Since 2012 chef Jeff Kraus has been creating some of the Valley’s most imaginative cuisine at Crepe Bar in Tempe. Kraus fills the delicate pancakes with everything from local chorizo to apple coconut chutney to offer diners unique creations like the popular Papa K, which combines local ham, mushroom ragout,…
The number of food (and drink) festivals in this city has exploded in recent years. Phoenix is a bona fide food town. It’s exciting. It’s also daunting. If you’re a food lover, you’ve probably spent many weekends over the past few months stuffing your face with BBQ samples and dessert…
Considering that “joyride” is defined as “a fast and dangerous ride, especially one in a stolen vehicle,” it would make sense to assume that Joyride Taco House delivers a pretty exciting meal. Unfortunately that doesn’t exactly hold true, particularly when it comes to the menu of modern Mexican eats. The…
Justin Pfeilsticker, executive sous chef at ZuZu at Hotel Valley Ho, has an enviable garden. He has passion for taking care of his produce and uses unusual (and often discarded) parts of the plant in his dishes. Lucky for you, Pfeilsticker gave us a sneak peek into his garden and…
No, your eyes don’t deceive you. According to Jeff Benkel, one of the owners of The Arizona Bread Company in Scottsdale, the bakery is making and selling Karsh’s rye bread. “It’s the real deal,” Benkle says. “I’m really happy with it.” The Arizona Bread Company, on the northeast corner of…
We’ve got some good news for fans of Classic Italian Pizza, the restaurant owned by chef Azhar Began that closed its doors last year. The pizzeria was a staple in south Tempe, famous for its wood-fired pizzas made with housemade mozzarella. It closed in January 2013 when Began realized his…
Wingstock 2014 Saturday, April 19 The “hottest festival in the Valley” is going down Saturday at the Mesa Amphitheatre. At Wingstock Arizona 2014, Valley restaurants (including House of Brews in Gilbert and The Vine Tavern & Eatery in Tempe) will compete for the title of “Wingstock King of Wings.” Entertainment…
The Guilty Pleasure: Three certain pizza toppings. Where to Get It: Your favorite pizza joint. Take your pick. Price: How much does a three-topping pizza run at your favorite pizza joint? What It Really Costs: If your friends aren’t open-minded, nobody’s splitting this pie with you. Everyone has his or…
If you’ve got a bit of room in your yard and a hose or water source, you can compost and possibly save hundreds of dollars a year on soil and garden soil enhancers. “Composting is a pretty easy sell to anyone who is actively gardening. If someone is spending money…
There are plenty of reasons for hungry or thirsty shoppers to stop by Union at Biltmore Fashion Park these days. For one, there’s Short Leash Short Lease, the months-long pop-up from local food truck Short Leash Hot Dogs. Plus, there’s Juicd Life, the relatively new juice bar that serves cold-pressed…
We love all our local food trucks, but when it comes to fresh seafood options of the mobile variety, there’s really nothing better than the Maine Lobster Lady. The only problem? She skips town when things get hot (smart woman) and therefore cuts off our supply of super-fresh lobster rolls…
Remember when salt first started upstaging sugar during dessert, to the shock of mainstream diners everywhere? (Sea salt on chocolate chip cookies? Shut the front door!) These days you’d be hard pressed to find a hip restaurant that doesn’t give salt top billing on at least one post-dinner dish; what…
There must be something in the air this month because in just the last few weeks we’ve had to say goodbye to quite a few classic Valley restaurants. The most recent casualty: La Fontanella, the more than three decades-old Italian restaurant that served solid, old-school Tuscan cuisine in the Arcadia…
Get excited, beer and cocktail lovers, because O.H.S.O. owner Jon Lane is getting ready to open a second location in Scottsdale within the next few months. Lane says the second O.H.S.O. will be at 15681 North Hayden Road in Scottsdale, inside a shopping center located south of Frank Lloyd Wright…
For four years The House at Secret Garden has been a destination for romantic patio dining, a go-to spot to impress out-of-towners with the restaurant’s uniquely Arizonan cuisine. Unfortunately as of Saturday, April 12 that is no longer the case…
This week starts with some sad news for fans of chef David Antonelli and his Scottsdale restaurant The Brooklyn Cafe. According to an announcement on the restaurant’s Facebook page, Antonelli has sold the business. The bright side is you still have a chance to get one last meal in since…
March Madness might be over, but Chow Bella’s Ultimate Battle of the Ramen is just heating up. We pitted two first round winners against each other to see who will proceed to the finals. In this crosstown match, Hana Japanese Eatery takes on Republic Ramen…
“Joyride” is a curious name for a restaurant, given that it is defined as “a fast and dangerous ride, especially one in a stolen vehicle.” And when you account for the fact that Joyride Taco House is the latest venture from Upward Projects, the team behind Postino, Federal Pizza, Windsor,…
The Scottsdale Culinary Festival’s Eat, Drink, and Be Pretty fête is arguably more about seeing and being seen than it is about eating — Be Pretty, Drink, and Eat might be a more apropos name. It’s the sort of event that doesn’t favor any foods too messy or cumbersome; if…
America’s favorite restaurant owners Amy and Samy Bouzalgo of Amy’s Baking Company in Scottsdale will once again face off with Gordon Ramsay on tonight’s season six premiere of Kitchen Nightmares. The two-hour episode will air from 7 to 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox, featuring “never-before-seen footage” and “an exclusive interview…
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When it comes to hidden gems, Alzohour Market is about as good as it gets. Located just west of the I-17 off Northern, this Middle Eastern and Moroccan grocery/clothing store greets customers with a a few rows of shelves stocked rather haphazardly with chocolates, canned goods, and spices. And if…
