The beer: Life & LimbThe brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co./Dogfish Head Craft BreweryStyle: American Strong AleABV: 10.2 percent Craft beer is a funny business, wherein traditional ideas about competition and market domination are thrown out with the spent grain. Rather than attempting to destroy one another, contending breweries often join…
Ysterday, Chef Brett Vibber of Center Bistro shared his stories of travel in Italy. Today he dishes more about his childhood in Tempe as the son of two local teachers and working his way up from pizza to fine dining. When did you know you wanted to be a chef?I…
Oh dear, it seems I may have let a big secret out of the bag. Wahsun, the tasty, no-frills, quirky Chinese restaurant I reviewed a couple of weeks ago calling it, “one of the Valley’s Chinatown-style secrets,” appears to also be a hidden favorite of a couple of other Chow…
Last year we marked the hundred day countdown to Best of Phoenix by sharing our 100 Favorite Dishes with you. Now we’re back – with the 2011 edition. Have a suggestion for a dish you’d like us to try? Leave it in the comments section or email laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. 43: Hummus…
Yeah, he didn’t stay quiet for long. Chris Curtiss, the former chef at Noca who left his position in June and is now the catering director for One Step Beyond Inc., a community-outreach program in northwest Phoenix for people with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and autism, has found himself a…
Whether you’re a CSA devotee, a farmers’ market weekender or consider ketchup a veg, we’ll bring you fresh inspiration for how to prepare our local produce.This week’s harvest: Basil “It was believed in Greek and Roman times that to have a good basil crop, you’d have to yell loudly and…
Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Lon’s Last Beer DinnerThis Thursday August 4, Lon’s at the Hermosa is teaming up with Chandler’s SanTan Brewing Company for the last dinner of their summer series. The beer dinner features a crafted four-course meal from head chef Jeremy…
Last week, Caffe Boa owner Jay Wisniewski said local celebu-chef Payton Curry, Caffe Boa’s executive chef for a year and a half, was “getting expensive” after business started to decline at the Tempe location — and that there was a “backlash” among diners who, in addition to not liking or…
We’re halfway through summer and despite the heat and haboobs, the Valley restaurant scene is hanging in there. A few brave souls tempted fate and opened the doors to their new locations this past month, but sadly we lost some restaurant friends along the way. Restaurants (and other Food-Related Establishments)…
Screw the pooch, happy-hour is man’s real best friend– or the real man’s best friend. Whether it’s a standard happy hour or a reverse, any time is a good time to eat, drink, and be merry at a discounted price. But a daytime happy hour– as in, all-day or before…
Sustainable urban agriculture has a new face. It’s 1/1000th of an acre and in the back of a pick-up truck. Ian Cheney, co-author of King Corn, has created a new documentary titled Truck Farm. Truck farm is described as a “whimsical, musical documentary about the quirky world of urban agriculture.” …
Check back later this week for a recipe. What are you looking to bring to the table at Center Bistro?It was previously a coffee spot, a quick breakfast spot, lunch. We’ll expand out into dinner, full liquor license, catering….We have a big event center on the third floor. We’re going…
While the Westside may be a hub for big-name conglomerates and chain restaurants, there are a few native eateries that have made a name for themselves among the residents of suburban Phoenix. From foreign fare to hearty country cooking, we journeyed past Central – and far beyond – to gather…
Last month we sat down to chat with Talking Stick Resort and Casino’s Samuel Murillo, who had blown the competition out of the water with his Southwest Paella at the regional competition hosted by the American Culinary Federation. Last week, Chef Murillo headed to Dallas to compete against four other…
Last year we marked the hundred day countdown to Best of Phoenix by sharing our 100 Favorite Dishes with you. Now we’re back – with the 2011 edition. Have a suggestion for a dish you’d like us to try? Leave it in the comments section or email laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. 44: Kung…
Sheesh — take forever, landmark Phoenix restaurant. Since last October’s fire that shut down Cork ‘N Cleaver, the Arcadia chophouse that’s been around since 1978, reconstruction efforts have been taking their sweet time — but there finally seems to be an end in sight. An employee at neighboring Taylor’s Cafe…
Last week, corporate coffee house giant Starbucks stuck its new non-coffee coffee drink, the “Refresher,” on menu boards across the nation. The drink is meant to be a refreshing alternative to coffee for the warm summer months — but we have to ask, isn’t that what iced tea is for? The Refresher…
Rosé gives a perception of sweetness, but its cotton candy color can be deceiving. Beckett’s Table just added an additional section to their wine list featuring all rosé wines, most of which are Provençal in style. This dryer style, characteristic of the Southern France, is as common on French dinner…
Fasting for 30 days can be intimidating enough, but fasting for 30 days during the summer–in the desert–can be downright terrifying to think about. Since arriving in Phoenix two months ago from St. Louis, I’ve been comparing the heat here to what I assumed Hell would feel like. And now I’m…
In addition to hiring new executive chef Matt Taylor, Noca, the force of modern American cuisine in Central Phoenix, now has another reason to celebrate: their third anniversary. This Sunday, July 31st, the Noca team will be serving the menu from their first-ever fried chicken night at a special price…
Update: After this piece was published, Wisniewski called to clarify that Payton Curry wasn’t overpaid, but was getting expensive. Charleen Badman, Bernie Kantak, Silvana Salcido Esparza — who needs ’em? Jay Wisniewski, owner of Caffe Boa, the Italian-inspired eatery in Tempe, is convinced you don’t need a big-name chef to…
It had been a while since I’d had one of my favorite Sunday breakfasts. Homemade corned beef with plenty of spicy jalapenos and green chili topped with sour cream with a side of fluffy scrambled eggs and thick toast. This time breakfast was served with a smile, something that hadn’t…
