Food & Drink

Spices and spice blends are the accessories of the food world.

Jose Isais, owner of Vaqueros Carne Asada on 1821 West Southern Avenue (Southern Avenue and 19th Avenue) in Phoenix is planning to open a second location of his restaurant on 24th Street just north of Osborn. Set to open in about a month, the new location, like the first, will…

ATTENTION, LADIES: Forget everything you’ve imagined your true dream job could be — it’s wrong! WRRRRRRONG! Twin Peaks, the Dallas-based “breastaurant” chain (an actual term used to describe restaurants that employ scantily clad women as waitresses), is busting into opening its first Arizona location this month and offering nearly 100″dream…

2011 was a busy year for the Valley restaurant scene. We added more than 100 new restaurants and lost just under 50. Just in case you forgot about some of the newcomers, or missed the news that one of your favorite restaurants closed, here’s a look back …  2011 Restaurant…

This week we met up with Chef Jason Alford, who shared the story of his culinary roots from a small community in Oregon and discussed the evolution of Scottsdale’s London-imported Japanese restauraunt, Roka Akor. Today we’ve got his simple recipe for a Honey Yuzu Dressing featured on the New Year’s…

There is nothing quite like good bread. Golden and crusty and full of flavor, its aroma, especially when baking, can elicit excitement, instantly bringing us back to our childhoods. And it is at Timo where this centuries-old symbol of sanctity and nourishment can be had in slices, torn from an…

We know that it’s delicious and healthful (depending on whom you ask), but did you know that coconut oil (now a house product at Trader Joe’s) is: anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, and improves nutrient absorption? Move over Dr. Bronners, you think your products have a zillion applications? Well, check out all…

We mentioned Duncan Family Farms’ new program last year when we got to know them better. We thought it fitting to give their Salad-a-Day CSA another mention since it’s January and it’s time to get back on track with our healthful eating habits.  How it works, after the jump…

Yesterday we sat down to chat with Executive Chef Jason Alford of Scottsdale’s Roka Akor. Today he talks shop and explains the meaning of “omakase” and “shochu” and comments on his recent collaboration with Chef Nobuo Fukada of Nobuo at Teeter House. How did the event with Chef Fukuda go? When…

Monti’s La Casa Vieja is not only an Arizona landmark, it’s the oldest, continually occupied structure in the greater Phoenix area. And when you’ve been around as long as this bar and restaurant has, you’ve seen the likes of everyone from Carmen Miranda, John Wayne, and Bruce Springsteen, to a…

Somebody had to be the first restaurant to shutter in 2012, and it looks like McCormick & Schmick’s, the national seafood restaurant chain based in Portland, Oregon, has closed not one, but both of its Arizona establishments in Phoenix (2575 East Camelback Road) and Scottsdale (8777 North Scottsdale Road). The…

Join us in this week’s Chef Chat as we venture inside Roka Akor, Scottsdale’s posh Japanese steak and sushi restaurant. You might be surprised to see that the man behind the magic at one of the Valley’s premier Japanese restaurants, Chef Jason Alford, is not actually Japanese. But doing things the traditional way is hardly…