You’ve gotta hand it to restaurateurs Robert Stempkowski and Stephen Wolff — they came up with a really clever concept when they decided to open a down-home barbecue joint in Tempe. In a city with plenty of pizza, Asian food, and Middle Eastern cuisine, Urban Campfire offers some welcome alternatives,…
I mentioned this stuff in earlier blog postings, but here’s a friendly reminder of two groovy goings-on this afternoon: First, starting at 1 p.m., Chatham’s Fine Chocolates hosts its official grand opening at its new Central Phoenix digs, at 114 W. Camelback. After a ribbon cutting by the mayor and…
Does the name Jessica Florez-Lieb ring a bell? If you follow local politics, you might remember her stint as a Phoenix City Councilwoman, back in 2003. Or, if you pay attention to publishing, you’d know her from Latino Future magazine, which she co-founded in 2001. Although Florez-Lieb and her partner,…
Things have been crazy around here and I didn’t get a chance to attend the First Press Gourmet Sessions Food Fight the other night, but I got the inside dish from an acquaintance who was there to watch the drama unfold. In an hour-long, Iron Chef-style cookoff between chefs Aaron…
I realize I’ve been on a beer and wine kick lately, but obviously things are a little crazy here at New Times these days. I promise, I have been downing nothing but Tazo tea as I sit here typing away. So I just heard from a local distributor called Little…
In response to a very interesting article that ran last week in the Wall Street Journal, about bloggers writing favorable reviews in exchange for free meals, Howard Seftel of the Arizona Republic just wrote a detailed commentary about his ethical standards as a critic, and some folks’ lack thereof. All…
It’s no secret that James Beard Award-winning chef Robert McGrath has been putting a lot of time and effort into turning around Pischke’s Paradise (recently renamed Pischke’s Blue Ribbon), the Old Town eatery founded by his late friend, restaurateur Chris Pischke. The kitchen’s been revamped, and the sprawling mish-mash of…
We’ve all heard the old saying about the importance of first impressions, but in the restaurant biz, it’s no mere cliché. With so many dining options these days, people expect their initial experience at a new spot to be better than so-so — it’d better be darn good, if not…
The folks behind the First Press Weekend of Wine clearly know what suckers we are for a good smackdown. With so many gourmet-cooking-as-competitive-sport shows on TV these days (Iron Chef, The Next Iron Chef, Top Chef, Hell’s Kitchen), why not play on their popularity and pit two top local chefs…
I know it’s gonna be a good night when my sweetie stops at Tops or BevMo on the way home from work. He can’t resist new and unusual beers, and we have so much fun sipping our way through interesting bottles. A recent shopping spree turned up a new one…
Wow, look out for this bug that’s going around! I’m just coming off a three-day bender of DayQuil and NyQuil — no freakin’ fun. But TGIF — my energy and appetite are coming back right in time for the D-Backs game tonight. Somehow we managed to log on to the…
When I told some friends that I wanted to check out Island Roots Guam Cuisine, a cheerful “island-style barbecue” spot in south Tempe, I fully expected them to be clueless about the food. And they were. But luckily for me, they were curious enough to try it with me. Let’s…
I’ve had this ridiculous two-month-long craving for a dish that sounds both absurdly pricey and really damn tasty: Canal’s 30 Dollar Sandwich. Since I first blogged about it, it’s been embellished with watercress and avocado as well. Well, I only have to hold out one more week, because Canal, the…
Damn, I’m an alliteration wizard today, huh? And to think, our freakin’ breakroom vending machines don’t even have Diet Coke right now. So check it out — Jenny Flake from Gilbert just competed as one of 15 finalists in Southern Living’s big annual recipe contest. And although she didn’t end…
Okay, well Chloe’s Corner is already here, sort of. Remember The Counter, that groovy little cafe/lunch counter/hipster boutique/gourmet mini-market across from Anthropologie at Kierland Commons? I always thought it was the quirkiest, most accessible eatery among the Fox Restaurants repertoire. It hasn’t gone anywhere. Last time I stopped by, a…
You know good weather and good eating are on the way when Vincent’s Camelback Market opens up after its summer hiatus. Held Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the parking lot right next to Vincent’s on Camelback, it’s one of my favorite weekend pitstops for fresh veggies, homemade…
I have always found it strange that the Valley lacks the kind of grab-and-go spots that are so popular in other big cities. Places that take the humble deli to a higher level, with mountains of mouthwatering gourmet food that’s tastier than most of us could ever hope to make…
Here I am again, blogging on an empty stomach — oh, the masochism! And now my sweet tooth is screaming out for dessert, since I just spent the last half hour reading posts on the darling Seattle-based dessert blog, Cakespy. You think you’re obsessed with cupcakes and frosting and sugary…
If you want to eat Japanese food day in and day out, without eating the same dish twice, you’ll have a hard time doing it in Phoenix. Yes, Japanese restaurants are cropping up like weeds, especially in the northeast Valley, but if you’re looking for something the busts out of…
Did you happen to read the New York Times yesterday? Local food blogger Seth Chadwick was a quoted source in the cover story for the Sunday Styles section — and his name showed up in bright, bold letters in the accompanying artwork. Sweet! The piece was about how bloggers can…
How often do you go out for German food? Probably not that frequently, considering there are only a handful of places in the entire Valley that serve it. I admit, I don’t indulge in it that often, either. But not because it’s too exotic. If anything, it’s too close to…
Finally — it’s almost here. The annual Best Of issue is about to hit the streets, and let me tell you, it will be one big mamma-jamma. My hands are ready to cramp up just thinking about it. (Ladies, have you ever seen the September issue of W magazine? This…
