Food & Drink

Traditional cocktails are back in a major way, and there’s no drink that embodies old fashioned imbibing quite like the—um, well, like the Old Fashioned. Over the last few years, the drink has surged in popularity as Mad Men bad-boy ad-boy Don Draper’s favorite libation, but much like Draper’s attitude…

Holy moralistic mind-fucks! Can’t a day drinker just have her morning brew without the hassle of soul-saving? Seriously, I’ll be in a much better mood for it — think of the glorious singing, friendly back-slapping, and alcohol-induced, “Lord, I love you’s!” That wasn’t to be the case this morning fellow…

​Driving down Thomas toward downtown Scottsdale, it’s hard to miss the attractive new Echo Coffee, which has been under construction for months (2902 N. 68th St.). Curious? Me too. Well, it just opened for business a few days ago, and if you’ve checked out the shop’s website, owner Steve Belt’s…

This is a special night at The Main Ingredient Ale House, says owner Matt Diamond. In tribute to his wife Courtney’s late mother, who would have celebrated a birthday today had she not unfortunately passed away in 2006 after battling pancreatic cancer, the restaurant will donate 100 percent of tonight’s food sales to…

Co-owners Joseph Aguayo and Matt Avilla tell me they’re hoping to open their doors this Thursday. The project has had its ups and downs, which weren’t much of a surprise, given the renovation of the vintage 1930s building. Originally, they’d hoped to open late last year.  I’ve been chatting with…

Driving down Indian school we spot a red sign that says:  Lunch $6.49. It’s waving outside Thai E-San restaurant so we pull over to give it a try. When we first sit down we feel a little silly because the tables are quite substantial and round. But the place is not…

Who doesn’t love soul food? Fried chicken, with or without waffles. Collard Greens. Sweet Potato pie. Trouble is, it’s not the most healthful grub around. Enter Bryant Terry, the self-proclaimed eco-chef (“that’s ECHO-chef, not EEKO-chef,” he says) and author of Vegan Soul Kitchen, a recipe book of healthy meat-free African-American cuisine. Terry shared his…

New acquaintances are always curious about the life of a food critic, and in particular, the supposed glamour that comes with the job. I can’t tell you how many times people have asked me about getting free food.The truth is, I go out anonymously, and I always pay for meals…

Is it too much to ask to want the relaxed, restored feeling of the weekend to extend into the work week – just a bit? We don’t think so. In fact one of the ways that helps us ease into the week is to make a big pot of something…