It’s a sure sign that summer’s here. Vincent’s Camelback Market, the charming mini-farmer’s market held in the parking lot at Vincent on Camelback, shuts down during the hottest months of the year. This Saturday, May 16, is the last day to indulge in pastries, tamales, fresh crepes, produce, cheeses, and more…
If you’re having a horrible day and you need something to turn it around, head to Scratch Pastries in Scottsdale and see if your first bite of a fresh salted caramel macaron doesn’t make you smile in spite of everything else. I stopped by for lunch today and was…
Restaurant critic John Mariani, who contributes to national publications such as Esquire, just published the first installment of a feature called “Scottsdale and Beyond” on his website. He visited Digestif, Estate House, Prado, and The Mission, and had good things to say about all of them (I have to add,…
I love a good Southwestern-style breakfast. Huevos rancheros, Southwestern eggs benedict, and anything with chorizo — all that chile heat gets me revved up and ready to face the day. Coffee helps too, of course. So I was delighted to read Sierra Bonita Grill’s new brunch menu, which looks absolutely…
Today is the first day in business for Lola Coffee, the hip hangout created by Daniel Wayne (formerly of Lux and Lola Tapas). House-roasted coffee is one good reason to go; homemade pastries by Danielle Librera of the recently closed Sweet Pea Bakery are another. And what about the location…
For the longest time, foodies scratched their heads in amazement that Phoenix didn’t have its own Restaurant Week, a popular annual event in other cities that entices people to explore local restaurants with special prix fixe menus offered just for the occasion. Then the long-awaited Arizona Restaurant Week debuted last fall,…
It’s a little piece of Pischke’s in Phoenix. Local Breeze, a new spot that quietly opened over the weekend in the former Palatte location (606 N. 4th Ave.; the official opening date is tomorrow), is run by an alumni of the popular but defunct Old Town Scottsdale institution. Owner Sid…
Tammie Coe employees say they have no idea which show it’s for, but word’s out that a crew from the Travel Channel just stopped by the Roosevelt Row pastry shop to shoot some footage and take pictures this afternoon. Apparently they’re making the rounds at different dessert-y spots in the…
We are so spoiled. With all the resort spas in the Valley, we have more opportunities to get scrubbed and balanced and massaged into a mellow state of mind than perhaps anywhere else in the country. People fly into town to make a luxury vacation of it, while those of…
In case you had any doubt that people are actually making pilgrimages to Phoenix for some Pizzeria Bianco action, get a load of the double-whammy of national media props for the restaurant — which comes on the heels of Martha Stewart’s six-page feature on Chris Bianco. This month, Gourmet features…
With all the awards that Joe’s Real BBQ has stacked up, the place could easily coast on its own fine reputation. But that’s just not how owner Joe Johnston operates. Instead, he makes a point to host an annual Free Day, dishing up gratis plates of the barbecue that made…
It’s a tough job but somebody’s gotta do it. The food and beverage team at the Four Seasons Resort at Troon North is holing up for a few days to do a hardcore blind tasting of many, many different wines from around the world — as in, 3 or 400 wines…
What am I doing up blogging at this hour? I’m sharing this hysterical link with you. This is the kind of stuff my dear friends email to me in the middle of the night, when it’s really hard to laugh silently. Check out How to Use Bacon to Make Your…
Over the seven years that Robin Bundy owned Three Roots Cafe on Mill Avenue (1020 S. Mill), the hip little indie coffee shop earned a loyal following among ASU students and neighborhood locals alike for its relaxing, bohemian vibe and its well-crafted coffee drinks. How loyal, you ask? Thanks to some…
I swear this is for real — BaconCamp meetups for people who want to know more about bacon. You thought I was kidding about bacon takin’ over? Nuh uh. It’s only a matter of time before this happens in Phoenix, I bet. Look at the cool “crafts” the BaconCamp people have…
April wasn’t quite the harsh month for restaurant closures that March was, but I’m holding my breath now that summer’s coming. Surely any struggling restaurant would try to at least make it through the busiest part of the tourist season, so from here on out, it’ll be interesting to see which…
Isn’t this supposed to be fro-yo season? Ice Tango, LLC filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy (which prevents creditors from collecting on any debts) on Tuesday, for the Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard location that closed at the end of January. According to David Cha, general manager of Ice Tango’s other two locations –…
Curtis Stone, from TLC’s popular Take Home Chef series, will be hitting up Sur La Table at Kierland Commons on Friday, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the photogenic Aussie surfer has to fight off groupies. After all, he got “Sexiest Man Alive” props from People a few years back…
You have to hand it to Heirloom’s chef-owner, Michael DeMaria — the guy knows how to keep his momentum, even if he’s not always in the spotlight. In 2007, when he closed his award-winning restaurant Michael’s at the Citadel, he and business partner Brandon Maxwell channeled their energies into Trattoria…
Undecided about where to go to dinner tomorrow? Let Dining Out For Life help you figure out a place to dine for a good cause. The annual event, which happens all across the country on Thursday, April 30, benefits the fight against HIV and AIDS. In Arizona, Southwest Center for…
There are plenty of nameless, unsung brewmasters out there, and Sam Calagione is definitely not one of them. The founder and president of Delaware’s cult hit Dogfish Head brewery is one of the best-known leaders of the extreme beer trend, and was profiled in entertaining detail in last fall’s food…
Sushi is what sells in Scottsdale. That’s what the folks at Geisha A Go Go have figured out. Even though their sister restaurant, Stingray Sushi, is right across the street, that hasn’t stopped the Geisha folks from adding a brand-new eight-seat sushi bar and a new sushi menu, filled with…
