Yes, it’s visually stunning. Yes, we agree that trained dancers have leg muscles even the fiercest bodybuilder would envy. But unless you’re light in the loafers or you pee sitting down, chances are you’d rather have a spinal tap than sit through two hours of Swan Lake. Ballet Arizona hopes…
Yes, it’s visually stunning. Yes, we agree that trained dancers have leg muscles even the fiercest bodybuilder would envy. But unless you’re light in the loafers or you pee sitting down, chances are you’d rather have a spinal tap than sit through two hours of Swan Lake. Ballet Arizona hopes…
Looking at photographer Ernie Button’s images of masked action figures and plastic soldiers, you might assume he’s a geeky toy collector who still lives in mommy’s basement. Not so, says Button: “For me, it’s more about how the meaning of things changes as we get older.” Button photographed his whimsical…
By Wynter Holden After a visit to the lovely Phoenix Public Market last Saturday (where I scored some awesome tomato garlic pasta, plum spread and fresh-baked cinnamon bread), the hubby and I made a pit stop in the shopping plaza 3701 East Indian School Rd to peruse the pathetic linen…
By Wynter Holden Barista Russ Kaskalla is your average 23-year-old college student. He switches majors like coffee flavors, doesn’t like to think about the future, and enjoys getting blitzed after a hard day. Most days, you can either find him decorating lattes and working the drive-thru window at Tempe’s Xtreme…
By Wynter Holden I admit it. The name alone suckered me in. Every time I took one particular route home from work (or play), I passed a new-construction strip mall with a big, cartoon-y sign in the corner that read “Spicy Pickle,” flanked by an animated icon of the tart-and-sour…
Your mama told you lowriders are for hoodlums and nice girls don’t get tattoos. Well, that was before the days of tongue piercings, exposed boxers, and conservative VP candidates with pregnant teenage daughters. Times have changed. In recognition of the new face of America, Mesa Arts Center kicks off its…
By Wynter Holden I’ve never quite understood why some food products have longevity while other seemingly better ones don’t. Jello Pudding Pops and Slice soda bite the dust, while parents are still tormenting their kids with the chalk-like “wholesome goodness” of Ovaltine. In what universe is that fair? And then…
By Wynter Holden My original plan this week was to dish on the spotted dick (tee-hee) at George & Dragon, but our own Robrt Pela stole my thunder with his creative post on the can of spotted dick (I just can’t resist saying it again) gathering dust in his pantry…
By Wynter Holden If you’re anything like the rest of us, you’d probably rather staple your genitals or commit seppuku with a letter opener than work the same job for a decade. Bartender and previous Best of Phoenix winner Westley “Wes” Nieto disagrees. She’s been working at downtown Phoenix’s famed…
By Wynter Holden First, let me start by saying that if you’re counting Weight Watchers points, avoiding carbs or (heaven forbid) taking Alli, just skip this blog. Don’t read it. Shoo. Yes, I mean you. Why? Because sometimes it’s just about eating au naturel. No, I don’t mean dining in…
The economy blows. There are foreclosures on every block, big-name chains are filing for bankruptcy, and a tank of gas costs more than a week’s worth of groceries. Hell, even local art galleries and theaters are downsizing just to stay afloat. When faced with rising costs, Phoenix’s Black Theatre Troupe…
To some artists, drawing is an expression of beauty. To others, it’s a visual soapbox on which the artist can figuratively stand and whine about politics, injustice, or whatever other crap is newsworthy. It’s hard to figure out which category local artist and ASU grad Hector Ruiz is in. Part…
By Wynter Holden Tonight, I went head to head in a schoolyard-style challenge that pitted my sensitive girlie palette against my man’s testosterone-fueled taste buds. At first sight of Candy Dymamics’ Toxic Waste Hazardously Sour Candy at the Dollar Tree on Kyrene & Chandler Blvd., I literally cackled. The yellow…
By Wynter Holden Common sense says use what you have, right? If you live by the sea, catch and cook fish. On the plains or in the forest, pick berries and hunt game. And in the desert — well, unless you want to hack up a cactus and start chowing…
By Wynter Holden 28-year-old flairtenderJorge Cacho is a real-life movie sidekick. You know, the “super nice best friend” type who’s perpetually single until some blonde bombshell gets wise and jumps his bones. Don’t believe it? Just rent Hitch or The Holiday and you’ll see. Cacho isn’t handsome in the traditional…
What will life be like for Olympic swimming sensation Michael Phelps after Beijing? Cheers and parades? His face on a Wheaties box? If his predecessor and former swimming buddy, three-time Olympic medalist and former teen phenom Nadia “Anita” Nall, is any indication, he’ll have a year or so of endorsements…
As children, we’re filled with creativity. Then real life drowns the butterflies and rainbows in a festering sea of debt, responsibilities, and mind-numbing labor. Some adults choose to deal by popping pills or shooting smack. Siberian artist Natasha Matveenkova has sidestepped the sinkhole of adulthood the legal way, by giving…
By Wynter Holden So, apparently clogging your arteries with greasy fast food just isn’t enough for Burger King. No longer satisfied with their meager billion-dollar business, they’ve scored some valuable real estate on supermarket shelves with Burger King Ketchup & Fries potato chips. I can appreciate the need for a…
By Wynter Holden Holy basil. I giggled like a schoolgirl when I saw this heavenly sounding herb on the menu at Thai Elephant in downtown Phoenix. You know when something you see or hear just makes you bust a gut laughing — and no one else at your table seems…
By Wynter Holden 34-year-old Mesa native Jenifer Stern is the kind of woman who can’t sit still for long – so it’s no surprise that she works at a coffee shop. Before settling into life as a barista, Stern did stints as a corporate buyer, photographer, theatrical prop maker, security…
By Wynter Holden The first rule to dieting and still living in the real world (you know, where you actually go out to eat without your kitchen scale in tow) is to learn the “safe” hotspots in town and memorize them. That way, when your co-workers suggest lunch at Black…
