Matt Carter

Apple Pie Moonshine, Brisket Hash Nachos, and Quite Possibly the Best PBLT in the Valley at Bootleggers in North Phoenix

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 >>

Rick Phillips of EATERAZ to Open Casual Restaurant with BBQ Component Moonshine -- and Guess Who's Consulting for Him?

As the likable smart-ass behind the food scene blog EATERAZ and the guy who puts on both the Arizona Taco Festival and the Arizona BBQ Festival (all with considerable help from his equally likeable and possibly more smart-ass partner Dave Tyda), Rick Phillips is known for being a magazine publisher ... More >>

Celebrity Chef Charity Dinner at Praying Monk in Scottsdale on March 10

Under normal circumstances, we'd have to log quite a few miles in order to enjoy plates created by Aaron May, Christopher Gross, Matt Carter, and Josh Herbert in one night. And that's assuming we'd be able to stuff ourselves with that much food. It won't be a problem, however, on March 10 when the ... More >>

The Parlor Offers Nose-to-Tail Dinners Wednesday Through Saturday Starting February 6

Matt Carter started the local nose-to-tail trend four years ago, slow-roasting a whole pig in La Caja China for Sunday brunch at The Mission. Kevin Binkley jumped in whole hog last fall, offering an all-you-can-eat pig dinner on Saturday afternoons and evenings at Cafe Bink. Now Jared Porter is get ... More >>

Bloody Marys and Mascarpone Crepe at The House Brasserie in Scottsdale

Welcome to Brunched, where Chow Bella samples local restaurants' offerings for our favorite meal. Hey, you get to sleep in and eat breakfast -- what's not to like? See also: -- So-So Huevos and Fabulous French Toast at SOL Mexican Cocina -- Pork Belly and Chawanmushi for Bento Box Brunch at Nobuo ... More >>

10 Best Things I Ate in October

Sharing my favorite eats of the month from new restaurants, reviewed restaurants, and places I've popped into just because. It's not a countdown, it's a collection. And I hope it inspires. Enjoy. Pork Stomach and Black Pepper Clay Pot at New Hong Kong "I can't believe I'm on my second bowl," rema ... More >>

Five Things to Eat and Drink This Weekend

Cobbler on Quack at Cowboy Ciao There's no better dessert (not even pumpkin pie) to put you in the mood for fall. Country Velador, pastry chef at Cowboy Ciao, came up with this genius pairing: traditional apple cobbler with duck fat ice cream. Based on taste alone, you'd never guess that duck fat i ... More >>

Aaron May Dishes About Why He Pisses People Off and Describes His Last Supper (You'll Love the Dessert)

This is part two of my interview with Aaron May, chef-partner of Praying Monk, Over Easy, The Lodge, Mabel's on Main and May's Counter in Tucson. If you missed part one, where May talks about whether he's a chef, a restaurateur or a party boy -- and what I learned (full disclosure) in a year of work ... More >>

Meet-and-Greet (and Booze with) Favorite Local Chefs at Dine Out with The Chefs This Weekend

The world of food doesn't get more boozy and schmoozy than Dine Out With the Chefs and if your social calendar is looking a little bare the good news is the once a year event is just around the corner. From 3 to 5 p.m. this Sunday, September 7, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will become a ... More >>

So What Exactly Do We Mean When We Say "American Cooking"?

As a food writer, I'm required to describe or categorize the food served at restaurants so that readers know what to expect and whether or not they want to go. Sounds easy enough, right? Especially since most of the time, chef-owners or their PR teams do the heavy lifting for me. See also: Eliot W ... More >>

Nikki's Got Four More Picks for Arizona Restaurant Week -- It's Not Too Late!

Arizona Restaurant Week kicked off last Saturday and ends this coming Sunday, September 23 -- which means there's still time to find a great bargain if your favorite restaurant isn't already booked. "You snooze, you lose" definitely applies here. See also: Nikki's Top Four Picks for Arizona Restau ... More >>

Trading Places: Five Chef and Restaurant Switches We'd Like to See Happen in the Valley

After hearing that Chicago's Alinea and New York's Eleven Madison Park, two of the country's highly celebrated restaurants, will be trading chefs and staff for one week in the fall, it got us to thinking: What chef/restaurant switcheroos would we like to see in the Valley? Here are five we'd love to ... More >>

After Many Delays, Matt Carter Opens The House in Old Town

See also: Chef Matt Carter to Open New Restaurant in Scottsdale See also: Here's the Lineup for This Year's Dine Out With the Chef's Event After weeks of delay, Matt Carter, Terry Ellisor and Brian Raab quietly opened The House at 6936 E. Main Street in Old Town Scottsdale on Wednesday night. Th ... More >>

