Cool Gelato Italiano, a new gelato shop set to open in early February at 7373 East Scottsdale Mall (behind the Scottsdale Center for the Arts) will feature twenty varieties of the cool treat (don’t call it ice cream) as well as sorbet made with fresh fruits, gelato sandwiches, and gelato…
Out with the Oakville, in with the new. Last October, Oakville Grocery Co., the ex-eatery and gourmet groceries spot at Downtown’s CityScape, saw some controversy when the Arizona Republic reported its owner and operator, Michael A. Webb, was booted out in under three months by CityScape’s developer, RED Development LLC,…
It’s still only January and already the year’s starting out to be a busy one for Scottsdale-based Pita Jungle, the Mediterranean-inspired healthy eating chain. The Republic reports that a few weeks ago, Pita Jungle opened a new location in Newport, California, and plans to open a restaurant in San Diego…
Have you seen the Phoenix New Times Resolution Guide 2012 yet? You might want to give a read. It’s packed with thoughts on resolving to love the Valley through the city’s art, architecture, nightlife, and more — all from my fellow scribes and friends Amy Silverman, Robrt L. Pela, Benjamin…
Oddball location? You could say that. But don’t be dissuaded. For those looking for tasty Ethiopian fare in Central Phoenix, this new restaurant, located behind a curtain in the back of a convenience store, holds a host of enticing dishes. It is, in a sense, a sort of Ethiopian speakeasy…
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, some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that have just opened,…
I eat a lot. Specifically, I eat a lot in Phoenix. So it wasn’t easy to narrow my list, but after much mastication and consideration, here are my top five reasons to love the Phoenix food scene. When you’ve finished digesting them, go out and find some of your own…
Going to Ethiopian Famous Restaurant & Coffee is something of a religious experience. To get to the unusual yet satisfying new Central Phoenix eatery — behind a curtain at the back of a strip-mall convenience mart — you may walk past the store’s Muslim owner, kneeling on a small rug…
This month, The Phoenix Ale Brewery, Arizona’s newest craft brewery housing an automated 20-barrel system and tasting room just a few miles east of downtown Phoenix, added an imperial porter to their lineup with just one problem: it doesn’t have a name. That’s where you come in. Between now and…
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, some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that have just opened,…
The past months have been busy for Gigi Vo, owner of Five R Cha Thai, the casual eatery of Thai cuisine whose name, R Cha, means horse. Last year, Vo opened up three locations: one in Mesa and a to-go spot in Tempe mid-year, and, in November, took over Downtown’s…
Last Saturday, CenPho’s That’s a Wrap!, the lunch spot specializing in good-for-you wraps, salads, and rice bowls, announced it would be soft launching a new dinner menu sans the tortilla coverings. Aptly titled “Unwrapped,” the new dinner menu starts after 5 p.m. and will focus on six healthy-themed plates between…
If you’re a fan of the pizza at Humble Pie, the locally-owned pizza chain with three locations (Hilton Village, Desert Ridge, and Central Phoenix), you’ll want to make plans to stop by soon — as in TODAY — because Humble Pie is celebrating their fourth anniversary of za-dom by giving…
Coastal Mexican cuisine via California makes its way into the Valley in March when SOL Cocina, from the owners of Ra Sushi and The Mastro Group, moves into the former Parc Central space at Scottsdale Quarter. The sophisticated restaurant featuring upscale modern Mexican fare established its first location in Newport…
Last October, rumors were flying, then confirmed, that legendary pizza master Chris Bianco was planning to open a up a trattoria in CenPho. Now, it appears the launch date is set — TODAY. Monday, January 16, Bianco is opening his much-buzzed about new restaurant, called Italian Restaurant, in the Town…
What the skewer? Bonfire Grill and Bar, Old Town Scottsdale’s stylish restaurant of American wood-fired cuisine at 7210 East 2nd Street has been shuttered. Opened in March of last year where Furio used to be, Bonfire boasted a menu designed by chef Matt Carter of Zinc Bistro and The Mission…
Last November, I reported Two Hippies Magic Mushroom Burgers, the psychedelic burger shack on Indian School Road and 7th Street, part of the Phoenix-based Two Hippies chain opened in 2008 by husband-and-wife team Andy and Jan Goldstein, had been shuttered and stripped of its ’60s-era shtick. Now, it appears there’s…
It’s getting closer. The potent pair behind FnB — front-of-the-house pro Pavle Milic and chef Charleen Badman — are planning to launch their three-concept dining, wine, and grocery experience at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Craftsman Court (in the Kiva Center) in Scottsdale by the end of the month…
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, some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that have just opened,…
Hey, it’s a new year and you’ve already got a ton of things going on — we get that. That’s why we’ve put our top thoughts and food predictions posts for the national and local food scene in 2012 all into one convenient format. Here’s an excerpt on what could…
Given Beckett’s Table, Cave & Ives, Kitchen 56, the coming soon new home of Crudo, and a possible second location of Essence Bakery, the stretch of Indian School Road between 36th and 56th streets sure is heating up as hot property these days. And The Little Woody, the cool new…
The restaurant name may be different but chicken is still the star at Pollo Sabroso, the charcoal-grilled chicken hut at 16th Street and Jefferson in Downtown Phoenix. Replacing the former El Pollo Correteado, new owners James Wolson and Giovanni Bottiani opened Pollo Sabroso (Spanish for tasty chicken) last week after…
