Wine? Did somebody say wine? If your ears perk up at the sound of a cork popping out of a bottle, then this weekend’s First Press events are for you. Friday night kicks off with the First Press Grand Tasting at the Hotel Valley Ho, presented by National Bank of…
When most chefs were graduating culinary school, Tommy V’s Osteria Pizzeria’s Matt Alleshouse was already cooking up delicacies at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa. The 29-year-old, currently the head chef at the newly opened Tommy V’s, has been in the Valley for more than 10 years. He got his start as an…
No, you’re not experiencing deja vu. The Tempe outpost of Regions Bistro — which originally opened at 6th Street and Mill a little over seven months ago, and then closed unexpectedly in early June — is back in business under new ownership. Regions’ Scottsdale location, on Shea Boulvard, reopened in August…
Just chatted with chef Johnny Chu of Sens, and he’s excited about a special event he’s hosting next week, on Monday the 16th. He says 100 percent of the proceeds from the night’s dinner service (5 to 10 p.m.) will be donated to Free Arts of Arizona, a non-profit organization that…
[jump] Favorite local restaurant: Can’t answer just one…for a quick bite I love Otto’s in Tempe. I get the calzone (no meat). If I’m grabbing a yuppie sandwich and dessert, then La Grande Orange in Arcadia. If I’m hungover then the protein pancakes at US Egg. For bar food, I hit…
How is it November and still so nice out? Recently, I used the balmy nights as an excuse to take two pals to Petite Maison in Scottsdale. Neither had been there yet, and I got them hungry for French nibbles and wine. We sat out on the patio by the fireplace,…
A week ago, chef Payton Curry wasted no time in rolling out a totally revamped menu at Tempe’s Caffe Boa, where he just started working a couple weeks ago. Now he’s already getting into the swing of special events, with the first of many locavore wine dinners to come. On Thursday, November…
Certain ingredients always tempt me to order a certain way, but sometimes it’s just pure curiosity that makes me order a dish. The brunch menu at Fez, available Saturdays and Sundays, has an omelette called “The Best Egg White Omelette You’ll Ever Have,” and as soon as I saw it,…
A little bit of buzz was starting to brew about Scottsdale’s Metro Brasserie, whose executive chef, Matt Taylor, recently left town to work for Michael Mina in Las Vegas. Why hadn’t they announced his replacement? What’s going on over there? Apparently, they were just taking their time filling Taylor’s kitchen…
Just a quick reminder that Welcome Diner has special hours for First Friday. They’ll be serving food from 6 p.m. to midnight. Specials on the menu include watermelon from Crooked Sky Farms and eggplant from Maya’s Farm. If you’re down wandering around Roosevelt Row, hit up Rusty Spoke bike co-op…
It’s a coffee Renaissance in downtown. Just got the lowdown from the guys at Tempe’s Cartel Coffee Lab that they’re opening a second location in the heart of Downtown, at 1st Street and Washington (right across the street from the new CityScape development). The timing is hazy, because they have some construction…
Whoopie pies are back! This classic dessert has resurfaced in grocery stores and restaurants across the nation, even being named a dessert trend to watch by the NY Times earlier this year. So what the heck is a whoopie pie? It’s basically creamy white frosting sandwiched between two round, cake-like chocolate cookies. Whoopie pies…
Like many local food fanatics, I’ve had mixed feelings about Yelp. And I still do. Some of the most venomous restaurant reviews, posted by users with no prior history on the site, come across as blatant trash-talking by competitors, while some of the blow-jobbish raves also seem like thinly veiled posts by a…
Weird! You know I’m obsessed with neat old houses, so imagine how my jaw dropped when Sutra Midtown owner Matt Fritz told me that as he was expanding into the other side of the old factory building that houses his yoga studio — and will soon house a juice bar — he…
Earlier this week, LON’s at the Hermosa announced that acclaimed executive chef Michael Rusconi is leaving the fine dining restaurant at the Hermosa Inn. Where is Rusconi headed? Will the restaurant continue with Rusconi’s emphasis on seasonal cuisine that emphasizes sustainable ingredients? Will the next chef at LON’s be recruited from elsewhere or from…
In their weekly wine newsletter, Roger Carpenter and Phil Roberts announced that they’re leaving their current Chandler digs in December and moving their Aussie-themed restaurant, DownUnder Wines & Bistro, to an expanded space in Gilbert (1422 W. Warner, northeast corner at McQueen)…
The Valley’s got steakhouses galore and burger joints in every direction, but if you’re looking for vegetarian food — whether you don’t eat meat or you just like to mix things up — it can be an exhaustive search. So how is it that Chandler has two very tasty, completely…
Local newcomer St. Francis just got some sweet national coverage in Food + Wine’s blog. It’s always great for the local restaurant scene when a Valley restaurant gets these kinds of props, and I’m definitely happy to see chef Aaron Chamberlin get the attention for his labor of love. But I’m still…
After the extended Halloween weekend hangover — chock full of too many S’Mores, wine, asskickingly strong microbrews, nachos, and various fried things — something light sounded appealing. I’m so lacking in vitamins these days. So I immediately thought of Sapna Cafe…
There’s no doubt that Joe’s Farm Grill is already a southeast Valley destination. Owner Joe Johnston converted his old family farmhouse into a Jetson-worthy burger joint, and the relaxing setting is a welcome reprieve from the city. But a free hamburger? That’s even more reason to visit. Head out today,…
Don’t be surprised if you see a familiar, affable face and shiny chrome dome at a local restaurant sometime in the near future. Travel Channel star Andrew Zimmern was scheduled to land in Arizona with his crew this week, filming a new episode of Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre World. He’ll be…
Running a restaurant is a lot like entertaining guests at home for chef David Traina, our Chef Chat subject for this week. He keeps the dishes on the menu simple with ingredients he knows and loves.Several of the dishes at Liberty Market are things Traina would serve right out of…
