Food & Drink

Not much happens in Litchfield Park. A community of just 3.1 acres and 3,800 residents, this place’s only appeal to “outsiders” has always been the Wigwam Resort. The Wigwam is a gorgeous luxury property, a historic jewel, and home of the national-award-winning restaurant the Arizona Kitchen. The resort is a…

I’m happy to report that the west side of Phoenix can add another gem to its list of outstanding ethnic eateries. It’s called El Coqueto, a tiny half-dozen-table cafe in a tiny strip mall at 35th Avenue and Glendale. What a difference time makes. When I was growing up, that…

W.C. Fields didn’t live long enough to see the modern incarnation of the wine bar, but he had some great thoughts on grapes and grub. “I cook with wine,” he said. “Sometimes I even add it to the food.” My favorite Fieldism: “Some weasel took the cork out of my…

The kitchen is out of frogs’ legs. I’m disappointed. Frog is one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes. My dining companion is wrinkling his nose at the thought of nibbling on the little limbs, but he’s never actually had the delicacy before. Trust me, I tell him: Frogs’ legs, when absolutely…

Let’s get one thing straight. I’ve got strict expectations for high-end eateries — spotless ambiance, spotless service, and, of course, spotless food to go along with the spotless silverware. I’m paying big bucks for perfect, and am quick to complain if I receive anything less. But funky can be a…

Once upon a time, in restaurants far and wide, food was food. There was Italian, Chinese, Mexican . . . but we pretty much always knew what we were getting when we ordered. Spaghetti, chow mein, a burrito. There was high-end cuisine — but the genteel recipes were protected by…

The soup is fashioned from little more than cilantro, garlic, potatoes, avocado and chicken stock. It’s entirely simple. Still, the concoction has me mesmerized. I could buy these ingredients in any grocery store. I’ve got the knives with which to chop, the pots in which to simmer. I could measure…

Letters, I get letters. Usually, if a reader takes the time to write or call, he’s pretty passionate about his food. It’s impressive how worked up some folks get over a taco or a burger. Sometimes, these readers are almost scary in their pleas. I have here in my hand…

The waitress at The Willows slipped up. Working me at the new restaurant inside Casino Arizona-McKellips, she showed her hand too quickly. She did a good job pushing the food. The chef crafts each dish to order, she had told me proudly, frying the chicken tenders fresh for the salad,…

Barmouche has always been unpredictable. The stylish bistro debuted with an offbeat menu in 1999, emphasizing French cafe cuisine along with a bit of English pub fare, and even some American diner food. There was elegant brandade de morue (a paste of salt cod and milk with potato gratin) up…

I have a sudden fascination with mariachi music. I used to think I hated the stuff, after spending too many years in Rocky Point bars being molested by those wandering “Macarena” minstrels spewing “Guantanamera” over and over and over. Holy mole! One night, I cringed when a ruffled pack of…

I’m thinking our nation’s airline security force may have a new threat on the horizon. It’s called food. Forget sharp objects and explosives; what edibles people are bringing onto planes these days can be downright dangerous. Since America West, et al., limited in-flight noshing to a sack of pretzels, entrepreneurs…

The guy on the other end of the phone was bitter. He’d just come from lunch at a fast-food hamburger joint, and was ranting over what he considered an “outrage.” Specifically, he’d ordered a Carl’s Jr. “Western Bacon Six-Dollar Burger,” a sandwich highly promoted to be of sit-down-restaurant quality. But…