Cocktail school is in session — again. And we’re ready for class. This time, District American Kitchen and Wine Bar’s mixologist Matt Tobey is featuring whiskey at at event coming up on July 18 at the Sheraton’s bar…
Scientists at Washington State University are putting new meaning to the phrase “the birds and the bees.” They’re on a mission to help fight the rise of a phenomenon called colony collapse disorder, which has put the world’s honeybee population in grave danger. Without the bees, grocery stores would lose…
The Spot: Roka Akor 7299 North Scottsdale Road, Paradise Valley 480-306-8800 www.rokaakor.com…
Mark Janbou, co-owner of Philly’s Famous Steaks & Hoagies in Chandler, says his partner, 60-year-old Philadelphia-born Mark Blaing, has been making Philly cheesesteak sandwiches since he was 17 years old. “He opened the place in 2002 and wanted to sell us the business in 2007,” Janbou tells me. “But we…
Introducing “Schaefer,” in which Eric Schaefer — a local guy with a big (but discerning) appetite and a sense of humor to match — takes on the Phoenix food scene. The future of Phoenix food might just be a tall, lanky white kid named Travis Tolmachoff. Many people have dreams…
The countdown has begun. As previously reported, Norma and Victor Guerrero, the husband-and-wife team behind Guerrero’s Mexican Food, at 2148 East Apache Boulevard in Tempe, have decided to retire and shutter the business they started in July 1982. Just hours ago, a date for the closing of the 31-year-old business…
Though it’s not exactly prime food truck season, the city’s mobile eateries are fearlessly charging ahead. Case in point: the opening of a new Scottsdale food truck court and a fresh face entering the street-eats scene. We’re referring to The Great Pho King Food Truck, which has been open for…
Though we may live in a concrete desert, there are plenty — to be more specific, tens of thousands — of edible plants growing in the Valley. And we’re not just talking about in Wickenburg or down near South Mountain. There are edible plants growing in nearly every neighborhood, from…
Beer: Wailua Ale Brewery: Kona Brewing Co. Style: American Pale Wheat Ale ABV: 5.4 percent At substantial risk of telling you what you already know: It’s hot outside. Like, soul-crushingly, melt-your-eyeballs hot. I enjoy thick, robust stouts and palate-busting barleywines as much as anyone, but when I’m wandering this desert…
It may be hard to keep anything alive with the relentless heat of summer, but one likely survivor is probably also a seemingly unwelcome guest: verdolaga, more commonly known as purslane. This wild succulent is just itching to be picked, and dumped not in the garbage, but onto your plate…
Just months after it opened its first location in Old Town in February, the Original ChopShop Co. is bringing its lineup of healthy, affordable eats for those on the go to a new spot opening in Tempe today. Located at 222 East University Drive (between Forest and College Avenues and…
Last month we saw the demise of the French cafe Scratch Pastries, which had recently expanded from Scottsdale to downtown Phoenix. We’ll miss the pastel colored macarons and dainty cakes but we are set to welcome a new French-inspired eatery to the scene: French Grocery, a cafe and market, set…
News flash: The Cronut™ craze is in full swing. With buzz of the latest pastry fad — a croissant-doughnut hybrid originated by Dominique Ansel (who also trademarked the term) of Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York — spreading across the country, Cronut™ knockoffs are quickly popping up at bakeries in…
Just because the weekend is over doesn’t mean you have to starve. Here’s what we’ve got on the books this week. “Take & Make” Fourth of July Lobster Boil If you’re looking for something to cook up in celebration of America’s birthday Petite Maison, the French restaurant in Old Town…
The countdown to Best of Phoenix is on. Mark your calendar: This year’s issue will be on newsstands September 26. What better way to warm up than by asking some local “experts” to list their own personal bests? This week, Eric Schaefer lists the five restaurants he misses the most…
It might be because In-N-Out’s menu technically only offers five items or maybe because their food is so wildly poplar yet unattainable for many, but the California-based chain’s “secret menu items” has a cult following to rival the best. There are plenty of things to be discovered beyond the basics,…
It’s nice to have a finely crafted drink. These days, a well-made frozen piña colada or margarita is especially delicious. But sometimes, I want to let down my hair. I want something that I can throw together with a minimum of fuss that’s still delicious and full of booze. That’s…
Cheese lovers rejoice! Gina’s Homemade is adding five new fine Italian cheeses to the family…
This year is shaping up to be a busy one for chef and first-time restaurateur Michael O’Dowd. In May, the ex-Kai chef, who put the nationally renowned restaurant on the map during his 10-year reign, opened Renegade by MOD, his restaurant of eclectic global eats in North Scottsdale, under his…
Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Check out what’s on our plate. Half Off Dinner Menu at Crudo On Saturday, June 29 Crudo is clearing the fridge before the staff and chef Cullen Campbell take their summer hiatus. (The restaurant will be…
Although Julie Moreno has always had a love for baking, her decision to switch to making her homemade cakes, breads, and pies gluten-free (wheat-less) came about not by choice but by necessity. “Two years ago, my daughter became very sick and nobody could tell us what was wrong,” Moreno tells…
You’ve probably heard about the old dieting trick of eating off smaller plates. It comes from the fact that research has shown people tend to eat less when served food on a smaller dish — we perceive the portion size as larger and, therefore, consume less. But that has to…
