Chase Crain is not a bartender who messes around much with garnishes or puréed fruits or little umbrellas. He’s more about throwing a great party. When Crain is behind the highly-stocked bar of Bar Smith downtown, his showmanship comes through in a different way — with fire, flips, tricks and…
Breakfast is usually considered the most important meal of the day because it fuels you through the morning, but who says you have to eat it in the a.m.? Tonight, it’s an opportunity to help the Arizona Children’s Association. Hickman’s Family Farms is sponsoring “PJ and Eggs” this evening, a breakfast-for-dinner…
According to a representative from Market Street at DC Ranch, chef Aaron May’s casual Italian restaurant Autostrada closed two nights ago. There is a sign on the door inviting customers to visit May’s neighboring tapas restaurant, Sol y Sombra. I wasn’t able to reach May yet today, and the restaurant’s…
You never know where your passions might lead you. For beer aficionado Rob Sizemore, an obsession with suds turned into to a homebrewing hobby, which eventually led to proper training with the American Brewers Guild. Now he’s working on opening his own microbrewery in Tempe, Sleepy Dog Saloon & Brewery,…
Cheap, greasy and not all that good; that’s Pancho’s Mexican Buffet for you. Yet if there is one redeeming concept within this bastion of low-end comida, it’s the magic flag. Raise it up and a waitress will bring you as many soggy enchiladas as you’d like. Genius! Knowing that this…
From Fatburger to In-N-Out Burger, there’s no shortage of burger joints in Tempe, but with thousands of ASU students to munch on them, what’s one more? This fall, Denver-based burger chain Smashburger is hoping to take a bite out of that business with the opening of its first Arizona location, at 777 S. College Ave…
Flairtending occupies a realm of its own in the bartending world — there’s fire, alcohol, flips, spinning and juggling. Chase Crain has spent a good part of the last two years learning the craft. “It makes people wanna know your name” he says. “‘Using attitude,’ I like to call it.”…
If you’re playing part-time vegetarian, beware of Fogo de Chao. When you set foot in this traditional Brazilian steakhouse, don’t be surprised to fall off the wagon right into the middle of a meat parade. Abandon your diet, if only for the night. Forget about moderation, too. To truly make…
“I love American food,” he says, “and I just seem to always be drawn to that — like I’m drawn to blues music, like I’m drawn to country music, I’m drawn to the same, original foods.” But, from the beef brisket and the pulled pork to the potato salad and…
Corbin’s vs. Cheuvront There are so many ways to make grilled cheese. Sourdough or white bread? Cheddar cheese, American cheese or Swiss? With or without tomato? We explored a few grilled cheese haunts this week to bring you a sandwich face-off. In One Corner: Corbin’s Bar and Grill 8729 N…
Yep, that’s right. Chipotle is doing good for the community, again. Last week it was a free showing of food industry documentary Food, Inc., and now it’s putting on a fundraiser for none other than the food awareness movement’s top dog, Slow Food USA. Tomorrow night, from 6 to 8…
Curious what’s in season at the new Calistro California Bistro? Find out from Chef Devin Walsh in this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, and discover the unusual ingredient he uses to make his savory sauces and dressings. Hint: It’s not butter or cream. We’ll also dish deep on a trendy pizzeria and wine bar…
Cute little Bertha’s Cafe is all grown up. The old postage-stamp sized restaurant near the corner of 40th Street and Thomas in Phoenix closed in April when owner Beth Goldwater’s lease was not renewed. Goldwater hustled and found a new spot at 3134 E. Indian School Road near 32nd Street…
It says something when a chef names his restaurant after himself. In our opinion, it says something good. After Bryan Dooley spent 15 years as a chef at the luxurious Fairmont Scottsdale, he opened Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue in downtown Cave Creek. Yep, that’s right, barbecue — not chilled soups…
The Crave Arizona culinary festival is 72 days away, so to get the early buzz going, the organizers are having a 72-hour sale on tickets. The price? $72, naturally. It’s a special ticket package (regular price, $100) that includes admission to the event kickoff party and Top Bar Chef Competition,…
You never know where your food obsessions might take you. For Heather Lauer, an enthusiasm for bacon spawned a blog, Bacon Unwrapped (now four years old), which then spawned a book, Bacon: A Love Story. Since blogger Julie Powell followed a similar trajectory with her Julie/Julia Project blog and the…
Food trucks have quite the buzz these days, especially the Kogi Korean BBQ-to-Go trucks in Los Angeles. Rabid fans follow the biz on Twitter and get tweets on where to find Korean shortrib tacos at any given moment. While chowing down on some of Nobuo Fukuda’s badass pork belly buns…
Would you like to know what days your favorite bakery will be serving organic peach pies, topped with whipped creme chantilly? How about the weekly lunch specials, or the latest macaron flavors? Yes, we would too. Tempe’s Essence Bakery Cafe, known as one of the only places in the Valley where…
So, we were poking around on Twitter this morning (it’s Monday), when we came across a challenge so intriguing that we had to pose it to you: Can you come up with a recipe that’s 140 characters or less? The idea is to compile a kind of virtual cookbook made only…
What is there to say about zucchini pancakes? They’re simple, savory and a good complement to grilled fish. It’s also a way to trick your family into eating green vegetables. This is a vegetarian recipe, but not vegan because of the egg. It takes about half an hour from start…
With great food from Daivd Traina and a built-in coffee bar, what other reason could you possibly need to visit Liberty Market? How about the bathrooms? We’re guessing that unless your bathroom has appeared in Dwell magazine, you’ve never seen a potty like the five waiting for you in Liberty…
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: Three Roots Cafe Returns to the Tempe Scene Chef…
