Where: The GladlyDish: Roasted Brussels Sprouts Price: $12 The Setting: The vibe at The Gladly is sort of swanky-lite — fancy without the pomp and circumstance of other high-end places. It’s a restaurant we come to on special date nights when we don’t want to break the bank, and even though…
This weekend, Tempe’s getting a new food truck event. Called Saturday Food Trucks at Kiwanis Park, the Saturday evening event will take place at Kiwanis Park at 5500 South Mill Avenue, specifically on the north soccer field nearest to Baseline Road and Mill Avenue. The event will go from 5 to 8 p.m…
Popular food trucks’ menus are often full of strange items and outlandish gimmicks. Every now and then, however, one appears with a simple take on classic fare, backed up by solid execution. Such is the case with Best Dressed Dog. It’s a hot dog truck, as the name suggests, with…
In a city where you can count the number of Ethiopian restaurants on one hand, finding a good place to gather around a platter of injera bread dappled with heaps of fiery wot is no small feat. Since the 1990s, Café Lalibela in Tempe has been the Valley mainstay for…
It may be difficult to find good seafood in metro Phoenix, but the Maine Lobster Lady food truck’s mission is to bring quality Maine lobster to Valley diners. And trust us, it delivers. It is not uncommon at food truck roundups to see lines wrapped around the corner for lobster rolls from…
Metro Phoenix, we’re not sure what to say. In January, just six spots scored a ‘D’ in Maricopa County health inspections — a number paling in comparison to the 16 in August 2015 or 15 last July. Unfortunately, it doesn’t necessarily mean restaurants in the area made a New Year’s resolution…
La Perla, the classic Mexican restaurant located in downtown Glendale, is closed after the landlord failed to pay rent for an extended period of time. The doors to the restaurant have been locked since January 28, and the attorney for Bascom Hill Development Co. Inc., which owns the building, told…
Scottsdale residents, you’re getting your own Postino WineCafé. The popular wine bar and restaurant with locations in Phoenix, Gilbert, and Tempe, will open at Kierland Commons at 7030 East Greenway Parkway on Wednesday, February 10. Postino is best known for its affordable selection of wines, which rotate seasonally, as well as for several popular…
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…
A new international market is coming to the southeast Valley, specifically to 1920 West Broadway Road in Mesa. Called AZ International Marketplace, the new ethnic food hub will be located on the northeast corner of Dobson and Broadway Roads. The market comes from the owners of Mekong Plaza, the Asian-centric market…
The Guilty Pleasure: The Cookie Cup Where to Get It: Fatty Daddy’s Price: $6.25 What it Really Costs: A spike in your blood glucose levels, followed by a period of post-ice cream ennui. Desserts, like hairstyles and fashion, are often subject to brief but intense periods of mass popularity. There was…
Though it won’t have its official grand opening until next weekend, The Kettle Black Kitchen & Pub is now serving a limited menu of bar fare and drinks in downtown Phoenix. The restaurant is located at 1 North 1st Avenue, next door to La Pizza Locale. As it currently stands, the…
Valley residents with an affinity for cheap beer and tequila shots will remember Dos Gringos as the Old Town Scottsdale bar with a party-friendly atmosphere and, at least until recently, a run-down facade. The bar and restaurant closed its doors last November after being purchased by Chicago-based Glass Half Full…
Where: The Main Ingredient Ale House & Cafe When: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday Dish: Charli 2na Price: $12.32 (including tax and tip) The Setting: The Main Ingredient Ale House & Cafe offers the same house-turned-restaurant vibe…
Tempe’s Cafe Lalibela has long been a destination for excellent Ethiopian cuisine. And if you’ve been paying attention, you may have noticed the local restaurant’s grab-and-go fare on the shelves at Valley Whole Foods stores. Now, owners Anibal and Salem Beyene are introducing something new: Market Lalibela, a 400-square-foot retail…
Longtime Valley residents and food lovers will likely know the name Alex Stratta. But for those who aren’t familiar, he’s kind of a big deal. The Top Chef (he’s appeared on both Iron Chef America and Top Chef Masters) won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest in 1998…
Chon Thai Food has been open for only about four months, but already the East Valley restaurant seems to be a neighborhood draw. At the height of a recent Saturday dinner service, a huddle of restless customers crowded around the host stand near the restaurant’s entrance, while a skeleton crew…
It was a short run for Short Leash Hot Dogs at 130 N. Central Avenue. After just a few months, the third location of the well-loved hot dog restaurant has shuttered. The owners made the announcement via a Facebook post on Monday afternoon. The restaurant opened in November 2015 and,…
New year, new restaurants? Apparently. It’s been a big month for openings in Phoenix, when we’ve been gifted with two new noodle spots wrapped in one, another Matt’s Big Breakfast in the Biltmore neighborhood, and an intriguing speakeasy (keep that one on the down-low). We also said goodbye to a…
It’s official. Shake Shack is taking over the Valley. The New York-based burger chain already announced plans to open two restaurants (one in Scottsdale and one in Phoenix) last year, and today, we’ve learned the company plans to open a third restaurant at Kierland Commons in Scottsdale. Located off Scottsdale…
The Guilty Pleasure: BBQ brisket “loaded” baked potato Where to Get It: The Loaded Potato Price: $11.50 (jumbo size) What it Really Costs: Only a few hundred Weight Watchers points, give or take. The Loaded Potato, which has been open for about a year now in south Phoenix, may be the…
The craft distillery game is not an easy one, but Rick Burch, owner and distiller at CaskWerks Distilling Co., is not daunted. Best known as the bassist of Jimmy Eat World, Burch has found another niche in the world of gin, whiskey, and liqueurs. While CraftWerks is still new, Burch…
