In less than a year, chef-owner Leonard Jay’s Roosevelt Row restaurant has undergone three name changes. What started last April as Vinery 214 morphed into Bambino Bistro by the end of the year. I’d recently heard that it shut down — which, based on last month’s gnarly inspection report, wouldn’t…
Open barely more than a year, The Kitchen by Good Eats Grocer, located at The Shops at Gainey Village, is the latest restaurant casualty. Today, the doors are locked and the lights are off.Calls to the gourmet grocery store/bistro end up in a voicemail menu to nowhere, while the website…
Nestled in that stretch of 5th Avenue between Scottsdale Road and Stetson (7124 E. 5th Ave.), Sola Coffee Bar struck me as a refreshingly indie antidote to typically Southwestern-y Old Town businesses nearby. When I stopped by a couple days ago, they were blasting Bright Eyes — on vinyl. And…
So is it the economy, the location, or the cuisine?For some reason, Vietnamese cuisine hasn’t had a very successful run on Mill Avenue. Over the weekend, Pho Thang Long abruptly closed up shop. Open a little more than a year, it occupied the spot at the corner of Mill Ave and 4th…
Whenever I mention The Vig to people, I expect a certain reaction — the gushing enthusiasm of a devotee, or the eyeball-rolling groan of a critic. Rarely do I encounter indifference. There’s just something about this edge-of-Arcadia tavern, a magnetism that attracts all the quirky social flora and fauna from…
If chefs are the new rock stars — and by all accounts they are, considering all the splashy, chef-centric TV reality shows, the rise of Internet “food porn,” and breathless magazine coverage — it’s no wonder they’re starting to look the part. These days, some kitchen professionals express themselves as…
Today would be a gorgeous day to eat some spring rolls and drink sake on the front patio of Nine 05, but sadly, it’s too late. The nine-month-old restaurant has closed. Servicemen were removing equipment when I stopped by, and the place was deserted. The kitchen appears to be in…
I just read two stories that freaked me out a bit, and now it’s finally sinking in just why. First, this: MSNBC’s “U.N.: Tiger on ‘verge of extinction'” And then, a while later, this: Time Magazine’s “In Praise of the Endangered Restaurant Critic.” It’s a jungle out there…
Yep, Nello’s in Old Town Scottsdale is no more. There’s no pizza deficit, though. Now, in place of that longstanding local favorite is a new, family-owned restaurant called Jac’s Pizzeria. It opened about a month ago at 7213 E. 1st Ave. The website isn’t up yet, but look for East…
In the mood for a peppercorn crust burger with roasted garlic, charred onions, watercress, and matchstick fries, or maybe a crispy pork sandwich with Swiss, iceberg lettuce, a housemade pickle, and barbecue sauce? They’re just a couple of the things you can get now at The Grind, which quietly opened this past…
I have a good feeling about La Condesa Gourmet Taco Shop. A few days ago, I bumped into a couple of pals at this new spot on 16th Street, and one of them seemed surprised that we actually had the run of the place. “I thought it would be packed,”…
East Valley Tribune food critic Jess Harter’s Twitter post an hour ago was quite a stunner: “EV Trib had another massive round of layoffs this morning, including yours truly. My final day will be when sale is finalized next week.” The layoffs followed yesterday’s announcement that the newspaper’s sale was…
Jason Silva A year ago, I sipped some wine at West of Western culinary festival with entrepreneur and small business advocate Kimber Lanning of Local First Arizona, chatting about boosting the profile of local restaurants. If only I’d brought a crystal ball with me. Now, Lanning’s a key player involved with Devoured Phoenix Culinary…
Those Smashburger folks are pretty ambitious. Their Arizona presence only dates back to August 2009, with the Tempe shop, and they’ve since added an Avondale location. Today, number three — in the Colonnade at 1949 E. Camelback Rd. — is open to the public. In case you haven’t tried one…
I know it’s officially spring because I’ve just gotten the first announcement of the year for a brand-new gelato shop. Puro Gelato just opened at Paradise Valley Mall, the creative collaboration of Hyun Wook Lee, former owner of Pure Sushi in Scottsdale, and JNK Concepts Restaurant Group, which owns Roka Akor, Bombay…
The competition is gonna be fierce. Sushi fans from across the Valley already head to Hana Japanese Eatery for a taste of chef-owner Koji Hashimoto’s latest catch, and now there’s even more incentive to swing by for a fish fix. This morning, the north central Phoenix restaurant announced on Twitter…
Phoenix definitely has a sweet tooth. Between the talented pastry chefs at the Valley’s best resorts and restaurants, the indie bakers, and the pastry wizards whipping up confections for myriad local cafes, it seems like there’s always news of something sugary and clever. The latest to come along is Sugar…
Will Mexican cuisine do the trick? Papi Chulo’s Mexican Grill & Cantina just opened at the Clarion Hotel (5101 N. Scottdale Rd., Scottsdale), in the space that’s featured Mediterranean food (Cezar’s) and American-meets-the-world (Cafe Bistro Bar & Grill) over the last three years. This particular part of town isn’t overrun…
Last week, I reported the sudden closure of Tutto, chef Joseph Gutierrez’s Italian restaurant at SouthBridge, which took the place of Digestif last summer. At that time, there was a rumor going around that the new tenant would be Marcellino Ristorante, chef Marcellino and Sima Verzino’s award-winning north Phoenix eatery. Sima Verzino…
The Stingray has spawned an offspring.Stingray Sushi, the hip sushi hangout on Scottsdale Road, decided to swim into Phoenix waters and bring a little bit of its bright Barbarella glam to Biltmore Fashion Park. The restaurant just opened.Stop by for Japanese snacks like lobster ceviche and hamachi kama, all kinds…
I ran into a dear friend the other day who scolded me for not visiting Off Da Hook yet. She’d discovered the soul food restaurant several weeks ago, not long after it opened, and has since become obsessed with their wings. Alright. So I made it there yesterday with a friend who…
Oprah and Martha and Rachael Ray have all declared their love for Pizzeria Bianco. The term “gang bang” comes to mind. Maybe that’s why Chris Bianco’s uber-famous downtown pizza joint is on Playboy’s radar now, too. Yesterday, Playboy published a roundup of the country’s best pizza spots in its “Playboy’s…
