It turns out you can’t please everyone. I think we can agree one a few things, thought. For example: I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream. We also scream and shout and salivate at the thought of great beer. What if I told you that I combined…
“It’s not just about vodka and Red Bull” any more, according to Dave Johnson, sommelier at Sol y Sombra. The emergent cocktail culture that’s dominating the bar scene today, he says, goes back beyond Prohibition, to the Gilded and Edwardian Ages (the “flowering zenith” of the Cocktail Age, as he…
Who needs Restaurant Week to get a taste of some of the swankiest spots in town? Instead of waiting until September, lots of local restaurants are promoting special prix fixe deals right now — a great way to sample the offerings at a sweet discount. J&G Steakhouse just announced its…
It’s a little overcast outside right now, but soon enough we’ll feel the full force of the Summer heat pouring down over The Valley. Our favorite way to cool down: a nice Thai tea. We’re guessing we’ll find a glass of the good stuff at the Thai eatery that happens…
The new iPhone is a lust-worthy gizmo to begin with, but if you’re into food and wine, there are even more reasons to chuck your Crackberry and give in to Apple: the apps. One of the newest ones, WinePhD, was created by two locals, sommelier Brian Pierce and his business partner/co-inventor Dave…
When I think back to some of my culinary shortcomings, Denny’s often comes to mind. I always used to order Moons Over My Hammy, which was an egg sandwich of extreme-calorie proportions. Keep in mind this was over a decade ago, when you could still order a cocktail at Denny’s…
Been hungry for Thai food lately? If so, call yourself a trendsetter. This is purely anecdotal, but it seems to me that there’s been a visible proliferation of Thai restaurants across the Valley in the past few years, even more so than sushi bars or Vietnamese pho joints. There are…
We eat. We tweet. New Times food critic Michele Laudig is working all the angles for you, Phoenix — including Twitter, where you can follow her cravings. She’s easy to find: @michelelaudig. We’ve been on Twitter for a while now, and in between the tweets about Iran and Mark Sanford’s…
In case you were wondering: Gin was the first flavored vodka; the word “sommelier” originally meant “keeper of pack animals;” and organic spirits will be the next big wave in designer drinks. Oh, and Grey Goose is not any better than any other vodka — it’s all marketing. That is…
There are plenty of bars to grab a beer at after catching a sports game in the West Valley. But what if you need a late-night nosh as well (and don’t want to be limited to stale peanuts)? In this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, we’ll profile one neighborhood pub…
Four Seasons pastry chef Lance Whipple’s fondant-covered, seven-tiered chocolate praline hazelnut crunch cake — inspired by Rio de Janeiro — won “best in show” at yesterday’s Confectionary Creations and Table Top Decor Competition, hosted at the Arizona Grand Resort by the National Association of Catering Executives. What’s just as impressive…
Joe and Myrah Aiello just dropped a line to say that they’ve finally launched their “back door pizzeria,” a takeout-only pizza biz that they’re literally doing from the back of their Italian restaurant on Central Avenue. There are 16 different toppings available on New York-style and Sicilian pizzas — and…
After this weekend, it’s time to replace “party like a rockstar” with “drink like a chef.” Friday night is a bit of a blur for most (if not all) of the participants in a Chef’s Tour of central downtown Phoenix restaurants (yes, and bars) dreamed up by chef Christopher Gross…
Choosing the right horse requires a lot of luck and a certain willingness to watch your already mentally-spent earnings fail to materialize. That’s why I took a different gamble at Turf Paradise Race Track this weekend and thought I’d try my luck with a bunch of micro brew enthusiasts instead…
The Food Network has certainly found its fair share of TV fodder from Valley restaurants; will it find a future TV personality here, too? Maybe so — the popular reality series The Next Food Network Star is coming to town July 8 for an open casting for its 2010 season. “We…
Old Town Scottsdale is having a rough time of it lately. Just up the street from the recently-shuttered Fine’s Cellar is another defunct restaurant, Mandala Tearoom. As much as I liked hanging out and having a pot of tea there, I thought Mandala’s vegan eats were pretty pricey — not…
This June has been Arizona’s coldest since 1913. But even the coldest of Arizona summers are warm by the rest of the country’s standards, with highs in the 90s at least. Still, most of us are aware that we’re living on stolen time, and we know that any day now,…
Cartel Coffee Lab sits in a cozy little cove behind East Side Records in Tempe, and the ambiance of the place is half the fun. Comfy couches, second-hand art tables, and black and white drawings adorn the walls, along with a plethora of handmade signs that say things like “Hang…
Another week has come and gone leaving us to ponder the upcoming events that will shape our lives and, more importantly, our dinners out. But before we move on, let’s have one last look at the blog posts from this week: Now Open: 25 Degrees at CityNorth Sweets & Beats…
This week we checked out the beers on tap at The Roosevelt in Downtown Phoenix. How does the house ale stack up to the other Summer beers we’ve tried this month? Check out the slide show to find out. Check out the updated slide show to cast your vote via…
Bow your heads, gents. It’s once again time to pay tribute to the sweet nectar of the heavens we call “beer.” Why the religious overtone? I’m reviewing a brew named for a Saint. St. Peter’s Old-Style Porter comes from “Britain’s finest small brewery” situated in the St. Peter’s Hall in…
Lately, it’s gotten downright impossible to get a chocolate fix in Phoenix. Sure, you can still find a Milky Way at Walgreen’s, but we’re not looking for the waxy stuff that you’d find in a 5-year-old’s trick or treat bag. We want our chocolate grown up, funky-flavored and locally made…
