Goodbye, DC Ranch. That’s pretty much the sentiment coming from chef Aaron May, who closed his casual Italian restaurant Autostrada on Wednesday, and now tells me he will be closing his other DC Ranch eatery, Sol y Sombra, this weekend. Sunday brunch will be the last service. “It’s a tough…

Breakfast is usually considered the most important meal of the day because it fuels you through the morning, but who says you have to eat it in the a.m.? Tonight, it’s an opportunity to help the Arizona Children’s Association. Hickman’s Family Farms is sponsoring “PJ and Eggs” this evening, a breakfast-for-dinner…

According to a representative from Market Street at DC Ranch, chef Aaron May’s casual Italian restaurant Autostrada closed two nights ago. There is a sign on the door inviting customers to visit May’s neighboring tapas restaurant, Sol y Sombra. I wasn’t able to reach May yet today, and the restaurant’s…

You never know where your passions might lead you. For beer aficionado Rob Sizemore, an obsession with suds turned into to a homebrewing hobby, which eventually led to proper training with the American Brewers Guild. Now he’s working on opening his own microbrewery in Tempe, Sleepy Dog Saloon & Brewery,…

From Fatburger to In-N-Out Burger, there’s no shortage of burger joints in Tempe, but with thousands of ASU students to munch on them, what’s one more? This fall, Denver-based burger chain Smashburger is hoping to take a bite out of that business with the opening of its first Arizona location, at 777 S. College Ave…

If you’re playing part-time vegetarian, beware of Fogo de Chao. When you set foot in this traditional Brazilian steakhouse, don’t be surprised to fall off the wagon right into the middle of a meat parade. Abandon your diet, if only for the night. Forget about moderation, too. To truly make…

The Crave Arizona culinary festival is 72 days away, so to get the early buzz going, the organizers are having a 72-hour sale on tickets. The price? $72, naturally. It’s a special ticket package (regular price, $100) that includes admission to the event kickoff party and Top Bar Chef Competition,…

You never know where your food obsessions might take you. For Heather Lauer, an enthusiasm for bacon spawned a blog, Bacon Unwrapped (now four years old), which then spawned a book, Bacon: A Love Story. Since blogger Julie Powell followed a similar trajectory with her Julie/Julia Project blog and the…

Food trucks have quite the buzz these days, especially the Kogi Korean BBQ-to-Go trucks in Los Angeles. Rabid fans follow the biz on Twitter and get tweets on where to find Korean shortrib tacos at any given moment. While chowing down on some of Nobuo Fukuda’s badass pork belly buns…

First sushi, then burgers. Now Valley restaurateur Lenny Rosenberg is bringing Mexican food to the northwest corner of Camelback Road and 32nd Street. Currently home to Rosenberg’s Zen 32 and Delux, the shopping plaza will soon house Revolutionary Burritos as well. No menu details yet, but the name is pretty self-explanatory. …

Former Taneko Tavern executive chef Devin Walsh has resurfaced as owner/executive chef at Calistro California Bistro, which opened earlier this week at DC Ranch Crossing in Scottsdale (18221 N. Pima Rd.). Walsh’s menu emphasizes healthful, “farm to table” cooking, with Mediterranean-inspired small plates and appetizers, organic salads, and entrees such…

Will there be a stampede for chicken and waffles tomorrow morning when Larry “Lo-Lo” White opens a second location of his popular soul food joint in Scottsdale? Get there bright and early when the doors to the brand-new Lo-Lo’s Chicken & Waffles open at 7 a.m. on Friday, August 7…

Everybody’s a freakin’ genius celebrity chef in this town. Right? I just happened to look at the Twitter profile of a local chef who’s apparently been fed a steady diet of baloney about his alleged greatness, and now seems high on the fumes of his own b.s. Said chef pompously refers to himself in…

Three months ago, when chef James Porter abruptly shuttered his restaurant Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar, he promised to return later this summer with a brand-new, more budget-friendly French country bistro in Scottsdale. Now, he’s ready to deliver. Petite Maison is officially opening its doors at 5 p.m. on Sunday, August…

Change can be good. Back in March, locals mourned the unexpected loss of Palatte, a charming, casual brunch spot located just blocks from downtown, in the roughly century-old Cavness House. At the time, the closure seemed to be a poignant reminder of the recession, leaving a void in the area’s…

July was yet another tough month for the local restaurant scene. Among the recent casualties were the high-profile SouthBridge eatery, Canal; CenPho Belgian spot Trente-Cinq 35, and Richardson’s, a local institution that was destroyed by fire. Next door to Richardson’s, newcomer Luci’s Healthy Marketplace faced an unfortunate setback as well,…

He’s already hit a home run with Postino Central, the just-north-of-Camelback eatery that’s a spinoff of his ultra-popular Arcadia wine bar. Now restaurateur Craig DeMarco has his sights on something practically across the street. DeMarco is excited about the circa 1940 building at Central Avenue and Oregon, a small strip…

Yes, Phoenix — this city will come back to life pretty soon. Things feel slow right now, but at least there’s a big culinary event right around the corner, ushering a whole season of activities for food fanatics. Phoenix Cooks! is the shindig to put on your calendar. Scheduled for…

After a few months’ hiatus, popular Mill Avenue coffeehouse Three Roots is back in business, under new ownership (it didn’t go co-op after all). Besides a fresh coat of paint, new flooring, and other repairs, the bohemian spirit of the place remains the same. Even many of the same vegan…

This really puts the “welcome” in Welcome Diner. James Beard Award-winning chef Nobuo Fukuda is testing out dishes for his in-the-works restaurant this coming Saturday (August 8) at Welcome Diner (924 E. Roosevelt). It’s the second such night he’s hosted since closing Sea Saw in early June. Although Fukuda’s new izakaya…

Oh Mickey, what a pity. It’s the end of an era for Scottsdale nightlife, as Mickey’s Hangover has closed its doors, according to the Trib. In case you’ve never knocked back a beer while hanging out on one of its thrift store couches, Mickey’s was sort of a tongue-in-cheek place to…

Here’s a juicy summer read we can’t wait to dig into: Cooking Dirty by Jason Sheehan. Sheehan happens to be the food critic at Westword, New Times’ sister paper in Denver, but long before he launched his award-winning career as a food scribe, he worked his way through kitchens across…