmers markets can be overwhelming, and you end up packing 10 reusable bags full of fresh fruits and veggies but don't know where to start once you get to the kitchen. Learn just how to turn a ... More >>

Old Town Farmers Market Is Back

​Scottsdale's Old Town Farmers Market is back and reportedly going to be bigger than ever. How big? Well, just about double the size of last season's.Big name local produce growers McClendon's Select, Seacat Gardens, and Maya's Farm will all be selling fresh fruits and veggies at the market, s ... More >>

CRAVE Arizona is Perfectly Balanced Gluttony

​Celebrity chefs. Blind wine tasting contests. Food samples from dozens of Valley restaurants. Only two weeks after Scottsdale's Dine Out With the Chefs event, culinary afficianados from across the Valley loosened their belts for another huge epicurean event: CRAVE Arizona ... More >>

James Porter’s Petite Maison Brings Beautiful Bowls of French Onion Soup to Old Town Scottsdale

Dine Out with the Chefs Impresses Sophisticated Palates

Last night at the 4th annual Dine Out with the Chefs event at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, some of the Valley's hottest local chefs came out of their respective restaurant kitchens to cook, serve and wander among us mere mortals. Chef James Porter, whose newly-opened ... More >>

Petite Maison Kick-Starts Brunch This Weekend

​Not quite two weeks old, Scottsdale's Petite Maison is adding brunch service to its repertoire this weekend. Until now, chef James Porter has been sticking to nightly dinner at his new French country bistro. For the Labor Day holiday, he'll be serving quiche, beignets, poached eggs with ... More >>

This Sunday: Petite Maison Grand Opening

Looking for something new this weekend? Chef James Porter's new French bistro, Petite Maison, opens its doors to the public this Sunday at 5 p.m. It will be dinner-only until September 5, when breakfast, brunch, and lunch service start up. Petite Maison is located at 7216 E. Shoeman Ln. in Scottsda ... More >>

This Week In Chow Bella

Another week has come and gone leaving us to ponder the upcoming events that will shape our lives and, more importantly, our dinners out. But before we move on, let's have one last look at the blog posts from this week: Three Roots Cafe Returns to the Tempe Scene Chef James Porter Readies His Pet ... More >>

Chef James Porter Readies His Petite Maison

​Three months ago, when chef James Porter abruptly shuttered his restaurant Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar, he promised to return later this summer with a brand-new, more budget-friendly French country bistro in Scottsdale. Now, he's ready to deliver. Petite Maison is officially opening ... More >>

Christopher Gross' Chef's Tour: A Recap

Sloane BurwellJames Porter gets Aaron May's autograph. After this weekend, it's time to replace "party like a rockstar" with "drink like a chef." Friday night is a bit of a blur for most (if not all) of the participants in a Chef's Tour of central downtown Phoenix restaurants (yes, and bars) dreamed ... More >>

Friday: Chefs Tour Downtown Bars and Restaurants

What happens when you get a bunch of chefs from notable local restaurants, you put them on a trolley, and you take them bar-hopping downtown? I don't know, but there should be some sort of cheeky punchline here. Anyway, it sounds like a fun time, and it's happening tomorrow night. Chef Christopher G ... More >>

Petite Maison: New French Country Bistro in the Works

When it opens sometime in the next six months, what might you expect to eat at Tapino chef James Porter's upcoming bistro, Petite Maison? Roasted heritage chicken from Willcox. Braised shortribs. A nice Nicoise salad with grilled fish. Some cheese, some charcuterie, and maybe a hot li ... More >>

This Just In: Chef Line-Up for West of Western

Wasn't it just New Year's Eve? Weren't we just shivering in our sweaters and jackets? All of a sudden it's March, and it feels like summer's right around the corner. No complaints from me, buddy. I love this time of year, not only because of the balmy weather, but because there's so much to do ... More >>

Local Celeb Chefs Bail On Their Own Restaurants for V-Day

All right, I'm having fun with headlines. But I couldn't help but notice how many local "celebrity" chefs are listed in the "all-star" lineup of a charity event that just so happens to take place on Valentine's night -- one of the busiest nights of the year for most restaurants. It's a night wh ... More >>

Farmers, Ranchers, Foodies Party At Tapino Kitchen Wine Bar Shindig

New at Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar

Embarrassment of Riches

Scottsdale 'hood gets another creative supper spot