By Michele Laudig Konnichiwa, Phoenix! Ohisashiburi! (It’s been a long time!) I’m writing to you through the haze of jetlag after spending the last couple of weeks in Tokyo — just got home about 24 hours ago, and I’m trying to convince my body that it’s Thursday afternoon instead of…
Let’s hear it for the home team. Eddie Matney and Christopher Gross are two of the area’s best-known celebrity chefs, and each opened his own namesake restaurant — Eddie’s House and Christopher’s — in May. Each has had a namesake place before, but because other cities’ celebrity chefs are breaking…
There are a lot of good restaurants in the southeast part of town, but besides Kai, at Wild Horse Pass, the options aren’t very exotic. But now there’s a new spot that just might give foodies an excuse to head to south Chandler. It’s called Cork, and although it hasn’t…
New York. Chicago. Phoenix. All great pizza cities. Don’t laugh — you know it’s true. Here in the Valley of the Sun, we may not specialize in a certain style of pie, but an enterprising population of Big Apple and Windy City transplants means we can enjoy the best of…
The thought of eating at Matt’s Big Breakfast is motivation not to sleep in, but The Roosevelt gives us plenty of reasons to stay up late. And just think — the mastermind behind it Matt Pool, burns the candle at both ends every day. How does downtown’s breakfast and bar…
By Michele Laudig Light rail construction has been a real asskicker for restaurants in the Central corridor, particularly those situated right along the future train route. Every time I drive past Fez and Durant’s and Pane Bianco, I cringe at the thought of how many potential customers may have been…
By Michele Laudig Do you remember what you were doing 15 years ago? Or, more precisely, do you remember what you were eating? Buca di Beppo, the Italian restaurant chain, is hoping to use nostalgia — for cheap prices, anyway — to spark customers’ interest in its 15th anniversary. The…
By Michele Laudig burrata , that super creamy cheese that’s been cropping up all across town: Fine’s Cellar. It’s featured in a “burrata and tuna carpaccio caprese salad,” part of the “apertivo menu” (a.k.a. bar menu). The menu’s only available from 4 to 7 p.m., but it looks like it’ll…
Somebody at Roka Akor really did their homework. When I heard that this spin-off of Roka, a London-based Japanese restaurant, was coming to Scottsdale, I felt ambivalent. On one hand, the menu looked mouthwatering. But I wondered whether we really needed one more trendy Japanese joint — especially one imported…
By Michele Laudig You have to hand it to the Spaniards — they’ve come up with one of the world’s most, uh, unique ways to work up an appetite: running their asses off as ornery bulls chase them down the street. That’s their idea of a party. Sol y Sombra’s…
By Michele Laudig In a small pond like Phoenix, there are only so many places for the big fish to swim. The news of former Phoenix Magazine restaurant reviewer Nikki Buchanan landing at the Arizona Republic is an interesting study in the feng shui of local food critics. As you…
By Michele Laudig I’m an extremely intuitive person, but sometimes I still second-guess myself. On a recent visit to Roka Akor — the high-style robatayaki joint in Scottsdale — I saw somebody from behind who immediately reminded me of Republic critic Howard Seftel. Keep in mind, I’ve never met Howard…
By Michele Laudig Independence Day last Friday just gave us a sweet three-day weekend, but zut alors, the French have to celebrate Bastille Day on a Monday this year. But there’s still plenty of reason to party. (Isn’t French food and French wine worth celebrating all the time?) Check out…
By Michele Laudig Let’s face it: As groovy a bar as Mickey’s Hangover might be, the name of this retro-fabulous Scottsdale scenester joint really lends itself to a breakfast spot. Well, nobody’s turning off the beer tap at the bar, but now the folks at Mickey’s really are going to…
By Michele Laudig eat.shop.phoenix, subtitled, “The Indispensable Guide to Inspired, Locally Owned Eating and Shopping Establishments.” Author Anna H. Blessing makes it pretty clear that she doesn’t live in the Valley, but has family connections here. For her compilation of blurbs on local eateries and boutiques, she solicited recommendations from…
By Michele Laudig Someday soon, I won’t be surprised to see a sushi restaurant on every corner. Yes, folks, there are two more new restaurants where you can get your fresh fish fix. Last weekend, Kizake Sushi & Martinis finally opened for business at San Marcos Plaza (91 W. Boston…
There’s an urban myth that 90 percent of restaurants close within the first year. Turns out, it’s more like 26 percent, but still, it’s a daunting figure, especially in this economy. But there’s one new restaurant whose success I’m betting on, if only for the local food brain trust behind…
By Michele Laudig In tomorrow’s dining newsletter, New Times catches up with Fate chef-owner Johnny Chu, who gives the lowdown on his soon-to-open downtown tapas and sake bar, Sens. Sign up for the weekly dish right here…
By Michele Laudig Since so many restaurants are closed on Mondays, I keep a mental shortlist of my dining options for that tricky day of the week. And for that reason alone, Humble Pie’s already got solid status as an evergreen dining option. But now there’s another incentive to stop…
By Niki D’Andrea This is “Senor Agwa.” At parties acoss Europe and the U.K., he’s the face of Agwa De Bolivia Coca Leaf Liqueur, an imported alcoholic beverage made from coca leaves. You can read about Agwa’s arrival and buzz in the Valley in this week’s cover story, Liquid Blow?…
By Michele Laudig Remember Damon Brasch, the chef I profiled a few months ago? Well, I ran into him yesterday at That’s A Wrap, his CenPho restaurant, and got the latest update on The Center Bistro, the in-house organic eatery at Tempe’s I Am The Center yoga studio. Turns out,…
By Michele Laudig The last couple of weeks have been pretty brutal — I can only hope that the monsoon season will bring us a break from the extreme heat. In the meantime, there’s at least a little relief, in the form of two new gelato shops that have recently…
