Remember Stella’s Kitchen, the cute diner with no real theme that replaced Cheeburger Cheeburger in the Tempe Marketplace’s food court last year? Yeah, neither does anyone else. The restaurant folded up shop after lasting less than year, paving the way for another burger joint. The sixth Phoenix-area SmashBurger will open its doors…
Recently, I was opening my business mail when it hit me like it ton of bricks. There it was, the first reminder that it’s just around the corner. The solicitation read, “Don’t get caught short, order your porta-pots now for Cinco de Mayo.” Get the rest of the story…
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: Artichokes It’s artichoke season! Wahoo! They’ve been ready for a few weeks but this these gigantic thistles are only in season…
Of course we know that real grown-ups drink their tequila straight. From the bottle. Warm. But hey, what fun is that? Reading over the drink menu for Thursday’s “Cinco de Cycle” — featuring tequilas flavored with everything from chocolate to coconut — we were inspired to share some…
We got to meet The Bacon Queen on Monday and today we thought we’d share a little insight into what it’s like to be part of this royal family. Amy Vernon’s husband, Bjorn Antonio, let us peek behind the curtain to learn the secret life of the bacon family. Here’s what…
Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Farm to Table DinnerCan’t wait till May 16th for ZuZu’s Chef’s Dinner with Duncan Farms? Well you’re in luck — you can get your Duncan Farm’s fix this week at Lon’s at the Hermosa. Thursday, May 5,…
As we say goodbye to a beautiful April, let’s take one last look at the new restaurants she left us with and the few that she took with her. Restaurants (and other Food-Related Establishments) That Opened in April 2011 Jesse James Ice Cream Parlor, North Phoenix Open Source Project Coffee…
Just in case you haven’t been paying attention, Mother’s Day is Sunday. This Sunday. What does every mom love? Brunch. That means you had better get on the horn and book a table. We found several Valley dining establishments offering Mother’s Day brunch, so we thought we’d be nice and…
theme is “make your best dish” or “let’s see how you use local ingredients,” cooking novices are usually S-C-R-E-W-E-D. That was the scene at the inaugural Slideluck Potshow, an artsy gathering and community potluck dinner hosted at The Icehouse in Phoenix this past Saturday night. The Virgin, opted to put together a dish inspired by last week’s royal wedding…
They say politics and romance don’t mix, but how about food? Looks like Chef Eddie Matney might have lost a customer or two with his status update this morning on Facebook: It was the the [sic] policies of Presidents Clinton and Bush that were in place that led up to the…
Sunday is Mother’s Day, and if you’re like us, you’re still scrambling to find just the place to take mom for that special (and somehow especially stressful) day. But chances are, you take the kids out to eat year-round, and you encounter the pitfalls of fine dining with the…
Former East Valley Tribune journalist Amy Vernon crowned herself The Bacon Queen in 2009 after a bit of online recognition pushed her into sweet, smoked stardom. So much so that she’s the top female submitter of all time on Digg.com. Among many other things, Vernon curates this amazingly large bacon…
What comes to mind first when you think of making a sandwich? A basic combination of meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo or mustard slapped between two pieces of bread. The April issue of Saveur magazine is filled with sandwich specials from around the world and got us thinking about…
Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Spring Chef’s DinnerEvery month, Scottsdale’s ZuZu at Hotel Valley Ho turns one boring Monday night into an exciting evening of food and drinks. The Month of May is no exception. Monday, May 16th join ZuZu and Duncan…
We never thought we’d say this, but some things really do look better on a cupcake. Like Princess Beatrice’s royal mistake of a wedding hat. While seamstresses were sewing knock-off wedding dresses over the last day, Wir Machen, a bakery in Munich, Germany, got busy with the fondant. Next up, Tara…
Another week has come and gone leaving us to ponder the upcoming events that will shape our lives and, more importantly, our dinners out. But before we move on, let’s have one last look at the blog posts from this week. The Ron Swanson Turkey Burger: A Fried Turkey Leg…
At what point does one elevate from merely drinking beer to being a full-on beer snob? Answer: when you feel compelled to tell other people what to drink. And the inevitable result of this peculiar ailment is the beer argument. In the spirit of all great beer-related discussions, we present…
Yesterday we met Marcus Johnson, who tends bar at Four Peaks in both Tempe and Scottsdale. Today he shares with us the recipe for the Sippy-Go-Naked, a creation of Four Peaks’ brewers that’s become popular with people in the know. “It started out as a drink that was just known…
Staying in? We’ve got you covered — both on the culinary and entertainment fronts. Now presenting Dinner and a Movie — a guide to a do it yourself evening of food and film. Film: Volver (2006)Popcorn Alternative: Popcorn IbericoEntrée: Tortilla EspañolaBeverage: Try a Rioja or other Spanish Red wine. Or, click here…
Great minds think alike. With Cartel Coffee Lab one of the only non-chain coffee shops left in Tempe, the past year has seen an explosion of new, artsy coffeehouses in the ASU area. The most recent is Ryan Gentry and Michael Witham’s Open Source Project, scheduled for a grand opening…
Attention vending machine world: prepare to have your collective coin-op slots blown off. PepsiCo has announced it’s set to launch a line of “next generation” social vending machines. The new machines will allow folks to connect with friends and gift them drinks with the push of a (touchscreen) button. A…
Having to relive this painful food disaster is difficult. I’m actually sorry that you have to see this. The menu at this Tempe restaurant said “shredded chicken in a crispy tortilla smothered in a zesty cheese sauce served with beans and rice”. What was set in front of me (by…
