The scene in front of me, however, is anything but friendly. Atop a giant metal cooking tray that’s too big for my table, a tumult of bread, meat and condiments sits menacingly before me. The ginormous sandwich boasts three foot-long, half-pound hot dogs nestled delicately inside a three-foot loaf of…
Recently I was picking through a pile of prune plums at the grocery. A fellow customer asked what they were and how to use them. A signal that autumn is approaching is the sight of prune plums in the market. Ripe and ready from May through October, September is the…
A few days ago, I was sitting in a restaurant with my editor, trying to talk about work and Best of Phoenix and life in general, and the setting seemed perfect: a nearly empty restaurant with enough peace and quiet to hear ourselves think. Except that the staff was overzealous,…
You can pull the fork out of our eyes now, Top Chef D.C. is finally over, and not even previous Top Chef winner Hung Huynh or chef David Chang (Treme everybody!) saying “fuck” and “balls” could save the finale on Wednesday night from being as boring as the entire season…
gourmeted.comHungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?AZ Restaurant WeekThe week we have all been waiting for is finally here. Tomorrow is the start of Arizona Restaurant Week, your opportunity to check out that one place you have been just dying to eat at…
Well, it’s over. The two-hour finale of MasterChef aired Wednesday night and, for those of us who actually watched the first season of the American version of the popular amateur cooking competition, we can get back to living our lives without montages, pre-commercial break cliffhangers, unnecessary narration, and music that…
We’ve been known to travel great distances in search of Mexican pastries. Perhaps that’s why we almost drooled right through the Cafe page while reading this week’s New Times. Food Critic Michele Laudig on La Tolteca: The smell alone is enticing, and I get a little giddy about the overwhelming…
Hungry yet?We’re working up our appetites for our huge Best of Phoenix issue, out September 30, with daily servings of Chow Bella’s 100 Favorite Dishes from across the Valley — in no particular orderLeave your suggestions for upcoming favorites in the comments section.Visit our sister blog, Jackalope Ranch, for a companion series on 100 Creatives who make…
“Are you a salesperson?” “No, I’m a writer for the New Times.” “Oh, what do you write?” “I write a column about fast food called ‘Fry Girl'” “I don’t like fast food. It’s not very healthy.” (cue uncomfortable silence and shifting self in chair) This is Wendy’s? It is this…
Travis Nass fits in perfectly with the southwestern décor of Rancho Pinot (6208 N. Scottsdale Rd., 480-367-8030). With his old-timey mustache, bolo tie and immaculately coifed hair, he could be the barkeep at some wild West saloon, serving shots of whiskey to depressed cowboys. Luckily for us, he lives in an…
Ever dreamed of being the chef at a fine dining restaurant? If so, you oughta be schmoozing with Posh chef Joshua Hebert right now.He’s decided to let amateurs take the reins, to some extent, by inviting a different local food fanatic to play chef every other Monday. The “Chef for a…
Chef Erasmus “Razz” Kamnitzer serves up dishes with so much flavor and flair at Razz’s Restaurant & Bar that we’re tempted just to order takeout, plate the dishes at home, and pretend they’re our own. Today Razz shares his recipe for Cashew & Rosemary Encrusted Salmon with Hibiscus-Lime Sauce so that we don’t have to take such drastic (and deceitful) measures to impress our next dinner guests.
In the tradition of Sarah Ventre (Why Your Cocktail Waitress Hates You), as well as our anonymous Starbucks barista and pizza delivery guy, the quintessential busboy shares his anecdotes of restaurant service and Why Your Busboy Hates You, as told to this writer. No we are not revealing his identity, as he respects…
The name is not quite set in stone, but owner Cheryl Vitale feels pretty confident that her new Ahwautukee restaurant will be called Los Dos Cocina y Cantina. She’s currently in lease negotiations to move into the old Va Bene space at 4025 E. Chandler Blvd. “It’s been 30 years in…
Kefir is a drinkable cultured milk product that is similar to yogurt, but don’t get the two confused. A kefir lover is likely to snatch their bottle of fermented dairy deliciousness right out of your hand if you refer to it as its bacteria-laced cousin. The drink is popular in…
foodgoesinmouth.com Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Viva Mexico!Celebrate Mexican Independence Day the right way with tequila and tacos. Today marks Mexico’s 200th year of Independence and Cien Agaves Tacos & Tequila is throwing a party in their honor. Starting at 6 p.m.,…
It was a Fry Girl first: I felt out of place at a fast-food joint. I felt out of place at Wendy’s. Well, it wasn’t really Wendy’s — not this morning. It was Breakfast Experience Wendy’s, an event for “VIPs” and media only. The redhead was dressed to impress for…
Dig deeper. The wealth of little Mexican restaurants and markets along 16th Street has long been a pet subject of mine, but CenPho has much more to offer than just the options along that main drag. To get to some of the really good stuff, you have to get beyond…
Get your speed-dial ready, folks.Tomorrow, September 16th is a National Day of Action in Washington, D.C. sponsored by Food and Water Watch. You can add your voice to those opposed to allowing this fish into our food supply. Otherwise, call Marge Simpson, and ask if she will share her recipe for…
Hungry yet? We’re working up our appetites for our huge Best of Phoenix issue, out September 30, with daily servings of Chow Bella’s 100 Favorite Dishes from across the Valley — in no particular order Leave your suggestions for upcoming favorites in the comments section. Visit our sister blog, Jackalope Ranch, for a companion series…
Despite what the supermarket aisle may lead you to believe, there’s more to an animal than neatly wrapped styrofoam trays of meat. From tongue to tail, offal (pronounced awful) encompasses all those taboo edibles that don’t make the cut at your local grocer. Just Offal is here to explore these…
You’ve heard that dried spices and herbs only last so long before they lose their potency and should be tossed. Well, what if you are cheap and can’t part so easily with your spices? They are expensive, after all. Here is a recipe to use up your about-to-expire green spices to…
