By Jess Harter
By Jess Harter
By Jess Harter
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🌮 Former food truck SALT Sea and Land Tacos, which served as the in-house kitchen at Tempe brewpub Catalyst Crafted Ales in 2024, has opened in its own brick-and-mortar location on the southeast corner of Sossaman and Guadalupe in southeast Mesa. The menu
🍸 After years of “coming soon” signs and anticipation, celebrity-backed 40 Love finally has opened in Old Town Scottsdale. The West Hollywood-born concept takes over the former Kelly’s at Southbridge on the southeast corner of Stetson and Sixth Avenue. Backed by high-profile names like
🎄 Holiday baklawa boxes are back at Pita Jungle. Made in-house, the classic Mediterranean dessert features crisp layers of phyllo dough finished with honey and pistachios. The six-piece boxes are available through December at participating Pita Jungle locations. Choose from walnut
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🍕 Streets of New York, a family-owned Italian chain that’s been around since 1976, opens its 14th Valley location today in the former Euro Cafe Pizza & Bar space on the northeast corner of Saguaro and El Lago in Fountain Hills. The restaurant,
🌮 Mexico City’s El Califa de Leon, the world’s only Michelin-starred taqueria, drew long lines for a series of pop-ups around the Valley last summer. Now it’s coming back. From Dec. 26-Jan. 11, chef Mario Hernández Alonso is teaming up with
🥩 Durant’s Steakhouse, one of the Valley’s most iconic restaurants, officially reopens today, welcoming diners back through its legendary back door and into a dining room steeped in red leather, low lighting, and decades of political deals, power lunches, and celebratory
☕️ Window Coffee Bar, which has two award-winning locations in Phoenix, has opened a third at The Beam five-story workspace on the northeast corner of Farmer and Fifth Street, just west of downtown Tempe. Window, named the No. 6 coffee spot
🍺 Congrats to Helluva Brewing, which celebrates its seven-year anniversary all day today on the northeast corner of McClintock and Ray in west Chandler. A pair of special barrel-aged beers – Mele Kalikimaka double porter and No Bolshevik Russian imperial stout
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🔥 Hecho Libre, a concept combining Mexico’s coastal vibrancy with the agricultural richness of the Sonoran Desert, has soft-opened at the newly renovated Kimpton Miralina Resort near the northwest corner of Scottsdale and Indian Bend in central Scottsdale. The resort, formerly
🚫 All three popular East Valley locations of Sakura Sushi have closed, but the local all-you-can-eat chain has not announced why or even whether the closures are permanent. Several people on social media reported seeing DHS agents shut down the restaurants in
🍷 Tickets now are on sale for the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort’s annual Celebrity Wine & Spirits Festival on Saturday, March 21, at the Scottsdale Civic Center. Scheduled to participate: former NBA player Tom Chambers (Bajaribba Tequila), ex-MLB player and manager Dusty Baker
🍦 Through Friday, any ASU grad who wears their cap and gown to Salt & Straw’s recently opened shop at Novus Place near the northwest corner of University and Rural in Tempe will get a free scoop of artisan ice
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’Tis the season for over-the-top décor, nostalgic cocktails, and bars that look like the inside of a Hallmark movie – if Hallmark also served Navy-strength rum. The Valley’s festive pop-up scene is stacked this year, and these spots likely will
👍 Wow! More than 6,000 Mouth by Southwest newsletter subscribers took time to share their thoughts in last week’s reader survey, and I can’t thank you enough. Your feedback offered clear direction on what’s working, what could be sharper, and
Sorry! While most of MouthBySouthwest.com is free to read, MXSW Insider articles are for paid subscribers only. Learn how to become an MXSW Insider.
Sorry! While most of MouthBySouthwest.com is free to read, MXSW Insider articles are for paid subscribers only. Learn how to become an MXSW Insider.
🍺 Hop Chowda Day is back. On Saturday, Goldwater Brewing in Scottsdale rolls out its second annual celebration of its hazy IPA with four new draft-only variants dropping at noon: Double Dry Hopped, Mango, Peaches & Cream, and Orange Cranberry.
