Category: Food & Drink News

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