by Robrt L. Pela My spouse claims that I manage to work into every conversation the fact that we are not allowed by law to marry one another. He’s exaggerating, of course, but I am pretty bitter about this. His accusation came to mind when I sat down to write…
By Steve Jansen The one and only I’ve never understood the standing-in-line-to-buy-stuff phenomenon. Call me a selfish snob, but I absolutely relish my leisure time, plus I’m an extremely impatient person when it comes to queuing with other people. So why would I waste my time smelling some dude’s B.O…
by Robrt L. Pela Not only is there no rabbit in this Rabbit Omelet, but it tastes like shit, besides. There isn’t enough cheese, and there’s too much beer, which might not have mattered if I’d made it with something other than Old Milwaukee, which was the only beer I…
By Wynter Holden Who is Fair Trade Café barista Xoë McAleece? Go back a few years and there’s no record of her existing at all. No birth certificate. No high school records. No trace of her before she turned eighteen. We caught up with the mysterious Xoë (pronounced zoh-ee) and…
By Michele Laudig Let’s face it: As groovy a bar as Mickey’s Hangover might be, the name of this retro-fabulous Scottsdale scenester joint really lends itself to a breakfast spot. Well, nobody’s turning off the beer tap at the bar, but now the folks at Mickey’s really are going to…
By Michele Laudig eat.shop.phoenix, subtitled, “The Indispensable Guide to Inspired, Locally Owned Eating and Shopping Establishments.” Author Anna H. Blessing makes it pretty clear that she doesn’t live in the Valley, but has family connections here. For her compilation of blurbs on local eateries and boutiques, she solicited recommendations from…
By Jonathan McNamara Avid New Times readers may be under the impression that working here is a never-ending party. We cover concerts. We write about sexist chocolates. We get to have our say about the actions of public officials. But believe me when I say there are times when working…
By Michele Laudig Someday soon, I won’t be surprised to see a sushi restaurant on every corner. Yes, folks, there are two more new restaurants where you can get your fresh fish fix. Last weekend, Kizake Sushi & Martinis finally opened for business at San Marcos Plaza (91 W. Boston…
By Jay Bennett I have declared it to be the “Summer of the Summer Rolls.” Not sure whom in the world of officialdom I must talk to in order to make my declaration recognized, so, dear readers of Budget Beat, it might end up being our little secret. But that’s…
By Wynter Holden I’ve never had the experience of simultaneously finding it incredibly easy and agonizingly difficult to stick to my diet. That is, until now. I hadn’t been to the little cafe that opened up just south of MacAlpine’s on 7th Street, so I scheduled an interview there last…
There’s an urban myth that 90 percent of restaurants close within the first year. Turns out, it’s more like 26 percent, but still, it’s a daunting figure, especially in this economy. But there’s one new restaurant whose success I’m betting on, if only for the local food brain trust behind…
By Michele Laudig In tomorrow’s dining newsletter, New Times catches up with Fate chef-owner Johnny Chu, who gives the lowdown on his soon-to-open downtown tapas and sake bar, Sens. Sign up for the weekly dish right here…
By Wynter Holden Don’t get me wrong, I love seafood. Feed me a chilled shrimp cocktail or crisp crab cakes with orange remoulade and I’ll purr with delight. But I did a double-take when I saw this odd pair of snack foods at my local Asian market. My first shock…
By Megan Irwin It’s hard to see it underneath everything, but this is one of In Season Deli’s famous tamales. Somehow I managed to live in Tempe for seven years — right down the street from In Season Deli for two of them — and never know this place existed…
by Amy Silverman Ice, ice baby. Well, maybe not. I know ice is all any of us want, right about now, but beware. After my gross discovery last week, I decided to focus on ice and drinks (and the stuff that they come out of) as a theme this week…
By Wynter Holden Occasionally I stumble across what I playfully call “sniper” ingredients – foods so deceptively named that it’s like a shot through the heart when you discover what they really are. Case in point: sweetbreads. Sounds like a no-brainer. S-W-E-E-T bread. Duh! I knew that sweetbreads are often…
By Michele Laudig Since so many restaurants are closed on Mondays, I keep a mental shortlist of my dining options for that tricky day of the week. And for that reason alone, Humble Pie’s already got solid status as an evergreen dining option. But now there’s another incentive to stop…
by Robrt L. Pela If the house caught on fire, I’d grab my French press and run. Oh, and the cats. I’d grab the cats, too. Except that in my horror fantasies, the cats are waiting patiently by the door (even though they’ve never gone outside in their lives) to…
By Steve Jansen Il Posto – the Sunnyslope-located Italian restaurant that used to be called Our Gang Cafe – got it right. What does “it” refer to? Well, first of the all, the ambiance, from the sharp looking inside dining area to the New York City-esque patio complete with misters…
By Niki D’Andrea This is “Senor Agwa.” At parties acoss Europe and the U.K., he’s the face of Agwa De Bolivia Coca Leaf Liqueur, an imported alcoholic beverage made from coca leaves. You can read about Agwa’s arrival and buzz in the Valley in this week’s cover story, Liquid Blow?…
By Michele Laudig Remember Damon Brasch, the chef I profiled a few months ago? Well, I ran into him yesterday at That’s A Wrap, his CenPho restaurant, and got the latest update on The Center Bistro, the in-house organic eatery at Tempe’s I Am The Center yoga studio. Turns out,…
In yesterday’s Meal Ticket newsletter, we spoke to Chef/owner Robert Gonzalez about his new restaurant Babaloo’s Cuban Cafe in Ahwatukee. We incorrectly identified the location as the corner of 44th St. and Chandler Blvd. The correct address for Babaloo’s is 1241 E. Chandler Blvd., at Chandler Blvd. and the Desert…
