Are you watching Top Chef? (No spoiler in this blog, fyi…) I thought the latest challenge — the one where the chefs got to eat at Le Bernardin, then had to figure out how to recreate the dishes themselves — was the best one yet. I bet the contestants were…
Whether you love or hate Valentine’s Day, you can soothe your heart and soul at Downtown Phoenix Public Market and grab a couple of nifty presents while you’re at it. Many vendors also sell their goods at local stores, online, or at more than one Valley farmers’ market, so check the…
Please excuse our absence. Gross Out got food poisoning and was out of commission for a while. But we’re back! And this time with news of the “No Award” given last month by county restaurant inspectors to Urban Campfire, the Tempe restaurant in the spot that once housed Greasy Tony’s…
I’m so sick of hearing about the recession. Aren’t you? There’s got to be a bright spot in the midst of dark economic times, and for me, it’s the way folks are starting to get in touch with their inner bargain-hunters, being pickier about how they spend their hard-earned dough…
Last year at this time, it seemed like Korean-style tangy frozen yogurt, in the vein of California’s popular Pinkberry chain, was destined to overtake gelato as the frozen trendy dessert du jour. But did it get too big for its britches? I just heard Ice Tango closed its north Scottsdale…
It seems like every product on the market nowadays has to make a nod toward either being “green” or being healthy, so it is that we get the new Cherry 7Up with antioxidants. Now, if you live in Arizona you probably don’t suffer from a shortage of vitamin E, the…
89! I hear this is the best score ever given to an Arizona wine (Callaghan’s 2001 Syrah scored the same). Not bad for a debut label, huh? Wine Spectator rated Arizona Stronghold’s Nachise in a recent Super Bowl feature where the editors rounded up 22 top wines (a la 22…
Riding on the wave of popularity that local farmers markets are having these days, two sister eateries in central Phoenix, Switch and Ticoz, just started hosting weekly parking lot farmers markets of their own last weekend. According to employees at both restaurants, the markets feature vegetables, flowers, jam and salsa, baked…
I don’t know what it was about this past Christmas, but for some reason, I found it a whole lot easier to get out my checkbook and send some dough to local non-profits than to slog through the list of presents I had to buy. And seriously, right after I read…
One fish, two fish, red fish–yellow fish? With so many choices of sushi available it can be difficult picking out the perfect appetizer to start a course; but Sakana Sushi & Grill ( 20250 N. 59th Avenue, Glendale. 623-566-3595) makes it simple by offering Hamachi Kama, an all around crowd pleaser…
Growing up in rural Arizona, certain events were anticipated because they were known to be accompanied by a homemade Navajo taco. From Christmas parades to corn festivals, eating a Navajo taco meant sampling Arizona street food at its best. But finding a Navajo taco in the Valley?…not always so easy. Sacred…
My mom and my Grandma Laudig get top credit for shaping my attitudes about food, but Brian Preston-Campbell probably deserves the bronze medal. I’ve known the guy since I was a high schooler and he was a C.I.A. student. He introduced me to pho, tasting menus, smoked mozzarella, and expensive…
Sideways may have been a fictional tale, but the elusive and obsession-inducing qualities of Pinot Noir are completely true. Consider Siduri Wines, a winery that produces only Pinot Noir, all single-vineyard releases from its 20 vineyards in California and Oregon. Owners Adam and Diana Lee’s devotion to the grape has…
Now that Sens Asian Tapas & Sake Bar is up and running with its dinner service, chef-owner Johnny Chu has finally added lunch hours (11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Saturday) and a new wok menu. (***Update: Lunch starts Monday, February 9.) By “new,” I actually mean new to Sens,…
A brand-new spot called Second Line Creole Caribbean Cuisine just opened on Monday, in the place where Irie Jamaican Restaurant used to be before it moved up the street. Owner Duma Shange, a native of uptown New Orleans, tells me he makes “the best waffles in town, from scratch.” The…
Finding authentic Filipino eats in the West Valley is like finding a needle in a haystack. But for you, we’ll risk getting poked with a few false starts. Particularly if it means landing on a place like Casa Filipina Bakeshop and Restaurant (3531 W. Thunderbird Rd. Phoenix. 602-942-1258), where we…
The Cove Trattoria’s new location makes the name more appropriate than before. The new digs are tucked deep within the Scottsdale Seville Center, located at the corner of Scottsdale Road and Indian Bend Road. Keep heading toward the back and you’ll find it. Whether you’re a long time Cove cust…
Farmers market regulars know they need to show up bright and early to get the best pick o’ the veg — especially if Seacat Gardens is going to be there. Carl Seacat’s lovely heirloom veggies are always in demand at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market, but lately he’s been busy…
Try being a grump in the aisles of AJ’s when you come across a display for Bitch wine, an Australian grenache from the Barossa Valley. I spotted this last night, and got a laugh like I always do when I see some kind of cheeky wine label. (Seems like a lot…
Cookbook author Elizabeth Yarnell is a whiz with the dutch oven — to the point that she’s filled an entire cookbook with a globetrotting variety of healthful recipes that can be made in one pot. Even better, the dishes in Glorious One-Pot Meals take under half an hour to prep,…
The City of Glendale may grab attention for its big retail developments and the high-tech Cardinals stadium, but to me, the most appealing part doesn’t feel like a city at all. Instead, it’s got the close-knit charm of Main Street U.S.A. — a rare thing in this sprawling Valley of…
It seems like I’ve been hearing about it for months now: Noca’s mythical wagyu pastrami. Owner Eliot Wexler was busy tracking down wagyu brisket — definitely an unusual cut of the pricey, succulent Kobe beef — while chef Chris Curtiss was fine-tuning the ultimate recipe. Wexler was inspired by both the killer…
