Genmaicha to Combat the Food Coma

I drink more tea than I want to admit — I must horde at least a dozen different kinds at any given time. Lately genmaicha is my fixation. I bought this particular Ito-En brand “Oishii O-Cha” at Lee Lee, where you’ll find genmaicha from several different makers…

Scallop Sashimi at Bluewater Grill

Leave me alone with my seafood and I’m fine. Although I dine alone pretty often, just to fill my belly or scout out a new restaurant, sushi bars and seafood restaurants are some of the only places I can count on to feel comfortable when flying solo. After working late…

A Burger to Die For…Literally

We’ve heard rumors about crazy high-fat diet plans and free food for obese diners at Chandler’s Heart Attack Grill since it originally opened in 2005. We figured we’d pop by for a Bypass (yes, that’s what they call their burgers) and shed a little light on their high-calorie fare, even if it means we’re clearly not shedding any pounds this week.

Lots Going on Downtown This Weekend . . .

This week’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, taking place downtown, seems to have spawned all kinds of fun activities planned for this weekend. On Friday night from 6 to 10 p.m., the free Green Streets Festival will take over Roosevelt Street between 4th and 7th Streets. Along with myriad vendors, artists, and musical guests,…

Cafe: Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue

We should have uploaded the photo above after we wrote the copy. It’s a little hard to type with all this drool covering the keyboard. Then again, that’s what good barbecue does, right? It incites salivation. Needless to say, we’ll definitely be checking out Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue; especially after…

Reading: EATERAZ

: www.eateraz.com Who writes it: There’s no identifiable writer on the blog, but we’ve confirmed it’s run by Rick Phillips, former publisher of Item magazine, with possible contributors. Catch up here…

Coming Soon: Mabel’s on Main

I’ve talked to chef Aaron May about a number of his restaurants over the past few years, but I’m not sure I’ve ever heard him sound as excited as he does about Mabel’s on Main, the old-school-chic watering hole he’s opening sometime around December 1. “For me, after Sol y…

Draft Magazine’s Big Pour Starts Tonight

We have a theory as to why Draft Magazine’s The Big Pour runs from today through Saturday and not Friday through Sunday: So that we may have a day to recover.  Seriously, the event promises “hundreds of craft beers.” I’m not sure that I can drink that many, but for…

More on Pavle Milic’s FnB, Opening Soon

The moment Pavle Milic has been waiting for is almost here. If all goes as planned, he’ll finally be opening his own restaurant, called FnB, sometime around the 23rd of this month. That’s not even two weeks away, and Milic couldn’t be more excited…

A Sneak Peek at Kabuki’s New Arizona Sushi

Kabuki, a casual Japanese restaurant with locations in Southern California, Arizona and Las Vegas, is adding seven new menu items specifically tailored for Arizona palates. What does that mean? Think spicy, Mexican-influenced sauces. Salsa. And bubbling cheese, great for first timers wary of more traditional sushi.

Thomas Keller Comes to Kierland

Cookbook fans and foodies alike crowded Sur La Table at Kierland Commons Wednesday afternoon as more than 200 people waited in line to meet award winning chef Thomas Keller, who was on hand to sign his new cookbook, Ad Hoc At Home. Keller is famous for his meticulous attention to detail at…

More Proof the U.S. Is Fat–in Chart Form

If you want to see something scary, click on this transparency by awesome.good.is. It’s a representation of the percentages of people in certain countries who are overweight, and surprise, surprise, the U.S. represents with the highest percent at 66.3 percent. We have to be number one in everything else, right, so obesity may as…

Sweet & Sour Prawns at China Chili

We were actually hungry for soup. It was a Monday. My colleague and I were wracking our brains over where to find a decent bowl of soup, as if it would somehow magically thwart the swine flu (knock on wood, so far so good. . .). But then we remembered…

Behind the Bar: Ted Grossman at Shady’s

Whether it’s booze, music, film or food, Ted Grossman admits he’s a bit of a snob. In this case, however, knowing that he’d think your favorite films are garbage and that you couldn’t even smell his favorite drink without gagging doesn’t make Grossman unlikeable; it’s actually quite the opposite. His…

Ra Sushi’s New Dishes

Let’s just get this out of the way: Ra Sushi is not Japanese cuisine. Not proper Japanese cuisine anyway. That being said, it can be delicious as I found out at a new menu tasting at Ra Sushi in North Scottsdale last night…

Recipe: Tomato Caper Braised Halibut from Tommy V’s

When head chef Matt Alleshouse of Tommy V’s Osteria Pizzeria created this recipe, he was looking to put a new twist on an old meal–the hunters-style dish. Typical hunters’ dishes are made in one pot, cooked with the meat the hunter caught. It’s a technique that’s been used hundreds of years, but…

Battle of the Shepherd’s Pie

Shakespeare’s vs. The Turf Restaurant & Pub When we’re feeling a little low, the first stop is usually Tempe’s Rula Bula for a pint and a plate of shepherd’s pie. With ground beef, veggies, whipped potatoes and cheese, this dish is a comfort classic and one of the first things that comes to…