PhotoTapas: “A History of Fresh Food in the Desert” Friday, January 17 This Friday, “A History of Fresh Food in the Desert” opens at Modified Arts in downtown Phoenix. The exhibition will “span nearly the entire modern lineage of farming in the state of Arizona” through work from three local…
Despite overwhelming evidence that the American public is sick to death of Dominique Ansel’s trendy pastry hybrid, the Cronut — seriously, people, there’s even scientific proof — it seems food producers, or at least East Coast bakeries, aren’t ready to give up on the trend just yet. Proof: There currently…
Every bartender has myriad pet peeves stemming from hundreds of grating customer quirks discovered during every shift. Some of these quirks are only mildly annoying, but others are downright unforgivable. If you’re the kind of person who orders an Adios MF on a Sunday night or flavored vodka outside of…
In Chow Bella’s new comic, Wait or Die, we tell the stories of waiters and waitstaff from restaurants around the Valley. Submit your stories here: waitordie@newtimes.com — and be sure to let us know if you wish to remain anonymous…
To those lamenting the lack of decent ramen in the Valley, take note: Yatai Ramen. The Valley’s newest food truck, its name meaning a Japanese street food cart, is getting ready to hit the streets in the next few weeks. And owner Mark Kondo says it’s about time. “I love…
Staffing a restaurant (and keeping it staffed) is one of the most difficult and time-consuming tasks owners and chefs face. And turnover? The industry’s nearly famous for it. Although the hiring of both back- and front-of-the-house positions has always been a challenge, is hiring restaurant staff today harder than it’s…
The Guilty Pleasure: Grilled Stuft Nacho Where To Get It: Taco Bell, locations everywhere Price: $1.29, are you out of your mind? What It Really Costs: You’re learning a new word today. I have to hand it to the R&D people at Taco Bell. It seems they have a nearly…
For the second year in a row, an Arizona wine made SF Gate’s list of the top wines of the year. This year the recognition goes to the 2012 Sand-Reckoner Malvasia Bianca, which comes from Rob Hammelman in Cochise County. If you’ve been paying close attention you will have already…
Is it possible to appreciate a restaurant not only for its food but also for the people behind it? In the case of Pho A.V. in North Phoenix, it is. On the surface, the tiny, six-month-old Vietnamese eatery looks like many of the no-frills spots throughout the Valley: fluorescent lights,…
The Spot: Cornish Pasty Co. 3800 North Goldwater Boulevard, Scottsdale 480-945-1220 www.cornishpastyco.com…
Want to stay on top of trends? It seems 2012 was the year of the chicken and 2013 was the year of the greenhouse. So, what’s on the agenda this year? Here are some “trends” we predict will gain speed in 2014…
Okay, if you read my previous post on Jewel’s Bakery and Café, you already know I’m in love with this place. Jewel’s has so many beautiful gluten-free pastries that you could just drown yourself in sugar. But I also was excited to taste the bakery’s savory offerings. So my work…
Sure, there’s still room for improvement, but downtown Phoenix’s dining scene is slowly — slowly — coming into its own. At the moment, the five best restaurants downtown feature noteworthy chefs (including two James Beard Award winners) expertly crafting dishes from around the world made with only the best ingredients…
This is part two of our interview with pastry chef Country Velador of Super Chunk Sweets and Treats in Scottsdale. In addition to opening her own sweet shop, Velador also crafts the dessert menu for Cowboy Ciao restaurant and helps supply bread for Counter Intuitive, the grab-and-go sandwich shop that…
In today’s installment of People Eating Things You Thought They Couldn’t (for part one see “Watch This Woman Eat a 72-Ounce Steak in Less Than Three Minutes”) we present a video of competitive eater Kevin Strahle, who goes by the name L.A. Beast, eating two cacti. And we’re not talking…
Beer: Storm King Brewery: Victory Brewing Co. Style: Russian Imperial Stout ABV: 9.1 percent As I sip this week’s beer, I’m reminded of an old saying about “snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.” Not for a reason that has to do with come-from-behind wins or anything — it’s just…
The new year is already shaping up to be a busy one for Johnny Chu. The Hong Kong-born chef, along with wife, partner, and general manager Linda Q, are planning to open not one, but two Asian-themed restaurants in midtown Phoenix by the end of February. The couple currently operates…
Posh Tuesday, January 14 Chef Josh Hebert has been hosting late-night ramen pop-ups at his Scottsdale restaurant Posh for years. And if you’re a fan, then you’ll likely be happy to know he’s turning the ramen thing into a weekly event. Beginning this Tuesday Posh will serve ramen and okonomiyaki…
Country Velador Chef, owner Super Chunk Sweets and Treats www.facebook.com/SuperChunkSweetsAndTreats Pastry Chef Cowboy Ciao This is part one of our interview with Country Velador, owner of Super Chunk Sweets and Treats in Scottsdale and pastry chef for Cowboy Ciao. Velador opened the sweet-minded shop with her husband, Sergio, last month…
Alexandra Maw has been thinking about juice bars before juice bars were a thing in the Valley. She came up with a business plan for one as a student as ASU and, thanks to a grant from the university, made her dream a reality in late 2012, founding Kaleidoscope Juice…
You can bet a ticket to the nearly sold-out Devoured Phoenix Culinary Classic that as soon as we got our hands on a 2014 calendar we marked the dates for these ten events. The ones that have set dates already, that is. For the sake of fairness we didn’t include…
In my house, we have been watching a lot of Alaska: The Last Frontier of late, and some days I dream about being a homesteader. The TV show follows the story of three generations of hardcore homesteaders living in the harsh Alaskan frontier, growing, raising, hunting, or gathering everything they…
