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👨🍳 Sainte Victoire and Tortellini Gianni will be the entrees when Romeo’s Euro Cafe in downtown Gilbert holds its weekly ‘‘Taste of Romeo’s’’ dinner at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
The dinners, held in a private dining room, feature five courses selected from the restaurant’s regular menu.
This week’s courses
Broccoli Melts: Cheddar cheese and fresh broccoli, breaded and fried. Served with homemade ranch dressing.
Broiled Chicken Salad: Chicken breast, artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper, black olives, green onions, and walnuts tossed in lemon mustard vinaigrette over mixed greens.
Sainte Victoire: Broiled chicken topped with kasseri cheese and a raspberry-honey-Dijon sauce. Served with sautéed vegetables.
Tortellini Gianni (pictured): Italian sausage, cheese filled tortellini, scallions, fresh garlic, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes in Marsala cream sauce.
Chocolate Bread Pudding
Cost is $44 per person plus tax and tip. You can add five wine tastes for $10. RSVP: 480-962-4224.
🚫 The Merkin Vineyards tasting room, a spinoff of the Verde Valley winery owned by rocker Maynard James Keenan and his partners, has closed on the northeast corner of Stetson and Sixth Avenue in Old Town Scottsdale.
The 75-seat tasting room took over the original FnB space in April 2019 and focused on food and drink produced in Arizona, including wines from Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus Cellars, also owned by Keenan.
🚫 Pasta Joint, a locally owned concept offering pasta, garlic bread, and meatball subs to go (similar to the better known By the Bucket), is closing after one year on the northwest corner of Higley and Queen Creek in southeast Gilbert.
‘‘While serving this community has been a great joy, we have realized that owning a restaurant does not align with our passions,’’ the owners posted on social media. ‘‘We are choosing to put family first and create a life of sustainability.’’
The eatery’s last day will be Friday – unless it runs out of supplies earlier.
🐝 House of Honey, a family-run beekeeping business offering raw unfiltered honey, has opened the House of Honey Cafe on the southwest corner of Union Hills and 91st Avenue in Peoria.
A variety of coffee drinks includes four signature beverages: the best-selling HH HoneyLatte, Cinnamon Honey Latte, Coconut White Mocha, and Honey Cold Foam.
There also are pastries from local bakery and sandwiches. And, of course, you can buy honey.
If you go
📌 House of Honey Cafe, 9163 W. Union Hills Drive #116, Peoria, 623-296-4538. Open 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday and 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sundays.
🚧 Industry Standard, a new neighborhood concept from Scapegoat Beer & Wine owner Mike Cheathem, will take over the soon-to-be-vacated Carly’s Bistro space on the northwest corner of Roosevelt and Second Street in downtown Phoenix.
Carly’s Bistro announced last month it will close May 3 after 20 years in business.
Unlike Old Town Scottsdale’s Scapegoat, which only offers 10 small plates, Industry Standard will have an expanded, yet-to-be-determined food menu and a full bar.
🍸 The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation has announced the first round of nominees for its 2024 Spirited Awards, one the the highest honors in the bar business.
Five Phoenix bars made U.S. West regional lists of top 10 nominees:
