Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Four years ago — when the economy was booming, the housing market was white-hot, and the dining public was insatiable for things like upscale steakhouses and stylish sushi joints — there was a major new player in the CenPho restaurant scene, a big, bustling…
Claudio Urciuoli Staff at Prado just got the announcement today: Chef de cuisine Claudio Urciuoli will soon be leaving his post at the Italian fine dining restaurant. “It has been a great journey and I’m very grateful for the opportunity that they gave me,” says Urciuoli. “I have established a great…
The luscious lunch buffet at Zam Zam World Foods’ in-house cafe is no more — although it might eventually make a comeback, says a kitchen employee.In the meantime, there’s still plenty of tasty Pakistani and Indian food that won’t break the bank. Walk past aisles of rice, oil, canned vegetables,…
Quick, grab your red hat! Throw on that jersey! Show off that t-shirt!Whatever Cardinals fan gear you have, wear it to Sprinkles in Scottsdale today, and you’ll get a free red velvet cupcake. They’re open ’til 7 p.m.Why free cupcakes? They’re hoping you’ll get hooked on ’em — just in…
While 2009 was an interesting year for Welcome Diner — the pint-sized restaurant hosted First Friday events, served as a testing ground for chef Nobuo Fukuda’s izakaya cooking, and was unfortunately struck by a car — 2010 has been completely quiet. But now owner Sloane McFarland is ready to get…
I couldn’t possibly tell you how many emails I get about wine dinners every day. Let’s just say, “many.” Seems like the Valley is steeped in vino. But here’s one that really caught my eye, a special dinner at Lon’s at the Hermosa this Thursday. First off, the wines are…
Remember Nixon’s, the Esplanade watering hole for political junkies? I sure do — for ages, it was a favorite New Times hangout, where the edit staff would pow-wow upstairs with snacks and cocktails. Since it closed more than two years ago, it’s been a dark, empty shell in need of…
A combination of impeccable service and executive chef Michael O’Dowd’s sophisticated, Native American-inspired cuisine have helped Kai win AAA’s top restaurant rating, the Five Diamond Award, for the fifth time. This puts the fine dining spot, located at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa, among a very elite…
Chow Bella’s resident chef, Carol Blonder, caught the attention of producers at Martha Stewart Radio with her recent “Ask the Chef” post on keeping herbs and spices fresh. Now, Blonder’s about to spice up the airwaves. Although Blonder herself isn’t keen on tooting her own horn, I’m more than happy…
There’s more construction underway at Biltmore Fashion Park, as the space next to Zinburger will soon become a new spot called Rojo Mexican Grill. Set to open by the end of this year, it’s a Mexican restaurant founded by restaurateurs Michael McDermott and Jason Merritt, who were partners in founding Kona…
As the proud owner of a Hello Kitty toaster, Hello Kitty coffee cups, a Hello Kitty eyelash curler (which I’ve never used, but hey, it’s clear pink glitter plastic!), too many stickers, and decades’ worth of miscellaneous cute Japanese cartoony stuff, I am officially declaring myself New Times’ expert on the subject of said…
If you subscribe to Foodies Like Us’s newsletter, you’ll notice in today’s installment that Susie Timm is absent from the photo in the header. Now, it’s just an image of Jay Pizarro laughing it up all by his lonesome At least, I noticed it right away, because the co-founders of the culinary…
Say the word “pizza,” and it’s easy to start a controversy. Who doesn’t have strong opinions about the stuff? From crisp, thin-crust New York-style pies to gooey Chicago deep-dish pizza, to California-style pizzas topped with unconventional gourmet goodies, there’s plenty to eat and plenty to talk about. Honestly, it’s a…
Breakfast Club It’s no secret that the freaks come out at night in Old Town’s nightclub district, but where do those pretty young things go when the sun comes up? Turns out, they’re here, hiding behind big, dark sunglasses while refueling on pancakes and coffee. 4400 N. Scottsdale Rd. 480-222-2582…
Sweet little Chestnut Lane Cafe won’t survive to see its second birthday. What a shame.The charming restaurant at 4225 E. Camelback took over the longtime home of Kohnie’s Coffee early last year, serving freshly baked cookies, scones, and tarts, lobster cobb salads, turkey BLT sandwiches, excellent egg salad, and other…
Some like it hot. But can you handle Gordon Ramsay?The producers behind the fiery British chef’s TV show, Hell’s Kitchen, are hoping to find talented chef contestants who can handle the pressure-cooker environment of working in a competitive, top-notch kitchen alongside Ramsey. They’ll be in town on Thursday, November 18, for…
One of the creators of P.F. Chang’s China Bistro is about to bring a new Asian restaurant called Sunshine Moon Peking Pub to the Old Town Scottsdale space that previously housed Bacon.Rich Sullivan — who was behind the original P.F. Chang’s concept, is an investor in the original Humble Pie pizzeria,…
Ice cream happens to be one of the best antidotes to shopping fatigue, according to my completely unscientific research. Sit down with a slowly melting cone of creamy chocolate or strawberry or mint chip, rest your aching feet, and before long, you’ll be ready to hit the aisles with renewed vigor. So it’s a…
Interested in learning more about Slow Food Phoenix, and maybe even joining? Here’s your chance to meet members and find out how you can be part of the sustainable food movement.Grab a ticket for tonight’s mixer at Postino Central, show up around 5:30 for a little Slow Food 101, and…
The dining mix at the Scottsdale Promenade, the sprawling complex of restaurants, retail, and offices at the southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, continues to evolve, with three new eateries slated to open soon. Someburros, the popular East Valley Mexican restaurant chain that has locations in Gilbert,…
Better start thinking about the holidays, people. Now that the Halloween hangovers are starting to fade, there’s work to be done, shopping lists to be made, and a whole lot of food to be devoured between now and New Year’s. Barrio Cafe chef Silvana Salcido Esparza’s offering a heck of…
If word of mouth is any indication, I think the new Downtown Pita Jungle could become a smokin’ success. Seems like I’ve heard people talk about this almost as much as the entire CityScape development. Well, it’s finally about to open. I spoke with Kristen Howard in the corporate office, who confirmed…
