It’s not really Christmas in Arizona without having a tamale or two.Wrapped in warm cornmeal dough and packed with such delicious fillings as cheese and chile peppers, tamales have long been the staple of many a Christmastime dinner table. Even for those who aren’t of Hispanic origin, chances are they’ll…
In the last week, two brand-new Tempe restaurants have opened in the spaces where restaurants shut their doors last month. Upstairs at 414 S. Mill, in the spot that formerly housed the Coconut Club, there’s a new upscale lounge called Vintage Bar & Grill (480-297-2195), where they feature a tapas-style menu along…
In principle, I get that whole “the customer’s always right” thing. In practice, of course, it doesn’t always hold up. Consider the barfly I once tended to, who, after asking me for an empty beer mug, proceeded to seal it over her mouth and puke in it. Then, as though…
Chef Michael DeMaria’s been a busy guy lately, but you wouldn’t know it from the looks of the Phoenix restaurant scene. Ever since he closed his restaurant Michael’s at the Citadel last year, he’s been conspicuously absent, working on a new joint called Trattoria M that was originally supposed to…
Long before we were on a first name basis with Martha, there was this recipe for sugar cookies, passed down from a friend. It’s Xeroxed from an ancient cookbook, maybe “Joy of Cooking,” very old school. You don’t want to see the recipe; the paper’s tattered and covered with the remains of…
Spend Christmas Day feasting on the golden chicken and other vegetarian Asian delights at Fresh Mint in Scottsdale. Christmas Day dining options can be quite slim, considering the fact most restaurateurs and food workers would rather toast the yuletide with their nearest and dearest than sling hash to the hungry masses…
As an MBA candidate in Boston, Jason Kensey loved caffeine, but hated the taste of energy drinks and didn’t drink coffee, preferring caffeinated sodas with tons of sugar. His disappointment with caffeinated beverages led him to start Vroom Foods in 1996, a company that makes high-energy mints and chocolates. Vroom’s two primary products, chocolate chews and mints, promise 25% more caffeine than a leading energy drink, at about the same price. (A six-count tin of the chews costs $2.99 to $3.99; a six-pack of mints costs about $1.25 to $1.75).
I have a dirty little secret: I never really liked Christmas ham! Which is why this “Seven Fishes” Christmas Eve seafood splurge at Quiessence sounds so delicious. (Here’s the menu.) It was inspired by a coastal Italian holiday tradition, where people would celebrate Christmas with a whole dinner of fish. And…
It’s better to receive than to give, if we’re talking about the incredible macarons at Essence Bakery Cafe. But if you’re in need of a surefire gift that’ll impress — or if you want to serve something besides cookies at your holiday get-together — these confections are the thing. Have…
Taryn Schaal, mistress of the Vegan Oven. The holidays are huge time for baked goods, whether you’re munching on Christmas cookies made by co-workers or having your mom’s spectacular rum cake. And thanks to the efforts of Taryn Schaal, local vegans and vegetarians can nosh on cupcakes that are just…
It’s not far, but it’s still a move. The Cove Trattoria has left its old digs at the Scottsdale Seville, and after a short hiatus over the past few days, opens its doors tomorrow, December 20, at a bigger space in the same plaza (Indian Bend and Scottsdale Road). Also…
There’s no snow for a sleigh ride, but how about a carriage ride and some Christmas carols? The shops and restaurants along Stetson Drive will do their best to get visitors in the holiday spirit at a free event tonight, the first-annual Holiday Stroll at SouthBridge. For the kids, there will…
Here’s another good question from a pal: What’s open on Christmas? A few minutes after I got that email, I heard from PR whiz/gourmet cook/blogger Kirsten Shaefer from InterContinental Montelucia. Turns out, chef Claudio Urciuoli is going to be cooking up a special dinner menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: Prado Christmas.doc …
Last month a dear friend was distraught when she missed out on NOCA’s fried chicken night. So this blog post is for her, in the hopes that her holidays are a little happier after getting her chix fix. Here’s the latest Sunday Supper schedule: Noca Sundays Dec – Jan.doc — Michele…
Here’s something for beer drinkers to look forward to in 2009: the debut of Odell Brewing Company’s beers in the Grand Canyon State. Starting in January, you’ll be able to find four different beers from this green, sustainable microbrewery out of Fort Collins, Colorado. There’s an English-style ale called the…
Sunnyslope has seen its fair share of changes in the last decade. But what hasn’t changed is dessert – namely, from Karl’s Quality Bakery. Stefanie and Karl Boerner have managed this family-owned sweet spot on the corner of 7th Avenue and Dunlap for the last 15 years. Specializing in German…
Liver’s not a very popular dish, but liver lovers know a good grilled organ when they see, smell, and taste it. Once people get past their prejudices (whether it’s a childhood aversion to liver for dinner, or the oft off-putting idea of eating organ meat), they might find that liver, when cooked and flavored properly, is actually quite tasty.
Last Friday we reported that Top Chef Winner Stephanie Izard was planning to join culinary forces with the good people at Digestif to create an eight-course meal. Now we’re happy to give you a glimpse of the dinner party in slide show form. Take a look and try not to salivate…
I suspect that the reason I’m reviewing Budweiser American Ale today has much more to do with the subliminal messages I received after seeing this new brew’s commercial about thirty times this week than a genuine interest. Yet even if my brain now belongs to the Budweiser collective this still…
The Arizona chapter of the American Food & Lodging Association held its annual luncheon this month, and honored the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa with two awards: one for being green and the other for hosting John McCain’s election night party. The green thing tends to get lost on us around…
The Veggie Garden: Love the hand-cut fries.There’s a relatively new bistro on Central that I hadn’t heard of until Monday morning. That night, as I was researching watering holes along the light-rail system, I coincidentally stumbled upon Maizie’s Cafe & Bistro. This charming little place just north of Campbell has…
My food handler’s Card reads “Food Service Worker,” not “Industry Analyst.” But on the flip side, those are credentials enough to see the kind of economic Love Canal the Scottsdale Waterfront’s becoming for a number of its restaurant tenants. Second helpings of Scottsdale Galleria anyone? Sniffing around SouthBridge just after…
