Each of the Valley’s farmers’ markets has its own distinctive atmosphere. That’s fun to suss out, but we’re all about the produce, too. The Roadrunner Park Farmers’ Market, just off the 51 on Cactus Road, is Phoenix’s oldest — it’ll celebrate its 20th birthday in October — and both the…
Eytan Zias is a culinary samurai. After compiling an impressive resume working in famous kitchens in New York City and all over the Valley, he decided to return to an earlier love: knives. He sold off parts of his impressive collection to finance his current venture, Phoenix Knife House (www.phoenixknifehouse.com,…
Forking columnist Colin Redding doesn’t play around when it comes to his sausage. Quite the contrary in fact as even a failed relationship hasn’t kept him from cooking a few of his ex’s sausage recipes. Explore this and the mystical combination of sausage and grape jelly in this week’s Forking…full…
We love the spa treatment, but as Food Critic Michele Laudig points out in this week’s Cafe column, apples and cucumber water do not satisfy us to the same degree as an hour-long massage. Luckily there are a few Phoenix spas that cater to our tummies. Michele Laudig on feasting…
Tammie Coe employees say they have no idea which show it’s for, but word’s out that a crew from the Travel Channel just stopped by the Roosevelt Row pastry shop to shoot some footage and take pictures this afternoon. Apparently they’re making the rounds at different dessert-y spots in the…
Some of the restaurants I write about in Budget Beat are old faves, some are recommendations from readers or friends, some are just sitting there on the side of the road, begging to be tried. One of the fun things about doing this weekly blog is being surprised by a…
Call me naïve. I assumed the majority of restaurant appetizers and entrees were cooked after the food was ordered. (Yeah, I know what they say about assume.) But it’s quite the opposite. At least in my limited experience. Most of the food to be served is prepped before service begins,…
We are so spoiled. With all the resort spas in the Valley, we have more opportunities to get scrubbed and balanced and massaged into a mellow state of mind than perhaps anywhere else in the country. People fly into town to make a luxury vacation of it, while those of…
I decided recently to make some life changes. I quit my day job and rented my house for the next six months. Hell, the economy sucks, so I figure six months of not being tied down by a mortgage will give me the freedom to travel and eat and not…
Malee’s Thai in Scottsdale isn’t the only eatery in town that partnered up with a local gallery. Prior to opening in the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown hotel at 320 N. 3rd St., District American Kitchen and Wine Bar (with the help of Tele Art Resource’s Laurie Post) solicited proposals from local art galleries…
In case you had any doubt that people are actually making pilgrimages to Phoenix for some Pizzeria Bianco action, get a load of the double-whammy of national media props for the restaurant — which comes on the heels of Martha Stewart’s six-page feature on Chris Bianco. This month, Gourmet features…
Tired of taking Mom to the same old Mother’s Day buffet? In this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, we’ve got the scoop on a few unforgettable places to take your mama this Sunday, from classic champagne brunches to a runway show dinner for the trendy fashionista mom. Also look for…
With all the awards that Joe’s Real BBQ has stacked up, the place could easily coast on its own fine reputation. But that’s just not how owner Joe Johnston operates. Instead, he makes a point to host an annual Free Day, dishing up gratis plates of the barbecue that made…
Meet Bob. Talk about a major tool. Bob’s one of those types who makes us hard working restaurant stiffs wince over the thought of having to accommodate him. Bob’s friends and family insist he’s just hard to please. Every time he comes in, everyone with him seems to take turns…
It’s a tough job but somebody’s gotta do it. The food and beverage team at the Four Seasons Resort at Troon North is holing up for a few days to do a hardcore blind tasting of many, many different wines from around the world — as in, 3 or 400 wines…
Well, our classroom hours are over. It’s on to the restaurant, which is as close to a rite of passage as you get in culinary school. Our group was scheduled to spend the first few weeks in the kitchen. I felt ready to face the challenge. After all, I learned…
What am I doing up blogging at this hour? I’m sharing this hysterical link with you. This is the kind of stuff my dear friends email to me in the middle of the night, when it’s really hard to laugh silently. Check out How to Use Bacon to Make Your…
Over the seven years that Robin Bundy owned Three Roots Cafe on Mill Avenue (1020 S. Mill), the hip little indie coffee shop earned a loyal following among ASU students and neighborhood locals alike for its relaxing, bohemian vibe and its well-crafted coffee drinks. How loyal, you ask? Thanks to some…
I swear this is for real — BaconCamp meetups for people who want to know more about bacon. You thought I was kidding about bacon takin’ over? Nuh uh. It’s only a matter of time before this happens in Phoenix, I bet. Look at the cool “crafts” the BaconCamp people have…
April wasn’t quite the harsh month for restaurant closures that March was, but I’m holding my breath now that summer’s coming. Surely any struggling restaurant would try to at least make it through the busiest part of the tourist season, so from here on out, it’ll be interesting to see which…
We’re cross-pollinating Martha Stewart with Rachael Ray tonight. The dish is called “Stuffed Potatoes with Ham, Thyme and Gruyere” AKA “I bought a flippin’ huge bag of potatoes and now I don’t know what to do with them.” We uncovered the recipe in Ray’s book 30 Minute Meals, a classic for…
This week’s Caffiend starts with a couple of caveats: 1) We bought this Mana Energy Potion at Hot Topic, and 2) We were warned to drink only half of the 1.6 ounce bottle. We raise the first point because if an energy supplement is available at Hot Topic, it’s supposed…
