Two-month-old Hoffman’s at 57th looks so wonderland adorable, I want to bring everyone I know to show it off as if it were my own private cafe. Imagine, in the heart of historic Glendale, there’s a place hidden off a strip of well-weathered antique shops seemingly culled from a romantic…
My friends and I were driving around Los Angeles the other weekend, in search of, what else, food. It’s mucky hot in Phoenix these days, I hadn’t seen these pals in a while, and any chance I get to explore eating outside my Valley borders, I need nothing more to…
My brain hurts. I’ve been trying to figure out what to have for dinner. Normally, such a decision would be no big deal: I’ve always been a carefree grazer, eating whatever I want whenever I want, virtually never falling into a three-squares-a-day routine. I snack on small bits of this…
My sister Elisabeth was wearing a tee shirt imprinted with the phrase “Breakfast of Champions.” It was a cute thing, appliquéd with cartoons of classic early morning fare given human qualities: a smiling glass of orange juice; a beaming platter of bacon, eggs and potatoes; a dancing pitcher of milk;…
I’ve just realized that I’ve never eaten a fresh anchovy before. That’s no great surprise to many people, I’m sure — “no anchovies, please” is a classic pizza request for good reason. Most of my friends wrinkle their noses at the exceedingly salty, sour fishiness, and the off-putting grayish-green coloring…
Mini corn dogs: $6
Bacon Cheddar burger: $8
Chilean sea bass: $19
Prime rib: $19
Thai spring rolls: $8
Note to my editor: I worked really hard on this article. It’s about Colombian food, so I flew to the South American country’s capital, Bogotá. I spent weeks there doing in-depth research, talking to the locals about what they eat, visiting dozens of neighborhood restaurants, and shadowing cooks as they…
At the risk of sounding as tacky as the guy who admits he eats at Hooters for the view, I must be blunt: I go to Pasta Brioni for the gorgeous waiters. Yeah, I’m guilty: I stop in for spaghetti and meatballs knowing that my meal comes to me courtesy…
Berry Hom could do fine without another trip to Sky Harbor Airport, thanks very much. What with the heightened security there, and the never-ending construction in the area, it’s an ordeal to navigate the sludge of traffic circling the terminals. But Hom does it, day in and day out, picking…
Fusion co-owner Jennifer Long is apologizing that the restaurant has run out of field greens. Would romaine be okay in my melon salad, she wonders? Absolutely, I assure her. By the way, she adds, the menu description of “melon” salad is kind of misleading, too, seeing as there’s no melon…
I’m in mourning. My favorite Mexican restaurant in the world has closed. It blew up, actually. Earlier this month, Costa Brava was flattened by a gas explosion. So what if the cafe is an almost five-hour drive away, in Rocky Point, Mexico? I’ve been known to make the journey for…
There’s no question why my mom and I have decided to eat at the new Franco’s Italian Caffe tonight. We can pretend it’s convenience — the restaurant is located in the Esplanade, arguably the center of the Valley, and other members of our dinner party are driving in from different…
I’m feeling like that guy in Mystic Pizza, the cozy Julia Roberts movie from 1988. Remember him? He played “The Everyday Gourmet,” a TV restaurant critic who traveled to Mystic, Connecticut, just for a bite of Mystic Pizza pie. He was endearingly pompous when he arrived, making high theater of…
The war has stimulated some interesting conversation in my group. As my friends and I reflect on what’s been unfolding on our television sets, one question keeps coming up: “What do people in Iraq eat?” Hey, it’s not just my food obsession. An internationally award-winning photojournalist friend of mine just…
No, I haven’t seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The premise rankles my sensibilities way too much (really, a chick is dried up and desperate because she isn’t married by 30?). Even though the public at large seems to love it, I have to keep in mind that this is…
Q. So where is the new Fusion restaurant you mentioned last week, really? A. I trusted the phone company directory. My bad. The two-week-old Fusion is at 4441 North Buckboard Trail in Scottsdale. For folks who also found only the fax number in directory service, the right phone number is…
The hook was a good one: the opportunity to hang out with a dozen of the nation’s favorite celebrity chefs and purchase autographed copies of their cookbooks. Yet really, the only truly big name in attendance at the recent Scottsdale League of Arts fund raiser was Jeremiah Tower, chef/owner of…
The best place to eat in all of Arizona is a tiny spot hidden away in Paradise Valley. It’s got limited seating: just one formal table, with eight chairs. If need be, overflow can fit more casually at a three-chair glass-topped nook table, or, in a real pinch, four diners…
Q.I’m stuck planning my office’s happy-hour party. Where’s a place that’s fun without being too loud and overrun with drunks? A.The only drunks at Cabo will be the ones you invite. The Mexican restaurant at Scottsdale Road and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard offers private parties on its patios, for up…
Last week, the Cactus League got off to a soggy start, and so did my efforts to find decent eats near one of the meccas of springtime desert baseball, the Peoria Sports Complex. The results, you’ll know if you’ve been paying attention, were disappointing: Despite a superabundance of eateries near…
Q.What’s happening with the new Richardson’s place you mentioned, the Rokery? A. It’s still coming, from Richardson Browne, owner of Richardson’s and Dick’s Hideaway in Phoenix. The smokehouse at 16th Street and Maryland will focus on steaks and fish (full meals, not à la carte) with meats from the same…
