There are many places for good falafel around metro Phoenix, and even more places for merely passable falafel. Falafel, that crunchy, deep-fried stalwart meze dish of the Middle Eastern table, is one of those foods — like pizza, or maybe a gooey cheeseburger — where even middling efforts usually produce…
If you’re looking to get your fix of milk tea or shaved ice in central Phoenix, then you may want to check out My Tea, a new-ish tea and snack shop located on Central Avenue just south of Camelback Road. The cafe opened about two months ago at 4750 North Central…
The Guilty Pleasure: The Big Buck Burger Where to Get It: Wimpy’s Paradise Price: $10.50 What it Really Costs: Enough protein to put your gut through its paces for hours to come. There’s something about Wimpy’s Paradise in downtown Chandler that makes you feel like you’re visiting with old friends…
Head north into the desert foothills of Carefree, and it’s hard to miss the iconic, 12-million-year-old granite boulder formations for which The Boulders Resort and Spa were named. The 160-unit and 61-villa resort originally opened in January 1985, but completed a multi-million dollar renovation last year. We were invited to…
Chandler will get a new spot for modern French cuisine later this summer when Fabrice and Mairead Buschtetz open a second location of their Gilbert restaurant, Cuisine & Wine Bistro. The new eatery will take over the former home of Earnest (formerly Cork), which closed in March after less than…
Time to free up some space on those smartphones, Phoenix residents. As of this week, the food delivery service, UberEats, is available in metro Phoenix, meaning you can get food from some of the city’s top restaurants delivered right to your front door. Or office door. Or the door to…
The Camby Hotel, or rather “the Camby,” is a swanky new Biltmore-area hotel that debuted a few months ago in the home of the former Ritz-Carlton Phoenix. The Camby is what marketing folks refer to as a “luxury lifestyle brand,” which is more or less shorthand for a hotel designed…
Though caffeine addicts may consider the very idea blasphemous, there are people in the world who don’t drink coffee. And for a non-coffee drinker, coffee shops can be intimidating places to say the least, as coffee-snob baristas give you the look when you order a hot chocolate — yes, really,…
Fans of Carolina’s Mexican Food know that the no-frills eatery with locations in downtown, north Phoenix, and Peoria is one of the Valley’s best spots for homemade tortillas and spicy, red machaca. Now, we’ve got some good news for the restaurant’s fans who live on the east side of town. …
It’s been almost two years since The Upton opened its doors in Old Town Scottsdale, taking over the former home of the well-loved French eatery Petite Maison. But it seems the restaurant’s knack for putting out “playful and delicious” New American cuisine wasn’t enough because as of Sunday, July 3, The…
It’s hard to resist the charms of American Way Market Café, the casual eatery and small artisanal food marketplace located inside the Merchant Square Antiques mall in Chandler. Part bakery, part smokehouse, part ode to vintage Americana, the first thing you may notice about the dining room at American Way…
Restaurant openings slowed down a little bit in June, but that doesn’t mean diners in metro Phoenix didn’t get a few intriguing new options, including a new restaurant from Barrio Cafe chef Silvana Salcido Esparza, a cocktail bar on Seventh Street, and a ramen spot in Chandler. We lost a…
From local produce to bread that’s made right here in the Valley of the Sun, there are plenty of farmers, bakers, and food artisans making products that taste uniquely Arizonan. And home chefs aren’t the only ones who have taken notice of just how much great stuff is being made…
Chances are, most Americans have a fairly limited understanding of Australian cuisine, often imagining an endless stream of Aussies enjoying “shrimps on the barbie,” Foster’s beer, and Vegemite on toast. The reality is Australian cooking runs much deeper than these stereotypes. It is influenced equal parts by our shared colonial…
Since opening in 2013, Gadzooks Enchiladas and Soup has brought build-your-own-enchiladas and, of course, soup to the midtown Phoenix neighborhood around Seventh Street and Osborn Road. The restaurant, known for its customizable menu of made-from-scratch eats, lets diners choose from a list of slow-braised meats, vegetables, cheeses, and house-made sauces and…
Sorry, beer lovers, but you’ll have one less place to grab a pint in the upcoming months. Pedal Haus Brewery in downtown Tempe will close its doors this summer for an expansive remodel, which the brewery and restaurant will unveil in the fall. The locally owned brew pub will undergo a…
Since 1986 Someburros has been serving tacos, cheese crisps, and chimichangas, and later this year the family-owned local restaurant chain will celebrate the opening of its eighth location. By late fall, Someburros plans to open a new restaurant in Queen Creek, specifically at 20707 East Maya Road, near the intersection of…
The Guilty Pleasure: “The Baker” pizza Where to Get It: Boss Pizza Bar Price: $15-$19 What it Really Costs: A starch-on-starch carb overdose. You know pizza, the most popular and communal of hot, cheesy foods. Pizza endures because it’s not only delicious, but also infinitely personal: You can have one tailor-made…
Heritage Marketplace in downtown Gilbert is making room for yet another fast-casual eatery. Grubstak Restaurant is expected to open in the fall and will offer “stak-able” options for Southeast Valley diners. Diners start with a base of either regular or sweet potato waffle fries, roasted root vegetables, or romaine spears as…
When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out — and let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that…
Got plans this Saturday? Well, you do now. This Saturday, June 25, is New Times’ first-ever Sips and Sweets, a new event that offers cocktails and desserts from some of the best chefs, confectioners, bakers, and mixologists in this town. We’ve already introduced you to this year’s participating sweet-makers, and…
After 33 years in business and who knows how many thousands of pizzas, Nello’s Tempe will close its doors for good later this week. The restaurant, which opened in 1983 and is the original Nello’s restaurant, has been a well-loved neighborhood destination for pizza pies, sandwiches, pastas, salads, and more. …
