My personal mantra in all things culinary and cultural mimics that wry, clock-wearing philosopher of yore, Public Enemy’s Flava Flav, who was fond of advising listeners, “Don’t believe the hype!” That ageless, pithy axiom can apply equally to Jay-Z’s announced intention to resign from rap (not again!), as well as…
As you might surmise from my pork-lovin’ Tar Heel roots, there’s nothing I adore more than a mass of shredded swine. But here in the desert, so far from the slaughterhouses of my native North Carolina, I’ve rarely come across restaurateurs who can prepare pig so that the meat is…
Roses and chocolates are fine. Hallmark is dandy. But if you want to spice things up — literally — for your Valentine, then head to San Francisco. Luckily, this San Francisco is located in the heart of Phoenix. Yerberia means “herb store,” and Yerberia San Francisco offers a wide variety…
Whenever St. Valentine’s Day draws near, my thoughts turn to cod. True, there initially may seem nothing so unromantic as the humble Gadus morhua, which spends its life swimming along the ocean floor, mandibles agape, devouring anything in its path. Fishermen have even been known to slit open these vacuum…
Such is my cross, that I must often let fly a long-winded raspberry in the face of those I wish were doing a better job of feeding me. Call it culinary tough-love. As my pappy was wont to declare before caning my hide raw for mooning a schoolmarm or some…
Most people think of Oaxaca as a typical Mexican restaurant with a strategic location right near the state capitol. Come at lunch, and you can bump shoulders with local political luminaries. Come on a Sunday afternoon after 4, and you can bump and grind — sloooowly. As the weekend winds…
When Justin Sullivan’s tour van pulled into the Mason Jar, the first thing the New Model Army front man did was smoke a cigarette. But he made sure to step around the corner of the big-hair turned cool rock venue, away from the flock of eager young fans awaiting his…
For whatever blasted reason, my missteps have been costing me beaucoup simoleons of late. So I thought I’d share these with you that you might gain wisdom from my blunders, much along the same lines as we all stand to benefit from Christina Aguilera’s decision to go skanky or Miss…
In south Scottsdale, just below the swanky and ostentatious club scene, salsa lovers can find a truly great big-band experience. Nestled in the Papago Plaza in the shadow of the larger and urban (Saturdays, anyway) CBNC nightclub, Victory Sports Grill is transformed from a restaurant and sports bar to a…
Pardon me for saying so, but I’m beginning to wonder if some folks in this town need their craniums checked for nests of field mice. Of course, by now, I’m sure quite a few of you are thinking the same of moi — at least if one’s to judge by…
I was puttering about in my housecoat and slippers the other day, listening to Puccini’s Turandot and fiddling with my collection of foreign bottle caps, when I spotted the purple top for a bottle of Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. One of my favorite brews, its company logo features a ram…
Scripture informs us that a prophet is never welcome in his own country, and the same holds true for exceptional individuals in one’s own backyard. Even the surly savants of the New Times editorial staff are not immune to this truism. Consider the injustice done to their next-door neighbor, Stacy…
The “T” on the Bisteces Taqueria sign resembles a longhorn, an odd symbol for a humble taco shop. But there’s nothing humble about the steak-house-quality beef at this place. The cook, Randy Rodriguez, looks like a Hawaiian Buddha and won’t tell you about his six-year stint at Ruth’s Chris Steak…
For good or ill, it was Dean Martin who led me to Pronto Ristorante. Not that I mean Ol’ Pink Eyes himself arose from his grave to guide me, drink and cigarette in hand, to this P-town pasta house. But he might as well. See, Santa was good to me…
“Aye Jesus!” and “Dios mío!” are some things you can expect to hear at many Mexican households every January 6. These and other “Oh my Lord” expressions are part of the fun of Día de los Reyes, which is celebrated by eating an oval, crown-shaped wreath of sweet egg bread…
Everyone remembers their first time . . . eating raw oysters, that is. Why, this garrulous gourmand was but a callow underclassman at UNC-Chapel Hill, when during a fall break I was invited to an oyster shuck thrown by some rowdy fellows with whom I shared courses. With kegs flowing…
As a member in good standing of PETA (that’s People for the Eating of Tasty Animals), I’ve long nursed a flesh-eating fantasy that would put serial bison-killer Ted Nugent to shame: a ranch-restaurant where all manner of critters roam the grounds, everything from javelina and jackrabbit to ostrich and Gambel’s…
You can hear one of the best brass bands in town Sunday nights, in a converted old McDonald’s. Luckily, the food is much better at Tacos y Mariscos Kora. And if you’re really lucky, some deep-pocketed patron will shell out some extra cash to keep Banda Santa Cruz, a 14-member…
Korean cuisine can be intimidating. The staples can be bizarre to American palates (yangjulgi gui is pan fried ox stomach, for example, and ke jang is pickled raw Dungeness crab in hot sauce). The spice level can be brutal for any nationality, with massive flurries of red pepper an integral…
Every fall in the West Valley, you can find great green chile burros and topnotch football. Just arrive early. The burros (and often the opponent) are wiped out quickly. “They’re usually gone before halftime,” says Carmen Miranda, president of the high school’s booster club. (And yes, that’s her real name.)…
Not much happens in Litchfield Park. A community of just 3.1 acres and 3,800 residents, this place’s only appeal to “outsiders” has always been the Wigwam Resort. The Wigwam is a gorgeous luxury property, a historic jewel, and home of the national-award-winning restaurant the Arizona Kitchen. The resort is a…
