Deli Lama: The Valley has been enjoying a spectacular restaurant boom for several years. These days, you can get almost any type of cuisine; some of it good enough to compete with the fare in America’s gastronomic capitals. But, as I’ve noted more than once, we don’t have any decent…

The Copper Club Restaurant, America West Arena, 201 East Jefferson, Phoenix, 379-7777. Lunch, Monday through Friday, 11a.m. to 2 p.m. Today’s quiz: Choose the statement that best describes your downtown-job situation. 1. When you arrive at work, you pull into a parking spot with a) your name on it; b)…

Gut Reaction: According to a Gallup poll, more than half of all Americans say they suffer occasionally from some form of gastrointestinal distress. Help for these folks may be on the way. No, it’s not a pill. It’s a book with a punchy, no-nonsense title: Be Good to Your Gut:…

Light My Fire: Remember the woman who sued McDonald’s for big bucks after spilling hot coffee on her lap? Although her award was later reduced significantly, her legal victory has restaurant owners more worried than ever about getting hit with negligence suits. A recent case in Louisiana, reported in Nation’s…

Razz’s Restaurant and Bar, 10321 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 905-1308. Hours: Dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m. About six years ago, Erasmo “Razz” Kamnitzer came on board as chef at Different Pointe of View, the swanky dining room at the Pointe at Tapatio Cliffs. Soon after, the Hilton…

Butt Out: In a couple of weeks, citizens of Mesa get to vote on the most sweeping municipal nonsmoking measure ever proposed in this state. The ordinance would forbid smoking just about everywhere designated as a “public place.” That means workplaces, stadiums, retail stores, waiting rooms, schools, hospitals, child-care centers,…

Mulligan’s Pub and Grill, 8809 East Mountain View, Scottsdale, 314-5475. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Faith and begorra, lassie, yer as pretty as a milkmaid’s shamrock. May the Blarney Stone kiss…

Margaritaville: When is a margarita not a margarita? That’s the question a United States District Court is soon going to decide. The plaintiff is Heublein, Inc., a giant international player in the wine-and-spirits market. Among its holdings is Jose Cuervo, the best-selling tequila brand in the United States. The defendant…

Nola’s Cocina Mexicana, Biltmore Fashion Park, 24th Street and Camelback, Phoenix, 957-8393. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9p.m. Does anyone really believe there’s such a thingas complete objectivity? I know judges…

Get Lost: What were the worst-selling dishes that chefs cooked up last year? Nation’s Restaurant News, an industry journal, recently asked well-known chefs about their biggest 1995 menu flops. Among the specialties that diners rejected: * Veal cheeks. Said the chef: “The dish was wonderful, but it was disastrous. Nobody…

Hard Rock Cafe, 2621 East Camelback, Phoenix, 956-3669. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Sunday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight. Today’s multiple-choice quiz: Which statement best explains the phenomenal success of Hard Rock Cafe? a) Hard Rock Cafe celebrates the accomplishments of the…

Mueller’s Black Forest Inn, 4441 North Buckboard Trail, Scottsdale, 9703504. Hours: Dinner, Monday through Thursday, 5 to 9p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5to 10p.m. Want to see magnificent castles? Go to Eastern Europe. Want to visit the battlefields of World War II? Go to Eastern Europe. Want to study the uneasy…

Restaurant Update: Get out your wallets, Phoenix. Morton’s is coming to town. Morton’s and Ruth’s Chris are the two major contenders in the high-end steak-house-chain wars, battling it out in dozens of cities all across America. And now they’re about to duke it out a couple of blocks from each…

Food for Thought: You’ve decided to open a restaurant. Which facet of the business gets most of your attention? a) developing a menu b) hiring a chef c) starting a network of suppliers d) training employees e) finding the right location f) designing the restaurant The answer? None of the…

Steamed Blues, 4843 North Eighth Place, Phoenix, 9662722. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11a.m. to 11 p.m. People frequently ask me, “Where can I get good seafood?” I tell them: San Francisco, New Orleans, New York. You don’t need a…

Be My Valentine: If your Valentine requires high-end dining, you have lots of options. Among the best: Chaparral Restaurant (Marriott’s Camelback Inn, 5402 East Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley, 948-6644): Like true love, the timeless dishes here also have staying power. Start off with the lobster bisque capped with puff pastry…

Le Sans Souci, 7030 East Bella Vista Drive, Cave Creek, 488-2856. Hours: Lunch, Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Dinner, Tuesday through Sunday, 5to 10 p.m. Guys have a hard time dealing with Valentine’s Day. A simple, sincere “I love you,” uttered…

Sweet Life: O.J. goes free. Bill Bidwill buys out Buddy Ryan’s contract for millions. Shielded by trust funds and a rich wife, Fife Symington may walk away from a mountain of debt. Just “desserts”? These creeps will never get theirs. And we won’t be getting ours, either. That’s because the…

Terrace Dining Room, Phoenician resort, 6000 East Camelback, Phoenix, 941-8200. Hours: Breakfast, Monday through Saturday, 6 to 11a.m.; Sunday, 6 to 10 a.m. “And what room shall I charge the meal to?” asked the smiling waitress at the luxurious Valley resort restaurant, as I took my last sip of get-the-blood-stirring…

Cozymel’s, 7373 East Shea, Scottsdale, 5962150. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Stick a compass point at the intersection of Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard. From that center spot, draw a circle with a radius of…

Reviewing the Situation: The proprietor of a Scottsdale restaurant wasn’t too thrilled with my review of his place. He sent me a civil letter assuring me that what I had experienced was “a reflection of what the restaurant was and not what it has become.” Then he went on: “I…

Book Notes: Sometimes I think the next best thing to good eating is good reading about eating. If you share that view, you may want to take a look at the current issue of Granta (Winter 1995), called Food: The Vital Stuff. Granta is an English quarterly magazine, packaged as…