Caribbean Cruise: You don’t often see the words “Scottsdale” and “bargain dining” in the same sentence. But to my happy surprise, I ran across an offbeat new place that not only dishes out wonderful food, but also gives you plenty of change back from a tenspot. It’s Caribbean Grill, a…
Bravo Bistro, 4327 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 481-7614. Hours: Lunch, Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Dinner, Sunday through Wednesday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to midnight. “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, “it means just what…
Brunch Cost Ratio: Everyone knows there isn’t always a correlation between price and value. Is a Lexus three times better than a Camry? Maybe, but only if you’re trying to impress an adolescent valet parker. Is a first-class ticket worth five times the cost of a discounted coach fare on…
C-Fu Gourmet, 2051 West Warner, Chandler, 899-3888. Hours: Dim sum, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., seven days a week. “M” is for the million neuroses she gave me. “O” means that her act is getting old. “T” is for time I spend in therapy. “H” is for her heart not…
Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport: Not too many years ago, Valley wine merchants used a simple system to display their inventory: On one set of shelves sat the wines with corks; on another sat the wines with screw caps. Well, the town’s become a lot more sophisticated, but apparently I…
Coup Des Tartes, 4626 North 16th Street, Phoenix, 212-1082. Hours: Lunch, Thursday through Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Dinner, Thursday through Tuesday, 5:30 to 10 p.m. During its 1995 session, having solved all of Arizona’s educational, tax, crime, transportation, air pollution, health-care and welfare problems, the state Legislature turned…
Hard Times: Sometimes, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Take the term “al dente.” Originally applied to pasta, it meant not overcooking the noodles–so they weren’t soft and squishy. Properly prepared pasta has a bit of spring, a bit of firmness when you bite into it. And the public…
Harris’, 3101 East Camelback, Phoenix, 508-8888. Hours: Lunch, Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Dinner, 5:30 to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Is Phoenix ready for more prime time? The operators of two new steak houses, featuring pricey, top-of-the-line, prime-graded beef, certainly think so. They’ve recently set…
Likle Montego Jamaican Cafe, 5004 South Price, Tempe, 413-0267. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Tuesday and Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Sunday, 4 to 9:30 p.m. You don’t need to wait for the 2000 census figures…
Pig Feats: If you’re into eating high on the hog, check out The Pork Shop, one of the more remarkable retail outlets I’ve encountered on this job. The shop has been around since the late 1970s. Quite simply, it sells the best pork I’ve ever tasted. What’s the secret? Freshness…
Goodbye, Deli: This week’s search for locally genuine deli fare (see page 79) came up more or less empty. In the past, though, I’ve been able to console myself after other futile missions. That’s because I always believed that, at least back in New York, the deli culture I grew…
Arnie’s Deli, 5114 North Seventh Street, Phoenix, 264-1975. Hours: Breakfast and Lunch, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., seven days a week. Call me the Deli Lama. For seven lean years now, I’ve been wandering in the desert, a deli-starved exile, far from the native dishes of my youth. Where are…
Gregory’s Grill, Papago Plaza, 7049 East McDowell, Scottsdale, 946-8700. Hours: Dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, 5:30 to 10 p.m. It’s spring, and I’m in love. And why not? The object of my affection is charming, sophisticated and eager to please. After a thrilling night together, my senses are on edge. I…
Take Another Pizza My Heart: From the moment it opened in late 1994, tiny Pizzeria Bianco zoomed right to the top of the Valley’s pizza league. Actually, as Valley connoisseurs know, when it comes to pizza, Pizzeria Bianco is more or less in a league of its own. But proprietor…
And the Winner Is . . . : In the movie business, it’s the Oscar. In the recording business, it’s the Grammy. And in the restaurant business, it’s the James Beard Award. Right now, the firm of Deloitte & Touche is tabulating the results of the first round of balloting…
Cafe Patou, Scottsdale Promenade, 7000 East Shea, Scottsdale, 951-6868. Hours: Dinner, 5:30 p.m. to close, seven days a week. The Valley has done a lot of growing up during the past few decades. Once a cow town where Midwesterners came to thaw out, the city now boasts new museums and…
Restaurant Rumblings: I’m not a believer in reincarnation. But after following the saga of Mike’s Golden Crust, I may have to rethink my position. There may be something to this great mandala stuff after all. If you haven’t been paying attention, the original proprietor, Mike Korvessis, sold the flourishing west-side…
Copper Canyon Brewing & Alehouse, 5945 West Ray, Chandler, 705-9700. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Ireland’s patron saint had quite a life. Born in Britain, the boy was captured by pirates at age 16 and…
And the Winner Is . . . : In the movie business, it’s the Oscar. In the record business, it’s the Grammy. And in the restaurant business, it’s the James Beard Award. Right now, the firm of Deloitte & Touche is tabulating the results of the first round of balloting…
La Hacienda, Scottsdale Princess resort, 7575 East Princess Drive, Scottsdale, 585-4848. Hours: Dinner, Sunday through Thursday, 6 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 6 to 11 p.m. The line between “high” and “low” art keeps moving. Once upon a time, Shakespeare and opera were the staples of mass entertainment. Then,…
Wrap City Grill, 4423 East Thomas, Phoenix, 956-9727. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. We Valley dwellers have a lot of things going for us. But being on the cutting edge of popular culture isn’t one…
Bagelmania: Last year, I devoted a column to the Valley’s exploding appetite for bagels. I checked out 15 bakers, and came away depressed at the generally low quality. Since then, four new bagel operations have come to town, so I went off on another inspection tour. At each place I…
