Yesterday nine of the Valleys top bartenders took the stage at the DeSoto Central Market in downtown Phoenix for the seventh annual Devour Phoenix Bartending Competition. The event, part of Local First’s Devoured Culinary Classic, featured a live bartending contest, cocktails from local restaurants, and spirit samples from Arizona distillers…
When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out — and let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that…
For the past three years, the Great Pho King food truck has been a roving source for both traditional and fusion Vietnamese fare, including bowls of noodle soup, pot stickers, and banh mi burritos. Started by owner Mike Baum and chef Eddie Pham, the truck’s become a familiar sight at food…
Mark your calendars now for Wednesday, March 2 at 6 p.m. because that’s when you’ll be able to see two Valley spots on the Cooking Channel’s Extra Virgin. The series follows actress Debi Mazar and her husband Gabriele Corcos, who will explore the Grand Canyon and two metro Phoenix destinations…
Ramen lovers, rejoice. As of this month, you have a new destination for bowls of noodles and porcine-flavored broth. Welcome Chicken + Donuts, the second restaurant from the Welcome Diner crew, now serves two types of ramen every day the place is open, Tuesday through Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to…
Fans of Bobby Q, the longstanding barbecue restaurant in Northwest Phoenix, will soon have another place to get their fix of wood-fired ‘cue and steaks. According to the restaurant’s website, a second location of Bobby Q will open in Mesa this summer. A spokesperson for the company confirmed the plans…
In December, I shared 10 wishes for the metro Phoenix food scene, including the wish that someone in town would make chef Christina Tosi’s corn cookies, which she made famous at Momofuku Milk Bar in New York City. These sweet corn cookies are the stuff of desert-lovers’ dreams. So, while…
Last week we told you chef Akos Szabo would be heading up the kitchen at Match Cuisine & Cocktails at the FOUND: RE Phoenix hotel. The chef, who trained at Scottsdale Culinary Institute, has spent time working in top kitchens in Chicago, Boston, and Southern California, but is best known…
In a neighborhood filled with luxury hotels and some of the Valley’s most expensive real estate, you would expect to find some of the city’s best eats. And the Biltmore neighborhood delivers. In this northeast Phoenix locale you can find excellent French and American cuisine crafted by chefs who have…
Central Phoenix will have a new place for gourmet burgers and beers as of 11 a.m. today when Hopdoddy Burger Bar opens its doors at 2033 East Camelback Road, inside the Town & Country shopping center on the southeast corner of Camelback Road and 20th Street. This is the second metro…
You’ll soon have a new restaurant to hit before Phoenix coyotes games and concerts at Gila River Arena. Bar Louie, the restaurant and bar with one Valley location at Tempe Marketplace, plans to open a second metro Phoenix location at Westgate by the end of April. The restaurant, which was founded…
When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out — and let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that…
The wait is almost over. By next week, Valley diners will be able to dig into 100 percent all-natural, antibiotic-free Angus beef burgers and fresh-made frozen custards at Shake Shack, the famous New York-based burger chain that’s set to open three location in metro Phoenix this year. The first of the…
North Scottsdale sushi lovers have one less option when it comes to places for maki rolls and sake bombs. As of February 1, Stingray Sushi at the Scottsdale Quarter has shuttered. The company announced the restaurant’s closure on Facebook: The local chain of Japanese eateries still has restaurants in Chandler…
Old Town Scottsdale is getting a new spot for lobster rolls, crab cakes, and cocktails next month. The restaurant, called Crab & Mermaid, comes from Square One Concepts (the same folks behind Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers and Wasted Grain), and is expected to open on Saturday, March 19. Seafood lovers can look…
This morning the James Beard Foundation released the list of 2016 James Beard Award semifinalists. Four Arizona names made the list — and if they look familiar, it’s because they are. The two Arizona chefs, one restaurateur, and one restaurant named as semifinalists this year have been named semifinalists in…
Last year developers Habitat Metro and Bond Partners announced details about plans to renovate the former Lexington Hotel in central Phoenix and transform the building into a boutique art hotel. At the time of the announcement last October, they mentioned plans for a restaurant concept — and now we know the…
From the outside, Cornish Pasty Co.’s soon-to-open downtown Phoenix location might not look like much. As you stand on Monroe Street just west of Central Avenue facing south, there’d be no way to know that this isn’t just the fourth Valley Cornish Pasty Co. restaurant — but rather an eatery, pub,…
On Monday night, 16 bartenders from across five states went head-to-head in a series of Iron Chef-style bartending contests as a part of Last Slinger Standing, the premier bartending competition in the Southwest. The event, part of Arizona Cocktail Week, was held at “The Coop” at Culinary Dropout at The Yard…
When it comes to restaurants, there’s a lot happening on Seventh Street. Just south of Bethany Home Road, you’ll find The Yard with Sam Fox’s Culinary Dropout and chef Silvana Salicido Esparza’s Barrio Urbano, as well as Okra, the second restaurant and bar from chef Cullen Campbell and mixologist Micah…
With its central location between Scottsdale and downtown Phoenix and an abundance of upscale homes, it’s really no surprise that the Arcadia neighborhood has become one of the Valley’s best dining spots. There are plenty of people in this part of town that love to eat and drink, and plenty…
It’s been about three months since we told you The Brickyard restaurant and bar would be opening in downtown Chandler. And if you’ve been impatiently wondering when the spot would open, we have good news: The wait is over. The Brickyard Downtown, 85 West Boston Street in Chandler, is now…
