Attention, shoppers. If you’ve ever visited a Pro’s Ranch Market before, then you’ll understand why it’s good news that a seventh Valley location just opened its doors, at 3415 W. Glendale Ave. The more, the merrier, I say.This particular location will be quite a boost to its neighborhood, as California-based company…
First, chef-owner Aaron Chamberlin opened St. Francis with a sleek, minimalist look. Now he’s welcomed two local artists to fill up an entire wall of the restaurant with their edgy work. Artists Hector Ruiz and DOSE Usually, you’d see Hector Ruiz’s paintings in such places as The Heard Museum or Bentley…
We’re barely over a week into December, but the onslaught of over-the-top holiday eating has already begun. This Saturday and Sunday, get a taste of Mexico’s culinary Christmas tradition at the Food City Tamale Festival, an annual event that features handmade tamales from dozens of local church parishes. From green…
Foodie culture has officially been embraced by mainstream purveyors of hipsterdom, Urban Outfitters. I consider this a kind of benchmark.First time I visited one of these shops was in about 1992, in D.C. — everything was black and kind of punky, from the leather jackets to the edgy t-shirts. This…
Pat Christofolo sure has a knack for creating hidden treasures. As owner of The Farm Kitchen at The Farm at South Mountain (not to mention Santa Barbara Catering), she’s already proved that she can wow the lunch crowd with fresh, appealingly simple fare in a rustic setting. Her restaurant has…
If first impressions mean anything, then I expect to put Viet Kitchen in my regular rotation. The new downtown Vietnamese restaurant (on 1st Ave. at Adams St.) was a bright and cheerful stop for this curious and hungry reporter on a day when I just couldn’t seem to get the chill…
A Bay Area Thai restaurant just opened a new location at Scottsdale’s Shops at Gainey Village, and there’s already favorable early buzz from a couple of my favorite food spies. Soi 4 Bangkok Eatery has a sister restaurant in Oakland, California, along with three other Thai spots run by the…
Already a reliable spot for a good crabcake or a big platter of raw oysters to slurp, now Wildfish Seafood Grill is bringing sushi and sashimi into the mix with the hiring of sushi chef Stephan Martin.It’s a natural evolution for the Waterfront restaurant, where there’s already a raw bar. The…
It wasn’t enough to eat the Easter Bunny. Now Caffe Boa chef Payton Curry is ready to cook Rudolph for Christmas dinner.That’s right, he’ll be serving a six-course holiday tasting menu featuring caribou — a.k.a. North American reindeer — prepared a variety of ways, starting December 20. In other words,…
Oh, the power of suggestion.Waiting in line for a latte at downtown’s Cartel Coffee Lab, giant, mouthwatering cookies were literally in the spotlight, with a helpful note that read, “Our mom says it’s okay to eat cookies for breakfast.” Thanks for enabling me, people.Right next to the cash register was a…
Some friends have asked for a food report on my recent weekend jaunt to Las Vegas, so here you go, foodniks. First off, here’s proof (um, not really) that I met chef Rick Moonen, who almost immediately asked me if I do my job anonymously, and later joked that he could…
Verde turned out to be the little Mexican restaurant that couldn’t. Couldn’t make it for more than seven months, that is. Sadly, Joseph Aguayo and Matt Avila’s affordable Downtown eatery, where handmade tortillas were the focus, closed Sunday. Word on the streets is that they weren’t getting enough evening and weekend…
With a few exceptions, it’s not easy for grownups to find a place to dine on Mill Avenue. But is the tide starting to turn? The debut of Canteen Modern Tequila Bar makes me very optimistic. Considering the location (downtown Tempe’s student-saturated main drag, where there’s pub and diner grub,…
Sometimes, you just have to push the reset button.Just four months after the debut of Vatra Grillhouse in Arcadia, the restaurant is set to become a much more high-profile presence in the dining scene with the hiring of former Sassi executive chef, Peter DeRuvo, as well as a new general…
The dude at the Cheba Hut cash register doesn’t know me, but he grins and greets me like a friend who just showed up at his house party. “What’s up, mama?” Uh, isn’t it obvious, buddy? I have the munchies, big-time. I’m staring at the menu, dazed and confused (low…
The intersection of 16th Street and Bethany Home is hotter than ever, thanks to the addition of yet another stylish spot called Garage. Tucked between Luci’s Healthy Marketplace and a new bakery called Cupcakes By Design, and just a stone’s throw from the swanky new Vig Uptown, this winebar/hangout just opened…
Help keep St. Mary’s Food Bank well stocked for the holidays, and Petite Maison will feed you as much as you can handle. That’s right — chef James Porter and his team at the cozy bistro will dedicate one night a week to collecting canned food for charity during the…
The tiki gods have spoken, and Drift Lounge is soon to be no more.Old Town Scottsdale’s retro Polynesian-themed watering hole is closing for good, confirms owner Bryan Chittenden.Tonight, Friday, and Saturday will be the final nights for locals to hang in the grotto, nibble on potstickers and poke, and sip…
Two of the most striking cocktails I’ve had recently were original creations made with infused bourbon, served at two top local eateries. At Nobuo at Teeter House recently, I stopped by after work and enjoyed the night’s special, made with Cartel-coffee-infused bourbon, orange blossom water, bitters, and Cynar (bitters made…
I’ve never seen this before. Have you?It’s cucumber puree in a tiny plastic dropper, plunked into my ice water at The Center Bistro. When I squeezed it all into my drink, it transformed it into something I’d find at a resort spa. Kind of clever, I thought. I stopped by to…
I haven’t had the day’s first cup of coffee yet, but I’m practically jittery with excitement about this link that a my New Times colleague (and fellow hardcore blogging machine) James King sent me. Turns out, Pei Wei Asian Diner is on the lookout for a blogger to join chef Eric Justice…