Celeb Chefs Matt Carter, Beau MacMillan, and Aaron May Cooking Up Four-Course Brunch at Superstition Farm

In what may be the biggest and brunch-iest news of the year, celebu-chefs Matt Carter (Zinc Bistro and The Mission), Beau MacMillan (Elements at Sanctuary), and Aaron May (Praying Monk, Over Easy, and Renegade Tap & Kitchen) are joining forces to whip up a four-course brunch for hungry guests at Sup ... More >>

Celebrate BBQ Season in Style with "Haute" Dogs

You may be thinking of having a hot dog to commemorate Independence Day. You may also be thinking you don't really want to DIY over a hot grill in 110-degree weather just to eat a plain old mystery-meat wiener with mustard and relish. Frankly, we don't blame you. Here are three places to eat upsca ... More >>

Top Ten Spots for Mac 'n' Cheese in the Valley

Mm, mm, mac 'n' cheese. President Thomas Jefferson had it for dinner at the White House in 1802, Crayola made it a crayon color in 1993, and Kraft sells more than one million boxes of it every day. Dressed up with additional ingredients or stripped down and simple, mac 'n' cheese, essentially cook ... More >>

CLOSED: Bonfire Grill and Bar

What the skewer? Bonfire Grill and Bar, Old Town Scottsdale's stylish restaurant of American wood-fired cuisine at 7210 East 2nd Street has been shuttered. Opened in March of last year where Furio used to be, Bonfire boasted a menu designed by chef Matt Carter of Zinc Bistro and The Mission. A not ... More >>

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 >>

Bonfire Grill and Bar: All That Is Good About What Happens When Meat Meets Flame

Cafe: Bonfire Grill and Bar

Jackie Mercandetti​Are you a meat lover? If you are, you can thank chef Matt Carter for the wood-fired cuisine at Bonfire Grill in Scottsdale. Carter consulted on Bonfire's menu, creating a selection of American dishes with hints of the extravagant, heavy on the skewers, and approachable eno ... More >>

Chef James Fox of Big Earl's BBQ

Lauren Saria ​Chef Talk this week takes us to Old Town Scottsdale where we'll be chatting with James Fox from Big Earl's BBQ. If you don't already know, Big Earl's BBQ is Chef James Porter's way of satisfying ourneed for down-home cooking. Fox joined Big Earl's team just a few months ago af ... More >>

"Dine Out with the Chefs" Event Adds Bernie Kantak, Charlene Badman, and Aaron May

Bernie Kantak of Citizen Public House will be on hand at this year's event.​The Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is stepping up its game this year for its sixth annual, "Dine Out With the Chefs," one of the Valley's most exclusive culinary events where guests get to mingle with local ... More >>

Flavors of Phoenix 2011 and Chicken Pizza in Today's Eater's Digest

bunsinmyoven.com​ Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Flavors of Phoenix 2011Get your wallets out for this event. The 20th Annual Flavors of Phoenix is happening this Thursday. Thirty of the Valley's top chefs, including Aaron May, Beau Mac ... More >>

Matt Carter Guest Chef's Tonight at Monti's and Pretzel Dogs in Today's Eater's Digest

Fake Ginger​ Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Culinary Masters Part ThreeIt started with Eddie Matney back in February. In March Beau MacMillan gave it a go. Now it's Matt Carter's turn. Tonight, Don't miss NY Times-acclaimed chef Matt Ca ... More >>

Final Meditations on the Phoenix Food Scene from Michele Laudig

Beau MacMillan, Eddie Matney Defect to Monti's La Casa Vieja (For a Day)

Monti's La Casa Vieja​What happens when an executive chef loses the top-of-the-line stainless steel commercial appliances, professional tools and cache of underlings that he's used to? Either he rises like cream to prove he's got culinary game without the fancy extras, or he sinks like poached egg ... More >>

Matt Carter's Black Cod with Tomato Nage

  Keyon Fareghi​Our chat with Matt Carter ended yesterday with him explaining a little about why The Mission is different from other Latin restaurants in the area. The proof may not be in the pudding, but in the black cod dish that he will show us how to prepare tod ... More >>

Matt Carter of The Mission and Zinc Bistro

Keyon Fareghi​For Chef Matt Carter, a trip across Scottsdale means a journey from France to Spain -- and back again. Now, that's a worldly guy. The Mission  in Old Town Scottsdale offers margaritas and twinkly lights alongside the Spanish cuisine, while Kierland Comm ... More >>

Dine Out with the Chefs Sunday Oct. 3

Start stretching out your stomach and saving up your allotted calorie intake. You'll want to try a little bit of everything from more than 20 Valley chefs at the fifth annual Dine Out with the Chefs 4 to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 3.

