Not long ago, a catalogue arrived at my home called Signals: A Catalog for Fans and Friends of Public Television. Among its wares is a variety of merchandising derived from trendy PBS shows. It offers Are You Being Served? videos, a Keeping Up Appearances etiquette book, a replica of Mr…
It is a labor in vain to attempt to recapture [the past]: all the efforts of our intellect must prove futile. The past is hidden somewhere outside the realm, beyond the reach of intellect, in some material object (in the sensation which that material object will give us) of which…
Do you enjoy a nice outdoor luncheon at the bottom of Death Valley? Do you live for the occasional alfresco nosh in the heart of the Kalahari? Do you and your significant other crave a loaf of bread, a jug of wine and each other on the equator of the…
Jade Palace, 9160 East Shea, Scottsdale, 391-0607. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Ethnic-food fans generally fall into two broad categories. There are the squeamish folks for whom a little authenticity goes a long way. On those rare occasions when they seek an…
Food for Thought: Plenty of folks mistrust the media. I confess I’m wary, too. My latest wave of doubt is inspired by Gourmet magazine, a favorite among foodies. The forthcoming October issue will feature a readers’ poll of “America’s Top Tables,” including a section looking at the Valley. It’s hard…
Tutti Santi, 7575 North 16th Street, Phoenix, 216-0336. Hours: Lunch, Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Dinner, Sunday through Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 to 11 p.m. Americans are obsessed with progress. Everything always has to be up-to-the-minute new and better than it was…
Through the Looking Glass: Windows on the Green is the Phoenician’s “casual” Southwestern-themed restaurant. Why the quotation marks around “casual”? Because there’s nothing casual about $10 appetizers, $28 entrees and a sommelier with a list of big-buck wines, even if you aren’t wearing a coat and tie. The Phoenician’s restaurants…
Hatch Valley Chile Co., 13637 North Tatum, Phoenix, 953-2380. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. In these sophisticated times, going out for ethnic fare isn’t quite…
Bay Tripper: Tony Bennett may have left his heart there. But if you’re escaping to San Francisco this summer, be prepared to leave your wallet behind, too. It’s always good to have a fat bank account, and the city by the bay is an especially wonderful place to be flush…
Phoenix City Grille, 5816 North 16th Street, Phoenix, 266-3001. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m; Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Dinner, Saturday and Sunday, 5 to 11 p.m. What makes a neighborhood desirable in this town? Sure, the schools have to be good…
Remembrance of Things Pasta: Nobody likes cooking this time of year. But if you don’t mind doing just a bit of kitchen work–boiling water–you can fool your family into thinking you’ve been slaving over a hot stove all day. The trick is to visit Garlic’s Pasta and Bread Company, at…
Cowboy Ciao, 7133 East Stetson, Scottsdale, 946-3111. Hours: Dinner, 5 p.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Looking for a new restaurant experience? These days, Scottsdale’s the place. Looking for an old restaurant experience? Scottsdale’s still the place. If you’re prowling for new culinary kicks, put Cowboy Ciao on your…
Pierre Today, Gone Tomorrow: It’s a pity, but the Valley’s premier French-pastry craftsman is saying au revoir to Arizona. Pierre Fauvet and his wife, Joni, have operated Pierre’s Pastry Cafe for the past seven years. But the work is grueling, and the place hasn’t been as wildly successful financially as…
6th Avenue Petit Marche, 7146 East Sixth Avenue, Scottsdale, 947-7172. Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Remember the good old days, when mom would go shopping in the morning to pick up the groceries for the family dinner? After…
Summer in the City: Gershwin wrote that in summertime, the living is easy. Obviously, the man never spent July in Phoenix checking out restaurants for a living. I’m nearing the end of my annual Best of Phoenix explorations, panning for restaurant gold to put on this year’s list. As usual,…
It’s Friday night and you decide to enjoy a glass of wine and a memorable meal at one of the Valley’s restaurants where you can bring your own bottle. If you’ve been following these pages, it’s easy to know where to go with your brown bag. Try Coup Des Tartes…
Chez Bubbas Caribbean and Creole House, 801 North First Street, Phoenix, 254-0040. Lunch, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. You don’t need to see the new multiplex-cinema construction at Arizona Center, the new apartment complexes filling in the empty lots north of Van Buren, the newly restored Orpheum…
Edible Art: Ever been to a museum restaurant? If you have, you’ve probably noticed that you can almost always count on the food to be 1) overpriced and 2) mediocre. That’s why I was so startled after a visit to the Phoenix Art Museum. Looking over the collection, you won’t…
Cajun House, 7117 East Third Avenue, Scottsdale, 945-5150. Hours: Dinner, 5 to 11 p.m., seven days a week. What has Louisiana got that Arizona hasn’t? You want crooked politicians? We’ve got them. You want summers so uncomfortable that you can sweat while taking a cold shower? We’ve got them. You…
L.A. The prevailing winds in Phoenix generally come slowly from the West, culturally as well as meteorologically. We get movies six months after they’ve opened in Hollywood; touring shows a year after they’ve played the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion; and food trends two years after they’ve swept through West L.A. The…
Lagerfields Micropub, 12601 North Paradise Village Parkway, Phoenix, 765-0059. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Sunday and Monday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Want to cool off this monsoon season? Going to San Diego is always an option. But not too many of us…
Commode to Joy: Being a restaurant critic isn’t always a delight. But after almost six years of eating out four or five times a week, I can take the downs with the ups. Overpriced meals? Bad food? Surly servers? I’ve seen them all. One thing I still haven’t gotten used…
