Category: Food & Drink News

Chino Bandito, Phoenix’s unique Mexican-Chinese-Jamaiican fusion eatery, has moved from its home of 31 years on the northwest corner of 19th Avenue and Greenway. The eatery reopens Thursday in a 6,000-square-foot space on the northwest corner of Bell and Third

Taking advantage of the slow Arizona summer, Cuisine & Wine Bistro in south Chandler closes today for its annual two-week summer break. It will reopen Tuesday, July 13. While most of the staff will enjoy a two-week vacation, owners Fabrice

After eight years of explosive growth, Salad and Go, the Gilbert-born chain of healthy drive-throughs, is expanding beyond its 31 busy Valley locations. The first non-Valley location recently opened in the Dallas area, where four others will join it this

99 Ranch Market, a Taiwanese-American supermarket chain based in Buena Park, Calif., will hold a grand-opening ribbon-cutting at 9 a.m. Saturday for its first Arizona store, which anchors the newly renovated shopping center on the northeast corner of Chandler and Dobson in

Chandler-based SanTan Brewing not only is the state’s largest craft brewery, it’s now the first to employ some new technology to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide is a natural by-product of the fermentation process. SanTan produces about 1,000

At My Place Cafe, a 5-year-old Filipino restaurant in the southwest corner of Dobson and Guadalupe in southwest Mesa, is moving. It will close this Friday, May 28, for the summer, then reopen in September in its new home across

Celebrate the Memorial Day weekend with an Arizona-centric picnic courtesy of AZ Women in Food, a group created earlier this year to support woman-led food businesses. AZWIF’s first ventures were three-course takeout meals offered in March and April. Now, it’s

Arizona restaurants can return to selling to-go cocktails this fall under a new law passed Monday by the state Legislature. Gov. Doug Ducey extended the temporary privilege to restaurants last year to help them survive the covid-19 pandemic, but his

The Chandler City Council has voted to end its popular ‘‘On The Street’’ dining program, which let eight downtown restaurants replace curbside parking spaces with temporary patios during the covid-19 pandemic. The patios allowed restaurants to serve extra customers beyond

Chino Bandido, the Valley’s iconic Mexican-Chinese-Jamaiican fusion eatery, is moving this summer. After 31 years on the northwest corner of 19th Avenue and Greenway in Phoenix, the restaurant will moving to the northwest corner of Bell and Third Avenue. The

Tuck Shop, a well-regarded restaurant in Phoenix’s Coronado neighborhood that’s been closed for months due to the pandemic, will not be reopening. Phoenix vegan restaurant The Coronado will move into the space on the southeast corner of 12th Street and

If you were looking forward to today’s debut of Humble Bistro in northeast Phoenix, you’ll have to wait awhile longer. The new ‘‘neighborhood wine parlor’’ concept from the owners of Humble Pie abruptly canceled its grand opening at High Street

Kent Taylor, founder and CEO of Texas Roadhouse, committed suicide last week after his ‘‘long-haul’’ symptoms of covid-19 became unbearable. He was 65. Taylor had been suffering from an ongoing case of severe tinnitus – a loud ringing or buzzing

Chef Aaron Chamberlin, who closed his Phoenix Public Market Cafe and Tempe Public Market Cafe last year, has a new venture: cannabis edibles. Chamberlin founded Good Things Coming, a line of edibles using local, gourmet, and chef-driven ingredients. ‘‘If you’re

Perhaps Donald Trump’s recent move to Florida – along with his disdain for face masks and his bombastic social media commentary – have rubbed off on Kavasutra Kava Bar. The Florida-based chain, which has a location near the southwest corner

You may have noticed several of the Valley’s 14 ATL Wings restaurants – winners of numerous Best Wings awards – have a new name: Sauced & Loaded Chicken Wings. D. Mike and Cianna Kirksey, founders of the original Chandler location,

Tempe-based Four Peaks Brewing has jumped into the fast-growing hard seltzer game with the release of Sun Day Solar Seltzers. The seltzers’ name references the clean, renewable energy used to brew the beverage. Last year, Four Peaks installed 500 solar

A huge fire destroyed two buildings, killing 165,000 chickens, Saturday afternoon at Hickman’s Family Farms west of Phoenix. The family owned and operated farm, which was founded in 1944, is the largest egg company in the U.S. Southwest. Besides the

Alamo Drafthouse, a Texas-based chain of brewpub theaters, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today, nearly 10 months after the owner of Alamo’s three Valley franchises filed. The covid-19 pandemic forced Alamo’s 18 company-owned locations and 23 franchises to close for

