Does John Cavanagh ever so slow down? As the general manager of the Tuck Shop, the cozy house-turned-eatery in Central Phoenix, as well as Astor House, the new homey breakfast/lunch/snack/wine shop next door, Cavanagh also consults for other restaurateurs, rebuilds motorcycles, and — oh, yeah, brews tonic syrup from scratch…

Though the answer, “Well, duh,” may be the automatic reply to the announcement that the Phoenix area officially has its first mobile cupcake food truck, surprisingly enough, one hasn’t existed before now. Launched in January, Sweet Jonez Rocking Cupcakes joined the Phoenix Street Food Coalition at the end of May,…

With a “coming soon” announcement first reported in January, Brat Haus, an artisan sausage and craft beer concept from restaurateur Dave Andrea (formerly with Old Town Tortilla Factory, Wild Noodles, and Fat Slim’s BBQ), has been keeping diners’ curiosities fed with several events and social media updates before its planned…

A few weeks ago, a series of rat-a-tat news events left Valley foodies gripping their collective forks and then poking themselves with them to make sure what they were reading was true: chef Claudio Urciuoli had parted ways with business partner and James Beard Award-winner Chris Bianco, chef Matt Taylor…

Ask most folks their first impressions of Arizona and you’ll most likely hear answers like, “heat,” “desert,” and “heat.” Not Olimjon Samidinov. His answers were, “freedom,” and “jobs.” Samidinov is a political refugee who, along with several others, was brought to Phoenix by the United Nations after spending a year…

How do I tell my friend I hate his band? Am I taking the right vitamin supplements? What the hell do I do with the $35 Aunt Mary sent me for my birthday? Life’s complicated enough. The last thing anyone needs is another decision to make — like where should…

The most surprising thing about the signature Uzbek dish palov isn’t that it’s more satisfying and filling than it appears — its rich, oily, and cumin-tinged bites of rice, onions, sliced carrots, and pieces of tender lamb as worthy of comfort-food status as any American casserole. No, the most surprising…

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…

Missing teeth, stolen police cars — and where the hell is Mike Tyson’s tiger? At one time or another, most of us have experienced the unpleasant and sometimes even life-altering effects following the heavy use of alcohol. Most everyone’s got their swear-by-it hangover cure, but what about Valley chefs and…

Sonoran hot dogs? Not a damn thing wrong with ’em. Most of us have consumed with fond appreciation our fair share of the bacon-wrapped creations at several joints in the Valley. But go south — way south — of the border and there’s another Mexican-style hot dog just as flavorful,…

With restaurants like the Hotel Palomar’s Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails opening its doors today, new taco shop Fuego CityScape (which moved into Aaron May’s former Vitamin T Space) opening later this month, and pan-Asian restaurant Silk Sushi still planning to open later this summer, can downtown’s CityScape handle any…

After almost five years, Aiello’s, the Italian restaurant at 5202 North Central Avenue owned by husband-and-wife team and ex-Manhattanites Joe and Myrah Aiello, has been shuttered. A neighborhood favorite, Aiello’s was known for affordable Italian dishes such as lasagna, with its sausage-studded sauce, as well as delicate gnocchi and melt-in-your-mouth…

Promising to be more gastronomically satisfying than the song “Milkshake” by Kelis (hey, that song isn’t about milkshakes!), five chefs throughout the Valley are bringing their custom creations to select restaurants throughout the month of June. As part of The Dairy Council of Arizona’s first “Moo-ving Milkshake Shop,” chef Ehren…

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…

Try and bite into one of Oakland artist Scott Hove’s cakes and chances are they’ll bite back. From a concept he started in 2005 called “Cakeland,” Hove created a body of work joining the beautiful and the brutal, and helps describe his sculptures by saying, “All beautiful things are equipped…

Fans of Padre’s, the restaurant featuring modern Mexican cuisine on Camelback Road west of 12th Street, have until close tomorrow, Saturday, June 2, to say goodbye. In business for eight years, the Republic reports that father-and-son team Denny and Cole Durbin have sold the space to Drew Melton, owner of…

It’s no secret that good bread is the foundation for a great sandwich. Golden and crusty and full of flavor, its aroma, especially when baking, can make us forget the troubles of the day — at least for a while. And if you’re in search of a sandwich in Sunnyslope…

No strangers to awards, Jan Wichayanuparp and Helen Yung, the ice cream savants at Sweet Republic, have done it again. This time, ranking number five of 12 spots in the U.S. named by U.S. News and World Report as America’s Best Ice Cream. “They called us the ‘new kid on…

My favorite joke from the back of the Los Jarritos menu is this one: Little Johnny’s new baby brother was screaming up a storm. Johnny asked his mom, “Where’d we get him?” “He came from heaven, Johnny.” “Wow! I can see why they threw him out!” On the front of…

If you order the chile relleno at Los Jarritos and an omelet arrives, do not send it back. And, by all means, avoid any temptation to pick up a fork. Simply lift and place the soft yellow mass, topped with splotches of melted cheddar cheese and bright red salsa, onto…