What the heck is a turf accountant? I had to Google that one. The American Heritage Dictionary says it’s a British term for a bookmaker licensed to take bets on horses. Huh. In downtown, though, Turf Accountant is the name of the new Irish pub set to open at 705…
What’s in store for 2009? Will the world go to hell in a handbasket, or do we stand a chance of seeing our local restaurant scene flourish? I’m not psychic, so ask Joseph Anthony. He’s the astrologer who gives readings at Lisa G Cafe & Wine Bar every Wednesday night. And since…
A platter filled with Ethiopian entrees, as served by Cafe Lalibela in Tempe. We hate to sound like a nagging mother, but it might be a good idea to make sure you’ve scrubbed up good and proper before sitting down to eat at Cafe Lalibela (849 West University Drive in…
Two new nightspot/restaurants opened late last month, right down the street from each other in Scottsdale. Pictured above, The Lodge, 4422 N. 75th St., is a ski-lodge-themed hangout that bills itself as a “quaint, Midwestern dive bar” amid the flashy Scottsdale nightlife district. Is townie-bar chic the new thing? I…
Back in the days before TV talk shows brought Tourette’s Syndrome into our mainstream consciousness (circa 1985), I hung my server shingle at a lakeside seafood restaurant in Scottsdale. I’d gotten the job through a drinking buddy, just days after being fired for arguing with my former supervisor (and that…
For years, the hunt has been on for just the right sweet/salty/spicy nut mix recipe, to no avail. Either the recipe calls for something hard to find (an unusual spice), something not very appetizing (some of us just don’t like rosemary or other plants in our nuts) or a step…
Saturday afternoon. The light rail trains are packed. It’s a good time for a pint. So some friends and I wound up at Sonora Brewhouse, just a few blocks’ walk from the train. And look at what was there to tempt us before we even got in the door –…
If you read Chow Bella, I have a feeling your priorities for New Year’s Eve might revolve around seeking out a great meal. And trust me, I know what a pain it can be to figure out what your options are — I am the queen of considering too many…
When you’re creating a feel-good coffee drink that prides itself on being Fair Trade Certified (that means it’s a partnership between the company and local farmers that gives farmers a larger share of profits), it doesn’t hurt to have the word “high” in your product name. The idea behind Adina for Life, Inc., the creators of the new Adina Natural Highs energy coffee drinks, is to make a (mostly) all-natural product that provides consumers with a pep-up, and maybe a warm, fuzzy feeling, too.
In short, the answer is a definite no. That’s according to Barrio Cafe’s own website, which currently has a can’t-miss-it notice to Barrio friends: “After many phone calls from our customers and friends, we just wanted to set the record straight. WE ARE NOT MOVING TO PARADISE VALLEY!We are staying…
A new Cajun restaurant in town? Now that’s something you don’t hear about very often. Cajun food is far too elusive in the Valley. Jennifer Landry Goff and Calvin Goff thought so, too. The couple moved to Arizona with their family in 1990, and after many years of dreaming about…
One of my friends had her hands full today with her two kids on winter break, which reminded me of some kids’ cooking classes I heard about recently. Next week, there’s a three-day class going on at Sur La Table at Kierland Commons, where kids age 8 and up will…
On Christmas Eve, after drinking half a bottle of Amy Silverman’s fantastic limoncello and spending several hours cooking up a storm in my tiny kitchen (the windows were fogged up when I was finally done!), I settled in front of the TV to watch The Darjeeling Limited and relax for a couple…
Landjager is a traditional, dried German sausage made in Southern Germany and Switzerland. Though the name literally means “country hunters,” there’s nothing gamey about the taste of landjager. It’s a popular snack food in Germany and Switzerland (like beef jerky for the U.S.), and also a popular meal for soldiers because it requires no refrigeration — landjager can be eaten cold, right off the deli rack, or taken home and cooked (to reduce fat, cut holes in the sausage casing before boiling). Landjager usually comes in pairs of fat, flat sausages — like Slim Jims on steroids, but with a heartier, meatier taste.
Hovering tableside this time of year, it’s hard not to feel a little left out and invisible among so many celebrating their holidays. Like some Scrooge, I try to convince myself it’s all in a day’s work, but inevitably, hauntingly familiar faces in the crowd whisk me back to Christmas…
From cheap, authentic street tacos at Tacos Jalisco, which has a few different locations, to Barrio Café’s upscale spin on traditional tacos, there are plenty of places in the Valley to enjoy the quintessential south-of-the-border snack. But the heart of downtown Scottsdale — magnet to hungry tourists and nightclubbers alike…
One of the most compelling articles I’ve read in the past year was the indepth Vanity Fair piece about Monsanto’s genetically modified plant seeds. Scary stuff, indeed. Around the same time, I read Barbara Kingsolver’s fascinating book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, about her family’s year-long commitment to truly living off the…
Quel coincidence! A friend just stopped by for lunch at that new Mill Avenue pho joint I blogged about earlier today, Pho Thang Long. Apparently it’s run by the same people who own Pho Mesa, another fine spot for Vietnamese noodles (502 S. Dobson). Good to know. On a related…
It’s not really Christmas in Arizona without having a tamale or two.Wrapped in warm cornmeal dough and packed with such delicious fillings as cheese and chile peppers, tamales have long been the staple of many a Christmastime dinner table. Even for those who aren’t of Hispanic origin, chances are they’ll…
In the last week, two brand-new Tempe restaurants have opened in the spaces where restaurants shut their doors last month. Upstairs at 414 S. Mill, in the spot that formerly housed the Coconut Club, there’s a new upscale lounge called Vintage Bar & Grill (480-297-2195), where they feature a tapas-style menu along…
In principle, I get that whole “the customer’s always right” thing. In practice, of course, it doesn’t always hold up. Consider the barfly I once tended to, who, after asking me for an empty beer mug, proceeded to seal it over her mouth and puke in it. Then, as though…
Chef Michael DeMaria’s been a busy guy lately, but you wouldn’t know it from the looks of the Phoenix restaurant scene. Ever since he closed his restaurant Michael’s at the Citadel last year, he’s been conspicuously absent, working on a new joint called Trattoria M that was originally supposed to…