An update on the rebranding of popular Buddyz A Chicago Pizzeria: Back in November, MXSW broke the news that Buddyz would begin selling franchises with the name Vero Chicago Pizza, the first of which opening around Feb. 1 at Val

From the It’s-Hard-to-Believe Department: Brickyard Downtown beverage director Bobby Kramer wasn’t the only Valley food and drink industry member to be a victim of a wrong-way driver last Wednesday. On the same day Kramer was killed, Scott Selke, longtime co-owner

The Brickyard Downtown in downtown Chandler reopens at 3 p.m. today for the first time since the tragic death of its beverage director last week. Bobby Kramer, 31, was killed last Wednesday by a wrong-way driver on I-10. He left behind

Horrible news: Bobby Kramer, beverage director at The Brickyard Downtown and The Hidden House in downtown Chandler, was killed early Wednesday by a wrong-way driver on I-10 near Chandler Boulevard. Police say Kramer was traveling in the westbound lane at

Downtown Mesa, which launched a special outdoor dining area called al Fresco off Main last month, begins offering free meal delivery and free live music for those outdoor diners Thursday. Located on MacDonald just north of Main, the half-block fenced

The Ahwatukee dining community is reeling after family-run Bell’ Italia Pizzeria announced Monday that owner and chef Mario Caputo had died unexpectedly. ‘‘Mario’s passion for food and family was well known,’’ the restaurant posted on social media. ‘‘He treated his

Salad and Go, the salads-and-wraps drive-through concept that began in Gilbert in 2013, has quickly grown to 25 locations. Today, however, it pulls off a first for the concept: It’s opening two new locations on the same day. The newest

Arizona state Rep. Jeff Weninger from Chandler has introduced a bill to allow restaurants and bars to sell to-go cocktails again, helping the struggling hospitality industry recover from the covid-19 pandemic. It would be similar in effect to Gov. Doug

Condolences to the family and friends of Tomaso Maggiore, the prolific Valley restaurateur and chef who lost his battle with lung cancer today at age 73. The Sicilian-born Maggiore launched more than 50 restaurants in Arizona and California, including The

Ghett Yo Taco, the 3-year-old taco shop in downtown Chandler, will close for several days of remodeling work starting Saturday. (If you’ve driven by this week, you may have noticed the extended patio and newly installed lawn.) The restaurant and

Aioli Gourmet Burgers has spun off a new business – Fresh Taste Meal Prep – that delivers fully cooked meals to your door while supporting local non-profits to feed the hungry. For every 10 meals purchased, FTMP will donate one meal

Arizonans must really love kolaches. The Kolache Cafe, which planned to launch its grand opening last weekend, instead was forced to close after being overwhelmed by customers. A soft opening began Jan. 8, and by the official grand opening last

Better late than never (thanks to covid-19), Cider Corps in downtown Mesa releases its seasonal fall pie ciders today. Six-packs are $20 and include two 12-ounce cans apiece of Pumpkin Pie, Peach Cobbler, and Cherry Crisp. Single cans also are

One of the Valley restaurant scene’s longest covid-19 closures ended Monday with the reopening of Ghost Ranch Southwest Modern Cuisine in south Tempe. The 2-year-old restaurant, which has been closed for six months, features several new faces, including executive chef David

The Hub Grill & Bar in east Mesa is closed indefinitely after what it called ‘‘a small fire’’ just before midnight Thursday. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze but not before the sports bar on the northeast corner of

Freezer’s Ice House, a pool hall/sports bar/nightclub-ish concept that has struggled to define itself since opening in 2017 on the southeast corner of Mill and Broadway in Tempe, is transforming into a new concept: Mill’s Modern Social. What it means: Besides

In a tearful social media post, Charli Tarango Hopewell (pictured) announced she is selling her 5-year-old namesake restaurant and bar Good Time Charli’s in west Chandler. What’s changing: Apparently not much. According to Hopewell, the new owners will retain the

Bird Dog Produce, a new Valleywide produce delivery service, allows people to order customized boxes from a selection of 80-plus fruits and vegetables from farms across Arizona and beyond. Who’s behind it? The concept was launched by Andy Itule, the

Chandler-based Serrano’s Mexican Restaurants has temporarily closed its Tempe location at Rural and Guadalupe for a major renovation. The timeline: The restaurant is scheduled to reopen in early 2021. Try instead: The other four Serrano’s locations in the East Valley

