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🍝 Big pasta energy has arrived at the W Scottsdale. Opening today, Sexy Roman is the Valley’s newest go-to for handmade Italian eats, serious cocktails, and that ‘‘I just got back from Italy but make it spicy’’ vibe.
Think luxe interiors, velvet everything, and a ceiling that changes color as the night heats up. James Beard-nominated chef Jason Franey is running the show, so you know it’s going to slap.
On the menu? Housemade pastas, crudo, seafood towers, and dishes that flirt with your taste buds – plus a hidden button at your table that summons a cocktail cart. Yep, that’s a thing.
Start with a gold-flaked espresso martini. Stay for the tiramisu. And bring your appetite.
Open 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 6 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and 6 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sunday.
CRUjiente Tacos reaches end of road
🌮 Time has run out for CRUjiente Tacos. Despite a one-month reprieve, the award-winning Arcadia taqueria couldn’t reach a new lease agreement and has shut its doors..
Chef and co-owner Richard Hinojosa’s tacos twice were named grand champions of the Arizona Taco Festival and were featured on the Food Network’s ‘‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” last year.
‘‘Hopefully, this is not the end of our story,’’ the eatery posted on social media. Let’s hope not.
Pride Month cocktails, slider contest & more
🏳️🌈 32 Shea in Phoenix is celebrating Pride Month with two themed cocktails – First Brick (Sentinel Rye, sweet vermouth, cherry liqueur and a touch of Borghetti) and Friend of Dorothy (Gray Whale gin, triple sec, raspberry and grapefruit liqueurs, and lime juice with a pink rock candy sucker).
🍔 Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers will hold its third annual Summer Slider Eating Contest at all 18 of its locations Saturday, June 21. Winners who scarf down 20 sliders the fastest will face off July 4 at WestWorld in Scottsdale. You get a $25 gift card and free T-shirt just for entering. Sign up here.
☕️ Phoenix-based Press Coffee has appointed Paul Oberg as its latest head roaster. Oberg, who began has career on a Guatemalan coffee farm in 2012, will oversee coffee bean sourcing and the release of new coffees for Press, which has 18 Valley locations.
MXSW’s daily newsletter is free, but you get access to additional dining guides and previews with an MXSW Insider membership for less than $5 per month. Learn how to become an Insider here.
140+ new restaurants opening in Valley
🚧 Despite the current economic turmoil, MXSW’s ongoing list of upcoming Valley restaurants, bars, and breweries has swelled to more than 140 places. MXSW Insiders can find it here.
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