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Author: Jess Harter

Early Bird Vegan launches 2nd Valley location in Tempe

🥦 Early Bird Vegan, a 100% vegan brunch eatery that opened in south Phoenix in 2020, has launched a second location in the lobby of the Sonoran University of Health Sciences medical office building on the northwest corner of the

Cafe Zupas opens 11th Valley location in west Phoenix

🥗 Cafe Zupas, a Utah-based chain of soup-and-sandwich eateries, has opened its 11th Valley location near the southeast corner of Peoria and 35th Avenue in west Phoenix. What’s on the menu? Sandwiches (each comes with a chocolate-dipped strawberry), bowls, salads,

Outback Steakhouses in Valley appear safe from closings

🚫 If you’re a fan of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, or Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, you can breath a sigh of relief. Bloomin’ Brands, the parent company of all three concepts, announced it will close 41 restaurants

Start your engines: Andretti Indoor Karting & Games opens in Chandler

🏎️ Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, a 95,000-square-foot family entertainment center with a restaurant and bar, opens today on the southwest corner of the Loop 202 and Cooper in south Chandler. What’s on the menu? Appetizers, salads, brick-oven pizzas, burgers,

Phoenix Sins offers 7 ‘deadly’ burgers at Tempe Food Court

🍔 Phoenix Sins, a ghost kitchen concept offering burgers named for the seven deadly sins, has opened at the Tempe Food Court on the northeast corner of Perry Lane and Fifth Street, just south of Tempe Marketplace. What’s on the

Tucson chefs group wins best of show at Devour Culinary Classic

🏆 The Gastronomic Union of Tucson (GUT), a collective of more than three dozen chefs from Arizona’s second-largest city, won best of show at the 15th annual Devour Culinary Classic at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix on Saturday. GUT’s team

Lovesack Dumpling offers dumplings to go in downtown Phoenix

🥟 Lovesack Dumpling, a storefront offering boxes of Asian-style dumplings to go, has opened on the northwest corner of Roosevelt and Second streets on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix. What’s on the menu? Customers choose one of three bases: Rice,

Nautical Bowls opens 4th Valley location at Novus Place in Tempe

🥣 Nautical Bowls, a Minnesota-based chain specializing in açai and other superfood bowls, has opened its fourth Valley location at Novus Place near the northwest corner of Rural and University in Tempe. What’s on the menu? Twelve signature bowls, as

Food & drink news tidbits (fast food edition)

🌮 The Choco Taco, which Klondike discontinued in July 2022 after 40 years, is returning this summer thanks to a collaboration between Taco Bell and Salt & Straw ice cream. The new version will feature cinnamon ancho ice cream. 🐓🍕

Pretty Penny replaces Pour Bastards in downtown Phoenix

🍹 Pretty Penny, a neighborhood cocktail bar with a menu of elevated small plates, has opened in the former Pour Bastards space on the northeast corner of Roosevelt and Fifth streets in downtown Phoenix. Pour Bastard Hospitality is the parent

Fast-casual Mediterranean eatery Cairo’s Gyros opens in Gilbert

🥙 Cairo’s Gyros, a locally ownedfast-casualMediterranean eatery, has opened in the former NoRa Asian Fresh strip-mall space on the southeast corner of Cooper and Baseline in Gilbert. What’s on the menu? Gyros, kebabs, shawarma, falafel, Greek burgers, Greek salads, baba

Little Snitch Brunch & Cocktails launches in north Scottsdale

🥧 Little Snitch Brunch & Cocktails, an elevated coffee shop with a bakery counter and full bar, has opened on the northwest corner of Pima and Pinnacle Peak in north Scottsdale. What’s on the menu? The bakery counter offers scones,

This weekend’s top food & drink events

🍷 The 15th annual Devour Culinary Classic – the state’s premier food and drink festival – takes place 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. Tickets were $150-$225, but have sold out. 🇯🇵 More

California-based Eureka! makes AZ debut at Novus Place in Tempe

🍔 Eureka!, a California-based chain of two dozen American gastropubs, has made its Arizona debut at Novus Place, the new entertainment district at the Novus Innovation Corridor, near the northwest corner of University and Rural on the east side of

Carbon & Salt Taco Shop opens in west Phoenix

🌮 Carbon & Salt Taco Shop, an eatery specializing in charcoal-grilled street tacos, has opened on the northwest corner of Greenway and 19th Avenue in west Phoenix. What’s on the menu? Ten kinds of tacos, including cabeza (cow’s head), lengua

Southern Arizona winery Los Milics launches tasting room in Scottsdale

🍷 Southern Arizona’s Los Milics Vineyards, launched in 2019 by FnB co-founder Pavle Milic (pictured), opens a tasting room today near the northeast corner of Indian School and Marshall Way in Old Town Scottsdale. The space The cozy space, which