Spring Restaurant, 5850 North 43rd Avenue, Glendale, 937-2195. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Like the Loch Ness monster and Sasquatch, the cheap-ethnic-restaurant gem is a we’re always on the lookout for. You know the mythical…
Skewered Beef: If CNN ever wants to do a Crossfire episode about restaurants instead of politics, RoxSand Scocos and Paul Fleming would make a feisty pair of combatants. Back in June, RoxSand wrote a guest column. In it, she excoriated meat eaters in general and Morton’s steak house in particular…
Charlie’s Grill, Sheraton Crescent Hotel, 2620 West Dunlap, Phoenix, 371-2747. Hours: Lunch, Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Dinner, 5 to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Once upon a time, the only people who ate in hotel dining rooms were weary travelers and on-the-road businesspeople. They weren’t…
Trendspotting: Labor Day traditionally marks the end of summer (although, unfortunately, not the end of the heat). As natives start emerging from their homes and snowbirds and tourists begin filling up the Valley, restaurants are busy getting ready for the season. Here are some trends to keep your eye on:…
Return of the Native: About a year ago I wrote a less-than-glowing review of Tarbell’s Restaurant, a glitzy, trendy, pricey bistro that boastfully styled itself a “great American restaurant” the moment it opened. I saw potential, but, at the time, Tarbell’s didn’t belong in the same league with competitors like…
The Valley’s coffee-house scene is about to get a huge caffeine jolt. Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee Company has decided to launch a full-scale assault on local Java Man and Woman. Look for the first stores to arrive possibly as early as the end of the year. Starting in 1971 with one…
Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant, 8946 North 19th Avenue, Phoenix, 870-4555. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. How can you tell if a city is booming? If you’re a developer, you count the…
Altos, 5029 North 44th Street, Phoenix, 808-0890. Hours: Lunch, Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Dinner, Monday through Thursday, 5:30 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5:30 to 11 p.m. According to experts, the four most stressful experiences people can go through are a death in the family,…
Restaurant Update: There is supposed to be a slow time for Valley restaurants, but business seems to be just as hot as the weather. Look for these new places: La Tache World Bistro & Wine Bar, at 4175 Goldwater Boulevard in Scottsdale, just south of Fashion Square. The proprietors call…
On the Road: Thank goodness the weekend in northern Arizona (see this week’s Cafe column) wasn’t my only summer escape. I spent some time in Quebec, Canada, maybe the most charming town in North America. Sure, I got worked up over the tourist sites. But eating was just as much…
Chez Marc Bistro, 503 North Humphreys, Flagstaff, 1-520-774-1343. Hours: Lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Dinner, 5:30 to 9 p.m., seven days a week. No matter how many years you’ve endured the July and August desert heat, you can’t really get used to it. In the Valley of the Perpetual…
Binge and Splurge: In this casual town, where sometimes even shoes and socks are a form of overdressing, there aren’t too many opportunities to put on your best duds. But you’ll want to haul them out for dinner at Mary Elaine’s. These days, this austerely elegant room is at the…
Crocodile Cafe, 525 South Mill, Tempe, 966-5883. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight. Even though summer vacation is now in full swing, within a few weeks 40,000 ASU students will be drifting into Tempe, gearing up for…
Up on the Woof: My friends know I’m not much of an animal lover. Or, to be more precise, a pet lover. Despite my feelings, we’ve had a creature sleeping on the premises for six years, a cat my wife took in when I made the mistake of leaving town…
Pasta Brioni, 4416 North Miller, Scottsdale, 994-0028. Hours: Lunch, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Dinner, Monday through Saturday, 5 to 11 p.m. I spotted one of the giant new shopping centers that seem to be springing up these days in our sprawling Valley like mushrooms after a…
Via DeLosantos, 9120 North Central, Phoenix, 997-6239. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. There are few experiences in life more satisfying than having your prejudices confirmed…
Share the Fantasy: When you eat out four or five times a week, like I do, it’s only natural to fantasize about how you’d operate a restaurant. Not that I’d ever consider such a move, not in a million years. It’s grueling work, as well as financially perilous. But it…
Dead and Berried: That’s what I feel like after most meals out these days. Will someone please explain to me why just about every other dish that lands on my table seems to have berries in it? Are all the chefs in town working from the same recipe book? I’m…
Brio, 7243 East Camelback, Scottsdale, 947-0795. Hours: Dinner, Monday through Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to midnight; Sunday, 5 to 10 p.m. Sometimes, there’s no substitute for experience. A couple of veteran Valley restaurateurs have recently opened new Scottsdale dining spots. Tycoon Paul Fleming is…
Wrigley Mansion, 2501 East Telawa Trail, Phoenix, 955-4079. Hours: Lunch, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, 6 to 8:30 p.m. Eating at a landmark spot gives most folks a real tingle. When you dine at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the World Trade Center…
Chocolate Alert: Sampling a piece of fine chocolate can be a dangerous experience. Like first-growth wine, good coffee or a slab of prime-grade beef, top-quality chocolate can be addicting. What’s worse, once you’ve had it, it’s almost impossible to be satisfied with the nonprimo stuff that you’ve enjoyed in blissful…
Some Like It Haute: What’s the Valley’s best Mexican restaurant? Italian restaurant? Chinese restaurant? You can make a case for at least ten restaurants in each category. But when it comes to high-end, gourmet dining, there’s only one contender in town: Christopher’s. I recently revisited chef Christopher Gross’ flagship restaurant…
