Chef Michael DeMaria’s new Central Phoenix cafe, Mid City Kitchen, should have opened yesterday according to the announcement on its website, but today the Republic reports that it will be open for business tomorrow, Nov. 18. Such is the way with restaurant openings, which are never a perfect science. Located…
[jump] But I still got my bratwurst fix this past weekend, when one of my friends scored a bunch of tickets to an Arizona Fall League game. A group of us took a trek out to the westside, to Camelback Ranch in Glendale — during Spring Training, this is the…
If you’re thinking about stopping by for some nigiri at Pure Sushi at the Scottsdale Civic Plaza, don’t be surprised to find this notice from the county on the doors. The restaurant closed unexpectedly last week, when the restaurant owners vacated the premises. The Maricopa County Environmental Services Department hasn’t updated its…
[jump] Incredibly, there still aren’t that many amazing options for brunch in CenPho, so I’m always on the lookout. This place offers it from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Can’t say I was terribly impressed, although I’d give it another shot because I don’t live far…
I drink more tea than I want to admit — I must horde at least a dozen different kinds at any given time. Lately genmaicha is my fixation. I bought this particular Ito-En brand “Oishii O-Cha” at Lee Lee, where you’ll find genmaicha from several different makers…
Leave me alone with my seafood and I’m fine. Although I dine alone pretty often, just to fill my belly or scout out a new restaurant, sushi bars and seafood restaurants are some of the only places I can count on to feel comfortable when flying solo. After working late…
This week’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, taking place downtown, seems to have spawned all kinds of fun activities planned for this weekend. On Friday night from 6 to 10 p.m., the free Green Streets Festival will take over Roosevelt Street between 4th and 7th Streets. Along with myriad vendors, artists, and musical guests,…
If you like to geek out on culinary trend pieces as much as I do, then you’ll love the baker’s dozen of food culture somebodies and tastemakers that the website Chow.com has compiled for its first-annual Chow 13 Awards. From the dude who has Angelenos compulsively checking Twitter to get…
I’ve talked to chef Aaron May about a number of his restaurants over the past few years, but I’m not sure I’ve ever heard him sound as excited as he does about Mabel’s on Main, the old-school-chic watering hole he’s opening sometime around December 1. “For me, after Sol y…
The moment Pavle Milic has been waiting for is almost here. If all goes as planned, he’ll finally be opening his own restaurant, called FnB, sometime around the 23rd of this month. That’s not even two weeks away, and Milic couldn’t be more excited…
We were actually hungry for soup. It was a Monday. My colleague and I were wracking our brains over where to find a decent bowl of soup, as if it would somehow magically thwart the swine flu (knock on wood, so far so good. . .). But then we remembered…
How far would you drive for great barbecue? Five miles? Fifteen miles? Even farther? When my carnivorous urges are in overdrive, I’m not even sure how I would answer that question, except to say I’d definitely rack up some miles for a pulled pork fix. There’s a certain kind of…
A friend and I ventured over to Nine 05 recently for her birthday lunch. Once upon a time, this was a gal who used to eat at Fate about three times a week, so I told her she needed to check out the new Asian spot that’s taken its place…
Wine? Did somebody say wine? If your ears perk up at the sound of a cork popping out of a bottle, then this weekend’s First Press events are for you. Friday night kicks off with the First Press Grand Tasting at the Hotel Valley Ho, presented by National Bank of…
No, you’re not experiencing deja vu. The Tempe outpost of Regions Bistro — which originally opened at 6th Street and Mill a little over seven months ago, and then closed unexpectedly in early June — is back in business under new ownership. Regions’ Scottsdale location, on Shea Boulvard, reopened in August…
Just chatted with chef Johnny Chu of Sens, and he’s excited about a special event he’s hosting next week, on Monday the 16th. He says 100 percent of the proceeds from the night’s dinner service (5 to 10 p.m.) will be donated to Free Arts of Arizona, a non-profit organization that…
How is it November and still so nice out? Recently, I used the balmy nights as an excuse to take two pals to Petite Maison in Scottsdale. Neither had been there yet, and I got them hungry for French nibbles and wine. We sat out on the patio by the fireplace,…
A week ago, chef Payton Curry wasted no time in rolling out a totally revamped menu at Tempe’s Caffe Boa, where he just started working a couple weeks ago. Now he’s already getting into the swing of special events, with the first of many locavore wine dinners to come. On Thursday, November…
Certain ingredients always tempt me to order a certain way, but sometimes it’s just pure curiosity that makes me order a dish. The brunch menu at Fez, available Saturdays and Sundays, has an omelette called “The Best Egg White Omelette You’ll Ever Have,” and as soon as I saw it,…
A little bit of buzz was starting to brew about Scottsdale’s Metro Brasserie, whose executive chef, Matt Taylor, recently left town to work for Michael Mina in Las Vegas. Why hadn’t they announced his replacement? What’s going on over there? Apparently, they were just taking their time filling Taylor’s kitchen…
Just a quick reminder that Welcome Diner has special hours for First Friday. They’ll be serving food from 6 p.m. to midnight. Specials on the menu include watermelon from Crooked Sky Farms and eggplant from Maya’s Farm. If you’re down wandering around Roosevelt Row, hit up Rusty Spoke bike co-op…
It’s a coffee Renaissance in downtown. Just got the lowdown from the guys at Tempe’s Cartel Coffee Lab that they’re opening a second location in the heart of Downtown, at 1st Street and Washington (right across the street from the new CityScape development). The timing is hazy, because they have some construction…
