Outing a Claw Game Addiction at Ignite Phoenix

Charles Choueiri is a media producer and closeted claw-game addict — well, was a closeted claw-game addict. Pushed by a good friend and inspired by the presentations at 2008’s Ignite Phoenix, the the one-night information-a-thon featuring folks from the creative, technical, and business communities presenting five-minute nuggets of idea-spreading goodness,…

Is Al’s Beef in North Scottsdale Windy City-Worthy?

The original Al’s Beef on Taylor Street in Chicago started serving up authentic Italian beef sandwiches 70 years ago. In addition to being named one of the best sandwiches in America by Esquire magazine, Al’s Beef has recently been featured on Travel Channel’s Food Wars (losing out to Windy City…

Pool Me Once

A swanky pool party at a private Paradise Valley estate sounds like something we’d crash. Lucky for us the Liquid Pool Party, a fundraising event for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, invites us to ditch the disguise and break out the bikini for the Valley’s premier pool party event of the…

Hog Heaven

“We had the Charlie Daniels Band out here for Bike Week,” says Chester’s Harley-Davidson’s Marketing Director, Andreanne Depape, “and that sat about 13,000 people.” That’s some party pad. Depape, who “moved to the front seat” in 1999 with a Road King Classic, now hosts a more manageable crowd of 300…

Culver’s Launches Recipe Contest and 3 Pepper Chipotle ButterBurger

Culver’s, the blue-roofed home of the ButterBurger, is spicing up summer with the launch of a 3 Pepper Chipotle ButterBurger and an Ultimate ButterBurger Build-Off. While the Wisconsin-based chain has been shy about venturing into the ring of spicy food, they’ve come out swingin’ with the 3 Pepper Chipotle ButterBurger…

Top 10 Pick-Up Lines at an SB 1070 Protest

Arizona’s new anti-immigration law, SB 1070, has many folks hot and bothered — taking their outrage to the streets with sweat-inducing marches, candlelight vigils, and impassioned posters. With the flames of emotion ignited, even the most prudish of protesters has to admit to being just a little turned on, setting…

Rito’s Mexican Food: You Can’t Fix What Isn’t Broken

Chris Bianco bags burritos here for Pizzeria Bianco’s kitchen staff, America’s Taco Shop proprietor America Corrales does food swaps with the owner, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives’ Guy Fieri got blown off for an interview two years ago, and Sunset magazine named it as a Reader’s Choice for burritos in Arizona…

Chrome Sweet Chrome

“I knew Westgate was the perfect venue for Bike Night since I walked the property four years ago, when the streets were still dirt,” says Barry Caraway, owner of cyclerides.com, a site promoting motorcycle events in the Valley. His premonition paid off. In its second season, the weekly Westgate Bike…

Bone Down

What’s the best strategy for chowing the most chicken wings in 11 minutes? According to Kevin Byrnes, General Manager of the Native New Yorker on Guadalupe Road and host of the restaurant’s two previous Battle of the Bone wing-eating contests, it’s simple: Breathe. “A lot of people go all gangbusters…

Xtreme Eating Awards Announced, or Hey, Jabba, Jabba, Jabba!

Way to go, Cheesecake Factory. Congratulations, California Pizza Chicken. Jabba the Hutt would be pleased. Along with P.F. Chang’s, Chevy’s, Bob Evan’s, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and Outback Steakhouse, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has named scale-tipping fare from these restaurants as “winners” of its…

Chick-fil-A’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich Giveaway

Like Chick-fil-A? Like free? Then this one’s for you. The Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Chick-fil-A’s first new sandwich since 1989 (hello product development – are you there?) will be offered free to customers via an online reservation before it officially launches on June 7. That’s right. Click for Chick. Want one?…