By Michele Laudig If you’ve ever seen the kooky headlines I come up with for my restaurant reviews, you know I appreciate a little wordplay once in awhile. So I’m loving the name of Local First Arizona’s annual celebration of groovy local businesses: Independents Week, which runs June 30 through…
Photo credit: TracyKreck.com By Michele Laudig Friday night’s supposed to be the big night out at the end of the work week, but half the time I feel so frazzled I’d rather be a couch potato, snarf down a pizza, and crack open a bottle of Three Buck Chuck. Chef…
Call me a shopaholic. I didn’t realize I had a thing for grocery stores until I sat down to write this column, reflecting on how strolling the aisles of brightly lit supermarkets has been such a relaxing pastime over the years. As a kid, I had fun shopping with my…
By Michele Laudig The latest installment of Meal Ticket — New Times’ weekly dining newsletter, out tomorrow — highlights Cuban flavors around town, where to go for a lavish five-course meal, and which local restaurants are offering special deals on dinner and wine. If you haven’t signed up for Meal…
By Michele Laudig Ah, the perks of summer in AZ. Order three courses off of Bourbon Steak’s regular menu, and I promise you won’t come in at under $55 a person. But for that price, you can get a three-course tasting menu at the swanky Fairmont Scottsdale steakhouse — as…
By Michele Laudig Oregano’s seems to draw a crowd at even the most unlikely times of day — I don’t think I’ve ever been to one without at least a little bit of a wait. a home-grown Arizona restaurant chain with eight locations around the state and three more in…
By Michele Laudig An Newsweek article that came out this week has really given me some food for thought. If your job is all about eating, how do you avoid packing on the pounds? I remember reading Ruth Reichl’s strategy a few years ago — basically, she only has a…
By Michele Laudig No, that’s not a typo in the headline. Instead of hiring one new critic to replace recently-ousted restaurant reviewer Nikki Buchanan, Phoenix Magazine’s July issue reveals three new scribes: Carey Sweet, Geri Koeppel, and Gwen Ashley Walters, all of whom also write for the Arizona Republic. Since…
How do you say “wildfire” in Italian? I can’t tell you, but that’s the idea I get when I think of the incredible buzz about Pizza A Metro, a fantastic new Italian restaurant in Central Phoenix that’s recently jumped to the top of my list of hidden gems in town…
By Michele Laudig People in the East Valley really must have an insatiable appetite for sushi — how else to explain the constant influx of new sushi restaurants to the area? Haru Sushi (9845 S. Priest Dr., 480-705-9825), and it seems to be going for the budget-minded customer. (Sushi Eye…
By Michele Laudig It’s no secret that us New Times folks are fans of Epicurean Wine, in North Scottsdale. From a wicked wine list and weekly tastings to impressive retail offerings and classes on how to pair wine and food, there’s plenty to love. Now, there’s yet another reason to…
By Michele Laudig Chef Wade Moises knows Italian food, and now he’s preparing to give downtown a taste of his mad cooking skills. I’m drooling at the thought of such mouthwatering news. The executive chef of swanky North Scottsdale dining spot Sassi, whose resume includes stints at Mario Batali’s New…
By Michele Laudig I’m telling you, we can’t let word get out about all the upsides of Phoenix in the summertime. More people just might want to move here and cramp our style if they found out about all the sweet deals at luxury resorts, spa discounts for anybody with…
By Michele Laudig You can count the number of Cuban options in the Valley on one hand — but now, at least, you’ll need an extra finger. Babaloo’s Cuban Cafe is an intriguing new option. Chef-ower Robert Gonzalez, chef Justin Poole, and pastry chef Mayra Gonzalez have crafted a tasty-looking…
One of the most intriguing things about Phoenix is how people can reinvent themselves and find success here. We need to make a bigger deal about the beauty of the blank canvas that is our cultural scene. Let me start by celebrating the latest example: Restaurateur Dwayne Allen, who leapt…
By Michele Laudig Honey, I knew you were hot even before you did. That’s why I did the homework for you and wrote up a whole slew of groovy local joints selling tart, tangy Korean-style frozen yogurt, the kind of stuff that put Pinkberry on the map seemingly everywhere but…
By Michele Laudig Living in other cities, I always looked forward to Restaurant Week — when local eateries would offer prix fixe menus at a special price, as a way of showcasing their food to the community. For the curious and the budget challenged (both, in my case), it was…
By Michele Laudig As you know, I did my fair share of splurging when Sprinkles opened its Scottsdale location last month (at Scottsdale Rd. and Camelback), and now, history has repeated itself. This time, it’s in the name of patriotism, as the high-style cupcake bakery is launching a limited-edition flavor…
By Michele Laudig So did you catch the New York Times’ feature about food at ballparks around the country? Phoenix gets props for its garlic fries, which I’ve eaten my fair share of, but that’s about it. A creature of habit, I also go for either the Italian sausage sandwich…
By Michele Laudig Locavore 2: Synchronicity — that might sound like the latest summer blockbuster, or perhaps some remix of a Police album, but it’s what the folks at Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar are calling their upcoming Arizona food and wine dinner. The first such locavore event, held back…
By Michele Laudig In mid-May, when Methode Bistro chef/owner Matt McLinn revealed his plans to sell the restaurant, he wasn’t quite ready to talk about his future plans. But now it’s official: McLinn has just been appointed the new executive chef at Pointe in Tyme, at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio…
My natural instinct is to haul ass on the highway, but lately I’ve been hyper-miling in my econo-car. Around my neighborhood, I’ve been riding my beach cruiser. Several of my coolest new wardrobe additions have come from the Goodwill. And instead of resorting to air-conditioning my house just yet, I’ve…
