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…
The first beer can — a heavy-gauge steel number that had to be stabbed open with a sharp piece of metal — first hit the market almost 80 years ago. I envy the beer bloggers of those days. With just two beers available (Krueger’s Cream Ale and Krueger’s Finest Beer),…
Here’s the good news: We’re getting another spicy culinary event in town, one that will let diners see if they can handle varying levels of heat from Valley chefs. And here’s the bad news: It’s going down on the same date as the third annual Roosevelt Row Chile Pepper Festival,…
It’s going to be a long summer. If your plan is to hunker down and get a bunch of work done in hopes that it’ll make the heat pass more quickly, we understand, but you’re going to need some help. Now you can enjoy all of the smooth, caffeinated goodness…
The Spot: American TapHouse 1026 South Gilbert Road, Gilbert 480-214-3440 www.americanth.com…
I love excellent packaging on the products I buy. Even when I’m baking up a few nibbles for my family and friends, I want my goodies to look fabulous. You can find a wide variety of colored and patterned disposable baking cups and loaf pans, but here are a few…
When it comes to beer events in this town, the AmeriCAN Canned Craft Beer Festival is one of our favorites. And it’s not just because we think cans are the best vehicle for delivering ice cold beer to our mouths. This year’s festival, which will be held Saturday, May 17,…
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…
If you’re into food or the food scene or Jon Favreau, then chances are you already know that his new food-centric movie Chef, is coming out this Friday in Phoenix. In it, Favreau — who also directed, co-produced, and wrote the movie — plays a burned-out chef who gets fired…
As sad as we were to see Coronado Cafe close its doors for good in March, there’s a silver lining to the loss. As we told you earlier this year, restaurateur and chef Michael O’Dowd purchased Coronado Cafe with the intention to close it, renovate, and reopen as a new…
World of Beer Tempe Wednesday, May 14 If you’re a craft beer fan then you probably already know that this week is American Craft Beer Week and to celebrate all good craft beer fans should raise at least one glass to the brewing scene. On Wednesday World of Beer in…
Bad news, whiskey lovers. According to the Smithsonian, we’ve all been drinking more whiskey than distillers can make. Representatives from the highly en vogue Buffalo Trace Bourbon said in the article that the situation isn’t likely to be fixed anytime soon either: “The increase in sales, coupled with the aging…
The partners behind Arizona’s biggest and most popular winery, Arizona Stronghold, are no longer together. Rock star/vintner Maynard James Keenan and Arizona Stronghold co-founder Eric Glomski have decided to go their separate ways. One partner will take the Arizona Stronghold name, while the other gets to keep the historic southern…
Beer: Señorita Brewery: Elevation Beer Co. Style: Imperial Porter ABV: 8.4 percent In a speech delivered to thousands of attendees at this year’s Craft Brewers Conference, Paul Gatza told a story about bad beer. It was at a beer festival a few months earlier, the director of the Brewers Association…
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 section…
Eric Leidlein has been roasting coffee in town for eight years, so if anyone knows the ins and outs of the coffee bean world, it’s him. Starting as a barista, then roaster at Lux, and eventually working with Four Barrel beans at Giant Coffee, Leidlein says his experience as a…
Congrats, Central Phoenix. You’ve got a new local restaurant that’s bringing a little irie feeling to the neighborhood. Welcome, JamRock Cafe & Grill. The restaurant opened about two weeks ago at 1714 West Van Buren Street and serves a small menu of Carribean and Jamaican cuisine — think entrées like…
It’s been a while since we’ve written a Phoenix wish list. In the past, we’ve focused on specific places — like downtown Phoenix and Tempe’s Mill Avenue — but this time I’m tackling issues all over town. Phoenix is a great city to live and eat in, but there are…
Josh Bracher Executive Chef Second Story Liquor Bar www.secondstoryliquorbar.com It’s been about two months since Second Story Liquor Bar opened in Old Town Scottsdale above The Gelato Spot. The cozy restaurant and bar brings a dose of old school style to the area’s nightlife scene. Everything from the décor to…
When you think about it, you probably spend more time in Glendale than you realize. The city is home to the Arizona Cardinals, hosts the Phoenix Coyotes homes games, spring training, and a good number of large concerts throughout the year. With that being said, you don’t have to eat…
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In a near 17-minute YouTube manifesto, Mark Phillips, founder of Palcohol, explains how we’ve all got it wrong. He even shows how to use a Palcohol pouch. Though the company currently is not accepting interview requests, this exhaustive video says pretty much all we need to know about the perceived…
