Remember all those eager reports in the news last fall ballyhooing the arrival of a Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market just a mile from downtown Tempe? The grocery chain was applying to the Tempe City Council for a liquor license. It sounded delightful, but more than six months later the…
Monday we introduced you to Sloane Burwell’s salt obsession. Yesterday we told you where to get your own salts. Today we’ll put those various salts to the culinary test. Want a perfect recipe for your newfound salt obsession? Try gravlax. Chef Carol Blonder, resident chef and culinary advisor at Sur…
Urban Cookies vs. Cupcakes It’s been several years since the cupcake craze ignited. According to most food fad timelines, cupcakes should have jumped the shark by now, but they obviously haven’t because there’s still no shortage of frou-frou cupcake boutiques around the Valley. That’s fine with us — what…
CenPho’s very own Phoenix Public Market can officially call itself a foodie destination. Epicurious.com, the Web site, information hub and social forum “for people who love to eat,” has made the Phoenix Public Market it’s first stop on their second annual summer Farmers’ Market tour. Our very own Southwestern local…
The FAEMA E-61 was a revolution in espresso when it was presented in 1961. It represented the sleek design ushered in with the 60s — and introduced the new technology that made espresso better for good. Today, there is an E-61 machine operating right here in the Valley — at…
It seems that everyone’s favorite 24 hour coffeehouse is on the verge of a comeback. The Counter Culture Cafe used to offer music, art, and locally-made goods and clothing along with coffee, light snacks, sandwiches, and wifi available at all hours until they were unceremoniously booted from their home on the northwest…
Deborah Knight would simply not make it on Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen. It’s not that she’s not good enough. She’s just too nice. She teaches rather than barking orders, which may be why her employees call her “Mom.” And they tend to stick around for five or six years — an…
Downtown urbanites will no longer have to brave the summer heat for their local veggies and fruits come September. The folks behind the Phoenix Public Market, the Saturday farmer’s market for the downtown set, are making progress on the construction of its indoor incarnation, the Urban Grocery and Wine Bar…
Need a salt fix? Never tried vanilla sea salt? Want to try salt on ice cream? (Trust us, it’s a winner.) Salt has moved out of the cupboard to take its place as the seasoning of choice, so if there’s no sea salt to be found in your house, it’s…
The (far) West Valley is on its way up — the Valley food chain, that is. Next Monday, Majerle’s Sports Grill will open its third location at 13375 W. McDowell Rd., just west of Dysart Rd. in Goodyear. Majerle’s, which is named for (and owned by) Dan Majerle, the three-time…
Ever since we posted Posh’s recipe for kangaroo steaks last week, we’ve been hearing requests for unusual meat entrees. Ever tried fried gator? How about elk? In this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, we track down some of Phoenix’s more exotic restaurant (m)eats. Valley diners may feel hard-pressed to find…
OK, Phoenix, indulge a little. We’ve been telling you about it all summer, and today the week-long event is finally kicking off. All week (until Sunday, July 26) fifteen of the Valley’s best restaurants are just asking you to let them do the dirty work for you. Yelp.com has recruited…
“You want what for Christmas?” My mom says this every year. And every year my request is the same – salt. I love salt in every incarnation — the weirder the better, whether it’s pink, blue, black, smoked, or infused. Salt can turn the blandest dish into something special. It’s…
As the remains of one of our favorite Phoenix restaurants smolder, we are thinking back to good times had at Richardson’s. This place was (and hopefully will soon be again) an institution in a town with far too few. For evidence, we reached into the not-so-way-back machine for this gem,…
Summertime is on full blast, which means that we’re definitely in the midst of barbecue season. To tell the truth, though, while there’s nothing more satisfying than serving up juicy burgers, plump franks, and roasted veggies to pals, grilling under a hateful Phoenix sun can be less than ideal. (Not that…
Bagna what? We found this recipe nosing around Epicurious. It’s an anchovy fondue-style dip from the Piedmont region of Italy. According to Wikipedia, bagna cauda means “hot sauce” and is typically eaten in the fall or winter. We’re one of those odd ducks that adores anchovies — all canned fish,…
There’s something about old, recycled gas stations we just love. Maybe it’s the quaint feel of days gone by, or the security of being surrounded by hearty brick-and-mortar, but whatever it is, Copper Star Coffee’s got the cute, indie coffee cafe vibe down pat. The place still features gas pumps…
Another week, another three beers to put to the Summer Beer Quest test. This week we might up with Top’s Liquor owner Greg Eccles to see what brews he fancies during the Summer months. We also got the skinny on a new bar he’s opening up at the end of the…
Chef and owner Lionel Geuskens has closed Trente-Cinq 35, the Belgian restaurant he opened in 2006, according to the Arizona Republic. Geuskens is reportedly suffering from health problems, and hopes to reopen in a few months time. The restaurant, which was located at 2333 North Seventh Street, trumpeted fare from…
A few weeks ago I had the great pleasure of attending the Draft Magazine Microbrew Festival at Turf Paradise. It was a fairly great time marred by one great disappointment. I ran into Louis Dolgoff, Arizona’s Dogfish Head sales manager who explained to me that he was in possession of Sah’tea, a…
Tempe residents will soon have a new watering hold to consider when attempting to decide how to spend those precious drinking hours between leaving work hitting the snooze button.The good folks at Tops Liquor on University are opening a wine and beer bar called “Taste of Tops” right next door…
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: Chef Chat: Josh Hebert, Posh Bashas’ Closing 10 Grocery…
