On Monday, we hit the Artisanal Spirit and Cocktail Market, a part of Arizona Cocktail Week, to taste products from craft distillers from all over the country. The event featured dozens of craft spirits and well as other cocktail accouterments. Here are seven of the best things we tasted at…
At Chow Bella we go crazy for $10 lunches, so you can only imagine the excitement we felt when the sign outside George and Dragon English Restaurant and Pub advertised a $5 lunch. Once the happy feelings wore off, a bit of skepticism crept in, because how good can a…
We’ve loved Welcome Diner’s Southern-style cuisine since the first time we dug into their Peanut Butter Burger. (Seriously, if you haven’t tried it, you need to get on that.) So when we heard the restaurant launched a new spring menu it’s fair to say we got excited. And if the…
Whether you love it or hate, Arizona Restaurant Week is coming back. This spring, thousands of diners will head to restaurants all over the state to taste the special menus offered for either $30 or $40 a person. For diners looking to get out and try new restaurants, or maybe…
This morning the James Beard Foundation announced the restaurant and chef semifinalists for 2014 at a live event at the East End Market in Orlando, Florida. The annual awards, which will take place in May, are often referred to as the Oscars of the culinary world. The long list of…
This is part two of our interview with Jason Raducha and Claudio Urciuoli of Noble Bread, the micro-bakery that’s been producing Old World-style breads of top quality since last year. Today, we’re back to talk about Urciuoli’s family history and how it drew him to bread making. If you missed…
When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out — and let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that…
For some reason, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has decided to put his official opinion on the books about pizza, and it isn’t sitting well with folks in the Windy City. The conservative judge apparently carries both his New York ties and strict views over to pizza and decided that…
The Spot: The Watershed 5250 South Lake Shore Drive, Tempe 480-756-0508 www.watershedaz.com…
Welcome to Cook’s Day Off, chronicling the food-centered wanderings of a Valley cook — away from the heat, noise, and chaos of the kitchen. Just because it isn’t a day in the kitchen, it doesn’t mean it isn’t a day about food. In San Francisco, the hills are alive with…
Welcome to “Schaefer,” in which Eric Schaefer — a local guy with a big (but discerning) appetite and a sense of humor to match — takes on the Phoenix food scene. I’d like a job at Oregano’s. If anyone from corporate is reading this, please call me, okay? Never mind…
The folks behind Chandler’s Vintage 95 wine bar and eatery have brought the booze to a new concept in an unexpected place. Called V95 Wine Lounge & Coffee Bar, the new spot offers a varied selection of wines by the glass and bottle, light dining options, and a full coffee…
Scottsdale’s oldest restaurant, The Pink Pony, is nearly ready to ride again. After being closed since summer, the more than 60-year-old landmark restaurant will reopen at the end of this month — and for those who are familiar with the old spot, the good news is that not everything will…
The Guilty Pleasure: Bacon Insider Where To Get It: Jack in the Box, locations Valleywide Price: $4.99 (your mileage may vary) What It Really Costs: About 730 calories, almost 400 from fat. For some time now, bacon has been almost fetishized by all manner of culinary folk. It’s understandable. Bacon…
Jason Raducha and Claudio Urciuoli Noble Bread www.noblebread.com Artisan bread is hot right now. But for the guys behind Noble Bread, it’s not about the trend. It’s about reconnecting to the way things used to be done, using a stone hearth and stone-ground heritage grains to make naturally leavened bread…
If you chose to devote your time to Beer Week events this past weekend rather than taking advantage of the impressive lineup of seminars and mixers put on by Cocktail Week, you messed up and we’re sorry. There are several days left before Cocktail Week comes to a close, so…
Weed-infused sweets like brownies and lollipops have been around long enough in home kitchens and dispensaries, but the newest pot treat out of Santa Cruz will surely win over for savory snackers. According to marijuana.com, Reef Jerky, produced by Badfish Extracts, will hit shelves in California and other states where…
Beer: Beer Week Weizenbock Brewery: Four Peaks Brewing Co., Wanderlust Brewing Co., Mother Road Brewery, Huss Brewing Co., Ten Fifty-Five Brewing, Dragoon Brewing Co. Style: Weizenbock ABV: 7.5 percent Happy Beer Week, readers! You tired of beer yet? Me neither. This week’s brew encompasses the best that Arizona has to…
When you first walk into Juicd Life, the new juice bar at Biltmore Fashion Park, you’re going to notice it has a lot of two things: juice and really, really good-looking employees. Now we can’t speak to the quality of the model-esque workers, but we can tell you that Juicd…
It was my birthday last week. I love my birthday, but it never really turns out how I imagine. For my 12th birthday, I asked for Donnie Wahlberg, to no avail. For my 18th birthday, my girlfriends tried to plan a surprise party for me, which I ruined mid-car ride…
Pretzel necklace? Check. Four-ounce tasting cup? Check. The drinking constitution to be able to take down high-alcohol beers and keep on ticking? Blazing sun in February and no shade to be found? Check, check, check. Welcome to the kick off event for the 2014 Arizona Beer Week, the Arizona Strong…
It’s been over a year since UNION at the Biltmore Fashion Park opened its doors, giving a roster of local businesses retail space alongside national chains at the upscale mall. But in December, shoppers had to say a sad goodbye to Smeeks, the retro candy store owned by Georganne Bryant,…
