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…
Freaking hilarious! A friend just sent me a blog link that has me laughing so hard I just had to share it. It’s called This Is Why You’re Fat, and its food porn at its most obscene. This collection of “deliciously gross food” from across the blogosphere is simultaneously disgusting,…
If you’ve been to the Downtown Phoenix Public Market anytime in the last three years or so, chances are, you’ve encountered Anna Kletkke and her long-running food stand, Sapna Chill Out Cafe. Her tasty soups and salads have been a huge hit, especially since she’s big on vegetarian options. Now you…
Did your April Bon Appetit land in your mailbox yet? Mine just did, and I was happy to see Scottsdale’s chic Roka Akor included in restaurant editor Andrew Knowlton’s list of ten best new places for sushi. Sure, the place stands out from the crowd more for its unusual robatayaki…
Undercooked Pork = Trichinosis. I’ve known that forever. In fact, this lesson was embedded so deeply in my hard drive that I turned my back on “the other white meat” for decades. But the draw of Dim Sum in San Francisco’s Chinatown was too strong. I’ve indulged often, but until…
Wasn’t it just New Year’s Eve? Weren’t we just shivering in our sweaters and jackets? All of a sudden it’s March, and it feels like summer’s right around the corner. No complaints from me, buddy. I love this time of year, not only because of the balmy weather, but because…
I don’t get people who hate Las Vegas. What’s not to love about a city devoted to modern-day Roman-style excess, with interesting restaurants at every turn? I just got back from a long weekend there, and I can’t think of any better destination to take you far away from the daily b.s…
We share a modest but scrumptious family recipe this week: no-bake cookies made of peanut butter, oatmeal and cocoa. The cookies were originally called “Oatmeal Candy” but that’s a lame name that doesn’t accurately describe what you are making. Sometime many years ago, our family renamed the cookies. We call…
If you didn’t make it out to the Mesa Strong Beer Festival at the Mesa Amphitheater this weekend, shame on you. You missed out on a chance to meet some new friends, get embarrassingly drunk with some old ones and, lest we forget to mention the most important aspect, drink…
“People have to eat.” This is what Roland C. Spongberg, Corner Bakery Café Franchisee, said in response to Corner Bakery Café’s plan to open not one, but 15 new locations in Maricopa County over the next few years; a plan which happens to take place during one of the more…
Unless you prepare a lot of fish tacos (or old-school relish trays like the one served at Durant’s), it’s a good bet the humble, easy-to-grow radish doesn’t regularly make it onto your shopping list. This is a crying shame, especially in our neck of the woods, where spicy is a…
Once upon a time, many neighborhoods in Phoenix were served by a local butcher. These days, the only butcher some people can recollect is Sam the Butcher, Alice’s main squeeze on The Brady Bunch. For fans of prime, hand cut meat, trimmed to order, Hobe Meats on 16th Street and…
We’ve already let you in on this weekend’s Strong Beer Festival in Mesa, but were you aware that there’s a beer fest happening at Worldfest this weekend? And you thought Worldfest was only about celebrating Phoenix’s ten sister cities. Starting tomorrow you can visit the “World of Beers” at Worldfest located…
How do they make such tasty Thai food at Malee’s? Incredibly, the folks at this long-running Old Town fave are willing to give you the lowdown on how they make some of their most popular dishes — for a price, of course. That price ($60) includes a two-hour cooking class…
Spring Training is the occasion, but even if you’re not headed to a Cactus League game, hit up the after-party at Asia de Cuba, where there will be a shindig out on the patio with live music, drink specials ($3 domestic bottles, $4 sangria, $5 mojitos and margaritas), and selections…
A little live jazz and a bite to eat — sounds like a fun night out, no? That’s the idea behind Doc’s Place Music & Supper Club, which held its grand opening celebration last weekend. The restaurant/nightspot is located in the former Johnny’s Uptown space at the northeast corner of…
Sometimes, happy hour is meant to be enjoyed at a run-of-the-mill bar, passing the time with cheap beer and chicken wings or nachos. But sometimes you want to see how the other half drinks after work. That’s when you belly up to the bar at a joint like Steamers. The…
I was a caul fat virgin. And I wish I had stayed that way…even if knowing about it makes me a member of the culinary subculture. For those of you who are lucky enough to have never encountered it, caul fat is the lacy-looking fatty membrane that surrounds the internal…
Well, it’s around 11 on a Wednesday night and I’ve just pounded a huge cup of coffee. Let me explain. I recently quit drinking, and it seems I’ve replaced one addiction with a few others, namely coffee and sweets. I guess I should further explain that it wasn’t just a…
Feeling adventurous? Then get yourself to Posh, a contemporary American restaurant in Scottsdale where I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised. I mean that literally. Posh calls its food “improvisational cuisine,” so even though you can specify your cravings, you won’t know exactly what dishes you’re getting until they arrive at…
Some of the worst restaurant art is found (unsurprisingly) in the restrooms. I can understand the urge to tuck away a bland floral print purchased on clearance at Ross or an ugly oil painting done by the owner’s nephew and thus forced to be on display somewhere. But when a…
