Want your favorite local chef, restaurant, or dessert to get some much deserved recognition? Then you might want get to clicking, because nominations for the Arizona Restaurant Association’s annual Foodist Awards are open now. The awards will recognize winners in 13 categories and look to showcase “the most amazing tastes,…
In the years before the Metro Light Rail became a fixture in downtown Phoenix, before Cityscape and other high-rise projects began to reshape the city skyline, charting the downtown food scene was not exactly a formidable task. In those days, the roster of downtown dining options amounted to not much…
Like poke? No, we’re not talking about the creepy flirting tool Facebook created a few years ago. We’re talking about poke, the Hawaiian raw fish salad. (And it’s pronounced “pok-eh,” in case you were wondering.) Well, if the answer is yes, then we’ve got some good news. California-based restaurant…
The Guilty Pleasure: Hangover Fries Where to Get It: RnR Restaurant & Bar Price: $9.00 What it Really Costs: The unavoidable feeling of self-loathing that comes after you have turned your stomach into a temporary human grease trap. Old-school drinking lore suggests that, after a night of too many beers and cocktails, the…
Heads up, Aussie expats. A new bakery and restaurant is opening soon in Scottsdale, and its owners hope to bring traditional Australian eats to the Valley including meat pies, pasties, and more. Called The Great Australian Bakery, the new restaurant is located at 7217 East Main Street in Scottsdale, right…
An interest in visual art led Tony Chanthavong first to a career in radiology, and now to ice shaving. Seems unlikely, but it’s hard to argue with the success of Snoh, one of the Valley’s most popular dessert destinations. Founded and operated by owner Chanthavong, Snoh offers a variety of…
From the popular French Grocery to a golf club in Sun City to a popular spot for tortas, a handful of local food outlets violated the county’s health code last month. And the violations themselves ran the gamut, too, from hand washing problems to temperature issues and more. Check our…
New York Times dining critic Pete Wells caused quite a stir at the beginning of the year when he wrote a scathing review of Thomas Keller’s New York City fine dining institution, Per Se. Wells did not mince words. He described one dish as “appealing as bong water.” But more…
West Valley residents, Chompie’s is coming for you. Yesterday, the local restaurant company announced plans to open a fifth location in the Arrowhead Towne Center, 7700 West Arrowhead Towne Center, later this spring. The first Chompie’s restaurant, known for serving New York-style deli fare, opened at 32nd Street and Shea Boulevard 37…
Where: Ocean Blue When: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday Dish: Brown Stewed Chicken Price: $9.99 The Setting: Ocean Blue in Chandler is a surprise of a Caribbean restaurant. Featuring Jamaican favorites like ackee and…
Next month the Valley will gain 100,000-square-feet culinary shopping ground when the AZ International Marketplace opens its doors to the public. The gigantic grocery store, located at 1920 West Broadway Road in Mesa, comes from the same owners at Mekong Plaza, the Asian-centric market that opened seven years ago on the…
Earlier this year the owners of Central Bistro, the New American eatery located at 3160 East Camelback Road, sold the restaurant to a new group of owners that includes one of the Valley’s top chefs. Former owner Osio Culinary Group sold the restaurant on January 21, and it has been under…
When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out — and let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that…
Is there any dish more indulgent and seductively rich than a well-made Indian curry, lavished with enough ghee and spice that a bowl of lentils or cauliflower or spinach mysteriously turns into a full-blown gustatory revelation? The traditional cuisine of north India, where layer upon layer of butter and fresh…
The Guilty Pleasure: Booze Burger Where to Get It: Paradise Valley Burger Company Price: $9 What it Really Costs: A food hangover, whose symptoms may include bloating, lethargy, and a compulsive need to count the hours until your next “cheat” day. If you ask food aficionados in North Phoenix where to find a solid…
As of last month, BlueFire Grill at the Hilton Scottsdale Resort has a new look and new executive chef. Chef Patrick Doyle has already introduced a “Southwestern-inspired menu” at the newly remodeled restaurant, 6333 North Scottsdale Road, on Scottsdale Road just south of Lincoln Drive. Doyle’s new menu includes focuses…
Metro Phoenix, it’s been quite a month for restaurant closings. In February, we said goodbye to La Perla in Glendale, a Short Leash Hot Dogs location in Central Phoenix, and Stingray Sushi at Scottsdale Quarter. But February was also a good month for gourmet heavyweights, especially of the burger persuasion,…
For more than a decade, chef Kevin Binkley’s namesake restaurant has been the pinnacle of destination dining in metro Phoenix. With ever-changing, multi-course menus that tend to be as dramatic as they are unforgettably delicious, the chef’s earned nearly a dozen James Beard award nominations for his work at the…
When James Beard Award-winning chef Christopher Gross welcomed us into his home kitchen, we were handed a mug of hot coffee and instantly felt at ease. Gross, chef and owner of Christopher’s and Crush Lounge, is no stranger to hospitality and has designed his home to receive and entertain a…
When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out — and let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that…
For the past three years, the Great Pho King food truck has been a roving source for both traditional and fusion Vietnamese fare, including bowls of noodle soup, pot stickers, and banh mi burritos. Started by owner Mike Baum and chef Eddie Pham, the truck’s become a familiar sight at food…
Every bowl of noodles served at Mesa’s Nan Zhou Noodle House passes through the hands of chef Li Bao Jiang. The restaurant, which opened about a year ago at 111 South Dobson Road, specializes in Lanzhou-style lamian, or noodles made by stretching and pulling dough by hand. According to the restaurant’s…
