Whether you love it or hate, Arizona Restaurant Week is coming back. This spring, thousands of diners will head to restaurants all over the state to taste the special menus offered for either $30 or $40 a person. For diners looking to get out and try new restaurants, or maybe…
This morning the James Beard Foundation announced the restaurant and chef semifinalists for 2014 at a live event at the East End Market in Orlando, Florida. The annual awards, which will take place in May, are often referred to as the Oscars of the culinary world. The long list of…
This is part two of our interview with Jason Raducha and Claudio Urciuoli of Noble Bread, the micro-bakery that’s been producing Old World-style breads of top quality since last year. Today, we’re back to talk about Urciuoli’s family history and how it drew him to bread making. If you missed…
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…
The folks behind Chandler’s Vintage 95 wine bar and eatery have brought the booze to a new concept in an unexpected place. Called V95 Wine Lounge & Coffee Bar, the new spot offers a varied selection of wines by the glass and bottle, light dining options, and a full coffee…
Scottsdale’s oldest restaurant, The Pink Pony, is nearly ready to ride again. After being closed since summer, the more than 60-year-old landmark restaurant will reopen at the end of this month — and for those who are familiar with the old spot, the good news is that not everything will…
Jason Raducha and Claudio Urciuoli Noble Bread www.noblebread.com Artisan bread is hot right now. But for the guys behind Noble Bread, it’s not about the trend. It’s about reconnecting to the way things used to be done, using a stone hearth and stone-ground heritage grains to make naturally leavened bread…
When you first walk into Juicd Life, the new juice bar at Biltmore Fashion Park, you’re going to notice it has a lot of two things: juice and really, really good-looking employees. Now we can’t speak to the quality of the model-esque workers, but we can tell you that Juicd…
It’s been over a year since UNION at the Biltmore Fashion Park opened its doors, giving a roster of local businesses retail space alongside national chains at the upscale mall. But in December, shoppers had to say a sad goodbye to Smeeks, the retro candy store owned by Georganne Bryant,…
Artisanal Spirit and Cocktail Market Today Don’t get us wrong, we love regular farmers markets, too. But when we have the chance to hit up a market full of artisan spirits and other cocktail-related products, you can bet a bottle of 30-year-old scotch we’re going to go. The Artisan Spirit…
It’s been just a few months since Lylah and Michael Ledner’s The Simple Farm was named a finalist in the 2014 Good Food Awards for their salted goat milk caramels. And now they’re bringing them to Anthropologie in Scottsdale Fashion Square for a pop-up event featuring a handful of local…
Since opening in December, The Clever Koi has quickly become a favorite spot for inventive modern Asian cuisine. We’ve rated the happy hour, given our first impressions, and reviewed the whole menu. And just this week, the restaurant introduced a lunch menu to the mix, with affordable — if limited…
Old Town Scottsdale now has a place dedicated to keeping things tiki chic. The second location of Hula’s Modern Tiki, the retro-themed Central Phoenix restaurant specializing in island-inspired eats, is now open at 213 East First Avenue in Scottsdale. The restaurant now occupies the space left emplty when Earl’s Big…
As we reported Wednesday, Phoenix-based Hispanic retailer Pro’s Ranch Market was sold for $55 million earlier this week to a California-based company — an LLC made up of two other supermarket chains. The family-owned Pro’s Ranch Market declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy last June, saying that the bad economy and negative…
There’s something inherently enjoyable about brunch. Maybe it’s because most of us can only fit it in once a week. Maybe it’s because the hybrid meal allows the freedom to eat pretty much whatever you want. Most likely, it’s because it’s an acceptable excuse to drink well before 5 ‘o’clock…
Though the origin of ceviche is disputed, it’s likely that the dish comes from the South American country of Peru. This dish, which is made by curing raw seafood or fish in citrus juices, has been popular in South America for years, with nearly every country offering its own take…
You probably know the de la Cruz last name. The family has operated a handful of restaurants around town, including El Sol Mexican Cafe & Bakery and El Zocalo Mexican Grill in Chandler and Mangos Mexican Cafe and the now-closed De la Cruz Bistro in Mesa. And now Obed de…
Strong Beer Festival Saturday, February 15 This weekend kicks off both Arizona Beer Week and Arizona Cocktail Week (really, organizers? Do we have to do this every year?), so as you can imagine, there’s a whole lot of drinking to do. On Saturday, beer lovers will want to hit the…
It’s got to be tough for gluten-free diners to have to watch their brunch companions dig into pancakes, waffles, and biscuits and gravy while they stick to eggs, bacon, and a mimosa (or two, to ease the pain). Well, suffer no longer gluten-freers because Jewel’s Bakery and Cafe in Phoenix…
Take one step inside the newly built Whole Foods Market near the intersection of Camelback and 20th Street and it’s easy to see that the natural foods industry has come a long way in the past two decades. The store is a gleaming beacon for healthful eaters and lovers of…
There are plenty of places in the Valley crafting delicate French macarons, and the popularity of these sweet little sandwich-like confections has been on the rise for years. But few places other than Le Napoleon bakery in West Phoenix offer 18 different flavors every day along with all manner of…
For years, Chakra 4 has been a hidden treasure for healthy and vegan diners. The restaurant is located in Town & Country Shopping Center, which recently benefited from the addition of a new Whole Foods Market and several restaurants. Soon the tea shop, herbal store, and restaurant will join the…
