If you eat at Efes Turkish Cuisine in Tempe (in the same strip mall as Changing Hands Bookstore, southwest corner of Guadalupe and McClintock), chances are, you’ll be doing some naval gazing. The restaurant often features belly dancing. But you might be better off checking out the cooks’ fingernails. A recent…
I got word last night that Palatte, the popular downtown brunch spot known for its eclectic menu and relaxed historic-house setting, just closed yesterday. Supposedly the restaurant was still doing a bangin’ business on the weekends, when people would line up for frittatas, scrambled egg “mishmashes,” and roasted sweet potato pancakes,…
Walking in to The Great Arizona Beer Festival on Saturday, we promised ourselves that we would not stumble out like blithering idiots. Well, you know what they say about best laid plans. So once again, the Brew Review team broke free from our office shackles and breathed in the sweet…
You know an energy drink is “extreme” when more than half the label is filled with warnings in .3 font. An eight ounce bottle of Red Line Xtreme gives a litany of cautions: “Do not consume Red Line on an empty stomach,” “Do not exceed recommended serving,” “Do not use…
We’ve already reported on the delicious meals and bread to be had at Il Terrazzo Restaurant located at The Phoenician Resort. What if we told you that this Italian eatery also has a new selection of top quality tequila? Surprised? So were we when we sat down at a press…
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: Roka Akor Gets a National Nod Brilliant Blog: This…
Food poisoning isn’t always the unfortunate result of eating at dives. The recent closure of England’s famed Michelin-starred restaurant The Fat Duck, run by cutting-edge chef Heston Blumenthal, shows that even the world’s poshest dining destinations can have a really bad bout of bad luck. According to CNN, possibly 400 customers…
Did I live in Chicago in a former life? Because the thought of a good Italian beef sandwich, drenched in meaty juice, sounds insanely appealing right now. A Chicago-style hot dog with the works sounds good, too. I’m getting all hungry at the thought of a brand-new Luke’s of Chicago opening…
One dollar for a full lunch? Consider it food for thought. A mere buck is the farmers’ and ranchers’ share of the cost of the ingredients that go into the meal served at the annual Arizona Agricultural Day, which takes place this Saturday, March 7, at Superstition Farm in Mesa…
Helen Yung and Jan Wichayanuparp have pretty sweet lives. First, they were savvy enough to open the super stylish Sweet Republic (9160 E. Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, 480-248-6979, www.sweetrepublic.com), where ingenious ice cream flavors like Salted Butter Caramel Swirl are the order of the day. Second, they were smart enough to…
This week’s Cafe column ventures into the food Mecca that is Scottsdale and discovers an eatery that is as delicious as it is economical: Daily Dose. Food critic Michele Laudig on Daily Dose: Sometimes good food is all the reason I need to get excited about a restaurant. At Daily…
If you’re in the habit of getting your Indian food fix at Tandoori Times’ Old Town Scottsdale location (there’s also one in Glendale), you’ll have to get used to driving a little further north. The restaurant is currently in the midst of vacating its 5th Avenue digs and heading up…
No wonder there were rumors. A couple months ago, I’d heard that the acclaimed Barrio Cafe was moving to Paradise Valley, and I just wasn’t buying it. Come on — can you see chef-owner Silvana Salcido Esparza, a pierced and tattooed CenPho gal, leaving her 16th Street digs? Nuh uh. She…
The Mesa Community Farmers’ Market takes place every Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 260 North Center Street, just north of downtown Mesa. John Scott of One Windmill Farm, one of the market’s produce vendors, says he’s been getting a lot of love for his cucumbers. Get your…
Funny how as St. Patrick’s Day approaches, it forces aspiring pub owners to pick up the slack and get their doors open in time for the beer-centric holiday. For example, consider last week’s timely opening of The Turf downtown. Another new place just might be open for St. Patty’s, too…
Pillsbury pie crust has been a kitchen staple of mine for years. It’s quick, easy to unroll and it’s got a texture that works as well for quiche as it does for fruit pie. But those days are over. I now know the formula for perfect pie dough: 3-2-1. That’s…
Sometimes good food is all the reason I need to get excited about a restaurant. At Daily Dose in Old Town Scottsdale, that’s just the beginning. How about an atmosphere that’s as comfy in the evening as it is in the a.m.? Caring service that sends you home with a…
As I’ve mentioned a few times before, our tasting panel seems to loathe super-sweet sodas. In our last review, we made them get over it to appreciate Mountain Dew Voltage, a brilliant new Pepsi product. This week, we picked up something your dentist would like: Dry Soda’s Lemongrass. With 50…
When it comes to restaurant decor, there’s nothing worse than walls that never change. If you’re only popping by once or twice for a meal, no big deal. But if you enjoy the grub enough to make repeated visits, it would be nice to see something new. ‘Cause it sucks when,…
Just got that word that last week’s three-day Spring Training BBQ, held on the patio at Asia de Cuba, went over so well that the restaurant has decided to continue hosting the parties through the rest of the Spring Training Season. They’ll be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on…
Somebody recently mentioned restaurant closings to me, and I had to wrack my brain to think of the most recent casualties. For now, the news is actually pretty upbeat — the last month has seen a flurry of new restaurants opening in the Valley. Here’s the lowdown. Second Line Creole…
He’s outta there. Regions Bistro & Bar was about to open its first location in Scottsdale last week when executive chef Don Nason threw in the towel. A PR rep for the restaurant told New Times he had some “things come up”; rumor has it that Nason and the restaurant’s GM both walked…