A Taste of Greece, the twice-a-year Chandler festival sidelined by the pandemic, is selling some of its most popular Greek food items to go this week. Take-and-bake entrees: Pastitsio ($60 tray/$30 half-tray), moussaka ($60/$30), spanakopita ($36 for six portions), tsoureki

Cider Corps in downtown Mesa celebrates its third anniversary all week, starting with the reopening of its taproom Wednesday. Dine-in hours are 3-10 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, noon-10 p.m. Saturday, and noon-6 p.m. Sunday. This week’s anniversary festivities also will include the

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge has struck down a pandemic-related exemption allowing Arizona restaurants to sell liquor to go. For the moment, however, restaurants still are allowed the exemption while waiting to see if Gov. Doug Ducey appeals the

Sad news for the Valley’s wine community: Greg Tresner, Arizona’s first master sommelier, has died. No cause of death was given. A Washington native, Tresner moved to Tucson in the 1990s and worked at the award-winning Cafe Terra Cotta. In

Four-year-old Match Restaurant and Lounge, connected to the FOUND:RE art boutique hotel in downtown Phoenix, has transformed into Match Market and Bar. In addition to lunch and dinner for dine-in or and take out, the expanded concept offers grab-and-go food

With large-scale events shut down by the pandemic, the twice-a-year A Taste of Greece festival in Chandler is going virtual this weekend. The fest is inviting people to visit its online store to order food items to be picked up

After several months of pandemic-related closure, Peacock Wine Bar in Gilbert has reopened with live music, events, and several new offerings. Hours are 1-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 1-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Happy hour is 1-6 p.m. daily. A new light brunch

Proof Bread, a nationally recognized bakery operating out of a northeast Mesa garage, is trying to move into a commercial space in downtown Mesa. Jared Allen, who was working as a carpet cleaning and baking bread in his garage as

More than a year after a kitchen fire closed its doors, Clever Koi is set to reopen its downtown Gilbert location this Friday, Oct. 9. Clever Koi, which features modern twists on classic Asian dishes, debuted in Phoenix in 2013

After overwhelming demand at last weekend’s debut of the Fair Food Drive Thru at the State Fairgrounds in Phoenix, the food court has expanded its days and hours for its final two weekends. Starting today, the Drive Thru now will

Fans of Serrano’s Mexican Restaurants can now find its Original Salsa and Red Hot Sauce for sale at d’Vine Gourmet in south Chandler. The store, which specializes in locally made foods and gift baskets, is located on the northeast corner

Dominic Armato, the dining critic for the Arizona Republic and AZCentral.com, has tendered his resignation after five years with the media company. ‘‘There’s no one reason,’’ he writes on social media. ‘‘It’s more a heavy collection of evolving circumstances and

Civic Market – a combination of coffeehouse, restaurant, grab-and-go market, and beauty salon in downtown Chandler – is undergoing changes. Lilly and Adam Walter, who opened Civic Market in March 2019, have left the business, but building owner Peter Sciacca

Tacos Chiwas, one of Arizona’s best taco shops, soon will be selling its Chihuahuan-style street tacos in downtown Mesa. The concept is taking over the short-lived Main Street Bar & Grill space on Main Street for its third location. The

East Valley-based Thai Chili 2 Go, a local chain of fast-casual Thai eateries, will open its 10th location next month on the southwest corner of I-10 and Chandler in Ahwatukee. It will join other East Valley locations in Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert,

Popular Ahwatukee pizzeria Zesty Zzeeks will close next week for a makeover and the installation of some new equipment. The pizzeria will close at 8 p.m. Sunday, July 12, and plans to reopen at 10 a.m. Friday, July 17. The

Back in January, MXSW reported Sleepy Whale owner Justin Evans was planning to open another East Valley beer bar and bottle shop at Epicenter at Agritopia in Gilbert. Now it reportedly has a name: Beer Barn. To be honest, the

The opening of Francine, a French-Mediterranean fine-dining concept coming to Scottsdale Fashion Square, has been pushed back to Aug. 14. The concept from famed restaurateur Laurent Halasz will join Nobu, Toca Madera, and Ocean 44 in the mall’s luxury wing. The 5,000-square-foot

Good news for East Valley taco lovers: Mr Mesquite Taqueria, a local fast-casual chain specializing in Mexican street food, is coming to Gilbert and Mesa. Brothers Naser and Ahmad Alatrash debuted Mr. Mesquite — just a small kitchen with a

Condolences to the Rosati family on the unexpected passing of Rick Rosati (pictured below). The CEO of Rosati’s Pizza died at his Cave Creek home last week at age 70. Jeff Rosati, the chain’s chief financial officer, says his brother

