Curious what’s in season at the new Calistro California Bistro? Find out from Chef Devin Walsh in this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, and discover the unusual ingredient he uses to make his savory sauces and dressings. Hint: It’s not butter or cream. We’ll also dish deep on a trendy pizzeria and wine bar…
You know how little boys make fun of girls for having dolls, and then go and play with “action figures” themselves? A similar thing happened with the now famous KidRobot Munny figure, a cute, bulbous little vinyl doll that comes totally naked. (Remove head from gutter. It’s blank so artists…
To the average person, bees are only good for two things: honey and cute little animated films starring Jerry Seinfeld. So no one really seemed to be paying attention last year when scientists announced a worldwide decline of the fuzzy, useful insects. Of course, if life turns out to be…
Since the release of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was announced, geeks everywhere have been gearing up for the movie with previews, Comic-Con spoilers and of course toys. Not to say that G.I. Joe is a nerd-only endeavor — every self-respecting American kid in the decades between 1960-1990 had at least one…
Do you like things hot — we’re talking eye-watering, tongue-tingling, sear-the-roof-of-your-mouth spicy? In this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, find out which Valley restaurant offers a muy caliente Inferno burrito, plus mouthwatering 99-cent margarita specials. We’ve also got the scoop on a “magical” and very romantic Valley restaurant that’s reopening next week after a…
In Phoenix, summer is a challenging time for business owners — partly because the snowbirds have flown north and partly because the remaining population is busy making vacation plans. Some restaurants and art galleries just close for part of the season, while others struggle to find a balance between effort…
Once a year when the sun it at its strongest, dedicated geeks nationwide (and in some cases, worldwide) make the long, arduous pilgrimage to the shores of California. The journey is long, but the benefits are many. Geeks are cured of their lousy-summer-blockbuster-ennui. Dedicated purveyors of nerdy tomes and playthings are…
Wine lovers, are you tired of hearing about “Sonoma this” and “Napa Valley that?” It’s time to put Arizona’s wineries on the map. In this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, we’ll tell you who’s headed to Page Valley’s vineyards and how you can get in on an upcoming tour. We’ve…
Ever since we were tortured with “Who Let the Dogs Out” and “Redneck Woman” at our last doctor’s visit, we realized how much it sucks to have someone else controlling our music choices. Remember when mom banned you from playing Marilyn Manson in the house? Sick of your boyfriend’s crappy…
Ever since we posted Posh’s recipe for kangaroo steaks last week, we’ve been hearing requests for unusual meat entrees. Ever tried fried gator? How about elk? In this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, we track down some of Phoenix’s more exotic restaurant (m)eats. Valley diners may feel hard-pressed to find…
When we say Russian artist Sergei Isupov has a big head, we mean it literally. No, his noggin’s perfectly normal, and he’s not arrogant. Isupov sculpts large-scale ceramic heads covered with hand-drawn scenes, several dozen of which are currently on display in the “Androgyny: New Work by Sergei Isupov” exhibit…
Photographer William Wegman is the Anne Geddes of the canine world. Where Geddes dresses babies as ladybugs, flowers, and bunnies, Wegman coaxes his pet Weimaraners into equally humiliating garb: think dresses, purses, and oversize trench coats reminiscent of McGruff the Crime Dog. His latest show is titled “Unexpected Wegman”; so…
Seeing double is usually a bad sign. Maybe you hit your head, were in a fistfight, or just pounded a few Everclear shots. Of course, it’s pretty sweet if you’re Hugh Hefner looking at twin girlfriends Karissa and Kristina — or if you’re talking about stereoscopic photography, the process by…
Local artist Preston Graves has a fascination with the night. He’s not one of those creepy pseudo-goth types, nor is his art influenced by the occult, like that of Perihelion Gallery’s Rachel Bess. Graves is passionate about biology — specifically plants, cells, and living organisms that transcend the ordinary when…
Sigh. It’s 11 p.m. on a Tuesday night and you’re the worst kind of hungry. Stomach growling, three-course meal hungry. Unfortunately, the only restaurants still open in your neighborhood are in the vein of Taco Bell/Burger King or IHOP/Denny’s — and fast food and pancakes aren’t exactly what you’re craving…
Every time Valentine’s Day rolls around, there’s one dissenter in the bunch. Maybe he’s bitter over being dumped for a jock. Maybe she’s done with love after a series of cheating asshole boyfriends. Or, maybe they just plain old don’t believe in love. Not familial love or that “I love you,…
We’ll never forget the time our college art professor sent us Dumpster-diving for supplies. Two cracked frames, a dozen food wrappers, and a moldy banana peel later, we had a piece of art that looked (and smelled) like a trash can. Somehow, local artist Angela Cazel Jahn doesn’t suffer from…
Every building has a “special” (read: scary) place where all the miscellaneous crap ends up. Maybe it’s a junk drawer, a closet, or a dank basement filled with faux antiques you hope to sell on Cash in the Attic. At Lisa Sette Gallery, that place is a back storage room,…
Not much has changed since the dawn of “experimental” film. The flicks are still largely low-budget, grainy, and contain imagery you can only understand after ingesting hallucinogens. But unlike a snooze-worthy documentary about Darfur or North Korea, at least the arty puppies in No Festival Required’s Lucky 13 Edition: Short…
After decades of being left out, Phoenix has finally made it to the big leagues. We’ve hosted a World Series and two Super Bowls. Come election time, we’re a battleground state. Yet, somehow, Phoenix’s most talented residents often get overlooked. After booking a traveling international show of Chicano art (“Phantom…
If you’re craving a little Hollywood glam, you don’t have to take a road trip to California. In this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, we’ve got the scoop on a snazzy Peoria supper club that’s straight out of the Rat Pack era. Or, if your tastes run more towards European…
I attended my first science fiction convention (New York’s ICON) when I was 17 and a freshman in college. What I remember are movie, tv and book loving geeks dressed up as Klingons and elves, speaking in tongues and buying more dice from the massive dealer’s room for their next D&D adventure…