Foodie Fight 2 Brings Out Local Luminaries This Saturday

​Several months ago, foodie-about-town and marketing/PR agency owner Ty Largo (shown at left) challenged his friend and fellow food geek/blogger Joel LaTondress (shown below, at right, he's also known as the Yelper who incited ABC Baking Co. owner Amy Bouzaglo's epic tangent, which got Chow B ... More >>

Bliss and ReBar Host Grand Opening Tonight

photos by Jessica VanZalen ​ In with the new -- Downtown hot spots Fate/Nine05 shut down in March leaving plenty of room for what's now Bliss and ReBar. (No word on whatever happened with Nine05's chef-owner Matt Carter and his plans for other projects on the corner of Fourth Street and Garfie ... 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 >>

New Restaurant Concept Coming to Former Nine 05 Space

​Downtown's momentum took a hit when chef Matt Carter's Asian fusion spot Nine 05 abruptly closed its doors three months ago, but soon the corner of 4th Street and Garfield will show signs of life again. Fez owner Mark Howard tells me he's working on a "very fun" new restaurant tha ... More >>

In the Raw: Local Chefs Get Naked for Charity

Nice, um, cucumber!A friend showed me his copy of the new In the Raw calendar, and what can I say? It's pretty ballsy.Ken and Lee Singh are the charming couple who run the all-natural Singh Farms -- a 20-acre wonderland where their composting efforts have created nutrient-rich soil for fresh veggies ... More >>

Farewell to Nine 05 and Everything Else Planned for That Corner

​Today would be a gorgeous day to eat some spring rolls and drink sake on the front patio of Nine 05, but sadly, it's too late. The nine-month-old restaurant has closed. Servicemen were removing equipment when I stopped by, and the place was deserted. The kitchen appears to be in a state of ... More >>

This Weekend: Devoured Phoenix Culinary Classic

Jason Silva A year ago, I sipped some wine at West of Western culinary festival with entrepreneur and small business advocate Kimber Lanning of Local First Arizona, chatting about boosting the profile of local restaurants. If only I'd brought a crystal ball with me. ... More >>

Nine 05 Chefs Matt Carter and Jay Bogsinske Demo New Dish

Jay Bogsinske (left) and Matt Carter of downtown's Nine 05. ​This past weekend, we popped by Scottsdale's Old Town Farmers' Market to see what they're up to lately. If you haven't been there this season, Viking now sponsors a weekly chef's demo in a white tent loaded up with a teensy m ... 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 >>

Cafe: Nine 05

​If there's one thing missing from our monthly outing to First Friday it's blueberry mochi cake. Don't get us wrong. We like street-side brats and popcorn as much as the next guy, but even once in a while we want to class it up. Seems Matt Carter of Nine 05 feels the same way. Food Critic Mi ... More >>

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 >>

Now Open Downtown: Nine 05

​After a hiatus for renovations and development of a totally new menu, the transformation of Nine 05 (from the restaurant formerly known as Fate) is complete. The restaurant opened last night. Executive chef Matt Carter of Zinc Bistro and The Mission, joined by chef Jay Bogsinske, has creat ... More >>

Lots of New Local Eateries in the Works

AZCentral's list of 20 new restaurants scheduled to open by the end of the year has suddenly been changed to 15 since the story was posted yesterday. Not hard to figure out which five are now missing -- it's the restaurants on Jackson that Bernie Kantak is planning. Should we rea ... More >>

Chef Matt Carter Takes Over Former Fate Restaurant

There's been talk for quite a long time that chef Matt Carter of Zinc Bistro and The Mission has had his eye on downtown -- particularly around Roosevelt Row. Well, he finally made his move. Carter's in Uruguay right now, says Brian Raab at The Mission, but before he left, he signed a leas ... More >>

March 26 In Blogs: Pickaxes, Elton John, Downtown Sushi and More

We understand that in the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. Worry not! We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Valley Fever: Speed Camera Pickax Attacker Gets Probation and Fine Governor Brewer's ... 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 >>

The Mission Adds Mexican Cuisine to Old Town Scottsdale's Menu

A Handful of New Restaurants Open in Scottsdale

Get ready for West of Western

West of Western Feeds Downtown

Too Sexy for My Soufflé

Local Chefs hate Zinc Bistro, so you know it's gonna be good.