Alissa Irei

Local literature lovers are lucky that some excellent public libraries and two of the nation's best bookstores also call the Valley home. Here's a look at some upcoming literary events in our area...

Remember when salt first started upstaging sugar during dessert, to the shock of mainstream diners everywhere? (Sea salt on chocolate chip cookies? Shut the front door!) These days you'd be hard pressed to find a hip restaurant that doesn't give s...

March Madness might be over, but Chow Bella's Ultimate Battle of the Ramen is just heating up. We pitted two first round winners against each other to see who will proceed to the finals. In this crosstown match, Hana Japanese Eatery takes on Repub...

The Scottsdale Culinary Festival's Eat, Drink, and Be Pretty fête is arguably more about seeing and being seen than it is about eating -- Be Pretty, Drink, and Eat might be a more apropos name. It's the sort of event that doesn't favor any f...

You know those cows from the Chick-fil-a commercials, the ones that want you to eat more chicken? This was so not their scene. Picture 13 of the best burgers in Phoenix, all gathered at Scottsdale Stadium for a gladiator-style showdown, and you've...

Mystery writers Nevada Barr and Keith McCafferty have never met, but they are members of a two-person society of mutual admiration that spans nearly three years and several states. Barr is a celebrated novelist who's written 18 books featuring a n...