Yes, it was as good as it looks: Asada en crema de mulato They say music is the universal language, and I can’t disagree, but food seems to have a more universal appeal. (Right up there with sleep and sex, I guess.) Since I started writing New Times’ restaurant reviews…
I don’t usually read my own stuff online, so it took our resident web guru to fill me in on the latest feature added to the New Times website: comments. Very cool! Now you, too, can throw in your two cents’ worth on any of my restaurant reviews, or just…
Say the name Frank Lloyd Wright, and suddenly I’m 18 again, new to New York City and stressing out about one of my very first college assignments. I have no idea how I’m going to write five pages about the famed architect’s glorious Guggenheim Museum — a smooth white spiral…
I could probably dig up a really good statistic to illustrate the fleeting nature of the restaurant industry, but why bother? We’ve all stumbled upon great dining discoveries that were inexplicably shuttered on a later visit, leaving us scratching our heads about what happened. Perhaps even more often, we’ve taken…
Greece is the word Cue some Vincent Price laughter right now as I think about my friends back East who are finally getting their winter. They were so smug a couple of months ago, when it was warmer in NYC than Phoenix, but now I’m getting my silent revenge. Guess…
An extended dance remix of the Stone Roses’ track “Fool’s Gold” was blaring out of the sound system as I tried — fruitlessly — to flag down my waiter on a recent visit to The Vig, a sleek new watering hole in Arcadia. How appropriate, I thought to myself, noting…
As a food critic, I often find myself meticulously planning my restaurant visits weeks or months ahead of time. Too bad, because I love spontaneity — so I try to toss some last-minute dining choices into the mix. My friends and co-workers seem to get a kick out of random…
Endless love: The amount of money you spend is directly proportional to how much you really care There’s a sucker born every minute, and apparently a lot of them have money to blow, from the looks of the “Ultimate Valentine Package” being pimped by Barcelona in Scottsdale. For losers, er,…
Food Network Chef Morimoto rocks it in the Kitchen Stadium Ooh, did you catch that episode of Iron Chef America with Masaharu Morimoto versus Homaru Cantu? I finally watched it last night after having in my DVR list for a few days. (I got a little behind last week, and…
I had no idea I wanted a D-Backs jersey, but when a friend gave me one for Christmas — in the perfect size, with the new team colors of white, red and black — I was thrilled. Now I can’t wait for the next season to start so I can…
Please sir, may I have some more? Once upon a time, when I was a broke-ass college student living on bagels, instant ramen, and cheap Chinese takeout in the upscale culinary wonderland that is New York City, I got a taste of the good life — literally — when an…
There’s enough subject matter in Phoenix for somebody out there to win this contest, courtesy of New Times columnist The Mexican: “�ASK A MEXICAN! CONTEST! The Mexican is looking for pictures of the most stereotypical Mexican restaurant logos in the country to include in his upcoming book. If you’d like…
It’s not a good thing when a restaurant makes you feel like you’re in an airport. Or a cafeteria. Or even worse, an airport cafeteria. That’s exactly how I felt when I visited the two-month-old 7th Heaven Eatery at the Camelback Esplanade. Considering some of its neighbors — sexy, slinky…
Tasty cake: The birthday confection, before we completely devoured it Have you been to the Sweet Pea Bakery yet? It’s a welcome addition to downtown, tucked into a small storefront at the southwest corner of Jackson and 2nd Ave. Up until recently, I’d only ever stopped in to get some…
This is my kind of democracy: For the first time in the history of the Scottsdale Culinary Festival, the public is invited to cast votes to decide who’ll get get top honors at the 2007 Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame Dinner, which will be held on Thursday, April 12, at…
Mike Maas Mr. Maas’s muses This just in from an old friend of mine who also blogs about food: “Anyway, what’s up with that mouth on your blog? It scares me. Is that really how you eat these days? If so, you’re taking the job a little too seriously! Let’s…
Soup du jour: Spicy Korean tofu Is is me or did the temperature really plummet since this morning? Lately, the nice weather’s had me thinking spring — don’t you just love January in Arizona? — but I guess I jumped the gun. Time to dig out a scarf, mix up…
Let me apologize to the cult of Coup Des Tartes: Your little gem is just way too wonderful to keep a secret. This intimate French bistro has been around for nearly a decade, and yet it still seems off the radar. Of course, local foodies are familiar with the place…
I can’t skip town and spend the weekend in Tucson, but if I could, I’d head straight for this: the Tucson Slow Food Film Festival, on January 12-14. There’s a different theme at a different restaurant each night (with feature films to match). and Saturday afternoon has a packed lineup…
Chow Bella’s been going strong for over a month now, and so far I think people are eating it up. Are you? If so — or if not — I’d love to hear your feedback. Hit me up with comments, emails, and tasty tidbits for the blogosphere…
Finish up those Xmas cookies and make way for the next overly commercialized, fattening food holiday The timing is just too weird. I write a roundup of some healthy eating options around town, and then a copy of the new Sur La Table catalog lands on my desk, with a…
Zuzu busts out of its comfort zone The menu at Cafe Zuzu, that sleek little restaurant inside the Hotel Valley Ho, always struck me as really comfort food-y, full of homey, guilty pleasures — homemade potato chips with blue cheese fondue being my prime example. But it looks like executive…
