Roundup: Devour Details, Pasta at Pa’la Downtown, and Another ALDI

It's Friday, so here are five nuggets of metro Phoenix food and grocery news to catch you up on the week’s events. Let's go.

Devour at Home Menus Have Been Released

The at-home version of the Devour Culinary Classic (aptly named Devour at Home) is happening Saturday, February 27, and Sunday, February 28, but you can peruse the available menus now. A few of the incredible-sounding offerings include coconut birria braised lamb shank from House of Tricks, sunchoke tortellini from Shift Kitchen + Bar, and ricotta cheesecake from Wrigley Mansion. Here are all the details on how to get in your pre-orders, which at 5 p.m. on Friday, February 19. But you’d better hurry, FnB and Sel already sold out.

Pa’la Downtown: There Will be Pasta

Here’s the big news: Chef Claudio Urciuoli will be making pasta at the downtown and second location of Pa’la (one of our much-loved Top 100 restaurants). Here’s a little teaser from a recent Instagram post: “Made with selected semolina extruded through bronze dies and dried at low temperature for 56 hours.” Pa’la downtown will be located at Washington and Second streets. It's set for a spring 2021 opening and is currently hiring (email [email protected] if you’re interested).

Mesa Adds Free Food Delivery to al Fresco off Main

Starting yesterday (Thursday, February 11), the City of Mesa and the Downtown Mesa Association (DMA) launched the free Downtown Dash delivery service. That means you can give an order to an al Fresco off Main host and someone will deliver it directly to your table in the communal outdoor dining space at MacDonald and Main streets. Another new addition: live music. Hours for Downtown Dash are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, till the end of April.

A Fourth ALDI Store Is Opening in the Valley

The low-cost German grocery chain ALDI is opening its fourth Valley-based store on Monday, February 15 — and its first in Gilbert. The second easy Valley ALDI is located at 1801 East Pecos Road and will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Like the other Arizona ALDI locations (in Goodyear, Peoria, and Chandler), this one will clock in at about 12,000 square feet.

Tammie Coe's Hot Daisy Pizza Is Now Open

Since it’s apparently pizza month here at New Times (and most everywhere else), we’d like to spotlight one more pie slinger. Tammie Coe — yes, of Tammie Coe Cakes — has recently added a new feature to her Roosevelt Row bakery at 610 East Roosevelt Street, #145: A pizza shop. The new pizza spot offers traditional options like pepperoni pie as well as some inventive ones like the Corny Baby-Elote Pie. Hot Daisy Pizza is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.