I know, I know. A Japanese restaurant doing burgers? How weird is that? But for a dollar during happy hour, I doubt anyone’s complaining about Roka Akor’s newest dish. It’s a three-ounce prime beef “baby” burger, topped with heirloom tomatoes, red onion, avocado, wasabi, and some mystery seasoning that they’re…
Ever since grocery-store tomatoes got as costly as meat, we’ve been garnishing our routine sandwiches with other things. If the love apple is a luxury anyway, might as well hold out for the ripeness, taste, and texture of a locally grown, recently harvested ‘mater like the ones currently available from…
Sometimes a scone and a killer latte are all you need to start the day on the right note, but sweets and caffeine aren’t always enough to fuel you through the morning. Wisely, the folks at Bomberos have figured this out, and are amping up their breakfast options beyond the…
What’s a fair price to pay for lunch at Geordie’s Restaurant & Lounge at the Wrigley Mansion? The question is more than just food for thought — it’s something you’ll actually need to figure out if you dine at the restaurant in the near future. Believe it. They’re letting customers…
Maki? Nigiri? Raw? Cooked? We don’t care what form sushi comes in as long as we can eat it. This week’s Cafe column focuses on the newest locale for scarfing up this Japanese delicacy: Pure Sushi in Scottsdale Civic Center. Food Critic Michele Laudig on Pure Sushi: What do you…
Seems like lots of restaurants pick weird nights of the week to offer any freebies. But chef Vincent Guerithault — a semifinalist for a James Beard award this year! — knows that we really like to hit the town on Fridays and Saturdays, so he’s giving us extra incentive to swing by his…
I just don’t get it. Sure, decorating a cake with icing is challenging. Rolling and shaping fondant is frustrating and burning your fingertips on melted sugar is brutal, but it’s part of the school curriculum. And it’s only for a couple of days. No need for drama. This week I…
What do you get when you take the see-and-be-seen vibe of AZ88, add the pulsating music and blinding white glamour of Asia de Cuba, and roll it all up in a futuristic sushi mat? You get Pure, the chic new Japanese fusion restaurant that fits perfectly between its two neighbors…
It didn’t take Forbes magazine’s list of most boring big cities to convince us that Mesa is one sleepy little ‘burb when it comes to arts and culture. Sure, there’s the state-of-the-art Mesa Arts Center, but outside of that, the town’s pretty much a chain store infested, super kid-friendly wonderland…
Want to play hooky from work this afternoon? Or get an early jump on the weekend this Friday? Check out the complimentary wine tastings at Village Wine Cellar, one of The Shops at Gainey Village in Scottsdale (8877 N. Scottsdale Rd.). They’re held from 1 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday…
I’m gonna pretend I’m Diana Vreeland today. Why don’t you…. load up on caffeine before you brave the bar crowds in search of green beer tonight? The folks at Dutch Bros. Coffee are giving away free 16-ounce coffee drinks between 4 and 5 p.m. today. Hit them up at 1037…
Alright, peeps. I know a lot of you hit up the big two-day culinary festival at Phoenix Art Museum this weekend, because I ran into so many of you when I stopped by on Sunday afternoon. What did you think of it? I thought it was a fun convergence of different…
The cover of the latest issue of Saveur — a drool-inducing photo of ribs, in all of their charred, meaty glory — really got me craving some barbecue. Oh, you want some too? Well lucky us, a brand-new barbecue joint is set to open by the end of this month. Located in Cave…
Maybe this sounds familiar. You order a medium steak in one restaurant and receive meat with a fair amount of pink. Order it somewhere else and you receive just a tiny line of pink. Frustrating, isn’t it? Equally so for the chef who prepares a perfect medium rare burger that’s…
Change can be good. That seems to be the case for Poco, the Scottsdale Spanish restaurant formerly known as Imagine Spain (7000 E. Shea; 480-991-3170). When I checked out the place last fall (read my review), I liked the paella but couldn’t stand the soulless surroundings. I wrote, “Imagine Spain does have…
Shangri La? Not the first image that comes to mind when you read the recent county restaurant inspection report for the so-named Chinese restaurant on Alma School Road in Mesa. Raw sprouts were too warm. There was no hand soap in the employee restroom. Opened cans of food were stored…
With last week’s abrupt closing of Palatte, I’ve heard several friends complain about the lack of breakfast options in Central Phoenix. But I guess the restaurant gods were listening, because I just found out about a brand-new spot that’s in the works: Two Hippies Breakfast Joint. It’s the latest brainchild of…
Not long ago, we had some scrumptious strawberry basil martinis at Caffe Boa in Tempe. That got us thinking that it would be pretty easy to make the classy cocktails at home. Strawberries must be in season somewhere because 99 cent palettes can be found at every grocery store. This…
Cold coffee drinks have been a cool commodity since Starbucks introduced its Frappuccino line. Since then, makers of energy drinks like Rock Star and Monster have added cofffee-type drinks to their line of products. The latest energy drink to jump on the iced coffee bandwagon is 24:7 Energy. Let’s see…
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: Brew Review: Great Arizona Beer Festival Opening This Month:…
Spring has sprung a new brew from the tanks of our friends at Blue Moon Brewing Co. Rising Moon Spring Ale, an amber wheat ale that “blends three varieties of specialty malts with kaffir lime leaves and lime peel for a smooth, balanced taste” or so says the bottle. We…
Frozen yogurt season is upon us, it seems. Did you see the coming week’s forecast? With highs in the high 80s? Seems like spring has already sprung and summer’s coming soon. The timing’s right for the brand-new Mojo Yogurt at Biltmore Fashion Park, now a week old. Its sister location on Mill Avenue…
