10 Best Things to Eat and Drink in Metro Phoenix This Week

Discounted Bagels at Chompie's 
Today

Chompie’s is celebrating its 37th birthday with bargain bagels. Today, customers can get a baker’s dozen of bagels – that’s 13 bagels – for $5. The offer is good at all four Chompie's locations around the Valley. It does not include cream cheese and is not valid for the Chompie’s Bagel Box. Customers can mix and match from Chompie’s 35 bagel varieties. For more information, check out Chompie's website. 


MAD Greens Opens in Mesa 
Wednesday, February 17

Mesa residents can now enjoy made-to-order salads, fresh juices, paninis, wraps, and soups from MAD Greens. From 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., guests can celebrate the opening day of the chain's fifth location. Customers can order the only-in-Arizona Soleri Salad that honors influential Arizona artist and architect Paolo Soleri and features baby greens, red grapes, figs, slow-roasted chicken, unsweetened chocolate, cotija cheese, MAD Spice avocado and is tossed with house-made Tabasco prickly pear vinaigrette. This salad will be offered through March 2016. The MAD Greens Dana Park is located at 1940 S. Val Vista Road Suite 101 in Mesa. For more information, check out MAD Greens website.  

Urban Beans February Wine Dinner
Thursday, February 18 

Head over to Urban Beans for a four-course wine dinner this Thursday. Executive Chef Virginia Senior has whipped up vegetarian fare like butternut squash ravioli with a brown butter sage sauce that will be paired with a Pinot Noir. Dinner costs $55 plus tax and tip. The reservation deadline is today, February 15. Make reservations by emailing [email protected] or calling 602-595-2244. Visit Urban Bean's website for more information. 


Perrier-Jouet Winemaker Dinner at the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia 
Friday, February 19 

Enjoy wine and food pairings as part of the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa's spring series that showcases winemakers and distilleries from across the country. Amy DeMichele, Regional Manager of Wine and Champagne for Pernod Ricard, will pour four different offerings from Perrier Jouet and discuss the 200-year history of the brand. Chef Michael Cairns will customize each course to the wines' tasting notes. Contact Samantha Barraza at [email protected] or call 480-627-3121 to make reservations. Tickets cost $115 per person. Visit the Omni's website for more information. 

Hops & Vines Art Festival at Desert Foothills Park 
Saturday, February 20 

From the noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday, guests can enjoy art, wine, craft beer, and food at the first Hops & Vines Art Festival at Desert Foothills Park in Phoenix. All of the proceeds from this event will benefit the American Foundation for Cardiomyopath. Expect to catch live demos from painters, sculptors, glassblowers, and wood workers. Attendees also can check out local restaurants, cooking demonstrations, and flavor pairings. Tickets cost $10 and children 12 and under are free. VIP admission for attendees 21 and over costs $65 and includes six drink tickets, catered food, private seats, and private restrooms. For more information, visit the Hops & Vines Art Festival's website.

Farm Fresh Brunch at The Upton
Saturday, February 20 

Starting this Saturday, The Upton in Scottsdale will begin a farm fresh brunch that's made with ingredients plucked from that morning's trip to the farmer's market. This weekend, chef Kyle Hyatt and his team will make a market fresh frittata. For more information, visit The Upton's website. 

Corks & Cactus at the Desert Botanical Garden 
Sunday, February 21 

Sample 40 different wines among the desert's flora and fauna at the Desert Botanical Garden's Corks & Cactus Festival this weekend. The event is from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets for Saturday are already sold out, but Sunday tickets are still available. All of the wines featured during the event will also be available for purchase at DBG's retail store, and most cost $35 or less. Wine purchases benefit DBG’s education, research, exhibition, and conservation programs. For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, visit the Desert Botanical Garden's website. 

The Five C's Menu at the Wigwam Resort
All weekend

Every weekend in February, the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park is honoring the five C's of Arizona (in case you didn't know, that's copper, cattle, citrus, climate, cotton) with a special tasting menu at its on-site restaurant, Litchfield. Local purveyors including Hickmans Farms and Cedar River Farms will supply ingredients. Sample menu items include prickly pear cotton candy, rock shrimp ceviche, and dry aged Cedar River ribeye, all paired with wine. For more information, check out the Wigwam Resort's website. 

CrushBrew Craft Beverage Festival
Friday, February 19 and Saturday, February 20 

Craft beverage fans will get a chance to sip boutique wine, craft beer, distilled spirits, and hard cider this weekend at the CrushBrew Craft Beverage Festival in Scottsdale. The festival is from 3 to 9 p.m. this Friday and Saturday and will be held at the Scottsdale Waterfront and Soleri Bridge in Old Town Scottsdale. Guests can look forward to trying drinks from Arizona wineries including Page Springs Cellars, LDV Winery, Aridus Wine Company, and Sonoita Vineyards. The festival also will host the “Best Wood-Fired Pizza on Two Wheels” competition, featuring up to 10 of the regions top pizza makers. General admission tickets cost $45 per person. For more information, visit CrushBrew's Craft Beverage Festival's website. 


New Lunch Menu at Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails
All week

Chef Sean Currid of Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails at Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Phoenix has created a Southern-inspired lunch menu that aims to allow guests to order and eat in less than an hour. Sample menu items include the BHKC BLT, featuring fried green tomatoes, gem lettuce, avocado mayo, and smoked bacon on ciabatta and the Ham and Cheese sandwich that's grilled open face and includes fontina, Tillamook cheddar, Tender Belly ham and beefsteak tomato served on Noble Bread. Another menu item, the BHKC Chop Salad features baby heirloom tomatoes, dried corn, fregola, pepitas, avocado, and cotija. For more information, check out the Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails' website.