Los Sombreros, a popular Mexican restaurant in south Scottsdale for the past two decades, plans to open a spinoff location in west Mesa – and temporarily feature three other concepts under the same roof. It’s all taking over the strip-mall

Salad and Go, the Gilbert-born quick-service concept that has grown to 18 Valley locations in just seven years, announced it will increase its starting wage for all team members to $15 per hour starting June 29. In addition, existing employees

The Perch Pub & Brewery in downtown Chandler announced it will close temporarily starting June 29 ‘‘due to the craziness of the COVID-19 virus here in Arizona and the current physical state of the restaurant.’’ The 6-year-old brewpub (pictured in

Backyard Taco, an award-winning chain of local taco shops born in a Mesa backyard, is opening a fourth location – its first in Chandler. It will be located on Gilbert Road just south of Germann. The fast-casual menu will offer

Yet another concept is going into the former Thirsty Amigos Taco Shop at Gilbert Town Square. According to temporary signage, it next will become Howler’s Restaurant & Sports Bar. The 6,300-square-foot building on Gilbert Road between Warner and Ray has

Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom, Gordon Biersch, Rock Bottom Brewery, and Logan’s Roadhouse – whose parent company, Craftworks Holdings, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early March – are getting a second chance. Nashville-based SPB Hospitality has purchased and taken

Looking for a restaurant job in downtown Chandler? La Ristra New Mexican Kitchen is getting ready to open its second location at the end of the this month. The restaurant, which will be located in the Overstreet development on the

Gilbert-born healthy fast-food concept Salad and Go, which opened its 16th and 17th Valley locations in May, plans to launch three more this month. The just-opened locations are on the southeast corner of Gilbert and Queen Creek in south Chandler

Big news for fans of Buddyz pizza! The Valley’s best Chicago deep-dish is coming to San Tan Valley this fall. The concept’s fourth East Valley pizzeria is taking over the former Ironwood Pub & Grill on the northeast corner of

Some very sad news: Prolific Valley restaurateur Patrick King – a co-owner of The Living Room, CHoP, and Rock Lobster in south Chandler – passed away Saturday. King, who was battling melanoma, was 55. ‘‘As a partner, Patrick was the

California Fish Grill, a Los Angeles-base chain of fast-casual seafood restaurants, will make its Arizona debut on the northeast corner of Stapley and Baseline in Mesa. It’s taking over 3,200 square feet in the building that formerly was home to

Press release: To support the shopping needs of older adults during this critical time, starting this Wednesday, March 18, all Bashas’, Food City and AJ’s grocery stores in the state of Arizona will open from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m.

Dozens of MXSW readers have asked me why I continue to cover East Valley restaurants and their struggle to survive during the COVID-19 crisis. The common refrain I hear: The sooner everything is shut down, the better for public health.

In a move that surely sent shivers up the spines of restaurant owners and employees nationwide, Ohio and Illinois announced Sunday they would close restaurants and bars in response to the growing COVID-19 pandemic. The number of confirmed U.S. cases

Great news for Clever Koi fans: The downtown Gilbert destination, which has been closed since a kitchen fire last August, hopes to reopen next month. Nick Campisano, co-owner of the popular Asian restaurant and craft cocktail bar, tells me the

Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, a Florida-based chain of frozen treat shops, will make its Arizona debut on the southwest corner of Alma School and Ocotillo in south Chandler next month. The concept has 25 locations in Florida, but the Chandler location

Openings In a change of concepts, Char’d Asian Grill replaced the 16-month-old Char’d Brisket Dogs & Burgers in Tempe. Read more Copper & Logs, a European-style gastropub with a wood-fired oven from the owners of Cuisine & Wine Bistro, opened in

Floridino’s Pizza & Pasta in Chandler has revealed its latest Pizza Muffin of the Month: The Reuben Pizza Muffin. The muffin features corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese all rolled up in pizza dough. It’s served with a side of

It’s taken seven years and 20 locations, but Salad and Go finally is coming to Tempe. The Gilbert-born chain of fast-food salad eateries is taking over the former Applebee’s building on the southeast corner of Rural and Broadway. Besides its

Barro’s Pizza, which opened its first Arizona pizzeria in Mesa in 1980, will open its 45th location at SanTan Village Marketplace in Gilbert. The family-owned chain bought the former Ruby Tuesday building on Market Street south of Williams Field. The

Founding Fathers Kitchen, an Ahwatukee gastropub and live music venue that’s earned rave reviews since opening in December, already is working on a second location. The concept debuted in the former Angry Crab Shack building on the northeast corner of

