March brought us several new and tasty spots to get our nosh on. Here is a quick look back at what’s new RnR Mad Chef Gastropub Cody’s Smokehouse & Grill Rhythm & Wine Stingray Sushi Biltmore Sandwich Club Sola Coffee bar Jac’s Pizzeria & Pub The Grind Papi Chulo’s Mexican…
They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but what they don’t tell you is that it’s delicious during the rest of Earth’s daily rotation. Enter Crackers & Co. Cafe, a local chain that’s serving breakfast up constantly. Food Critic Michele Laudig on Crackers & Co…
In this week’s Chef Chat, we heard from Chef Eric Gitenstein of Lola Tapas and mftasty. Today he shares his recipe for a Lola Favorite: Grilled Hanger Steak with Rioja Onion Jam. Here’s how it’s done…..
Aqua-massagers. Perfumania. Glamour Shots. People-watching. A freakin’ carousel in the food court. What better place to set up a fast-food eatery featuring festival fare than in the Arizona Mills Mall? In this week’s Fry Girl review, I’m cruisin’, circus-style, through the gala grub of Festival Foods. The first, and only,…
From time to time, debates about the merits and downsides of chain restaurants show up in food-centric forums like Chowhound, and they always get me thinking about the little guys — the local businesses that happen to be successful enough to open more than one location. At what point do…
Check the scene: A music festival in Tennessee 25 years ago. Chicagoan Rich Hollerbach meets Philadelphian Tony Scalia. They know big cities, and they know big-city food that packs a punch. Rich has downed dozens of Chicago dogs, and Tony’s chowed enough cheese steaks to fill the Liberty Bell. Cue…
The Passover seder — simply put, a Jewish ceremony commemorating the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt — is all about suffering. There’s a lot of talk of plagues like boils and lice, you eat bitter herbs and, traditionally, the service includes a meal featuring some pretty inedible food. Not this year. This year,…
Yesterday we heard from Chef Eric Gitenstein of Lola Tapas. Gitenstein joined the Lola team and now works with owner Felicia Ruiz on menu items and seasonal concepts. Coming up? Gitenstein says they’re working on bocadillos, or Spanish sandwiches and a gaspacho-inspired take on the bloody mary (think cucumber-infused vodka…
The white wrapper of Wicked Bakery’s entry opened to a slightly greasy caramel — not a good start. But once I bit in, the soft treat exploded with a sweet and slightly sour taste and a salty crunch that fooled our taste buds. Peanut? Toffee? The suggestions were endless, but no one…
Eric Gitenstein was the kind of kid with food on his brain; after realizing he spent more time thinking about his restaurant jobs than his university classes, he made a culinary escape from traditional study. After culinary school, Gitenstein tested out a few local kitchens — from Sassi and Olive…
Get ready for The Duce, an innovative food and shopping experience set in a once crusty downtown warehouse in Phoenix’s now defunct produce district. (Latest word is that it’s set to open in April.) Back in the day, the area was referred to by local cops as “the Deuce,” because it was…
How well do you know your favorite cookhouse contraptions? See if you can guess today’s gadget and check back next week for the answer, and to see if you’ve won a most-awesome prize. Here are a few shots at this week’s trickster, add yours to the comment box below: -…
Aaron JohnsonThe local poet hosts First Friday Ignite at The Firehouse this Friday, April 2. What’d you eat for dinner last night? All-you-can-eat sushi at Koi Sushi Bar and Grill (4372 West Olive Ave., Glendale). Favorite food: Anything with green chile, or good seafood. Least favorite food: Jello, or bad…
Every since Chef Payton Curry butchered a pig at the Devoured Culinary Classic, conversations have turned to what unusual meats one can expect to find at Caffe Boa and Boa Bistro (just wait until you peep tomorrow’s posting on his kid-unfriendly Easter specials). Turns out Boa isn’t the only place you can find unusual meat…
Ding! Ding! Ding! America, thanks to Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution (the best reality show on TV right now) we now have a winner for the Glad-I-Don’t-Live-in-This Hellhole award: Huntington, West Virginia! Great job, Huntington! What’s your secret? Children who don’t know how to cut food with a knife and can’t…
Another week has come and gone leaving us to ponder the upcoming events that will shape our lives and, more importantly, our dinners out. But before we move on, let’s have one last look at the blog posts from this week: Chandler BBQ Throwdown Burns Brisket and Bridges Salciccia Pizza…
In this week’s Chef Chat, we heard from Chef Matt McLinn of The Grind. Today, he steps away from his meat grinder and gives us the rundown on one of his favorite desserts: Brioche Chocolate Bread Pudding. Here’s how it’s done…
Yesterday we heard from Chef Matt McLinn of the Grind. McLinn and his two business partners George Monzures and Allen Thompson opened The Grind on Camelback Road and 40th Street in February with a neighborhood hangout in mind. That said, the menu is a bit fancier than your typical backyard…
Molecular gastronomy. Please. The process was more like a cruel joke. Mixing food with chemicals? Impossible to find ingredients? Extra money for supplies? Outcomes resembling the back end of the digestive process versus the front? And, of course, the invasive metric system. The pranksters? The Frenchies at Cuisine Innovation, makers…
There’s nothing like working up an appetite shopping for Summer wear. Of course with bikini season right around the corner, stopping for a bite to eat might not be the most flattering decision. Then again, that’s what crunches and lunges are for, right? This week’s “Cafe” column discusses the a…
He’s back and grinding with a vengence. After selling Methode Bistro, heading up Pointe in Tyme and BLT Steak, and working a few low-profile menu consulting stints, Chef Matt McLinn returned to the spotlight in February with his own burger concept, The Grind.Call it a jump on the burger bandwagon,…
Dining in a department store is nothing new, but it’s no wonder the concept has such staying power. Keep shoppers on the premises to refuel, and hopefully they’ll go right back to spending their dough. However, Fred’s — the restaurant at Scottsdale Fashion Square’s new Barneys New York — is…
