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…
This weekend, Earth’s mightiest heroes assembled to drink delicious beer and play bocce ball. At least that’s what the scene seemed to be from a distance, but as I moved closer I realized that appearances truly are deceiving. The Flash was wearing a trench coat and had an extremely fake…
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: Caffiend: Organic Yerba Mate Tea Never Too Much Bacon…
Two brews stepped up to the field of battle. One armed himself with the tastiness of the humble blackbeery while the other trained his dark coffee flavor on his opponent. In the end, only one would remain and that victor is none other than Samuel Adams’ Blackberry Witbier. Competing against…
A jungle, an ocean, a wild maze of huge, sprawling plants bearing thousands of colorful, fragrant fruit. That’s how it feels just a few steps into the tomato beds in Seacat Gardens’ leased acre on the edge of Blue Sky Farms in Litchfield Park. “I just started here last fall,”…
The good people behind TexAZ must be feeling a bit of schadenfreude during the economic downturn, and now they’ve got a deal that lets you, the hungry but budget-minded diner, join in the fun. The popular Texas-themed steak-ribs-and-burger joint on the northeast corner of Bethany Home Road and 16th Street has…
There are a few things that are certain in Phoenix: Summers will be hot, politics will be messy, and Carolina’s tortillas are delicious. For 40 years, this family restaurant has been making enchilada sauce so luscious you can drink it, machacha so silky it melts in your mouth, and tortillas…
How far will you drive for food? Certainly there are some tasty treats that no distance could separate a hungry enough mouth from. Unfortunately, Chef Michael DeMaria’s latest venture, Heirloom, is not one of them. According to Food Critic Michele Laudig, driving all the way out to Heirloom’s North Scottsdale…
Isn’t this supposed to be fro-yo season? Ice Tango, LLC filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy (which prevents creditors from collecting on any debts) on Tuesday, for the Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard location that closed at the end of January. According to David Cha, general manager of Ice Tango’s other two locations –…
Curtis Stone, from TLC’s popular Take Home Chef series, will be hitting up Sur La Table at Kierland Commons on Friday, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the photogenic Aussie surfer has to fight off groupies. After all, he got “Sexiest Man Alive” props from People a few years back…
Life’s full of changes. I get that, but this class seems to be morphing at warp speed. And I’m talking major life changes. One of my classmates took a several month leave of absence to have back surgery. We lost one to excessive absence. Another asked me to recommend a…
You have to hand it to Heirloom’s chef-owner, Michael DeMaria — the guy knows how to keep his momentum, even if he’s not always in the spotlight. In 2007, when he closed his award-winning restaurant Michael’s at the Citadel, he and business partner Brandon Maxwell channeled their energies into Trattoria…
With Southwest tourists galore and more art galleries per square foot than even most Manhattan suburbs, Old Town Scottsdale is a big draw for local artists seeking fame — or just seeking to draw attention to their works. It’s also a hotspot for national artists, whose works can be found…
