Message to Santa: Peace on Earth? Goodwill toward men? A Christmas bonus? Some things are beyond even Santa’s powers. Recognizing Santa’s diminished capacity, I’ve scaled down my Christmas wish list thisyear. The following 12 nonnegotiable changes in restaurant behavior are the minimum I’m willing to accept in 1996. If Santa…
New Mandarin Delight Chinese Bistro, 5380 North Seventh Street, Phoenix, 274-5204. Hours: Lunch, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Dinner, 5to 10 p.m., seven days a week; Sunday brunch, 11:30a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Like most grown-ups who’ve managed to survive their youthful follies, I look back on my…
Rim Shot: My friends know I’m no lover of the great outdoors. My idea of a wilderness experience is staying at a hotel that has no room service between midnight and 6a.m. But just before the feds closed the park, my friends talked me into a hike to the bottom…
Great Outdoors: This is my favorite time of year. I’m buoyed by pre-holiday cheer, the end of Thanksgiving leftovers and perfect weather for dining alfresco. There are problems, however, with eating outdoors in the Valley. It seems like almost every place with patio chairs, umbrellas and heaters overlooks either a…
All That Jazz, 333 East Jefferson, Phoenix, 256-1437. Hours: Lunch, Tuesday through Friday, 11a.m. to 2 p.m.; Dinner, Tuesday through Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5p.m. to 1 a.m. “The man that hath no music in himself,” wrote the poet, “is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils…
I don’t have to tell you that first impressions can make or break a restaurant. How many times have you been treated to haphazard service, long waits or so-so food on your initial visit to an eatery? These are not things we forget. Bad first impressions can often turn into…
Double Trouble: The Valley’s incredible growth has tempted lots of restaurant owners to try to boost their profits by opening second branches of their successful restaurants. It’s a risky proposition, as at least three proprietors have discovered in the past fewmonths. The operators of Indian Delhi Palace (original restaurant: 5050…
Sinbad, 1731 West Baseline, Mesa, 730-9964. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Monday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 9p.m.; Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. The Middle East and Mesa have a surprising amount in common. Geographically, the two areas share the…
Wrigley Mansion Club, 2501 East Telawa Trail, Phoenix, 955-4079. Sunday brunch: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A deluxe European vacation? Private schools for the kids? Fancy digs in a pricey community? Unless you’re a bankrupt governor, you probably can’t afford these things. But working stiffs who pay their debts can…
Order in the Court: Eating out is the national pastime. But suing runs a close second. And more and more people are taking restaurants to court, especially since a woman who carelessly spilled McDonald’s hot coffee onto her lap was awarded $2.9 million (later reduced to $680,000). Ponder these recent…
New Eats: We don’t need census takers to tell us the Phoenix population is exploding. Just check out all the new restaurant openings. The places below either recently opened their doors or are about to begin business. Razz’s: The former chef de cuisine at Different Pointe of View, Erasmo Kamnitzer,…
Cafe Patou, Papago Plaza, 7049 East McDowell, Scottsdale, 423-1700. Hours: Lunch, Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Dinner, Monday through Saturday, 5:30 to 10 p.m. Next Thursday, Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season. It’s the time of year to count our blessings and remember those who are less…
Le Gourmand, 12345 West Indian School, Litchfield Park, 935-1515. Hours: Dinner, Tuesday through Sunday, 5 to 9 p.m. There are many reasons to venture out to thefar west Valley. You can visit grandma and grandpa in Sun City. You can get your kicks driving mile after mile in the left…
Small Talk: There’s been a lot of discussion recently about sealing off Arizona’s border. Those in favor of strict frontier controls argue that the state is being flooded with people who don’t share our work habits, customs and values, who threaten our quality of life. If the alien wave isn’t…
Shannon Alexander’s, 4855 East Warner, Phoenix, 8936525. Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Monday through Thursday, 11a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11a.m. to midnight; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10p.m. My friends know I like to be hospitable. If my pals are hungry, they know they can come over and eat…
Chocolate Heaven: Along with power, sex and notoriety, nothing feeds more imaginations than chocolate. For some complex physiological reasons, eating chocolate generates an incredible sense of satisfaction and well-being. I speak from experience, because I just came back from one of the most mesmerizing shops in the Valley: Pee-Wee’s Imports…
Sebastian’s, 1926 West Deer Valley Road, Phoenix, 516-0718. Hours: Lunch, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m. It shouldn’t take an MBA from Harvard to see that launching a steak house in New Delhi isn’t a sound investment strategy. Savvy entrepreneurs…
Hunger in the Night: I got a call from a reader who doesn’t get off work until well after 9 p.m. His problem: finding dinner somewhere besides a fast-food drive-through or coffee shop. “Everything’s closed up by 10 during the week,” he complained. “Can you find something for me?” It…
Running Wilder: The 120 miles between Phoenix and Tucson have to be the most uninteresting stretch of landscape in the state. The drive goes a lot more quickly, however, if you know a meal at Janos awaits you at the end of the road. This beautiful restaurant, set in a…
Thee Pitt’s “Again,” 14620 North Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, 996-PITT (7488). Hours: Lunch and Dinner, Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. For some men, it’s the flowery whiff of Chanel No. 5. For others, it’s…
How Green Is My Valley: Too bad Phoenix does not yet have a delicatessen support group, where deli-starved folks like me can find a sympathetic ear for their cravings. (“Hello, my name is Howard, and I love knishes.”) Another hugely disaffected set of Valley diners–vegetarians–is much better able to soothe…
Bomans New York Kosher Style Restaurant & Deli, 3731 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 9472934. Hours: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, 7:30 a.m. to 9p.m., seven days a week. Every time I spend a few days visiting friends and relatives in New York, I feel good about my long-ago decision to move…
