As a genre of cooking, New American — sometimes also called Modern American, among other names — is about as impossible to define as the American character itself. Nobody, it seems, can agree on exactly what it is, although you’ll often see the label applied to a certain kind of…
It’s been months since Okra, the second restaurant from the Crudo team, opened its doors at The Crown on Seventh in Central Phoenix. But since then, there hasn’t been much action when it comes to restaurants opening in adaptive re-use projects. Next month, however, that will change. The Phoenix Ale…
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 have…
The Guilty Pleasure: Breakfast nachos Where to Get It: Daily Dose Price: $10.50 What it Really Costs: The disturbing realization that you have just consumed a full day’s worth of calories before 10 a.m. You know nachos. It’s the snack you impulsively consume at baseball games, bowling alleys, after-work happy hours, fast-food…
Betty Capaldi Phillips once taught rats how to like cinnamon. Now, she’s out to teach Arizonans how to like broccoli. Phillips is the host of a new Arizona PBS series, Eating Psychology with Betty. In the show, the professor of psychology and Provost Emerita at Arizona State University explains the…
James Beard award-nominated chef Gio Osso is getting ready to open his second restaurant, Nico Heirloom Kitchen (366 North Gilbert Road), and needs about 100 new employees for the casual dining spot. During the next two weeks, Osso and partner Brad Kircher will host two job fairs, hiring for positions ranging from…
Seafood, Mexican, coffee — it was a banner month for metro Phoenix restaurant openings, with new spots spread all over the Valley, from a tea cafe in downtown Phoenix to a distillery in Cave Creek. We’re also saying goodbye to an option for comfort food in Chandler. Oh, and Shake…
There’s already been a lot of buzz surrounding The Colony, a soon-to-be-completed mixed-use development located on the northwest corner of Seventh Street and Missouri Avenue in midtown Phoenix. Earlier this month, we told you about plans for a restaurant and speakeasy-style bar that will occupy two spaces within the converted office…
Opening day at Chase Field is just around the corner, and if you’re planning on heading to an Arizona Diamondbacks game this season, know you have some interesting new eats to try. Earlier this week, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Levy Restaurants announced a handful of new menu items available at Chase Field…
A new concept called The Park is moving into the Collier Center in downtown Phoenix and is expected to open sometime this summer, according to founder Phil Richard. The new restaurant will open in the space most recently occupied by former Phoenix Suns player Amare Stoudemire’s restaurant, which closed several…
The nondescript neighborhood strip mall, like suburban sprawl and desert sunshine, is an inescapable fact of life in metro Phoenix. Mundane by design, you don’t normally associate Valley strip malls with places like Merci French Café & Patisserie in Scottsdale, a stylish restaurant and bakery that evokes Paris café culture…
Heads up Tempe and Scottsdale residents: You now have a new way to get food without having to get up from the couch. As of today, Favor, an Austin-based personal delivery app, is available in Tempe and Scottsdale. The company delivers to metro Phoenix neighborhoods including University Heights, Sunset, Clark Park in…
You might think that in Phoenix, it would be hard for a new taco truck to get its footing. But the ubiquity of the taco in metro Phoenix has not deterred Modern Tortilla food-truck owner and head chef Tom D’Ambrosio from achieving success. Some may recognize D’Ambrosio as the owner of…
Since opening in 2014, Little Miss BBQ has become known as the Valley’s top spot for barbecue — and long lunchtime lines. Led by chef Scott Holmes and his wife, Bekke, along with Holmes’ father, Denman, and brother-in-law, Quinton, the simple, homey atmosphere perfectly suits the spot’s down-home eats. On any…
The Guilty Pleasure: The Turtle “And The Hare” Showboat Sundae Where To Get It: Mary Coyle Ol’ Fashion Ice Cream Price: $7.95-$8.95 What It Really Costs: The possibility of a well-earned toothache, thanks to the lavish amounts of caramel and melted hot fudge on this baby. If you grew up in central Phoenix, Mary Coyle…
To the untrained eye, Waamo and Al Aruba may seem like Ethiopian restaurants. Both offer Ethiopian cuisine’s trademark flatbread and lots of stewed meats and vegetables, but these two eateries actually specialize in Somali cuisine, which differs from Ethiopian fare in a few subtle but key ways. The two nations, Ethiopia and…
On a Friday afternoon in May 2014, Maricopa County health inspector Jessica Reighard entered the kitchen of Wahsun, a popular Chinese restaurant in Phoenix, and found a man cleaning furiously. Apparently not furiously enough. Health code violations stacked up quickly as Reighard gazed around the room. Food sat out on…
Northwest Valley diners in search of a new spot for modern American food need look no further than The Rogue Tomato. The new restaurant opened at 18561 North 59th Avenue in Glendale earlier this year and comes courtesy of chefs Devin Delnicki and Shane Copeland, who spent months renovating the space…
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…
It’s a sad day for East Valley diners. Over the weekend, owner Danielle Morris announced plans to close her New American comfort food haven, Earnest, in Chandler. “I’ll miss seeing our neighbors, regulars, and friends,” Morris says in a press release. “The entire community has been so wonderful to us over…
The Guilty Pleasure: Poutine Where to Get It: Short Leash Hot Dogs Price: $10 What it Really Costs: The usual pants-tightening effect that occurs after you eat something so delicious. Poutine, the famous Québécois dish that resembles something like a French fry gravy sundae, is so popular in its native land that Canadian locations of…
If you’ve always struggled to choke down broccoli and asparagus, we have some good news. It might not be that you hate vegetables because they’re green and good for you. It might be that you’re a supertaster, or a person who experiences taste more intensely than others. Because as much…
