Over the last 37 years, the annual Scottsdale Culinary Festival has earned a reputation as one of the Valley’s don’t-miss food and drink events. Usually, the week-long celebration of local restaurants and chefs means seven days of eating, drinking, and trying not to burn out on all the fun. But…
Dead Restaurant Dinner at Liberty Market Today Today, you can enjoy key dishes from Liberty Market’s chefs’ past restaurants. The “dead restaurant dinner” will feature plates like smoked Arizona grass-fed beef carpaccio, roasted peppers, caciocavallo, and basil oil from Cal’s in New York City, in addition to open saffron ravioli…
City of Maricopa’s 12th Annual Salsa Festival Saturday, March 19 The weather is warming up, and it’s back to chips and salsa season. If you’re a big fan of everyone’s favorite chip accompaniment, you can join one of the more than 15,000 people expected to attend the City of Maricopa’s…
We’re in the thick of food festival season, Phoenix. And while local diners are busy discovering new restaurants and wines and learning more about the Valley food scene, local chefs and restaurant owners are spending hours prepping special dishes in hopes of attracting new customers. Participating in these large-scale food events…
LDV Winemaker Dinner at LDV Winery Gallery Today Chef Mel Mecinas of Talavera at the The Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North and local LDV Winemaker Curt Dunham are joining forces to serve a wine-pairing dinner today at LDV’s Scottsdale Gallery location. One sample pairing includes roasted rack of…
This Monday, March 14, is National Pi Day. No, not pie — though we love pie. We’re talking about pi, as in the number. If it’s been a while since you’ve taken a math class, pi or 3.14 is an infinite number that’s equal to the ratio of the circumference of…
We already declared that 2016 is the year of the burger chain here in metro Phoenix, and it appears we’ve been proven right yet again. National build-your-own burger chain Burger Theory will open a new location tomorrow, Saturday, March 12. This is the chain’s first location in Arizona, and the…
Today in news we can hardly even believe, we learned rapper 50 Cent will be heading to a grocery store in South Phoenix later this week to sign bottles of vodka. Yes, that 50 Cent, as the best-selling rapper who rose to fame in the mid-2000s when he trying to…
Baseball Trivia at Eklectic Pie Today Eklectic Pie’s Mesa and Chandler locations are hosting a baseball trivia night today and offering food and drink specials to help kick off Spring Training. From 5 to 8 p.m., baseball fans can answer trivia questions to win food, T-shits, and other prizes. Each 11-inch…
New York Times dining critic Pete Wells caused quite a stir at the beginning of the year when he wrote a scathing review of Thomas Keller’s New York City fine dining institution, Per Se. Wells did not mince words. He described one dish as “appealing as bong water.” But more…
Grimaldi’s Pizzeria Launches Online Ordering Today Grimaldi’s Pizzeria has made it even easier for you to purchase its signature pies. Today, the company launches an online ordering system for takeout orders. The system features the restaurant’s full menu and will let you customize your pizza and specify delivery times. For more…
We’ve noticed a trend at Valley restaurants, and it’s called brunch. Everyone’s favorite weekend meal has started popping up everywhere. So from red velvet waffles to a Bloody Mary sushi roll (yes, really), here are some of the newest brunch offerings in metro Phoenix. Artizen The newly opened Camby Hotel’s…
In case you weren’t already aware, 2016 is a leap year. That means we get an additional 24 hours in February to spend however we please. Around these parts, we’ll be opting to spend them eating, and if you’re going to eat, you may as well do so at a…
Last August the Washington Post ran a story about a national shortage of cooks, pointing to chefs in cities including Chicago, New York, and San Francisco who all confirmed it’s harder than ever to hire good kitchen staff. And based on these answers, it seems most metro Phoenix chefs would agree: Talented…
National Margarita Day at Blanco Tacos & Tequila Today Today is National Margarita Day, and Blanco Tacos & Tequila is celebrating with happy hour specials. From 3 to 6 p.m., Blanco will serve $5 margaritas and $3 tacos. For more information, check out Blanco Tacos & Tequila’s website. Margarita Specials…
Combine two bread-y buns and a beef patty, and you’ve got one of the most quintessential American dishes, the burger. And while the burger is about as ubiquitous as dish as they come, metro Phoenix restaurants offer enough creative of versions of the entree to keep things fresh and interesting…
Discounted Bagels at Chompie’s Today Chompie’s is celebrating its 37th birthday with bargain bagels. Today, customers can get a baker’s dozen of bagels – that’s 13 bagels – for $5. The offer is good at all four Chompie’s locations around the Valley. It does not include cream cheese and is…
Oh, Valentine’s Day. If you’re happily coupled up, this day might conjure images of red roses, pink heart candies, and a special night out. And if you’re single, well, it’s probably not your favorite day of the year. But when you work in the restaurant industry, it’s a completely…
Chef’s Table at Hotel Valley Ho’s ZuZu in Scottsdale Today Diners at Hotel Valley Ho’s Zuzu restaurant can enjoy a seasonal, four-course menu paired with wines from Napa Valley’s Silverado Vineyards at the Monday Night Chef’s Table event. Sample dinner entrées include pan-seared gnocchi with applewood-smoked bacon and asiago cream and…
Grapefruit Shandy from SanTan Brewing Company Today Starting today, Chandler’s SanTan Brewery is pouring its seasonal Grapefruit Shandy, an American ale blended with locally sourced grapefruit juice. The spring seasonal brew will be available until April. To find the beer, check out the SanTan Beer locator. For more information, visit the…
Taste of Elegance Culinary Competition at the East Valley Institute of Technology Today At today’s Taste of Elegance culinary competition, 10 chefs will each prepare a signature pork dish to be judged by a panel. Attendees can sample each entree and vote on the best in the People’s Choice Award. Christian…
Between the ever-growing number of fad diets and increased knowledge about food sensitivities, it’s hard out there to be a chef. Diners are going gluten-free, meat-free, oil-free, and more, and as a result, metro Phoenix chefs have seen some pretty interesting special requests. These small but significant changes to a…
