Several years ago, a chef friend in Japan gave Mark Kondo his secret recipe for ramen. For Kondo, who had always had a passion for ramen, the gift would be life-changing. Now, he’s the owner and cook at the Valley’s first, and as far as we can tell, only ramen…
Dave Johnson, general manager and sommelier for the recently opened Ocotillo, has been in the restaurant business in the Valley for quite a while. Previously, he worked with Ocotillo co-chefs Sacha Levine and Walter Sterling at Scottsdale’s long-gone Sol Y Sombra, but his resume and reputation as a beverage expert…
Three years ago, The Great Pho King Food Truck had only just gotten started. And at the time, the truck was a two man affair, brought to the Phoenix streets by owner Mike Baum and chef Eddie Pham. The food was Vietnamese with French flair — in other words, pretty traditional Viet-fusion…
Press Italian Street Food owner T.J. Coffey may not be Italian, but he says the food his truck serves is Italy’s traditional street fare — with a personal, in his case, American twist. He was inspired to start the truck by his love for Italian cuisine, and after cutting his teeth…
Despite being a city where nearly everyone is from somewhere else, Phoenix isn’t necessarily known for its ethnically cohesive neighborhoods. However, as the food scene here continues to grow, it becomes increasingly clear that there are pockets of strong international culinary scenes. One such pocket is in North Phoenix, which…
The Place: Most Wanted Taco Shop 9822 N. 7th Street www.mostwantedtacoshop.com The Setting: Most Wanted Taco Shop in Sunnyslope is perhaps better identified as the restaurant formerly known as Santos Lucha Libre. It used to be a quirky Mexican wrestling themed restaurant with vibrant pink and turquoise walls, mask-sporting mannequins,…
It’s Christmas 2014. I awake, groggy and blurry eyed to the sound of my least favorite Christmas music (meaning any of it) blaring from the family room. My sister, who is not disaffected before her time (as I very much am), is waking me up on Christmas. I was hoping…
Not everyone is keen on a Christmas ham with the family for Christmas Day. But for those unfortunate few looking to dine out on December 25, the options can be fairly limited. However, several Valley restaurants are open this Christmas — some predictably so — while others provide some special…
Preethy Kaibara is a busy woman. First she worked as a family doctor, then went on to get a law degree, and now practices a mix of the two. But she’s also has always had a love for food — the result of which is Street Coffee, located on Seventh…
Couscous Express owner Abdul Chaara closes his restaurant fairly early by most restaurant standards. At 6 p.m. every evening Monday through Saturday, Chaara’s supposed to make the day’s last round date shakes, say good-bye to remaining guests, and begin the process of closing shop. Why so early? Because after a…
Phoenix’s love for local culture continues to flourish, this time at the 2015 Certified Local Fall Festival, which took place Saturday, November 14, in downtown Phoenix. The event, now in its 11th year, was put on by Local First Arizona and featured entertainment along with more than 100 vendors representing…
The Desert Botanical Garden’s Chiles and Chocolate festival took place last weekend, occupying a section of the garden with booths and stalls featuring a wide range of Southwestern sweets and spices. The annual event also featured live cooking demonstrations and flamenco dancing, but it was the food that took center stage. Here are…
