It was after a game of poker with some friends that it happened. A remaining bowl of cheese puffs sat, ignored, on the counter. The bet was $12 to finish the entire bowl in 5 minutes. The time started and I shoved fistfuls of cheese puffs into my mouth and…
Rumors have been floating around for a couple of months that chef/restaurateur Aaron May would be opening another location of his breakfast spot, Over Easy. Indeed, it’s true — and it’ll be happening later this month at North Scottsdale’s Ice Den skating complex, reports the Trib today. Details aren’t confirmed about…
Restaurant owners Martin and David Antonelli are getting ready to reopen Voltaire next week, on September 10, after their annual summer break. The traditional French restaurant, located in Scottsdale, is one of a handful of local eateries that close down for extended vacations during the hottest — and slowest — time…
Is this lucky seven? The seventh location of Zipps Sports Grill just opened on Tuesday at 3647 E. Indian School Rd., in the space very briefly occupied by Corona Cantina. For sports fans, this means 27 flat screen TVs for watching the game. For everyone else, it’s just good burgers,…
Our favorite place to get fed and caffeinated between classes is probably eJoy Internet Café off Mill Avenue and 7th Street. Now that eJoy is finally out of its creepy gamer phase and under new management, it is better than ever. The back room, full of unused computers, has been…
I hadn’t really given much thought to reviewing The Lodge, a ski lodge-themed American restaurant/watering hole in Old Town Scottsdale, until a new signature menu item was unveiled a few months back. It’s called the Sasquatch Burger, and it’s as gargantuan as the name implies. When I posted a blog…
Change is afoot at Welcome Diner on Roosevelt downtown. The rumors started last week with this mysterious status update on the Roosevelt Row Facebook page:”Eating lunch at Welcome Diner. Show them some love while you still can.”Phoenix foodies enamored with the blink-and-you’ll-miss it space started freaking out, wondering whether Welcome…
Drip Coffee Lounge vs. Tammie Coe Cakes & MJ BreadA reader suggested we compare breakfast sammies and we were more than delighted to oblige. That’s how we ended up spending Sunday morning flitting between two popular downtown Phoenix eateries. It was an ideal time to scope out the breakfast sandwich…
Not quite two weeks old, Scottsdale’s Petite Maison is adding brunch service to its repertoire this weekend. Until now, chef James Porter has been sticking to nightly dinner at his new French country bistro. For the Labor Day holiday, he’ll be serving quiche, beignets, poached eggs with housemade boudin blanc, saumon…
Love Food Network’s combat cookery shows? In this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, find out which upcoming competition will be hosted by Iron Chef America winner Mark Tarbell of Tarbell’s Restaurant, and which two local chefs will battle it out in the kitchen. We’ve also got the word on a trendy new…
It’s only been open two months, but Sunnyslope’s Central Grille is already undergoing a menu overhaul — and an upgrade, from the sounds of it. Executive chef Bruce Griffin III, who took the helm in the kitchen last week, is the former sous chef at the AAA Five Diamond dining destination…
You’re working late. You’re partying late. You’ve had too much to drink and you need to soak up the booze in your belly. Or maybe your idea of a midnight snack is more elaborate than those leftovers in your fridge. Where to go? Good question — the Valley could stand…
Downtown Tempe is getting in on the local farmers market scene with its own weekly event starting this week — just in time for ASU students to stock their tiny dorm room fridges with goodies from the farm. The Market on Mill debuts Thursday, September 3, presented by the Downtown Tempe…
The folks behind the The Downtown Phoenix Public Market Urban Grocery & Wine Bar set their sights pretty high, and they plan on being more than a grocery store. It will be a permanent home to the farmers market, as well as a coffee shop, wine bar, and community kitchen…
Another week has come and gone leaving us to ponder the upcoming events that will shape our lives and, more importantly, our dinners out. But before we move on, let’s have one last look at the blog posts from this week: Caffiend: Conspire’s Chai Latte Opening This Week: Two Hippies…
Get out your calendars, folks. And your credit cards. You’ve paid your dues through the most boooring part of summer, and now you can finally treat yourselves with tickets or reservations for some exciting culinary events coming up in the next month or so. It’s just the beginning of the…
If you’ve driven past Sonora Brewhouse sometime in the last month, you might’ve noticed a different name on the sign for the brewpub. Now it goes by SunUp Brewing Co. But if you’re a fan of this cozy little hangout — where you can chow down on really good burgers…
In just under five years, the Downtown Phoenix Public Market has gone from a small, plucky farmers market to a bustling, thriving food event open two days week. Saturdays at the market are so popular that they’ve spilled into the street. This fall, the market will get even bigger, with…
When we first heard that this week’s cafe column was about a pizzeria in a former beauty parlor, we could help but let our imaginations run wild. What if we could get a hair cut, beard trim, and maybe even a post-shampoo scalp massage while gorging ourselves on slice after…
It makes sense that the brand-new Total Wine store in Tempe is right next to IKEA. They’re both the kind of places where you could lose yourself wandering the aisles, browsing an overwhelming variety of products, and imagining all the possibilities. In the case of Total Wine, you can end…
After seven years in business, Old Town Scottsdale comfort food favorite Fusion has closed its doors. Owner Matt Long says he decided to quietly close in early July, blaming the opening of the W Scottsdale — and with it, fewer area parking spaces — for a decline in business. People don’t…
The Brownie Connection vs. Udder DelightsThere are hundreds of places to eat ice cream in the Phoenix area, but this week’s foodie smackdown is centered on the East Valley. We visit two cutesy spots in Gilbert that are just two miles apart from each other and compare the way they…