Farmhouse, a California-based farm-to-table concept from famed restaurateur Laurent Halasz, is getting a new name for its new location at Scottsdale Fashion Square. Halasz, probably best-known for his New York-based Fig & Olive restaurants, has renamed the Scottsdale location of

Que Chevere, a 4-year-old food truck offering Venezuelan fare such as arepas, empanadas, and tequenos, is opening a bricks-and-mortar restaurant in downtown Mesa. It’s taking over the former Slickables space on the north side of Main Street between Robson and

How many times have you tried to flag down a restaurant server to order another food item or drink? How many times have you been in a hurry to leave but had to wait around for your check? Frank Estadt,

Chunk Cookies, a cookie-delivery concept that currently serves Tempe and Gilbert, is taking over the recently closed Sweet Tooth Fairy bakery on the southwest corner of Greenfield and Baseline in Gilbert. Fresh-baked cookies can be ordered online – four for

Bibio Modern Korean Kitchen, a fast-casual Korean restaurant that opened in southeast Gilbert in November, will launch a second location on the northwest corner of Kyrene and Chandler in west Chandler. Bibio’s menu offers build-your-own bowls. No opening date for

If you’ve been to SanTan Village shopping center in Gilbert this week, you may have noticed all the construction activity at the former Cantina Laredo, which closed last month. They’re already working on Bourbon & Bones, a chophouse offering steaks,

Mox Boarding House – a Seattle-based restaurant and board games concept – will open its fourth location in Chandler. It’s taking over the former Social Box Neighborhood Eatery, which closed in 2017 on Alma School between Warner and Ray. The

If you’ve perused the lineup for next month’s inaugural Gilbert Pizza Festival, you might wonder why Il Bosco in Old Town Scottsdale is going to be there. Well, it hasn’t been announced yet, but the fabulous wood-fired pizzeria is preparing

Elote Café, the award-winning Sedona restaurant from former Valley chef Jeff Smedstad, is moving to larger digs. The no-reservations Mexican eatery will close its 13-year-old location at the Arabella Hotel Sedona on Saturday, Feb 22, and plans to reopen in

Mixt, a San Francisco-based chain of health-focused fast-casual restaurants, will make its Arizona debut at the Scottsdale Quarter this spring. Although best known for its large salads, Mixt also offers chef-crafted grain bowls, sandwiches, and market platters. The chain began

The Stillery, a Nashville restaurant and bar popular for Southern comfort food and live country music, is coming to downtown Chandler. The 5,900-square-foot venue will open in the New Square development under construction in the former gravel parking lot behind

Chutneys Indian Cuisine, which has been closed for several months for renovations, finally reopens today on the southeast corner of McClintock and Baseline in south Tempe. The renovations and inspections took much longer than expected for Chutneys, which originally opened

Bar Louie, a Texas-based chain of self-described ‘‘gastrobars,’’ filed for bankruptcy Monday after abruptly closing nearly a third of its locations nationwide. A total of 98 locations remain open, including the only Valley ones at Tempe Marketplace (pictured) and Westgate

Twist Bistro & Gallery, a chef-driven restaurant and art space, is coming to The Summit shopping center on Scottsdale Road about eight miles north of the Loop 101 in north Scottsdale. It’s taking over a 1,876-square-foot space that formerly was

The Upward Projects restaurant group finally has confirmed the rampant rumors of the past two weeks: Postino will move into the just-closed Tempe Public Market Cafe. Construction is expected to begin in February on Postino’s seventh Valley location on the

Pour Wine & Taproom, which launched in southeast Mesa in February 2019, is opening a second location next to Steak & Stone at Falcon Field in northeast Mesa. The new location, called Flights Wine & Taproom, is taking over the

Pho & Roll is taking over the former Pig & Pickle space on the northwest corner of Hayden and Thomas in Scottsdale. The 7-year-old gastropub closed last July. (Photo courtesy of Larry Padgett)

The Original Golden Skone, a chain of popular Valley restaurants in the 1970s, is making a comeback in San Tan Valley. Tom Smith opened his first restaurant, The El Ray, while he and his wife, Katherine, were living in Idaho.

Protein Pancakes have been U.S. Egg‘s most popular menu item since they were introduced in 1986, and now you can get a version to take anywhere. All six of the family-owned breakfast-and-lunch restaurants are selling Protein Pancake Bars for $3

Chandler has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking a new contractor for the café located inside the Downtown Chandler Public Library. Proposals may include, but are not limited to: Food, drink, and/or coffee sales; Coffee- and tea-related merchandise; Gifts.