Food & Drink

Counting down the five days to St. Patty’s with a guide to Irish pubs in Phoenix.

I’d be perfectly content if you plunked me down on a wicker chair at a tiny round table, put some Édith Piaf on the stereo, and called me Amélie. The quintessential French cafe has timeless appeal. But recently, at Scratch Pastries — a two-month-old patisserie/cafe in a Scottsdale strip mall…

InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa isn’t set to open until August, but there’s already a reason to look forward to it — they’ve hired Francesco Roccato as executive chef. The Torino, Italy, native is a Slow Food member who’s done stints in kitchens around the world, from Spain to Bermuda…

April 5 marks the end of an era for the Phoenician, when the resort’s legendary fine dining establishment, Mary Elaine’s, has its last dinner service. But now there’s word of the next chapter: J&G Steakhouse is scheduled to open on October 1. When Mary Elaine’s closing was announced, the most…

Sushi bars might be cropping up like mushrooms around the Valley, but somehow downtown Phoenix hasn’t gotten any love. What’s up with that? How could the fifth-largest city in the country not have one single sushi joint in its urban core? Don’t worry your pretty little head — in a…

Looking for a sweet new chef coat? Or maybe another pair of kitchen clogs? Have a knife that needs an expert sharpening job? Hit up the Chef Shop in Scottsdale, which has teamed up with Phoenix Knife House to create a one-stop culinary superstore. It opens tomorrow, March 11. Both…

It landed in my mailbox on Saturday, but I’m not sure if it’s on newsstands yet. Anyway, it includes a great feature on Scottsdale restaurateur Peter Kasperski and his creative approach to wine pairings at Cowboy Ciao, Sea Saw, Kazimierz, Digestif, and the as-yet-unopened Mexican Standoff and Shell Shock. The…

Tomorrow and Sunday afternoon, the Great Arizona Beer Festival is serving up 176 different beers from dozens of micro and craft breweries. The cost of admission ($40 per day) entitles you to up to 24 three-ounce tastes, which equals one hell of a buzz. Thankfully, they’re selling designated driver tickets…

I just found out about this really fun-sounding beer-brewing workshop coming up next week at MADE boutique and The Lost Leaf — and it looks like there are still sign-up spots available: DRINK UP! beer history, brewing, and tasting with Jeffrey Haines Tuesday, March 11 & 18, 6:30-8pm, $40 for…

It can’t be easy being the eatery across the street from a legendary restaurant. I’ve long thought that about the businesses that have occupied the gorgeous historic home that sits at the corner of 7th Street and Adams, adjacent to the wildly popular Pizzeria Bianco. It must feel like being…

It’s time for Taggia, round two. Firesky Resort’s in-house Italian restaurant lost chef Claudio Urciuoli — who’s currently at Different Pointe of View — late last year, but now another well-known chef is taking his place. As of next Monday, chef Andrea Volpi will head up the kitchen there, and…

Alright, so I haven’t gotten to the point where I’ve turned on my car A/C yet, but I can definitely feel the equinox creeping up. Two weeks ago I was still bundled up in a scarf, and suddenly I’m thinking SPF. Lately I’ve been doing lots of springy things, like…

If you’ve through downtown Tempe in the past several months, you’ve likely noticed the street-level storefront a couple doors over from Borders in the Brickhouse on Mill, where papered-over windows promised a new pizzeria “coming soon.” The sign seemed to be hanging there forever. But how soon is now? Uh,…

Don’t spoil your appetite on the weekend of March 15 and 16! That’s when the West of Western Culinary Festival will bring a jaw-dropping lineup of some of Arizona’s most high-profile chefs into one central location for guests to sip wine, sample delicious foods, and socialize all afternoon. Considering all…

Business partners Jason Slocum and Robert Burghart have teamed up with executive chef Justin Chacon for a new dining concept that’s set to open in Scottsdale next Friday, March 7: Lyte Lounge & Bistro. You might remember Chacon from his Best of Phoenix-winning restaurant in Cave Creek, Justin’s Ragin’ Cajun…

Good people-watching? In Sunnyslope? I can hardly believe I’m saying this, but indeed, there’s plenty of action on north Central Avenue. I’m talking about Corbin’s Bar & Grill, a three-year-old eatery that I recently discovered on a visit to the neighborhood. A friend and I had originally stopped by a…

If you’re gonna strike a pose, it’ll more likely be in Scottsdale, not Surprise. But hey, Scottsdale can’t have all the style. Vogue Bistro and Bar, a new chef-owned eatery that debuts soon, will give West Siders a new dining destination. Chef-owner Aurore de Beauduy, the former executive chef at…

These days, Scottsdale has no shortage of Asian restaurants, but back when Roy’s Scottsdale opened, it wasn’t nearly as ubiquitous. Now the place is a local institution, and believe it or not, it’s celebrating its tenth anniversary. Founder and James Beard award-winning chef Roy Yamaguchi will be in town tomorrow,…

The first time I visited Radio Milano, the newest eatery from the folks behind La Grande Orange and Postino (across the street), it struck me as a great place for cocktails and nibbles — partly because you had to order a lot of small plates to assemble a filling meal…

Following in the footsteps of Oprah, Martha Stewart just featured Phoenix pizza guru Chris Bianco, who shared his recipe for lemon foccacia. I doubt my ancient oven can approximate anything out of Chris’ wood-fired one, but it’ll be fun to try. Next up on my DVR scheduled recordings is the…

Bryan Chittenden and Greg Donnally, the guys behind two of Scottsdale’s most pop-tastic hangouts — Stingray Sushi and Drift Polynesian Restaurant — are opening a new place tomorrow night, and it just screams Japanophile. It’s called Geisha A Go Go, and I can’t wait to go-go get my drink on…

Indian cuisine equals food coma, right? Not anymore. Until recently, I couldn’t think of setting foot in an Indian restaurant and not gorging on overly rich, snooze-inducing dishes — that was entirely the point. I usually go for butter-slicked garlic naan, a plateful of creamy saag paneer (or a little…