Restaurants

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Thanksgiving dinner is cool and all, but let’s face it, Thanksgiving leftovers are really what make the holiday great. Since you’ll probably be eating turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes for two weeks after Thanksgiving anyway, we checked in with 15 Valley chefs and restaurant owners to see how they like…

Is it a breakfast food or a dinner entree? Some questions about chicken fried steak will really never be answered, but there’s one thing a lot of people agree on: It’s delicious. From the texture of the creamy gravy hitting the crunchy breading to the blend of spices that hit…

While most of the nation is buried under snow and ice, we Phoenicians are finally able to enjoy the simple things, like wearing socks and being outdoors without fear of frying. One thing many of us take for granted is our ability to get great local fruits and vegetables during…

The Guilty Pleasure: The annual batch of limited-time holiday Pringles flavors. Where to Get It: Walmart for the new ones, your favorite grocery for the others. Price: A buck fifty, give or take. What it Really Costs: I’m starting to wonder who the hell comes up with these flavors. The…

Saturday Mornings at Singh Farms It’s impossible to overstate how wonderful it is to spend a Saturday morning at Singh Farms in Scottsdale. Located on Thomas Road just east of Loop 101, this farm practically hides in plain sight. Venture inside a desert oasis full of fresh produce, eggs, and…

It’s tough to have a great Thanksgiving dinner without a great turkey, and with so many different options for preparation, who can decide? We gathered some insight from Valley chefs on how they like to prepare their turkeys…

I rarely eat in Italian restaurants. Raised on basic Italian fare, I’m put off by menus featuring chicken parmigiani and “gourmet” versions of pasta fagioli (peasant food, made with white beans and macaroni in a watery tomato broth, but invariably Italian-­Americanized with veal and a half­-dozen vegetables in the pretentious…

We can all relate to a Thanksgiving horror story — the time your mom forgot to turn on the oven or the deep fryer blew. But it’s different at a chef’s house, right? Think again. We’ve been talking to some of Valley’s top chefs and restauranteurs and they’ve got some…

Amy Bouzaglo Chef, owner Amy’s Baking Company 7366 E. Shea Blvd, Scottsdale amys-baking-company.myshopify.com In the back corner of an unremarkable Scottsdale strip mall there’s a quaint and extremely tidy restaurant owned by a married couple. The wife, a blonde who considers herself an Arizona native, runs the back of the…

In recent years, farmers markets seem to be popping up all over the Valley, with nearly every community and neighborhood banding together to organize a weekly event. That was the case in Tempe earlier this year when Tempe Community Action Agency, a nonprofit organization, announced plans to launch a year-round…

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…

Few food trends I’ve seen have developed such mass appeal as the cronut. While the true Cronut is a registered trademark of Dominique Ansel Bakery, imitations with other names have sprung up around the world. See also: Cronut™ Battle: Herb Box vs. Karl’s Quality Bakery The croissant/doughnut hybrid has managed…

Chances are strong that if you like in Phoenix, you’ve eaten chef Chris Bianco’s food. As a James Beard award-winning chef and one of the country’s best known pizzaiolos, he’s arguably the biggest name in the Valley culinary scene. His small collection of restaurants showcases the talents of not only…

NovemBEER Festival Saturday, November 22 Did you get your tickets yet? If not, don’t worry. There’s still time because we know you want to be there this Saturday for New Times’ first NovemBEER Festival. The brew-centric fest will go down at the Arizona Center in downtown Phoenix from noon to…

If you’re a fan of artisan micro-bakery Noble Bread, then you’ll be happy to hear the duo behind it — baker Jason Raducha and chef-partner Claudio Uricuoli — have plans to open a lunch restaurant in Central Phoenix later this year. Called Noble Eatery, the new dining spot will be…

Local restauranteur German Osio, the man behind such spots as Local Bistro and SumoMaya, has plans to expand his collection of dining spots by one later this year. In December, Osio and the Osio Culinary Group team plan to open a fourth restaurant called Kale & Clover: Mindful Kitchen at…

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…

Just weeks after announcing her plans to open a second restaurant at The Yard in Phoenix, chef Silvana Salcido Esparza has unveiled a new fast-casual concept in Terminal 2 at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Called Barrio Avion, the restaurant takes a cue from Tinta Mexicana, a concept Esparza designed for…

At first glance, there’s plenty about Justin Beckett’s Southern Rail to suggest it’s going to be just another pileup of overworked dining trends. There’s the rustic­-meets­-Steampunk décor, the open kitchen, the communal table set with mismatched flatware, Homer Laughlin diner ware, and dishtowel as serviette. It’s the neatly rehabbed comfort…

We’ve all been there: You are trying to figure out a place to meet your friends for food, but you get stuck trying to please both the carnivores and the herbivores in your crowd. The meat-eaters have choked down tempeh at all the usual vegan haunts, the vegetarians have spent…

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…