Local fooditarians who keep a culinary Who’s Who in their heads surely remember Patrick Boll as the right hand man to James Beard Award-winner Robert McGrath at Roaring Fork in its heyday. Boll eventually left his longtime mentor to take chef gigs at Il Vinaio, El Chorro and the now…
Another busy month of openings and closings with a number of late month shockers like the closing of Nimbus Bistro and Sophie’s French Bistro. However, Phoenix also welcomed some interesting newcomers like a southern cooking food truck and a new brewing company. See Also: –October Openings and Closings…
This is part two of our interview with MJ Coe, the bread and butter behind MJ Bread and creative genius behind the wood-fired creations at Federal Pizza. To find out the weirdest thing that MJ ate (or rather, couldn’t eat) and where his hatred of Cupcake Wars stems from, check…
What kind of restaurant has dessert so insanely good that it gets its own storefront? Windsor/Churn, that’s what. It kind of feels like I’m cheating here because the whole premise of Dessert First is to test restaurants’ final courses, but when breaking the rules tastes so sweet, who the hell…
Don’t like to work out unless there’s a sweet reward at the end? Boy, do we have a mini-marathon for you. At the Hot Chocolate Race, participants in the 5k or 15k earn a steaming hot mug of delicious cocoa at the finish line. Thanks to scientific research, chocolate milk…
Gourmet-minded fans in the Valley now have one more reason to celebrate Gina Buskirk’s dedication to small batch, scratch-made goodies made with premium ingredients: Her shop, Gina’s Homemade, has been named a finalist in the 2013 Good Food Awards. See also: Gina’s Homemade Opens Shop in Northeast Scottsdale Established in…
“Ugly,” “loser,” and “moron” may not be the first words that come to mind as a way for a restaurant owner to speak to an unhappy customer, but Amy Bouzaglo chose to use them anyway. In 2010, the owner of Amy’s Baking Company in Scottsdale reacted to a negative, one-star…
Hey, what are you doing at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 12? Wrong answer. You’re heading downtown to Crescent Ballroom to hear some of the Valley’s best writers nosh on the holidays, in the form of “Eating Christmas” — our first-ever Christmas/Food mash-up. See also: -Tania Katan’s Gasoline-Soaked Thanksgiving You’ll…
M.J. Coe Tammie Coe Cakes and MJ Bread 610 E. Roosevelt St., No. 145 Phoenix, 85004 Federal Pizza 5210 N. Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85012 See Also: Aaron Chamberlin Dishes on (Not) Being a Celebrity Chef and the Hype Around St. Francis When It Opened Steven “Chops” Smith Dishes on…
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…
High-quality specialty oils and vinegars, gourmet herb mixes, and European ceramic dishware all in one place sounds like a gift-giving haven for food lovers. And conveniently enough, one is set to arrive in the Valley just in time for the holiday shopping season. See also: Olive Oil Boutique Opens on…
There’s no kitchen, no official signage (yet), and the long, industrial building with the green stripe probably won’t be winning any architectural awards, but there’s beer in them there walls, folks — Four Peaks beer. See also: Best Local Beer 2012 – Four Peaks Hop Knot This week, Four Peaks,…
Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Check out what’s on our plate. See also: – Hana Japanese Eatery Makes Travel + Leisure’s Best Sushi Restaurants in U.S. – Five Things to Eat and Drink Before the End of the World Christkindlmarkt: A…
For most of us, the phrase “Tom & Jerry” conjures two crazy cartoon characters, a cat and mouse who tortured each other in every fiendish way possible. But our grandparents probably remember Tom & Jerry as a frothy, warming alcoholic beverage similar to eggnog. See also: – Eleven Holiday Cocktails…
While a jumbo tub of hot buttered popcorn is one of our most frequently indulged guilty pleasures, we think a good movie deserves a little better company than junk food. Try out our movie and meal pairings for yourself or feel free to suggest one of your own favorites in…
See Also: -AndyTalk: Potato Pancakes Can Be Trendy… Really -AndyTalk: A Hard Cheese is Good to Find There’s something about the aroma of apples and spice. Even in sunny Arizona a cup of warm cider soothes the soul, calms the nerves, and welcomes guests in a wonderfully primal way. If…
For music fans, seeing a band before they become famous is pretty flippin’ cool. So why not hitch your wagon to a rising star of the culinary world as well? You may be able to find one at North Scottsdale’s Classic Cooking Academy. The non-profit culinary school, opened in 2006,…
If your resolution to eat healthier this year came early, or if you’re interested in supporting local farms, now is the time to join a CSA. Community Supported Agriculture gives you a convenient, direct way to get food from farms, typically in the form of weekly “shares.” It allows you…
Ah, the humble Brussels sprout. Not many of us grew up with fond memories of these little cabbage-like veggies. Often steamed and served with little regard for culinary design or artistry, the Brussels sprout has garnered plenty of negative attention for its naturally strong and sometimes bitter flavor, similar in…
The torta ahogada, or “drunken sandwich”, is the king of Mexican sandwiches. Mightier than the torta Cubano, or even the Mexico City-style pambazo, this symbolic sandwich of Guadalajara is a mammoth creature of meat, bread, and sauce that will leave its mark on your hands, your face, and most likely…
Geez, the culinary cupboard at the Arizona Biltmore is beginning to look a bit bare. Executive Chef Todd Sicolo flew the coop about a month ago to take Lee Hillson’s former position at the Royal Palms. Now executive sous chef Conor Favre is leaving the Biltmore to step into Michael…
You do not nibble at a torta ahogada. You go to battle with it. A symbolic dish of Guadalajara, the “drunken sandwich” is a monster of sorts — one mightier than the torta Cubano or even the Mexico City-style pambazo. It’s a mammoth creature of meat, bread, and sauce that…
