By Amy Silverman I have always believed that diners should have a separate rating system, when it comes to cleanliness. C’mon, haven’t you ever heard the term “greasy spoon”? But apparently the Maricopa County health inspectors don’t share my nostalgia for a time when waitresses smacked gum and no one…
By Jay Bennett I usually don’t have much reason to enter Old Town Scottsdale — it oftens seems kind of a like a foreign land to me — but perhaps I have a reason now since checking out a fun little place called Terrace Café, which sits on the corner…
Tacos and burritos will always be reliable standbys, but when it comes to Mexican fast food that Phoenix does really well, tortas are my hands-down favorite option for a quick, cheap bite. What’s not to love about the scrumptious Mexican sandwiches? When they’re made right, tortas are one of life’s…
A happy experience at the lounge at the new downtown Phoenix Sheraton … who would have thunk it? By Sarah Fenske I totally wanted to hate District: American Kitchen and Wine Bar, the brand-spankin’-new restaurant at the brand-spankin’-new downtown Sheraton. In my other life, the non-food-blogger one, I am a…
By Benjamin Leatherman It’s not a deep-fried corn dog, but it’ll do nicely. I used to love the Arizona State Fair. But this year I’m gonna hate it. Endlessly. See, one of the main highlights of attending our fair state’s annual exposition (which kicks off this weekend) has been loading…
By Amy Silverman At this point, I’ve gotten accustomed to seeing news of cockroaches and soda guns with “bacterial slime” — both of which afflicted the Texas Roadhouse on Stapley Drive, during a recent inspection. But there was something about the litany of complaints involving hands that got me: A…
Aji sushi with scallion and ginger (left), and fresh katsuo with shiso, onion, and roasted garlic chips By Michele Laudig Do you have a favorite restaurant that is the first place you visit when you get money in the bank? Whenever I’m dying for payday and need a light at…
By Wynter Holden So there I was, in the brand new Sign of the Whale restaurant at 1706 E. Warner in Tempe (in the old Voodoo Daddy’s spot), when I was faced with a whale of a problem: guzzle down the high-calorie house special chowder and the fish & chips…
By Eddie Matney Uncorked and Unplugged event at Desert Ridge Marketplace. And you’ll find the Valley’s best and brightest supporting Make A Wish Foundation. And the Arizona Liver Alliance. And hosting private charitable events. We local guys give back. And the community embraces us. It’s good food, good karma and…
By Jonathan McNamara Convenience stores are too expensive and grocery stores are better reserved for doing a lot of shopping. This seems to be the hope of Marketside, a store that sells groceries but does not identify as a grocery, a store that aims to be as efficient as a…
Bartender Carson Quinn of Roka Akor in Scottsdale is the kind of guy women — and some men — are intimidated by. He’s attractive, well-traveled and intelligent, with a very European outlook and the slight drink snobbery that comes with being a good bartender (Three Olives Grape instead of fresh…
By Eddie Matney Let’s meet. I want your feedback. I want you to sit at my counter, challenge me to create a dish for you. I want to know what’s working. And god knows you’ll tell me if something isn’t. Seriously. Let’s do this Monday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m…
By Michele Laudig Here’s some more porno for foodies. A dear friend and I stopped by NOCA last night and couldn’t resist the night’s special, a lobster roll with a big pile of duck fat fries. My god, we were ecstatic. The meat was impossibly tender and sweet, mixed with…
By Jonathan McNamara I know, I know. Rest assured that we’ll be diving back into your regularly scheduled dose of legitimate brew review next week (in fact, I’m currently securing some samples at the recommendation of Al the Pal) but this time around I’d like to focus on something that…
By Michele Laudig Lunch at Digestif yesterday was quite a treat — an orgy of pancetta and Epoisse and homemade pastas. Although the menu is essentially the same format as it’s been, there were quite a few new interesting dishes I was curious about. I ended up with the tripolini,…
By Amy Silverman Is there a curse at the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix? I’m starting to wonder. I’ve had more bad Asian meals than I can count from a grouping of businesses that should be the best in town, given the billing. I’d about sworn off the CCC entirely…
By Jay Bennett The Two Hippies empire has expanded to include a fun taco and burrito stand on East Camelback Road. Said hippies (who also own Two Hippies Magic Mushroom Burger on Indian School Road) took over the shuttered boutique Gold Lion, on the corner of Camelback and Fifth Street,…
The stock market may be sinking, but at swanky new Sushi Roku, you can still party like it’s 2005. That was my stunned first impression of the super-trendy Japanese restaurant that opened a month ago at the W Scottsdale hotel. How to describe the decadence? Completely over the top. Good-looking…
By Michele Laudig Yes, it’s true. The team behind Urban Campfire is at odds over the future of the business. According to co-owner Robert Stempkowski, his business partner Stephen Wolff’s vision for the Tempe restaurant is so different from the original concept that Stempkowski says he “can’t participate in it.”…
By Benjamin Leatherman GFCB’s “Chocolate Delight” Cookies: egg-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, but not flavor-free. When I last visited my doctor in April, he didn’t pull any punches. Start losing weight now, he told me, or you’ll be dead in 10 years or less. Damn. As depressing as his proclamation was, it…
By Michele Laudig What just happened? I heard from a couple of sources that chef Matt McLinn — former owner of the now-defunct Methode Bistro — just got fired from his postion as chef de cuisine of BLT Steak, celeb chef Laurent Tourondel’s fancy new steakhouse set to open at…
By Amy Silverman There seem to be some storage problems at Tortas Ahogadas Guadalajara in Chandler. A recent inspection revealed a first aid kit stored on top of tortillas, and a hat on top of the potatoes. Raw chicken was stored above “ready to eat items” — a big “no…
