The presentations from the first Ignite Food are now online for your viewing pleasure. There are 18 in total; we’ve pulled three of our favorites. Ignite Phoenix is like our own hometown TED talks. A diverse range of speakers are given five minutes to make an “elevator pitch” for something…
The Spot: America’s Taco Shop, 735 E. University Drive, Tempe, AZ 85281. (480) 751-6250. (Two more locations in downtown Phoenix) www.americastacoshop.net The Hours: 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday The Details: Tacos Al Pastor (with marinated pork, cabbage, guacamole, cilantro, and grilled pineapple, served with tomatillo salsa) are just…
You submitted nominations for awards given to the Valley’s emerging creatives and the results are in. Introducing our Big Brain 2012 Finalists. Leading up to the Big Brain Award awards announcement and celebration on April 7, Chow Bella and Jackalope Ranch will introduce the finalists. Up today: Farmer Woody When you consider the Garfield neighborhood near downtown…
Yesterday we began our talk with chef and owner of Los Sombreros in Scottsdale Azucena Tovar. An avid traveler who returns to her home country several times a year, Tovar strives to ensure her menu accurately reflects the ever-changing face of Mexican cuisine. Tovar, who grew up in central Mexico,…
The Fry Bread House jumped to the top of Valley eaters’ to-do lists when, just two weeks ago, it won a coveted James Beard award in the America’s Classics category (just one of five awarded for 2012, and the second ever in the Valley). The award honors family restaurants across…
Arizona will have to go without Khmer cuisine for a month. Sekong by Night, the only Cambodian restaurant in the state, has closed for April. Chef Lakhana In, who opened the restaurant just over a year ago with her son, Yutheana In, is traveling back to the mother country for…
Corianne Sizemore launched her vegan-friendly bakery business in 2010, but without a retail storefront, those in search of Sizemore’s “scrumptious vegan delights” — like organic, non-egg, and dairy-free vegan cupcakes, cookies, muffins, pies, and “uncheesecakes” — had to seek them out every second and fourth Saturday at the Downtown Public…
Last November, I reported that P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Inc., the Scottsdale-based company responsible for serving mediocre “Pan-Asian” fare at over 200 P.F. Chang’s China Bistro restaurants and over 170 Pei Wei Asian Diner locations, was planning to open a new concept in Phoenix this April. And Thai my basil,…
Joey’s of Chicago, the local chain of Chicago-style hot dogs and sandwiches whose stores are adorned with all things Windy City, has shuttered its Arcadia location at 4280 East Indian School Road. Citing poor parking and high rent in its strip mall location, the Arcadia Joey’s closed earlier this year…
Editor’s Note: Last week, a well-known Phoenix bakery put out a press release advertising some admittedly tempting Passover desserts, with a curious sales pitch: “Passover is around the corner (starting sundown April 6) and those who love sweets are already thinking of what to serve besides their grandmother’s boring old…
Our first Easter Brunch Roundup was posted with plenty of time for those of you who enjoy (or can at least manage) scheduling everything with time to spare. For the rest of you, who like the pressure of waiting up until the last second, now’s your time. There’s less than…
Chow recently compiled a list of the 40 words they wish would go into the woods and make wounded animal noises. We’ve taken a look ourselves and have to agree with their consensus, particularly in light of Laurie Notaro’s stable of doomed food words. Indeed, we see now that we…
Beer: 7 Wives Saison Brewery: Sonoran Brewing Co. Style: Saison ABV: 5.2-ish While brewers I’ve talked to usually sing the joys of collaborating with others in their craft, a few have confessed that the process is a pain. Attention spans are short among beer-makers, they say, and coordinating a…
Looks like the state of New Jersey, birthplace of Bon Jovi, the light bulb, and home of the world’s largest spoon collection, is in need of some (more) burgers and shakes — stat. And who better to continue to fill the densest system of highways in the United States with…
Lately, in this In Season/Meatless Monday series, we’re taking a look at what I take home from Crooked Sky Farms each week and see what I’ve done with my CSA share, or part share. This week I’m using swiss chard and spring garlic. This recipe is all about my 4-year-old…
You submitted nominations for awards given to the Valley’s emerging creatives and the results are in. Introducing our Big Brain 2012 Finalists. Leading up to the Big Brain Award awards announcement and celebration on April 7, Chow Bella and Jackalope Ranch will introduce the finalists. Up today: John Cavanagh John Cavanagh is busy.The guy has a full-time…
For those who can’t get enough of the urban-cool vibe at Crescent Ballroom, downtown’s mid-size live music venue that opened last October in the revamped 1917-era building formerly occupied by Bentley’s Nightclub, the venue is now open for lunch — at least its kitchen is anyway. Once open for dinner…
Looks like the increase in restaurant options in Downtown Phoenix was putting the hurt on Sens Asian Tapas after all. In February, Owner and Chef Johnny Chu, whose former restaurants included Lucky Dragon in Tempe and Fate in downtown’s Roosevelt Row district, told me that Sens, his chic Asian small-plate…
Call her a chef if you want. Heck, she probably wouldn’t flinch if you called her whatever you like. But if you ask Los Sombreros owner Azucena Tovar what she’d call herself, she would likely say one of three things: a business woman, a restaurateur, or “a sommelier of food.”…
Super cute Easter animals are more than just super cute — they can be pretty freakin’ delicious. This Easter, skip the ho-hum ham, save the turkey for Thanksgiving, and let’s eat some super cute baby animals. Here’s our little guide to feasting on completely cute meats. Enjoy! Cute Animal: Veal…
This post has been updated since it was originally published. Fire and taxes seem to have tragically closed a long time Phoenix staple, but maybe that can be offset with good beer food and an exotic Afghani-Pakistani restaurant. March Openings:…
Look away! Look away! Every day, I cringe. Every day, I gag. Every day on Pinterest is another opportunity to witness atrocious food pins, indications that our society is crumbling around its very foundation. True, I’ve scored some great ideas and recipes on the site, but more times than not,…
