By Jess Harter
By Jess Harter
By Jess Harter
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🍝 Since opening Dec. 12 at Mesa Riverview, Fazoli’s has been smashing records – including biggest first-day and first-week sales – for the 36-year-old fast-casual chain that has more than 200 locations nationwide. What’s next? It’s the Valley’s first free-standing
🇻🇳 La Sen Vietnamese Cuisine opens today in the former modern American gastropub Double Dutch Kitchen & Cocktails space on the northeast corner of Dobson and Germann in south Chandler. The building’s original occupant was Thai restaurant Chao from 2013-14,
Thundercat Lounge, a 1980s- and ’90s-inspired dance club from the creators of the Thunderbird Lounge, opens today on the southeast corner of Van Buren and Ninth Avenue in downtown Phoenix. What clubgoers will find in the refurbished Art Deco building
☕️ Oregon-based Black Rock Coffee Bar will open its second Queen Creek location at 5 a.m. Friday on the northeast corner of Signal Butte and Ocotillo. Per the chain’s tradition, the new location will offer $2 medium drinks all day Friday,
🍷 The Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix hosts Festivin 2024 – its fourth annual celebration of wine and food featuring classes, demonstrations, dinners, and more – Thursday through Sunday. The highlight of the weekend is the Grand Tasting from 3-7 p.m.
🍔 Ohio-based White Castle announced it will build its third Arizona restaurant on the northwest corner of I-10 and Bullard in Goodyear. The iconic fast-food chain made its Arizona debut in Scottsdale in 2019 and added a south Tempe location
🍺 The third annual Copper State Beer Festival will feature ales from more than 70 breweries from 2-5 p.m. Saturday at Riverview Park in northwest Mesa. Beside beers, there will be ciders, meads, seltzers, wines, and spirits. Other attractions: Two
I’m sorry to be the bearer of sad news for the second morning in a row. Romeo Taus, longtime East Valley chef and owner of Romeo’s Euro Cafe in downtown Gilbert, died Monday after a brief battle with brain cancer.
🔪 Valley chefs Matt Jordan and Gio Osso will face off tonight on the Food Network’s “SuperChef Grudge Match” with the winner getting the loser’s favorite knife and $10,000. Jordan (left) is a corporate chef for Nestle Professional. Osso (right)
🍹 Aaron and Jared Pool, the founders of Gadzooks Enchiladas & Soup, have launched a new concept in downtown Phoenix. Hugo’s, an Ibiza-inspired cantina, has soft-opened in the 1930s-era building formerly home to Sin Muerte, which closed in August, on
Jai Thai has opened in the former King Red Crawfish & Pho space on the southeast corner of Bell and 99th Avenue in Sun City. Signature dishes include Seafood Crispy Noodle, Massaman Stew Beef, and Choo Chee Salmon Curry. (Pictured:
I’m sad to report the Valley’s food and beverage community has lost another beloved member. Jared Flowers, a restaurant consultant from Gilbert, unexpectedly died in his sleep Thursday night. He was just 45. A former chef and general manager, Flowers
• Copper State Beer Festival: Jan. 13 at Riverview Park in Mesa. • A Taste of AZ Festival: Jan. 27 at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale. • Southwest Cajun Festival: Feb. 3 at Dr. AJ Chandler Park in Chandler. •
🍕 Gio’s Chicago Pizza, a strip-mall eatery specializing in a variety of Windy City favorites, has opened on the northwest corner of Peoria and 43rd Avenue in Glendale. Tavern-style pizzas come in 14- and 16-inch sizes and include the Gio’s
🛑 BS West, a popular Old Town Scottsdale gay bar that opened in 1988, will close permanently Sunday night, the venue announced on social media. ‘‘Although we have enjoyed serving the LGBTQ+ and allied community for over three decades, the
🥩 Kasai, a Japanese steakhouse and teppanyaki restaurant in north Scottsdale, has expanded with a second location at Park West on the northeast corner of Northern and 99th Avenue in Peoria. In addition to steaks and seafood, the steakhouse menu
🌯 Someburros, a Chandler-based chain of fast-casual Mexican restaurants, has opened its 15th location on the northwest corner of Jomax and Norterra Parkway in north Phoenix. The menu offers 15 burritos – including its best-selling Pollo Fundido – as well
🌮 Taco Papi, a fast-casual Mexican restaurant with some global influences, has opened on the northeast corner of Northsight and Raintree in north Scottsdale. Besides traditional tacos, burros, and quesadillas, the menu will offer some unusual options – such as
🍺🇲🇽 Buqui Bichi Brewery, a Mexican craft brewery based in Hermosillo, Sonora, has opened its second Valley taproom on the southeast corner of Van Buren and First Avenue in downtown Phoenix. Founded in 2016, Buqui Bichi was named the country’s
🥖 Cheba Hut, a national chain of cannabis-themed sub shops that began in Tempe, has opened its seventh Valley location on the northeast corner of Tatum and Shea in Scottsdale. The menu offers a variety of ‘‘toasted’’ subs with tongue-in-cheek
