We’re going behind the scenes and getting up close and personal with some of the Valley’s favorite chefs, learning what it takes to make one of their best-known dishes. Welcome to The Trail. It’s hard not to smile when you walk into Crepe Bar in Tempe. Everything from the walls…
For years, Mabel’s on Main was a go-to spot in Scottsdale for a well-crafted cocktail you could enjoy in a dramatic, high-style atmosphere. The dark wooden bar, leather banquettes, and hidden private room (or didn’t you know about that already?) made it a one-of-a-kind spot in Old Town. Now chef-partner…
For every year that my palate matures, two more bad experiences come to my plate. Though most of us would not claim to be picky eaters, we have to admit we’ve all suffered some form of culinary trauma. Like any sour encounter of my life, my best is not to…
Entering Cyclo for the first time, you’ll notice one thing before anything else: owner Justina Duong. On a recent summer evening, she’s wearing a flowered maxi dress, dramatic false eyelashes, and a hip pixie cut. Her elegance appears effortless, like she’s a guest herself. She immediately starts talking to a…
Over the weekend, Phoenix’s bartending scene earned some major bragging rights at the world Mai Tai competition in Kona, Hawaii — especially since the winner Michael Soo was the first mainlander to nab a win at the event since it began in 2009. Soo’s cocktail scored high on aroma, taste,…
Beer: Grapefruit Sculpin Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Co. Style: IPA ABV: 7 percent There are generally two schools of thought when it comes to beers brewed with fruit: Hooray! and How Dare You? Given the number of examples on shelves crafted to be sickeningly sweet or brewed with more artificial…
Last year we marked the hundred day countdown to Best of Phoenix by sharing some of our favorite food folks’ “Personal Best” lists. This year we’re bringing back our list of 100 Favorite Dishes. Have a suggestion for a dish you’d like us to try? Leave it in the comments…
Romeo’s Euro Cafe Tuesday, August 19 Every third Tuesday of the month chef Romeo Taus of Romeo’s Euro Cafe in Gilbert hosts a special dinner event with three courses and three wines for $30. This month’s event features Asian Calamari Salad with cilantro tangy citrus sesame oil dressing and spicy…
The Chef: James Porter The Restaurant: Petite Maison The Animal: Octopus The Dish: Grilled octopus Maybe there’s something in the air or maybe octopus is just on trend right now, but for whatever reason we’ve noticed several restaurants around town have added the cephalopod mollusc to their menus. It’s a…
For this week’s Grind column, I decided to walk into a coffee shop I had never been to, ask for a recommendation, and review it. This was clearly the best decision I have ever made, because it led me to discover the Dank-Dank (pronounced Daynk-Uh-Daynk). This secret off-menu gem is…
Getting a group of friends together to grab a meal and actually finding a place everyone agrees on can be a chore. Heck, even finding a place just you and one other person want to go to can be a task. If you’d prefer to skip the “I don’t know…
The summer slow down is real and a very scary part of running a business in Phoenix every year. This year Shine Coffee needs your help. After making the move from food truck to their beautiful brick and mortar space off of Central and Vernon avenues, the cafe could use…
Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza of Barrio Cafe in Phoenix has a lot going on right now, including plans for a new restaurant in Gilbert and a fast-casual concept on the west side of town. What she doesn’t have to worry about anymore is Barrio Queen, the Scottsdale restaurant she opened…
Brazil has some noteworthy exports. There are those who consider its soccer team one of the finest things to come out of Brazil. Others will argue for the tendency of comely Brazilian women to use something resembling a length of unwaxed dental floss as swimwear. However, since this is the…
Last year we marked the hundred day countdown to Best of Phoenix by sharing some of our favorite food folks’ “Personal Best” lists. This year we’re bringing back our list of 100 Favorite Dishes. Have a suggestion for a dish you’d like us to try? Leave it in the comments…
When it’s well-written, a menu is your map to a restaurant experience. It tells you what kind of food to expect and how much it’s going to cost. It might even give you a little insight into the chef and his or her vision for the restaurant. When it’s poorly…
I met my husband at Queens College in New York City in a Psychology of Personality class. I had my eye on him for a few weeks before I got up the nerve to approach him. We were scheduled for a test, so I invited him to study with me…
When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out — and let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that…
If you can’t afford to spend the time or money on a full-blown staycation at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort, you can opt to spend a little of both at the resort’s Meritage Steakhouse. That’s because every day from 5 until 6 p.m. you can make a mad dash over…
Last year we marked the hundred day countdown to Best of Phoenix by sharing some of our favorite food folks’ “Personal Best” lists. This year we’re bringing back our list of 100 Favorite Dishes. Have a suggestion for a dish you’d like us to try? Leave it in the comments…
Since April, Valley residents have been eating for a good cause at Arizona’s largest homeless shelter. Helpings Cafe is located at UMOM New Day Centers on Van Buren Street, where trainees from the shelter go through a six- or nine-week training program to gain work experience…
Usually, our Sunday routine involves some variation of waking up with a mild hangover and rolling out of bed to seek out greasy or starchy food — preferably in a location with lots of natural sunlight and more booze. This is the whole point of brunch. But for those of…
