Category: Things to Do

Romeo’s Euro Cafe in Gilbert will host a special wine dinner with Pillsbury Wine and The Fish Hugger at 6:30 p.m. Monday. Pillsbury produces award-winning wines at its vineyards in Cochise County in southern Arizona, and the Wine Spectator has called owner

The Handlebar Tempe is bidding farewell to the 2014 Cactus League with a Spring Training Sendoff BBQ from 1-5 p.m. Saturday. For $8, attendees can get their choice of a burger, bratwurst, or pulled pork sandwich along with sides of

Just a reminder: The second annual “Check, Please! Arizona” Festival will take place this Sunday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at CityScape in downtown Phoenix. More than 30 restaurants that have appeared on the local PBS TV show, along with wineries and

At 6 p.m. tonight, Boulders on Broadway will hold a beer class focused on Cismontane‘s unique Single Malt Series, which the Southern California brewery launched in October. The beers in the series all feature the exact same ingredients and brewing

Washington’s Hedges Family Estate will be featured in April’s wine dinner at Zappone’s Italian Bistro in Gilbert. April 9 Hedges Wine Dinner 1st course: Spring pea risotto with roasted carrots (paired with Hedges chardonnay) 2nd course: Roasted pork chops in

Rancho de Tia Rosa, a popular Mexican restaurant in north Mesa, is temporarily closed after a small fire over the weekend. The stand-alone taqueria and takeout eatery next door remains open. Mesa firefighters responded to a report of smoke and

A new Tempe Community Market launches this Sunday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on Mill Avenue under the 202 bridge just south of the Marquee Theatre. According to organizers, the market will feature “Arizona grown produce, honey, local foods, baked goods,

Tonight is the monthly Fourth Friday Car Show at Nicantoni’s Pizza in Gilbert. Mention the words “car show” and you’ll receive 10% off your bill all day. The cars and motrorcycles begin showing up around 5 p.m., but things don’t

The fifth annual Taste of Higley will be held 5-8 p.m. Thursday in the Higley High School Cafeteria. The fest will include food samples from local restaurants, including Cantina Laredo, Baci Italian Bistro, and the Apple Dumpling Cafe. In addition, there’ll

Ahwatukee cheese shop Wedge & Bottle says it’s pulling out its raclette machine Saturday for the final time this year. From noon to 3 p.m., enjoy the traditional Alpine dish for  $8.50 per serving. Raclette is a Swiss dish made

Fuel up for next weekend’s Super Bowl at the monthly Fourth Friday Car Show at Nicantoni’s Pizza in Gilbert. Besides hot pizza and cold beer, this Friday’s event will include some sweet rides courtesy of Cutthroat Customs & Classics in Mesa.

More than 50 food trucks will be dishing out everything from Cajun to Indonesian to American Indian fare at the Street Eats festival, which runs 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale. Five bars and

Chicken Ziti and Milanesa (pictured) will be the featured entrees at this week’s “Taste of Romeo’s Euro Cafe” dinner at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The five-course dinners, hosted by chef Romeo Taus and his wife, Janice, highlight a rotating selection from the Gilbert restaurant’s regular menu.

The Great American Barbeque & Beer Festival – featuring 60 barbecue vendors serving up more than 20,000 pounds of pork, beef, and chicken, all paired with SanTan Brewing craft beers – will return to downtown Chandler on Saturday, March 22. The family-friendly event also

Fantasy Cake (pictured) will be the grand finale of this week’s “Taste of Romeo’s Euro Cafe” dinner at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The five-course dinners, hosted by chef Romeo Taus and his wife, Janice, highlight a rotating selection from the Gilbert restaurant’s regular menu. Jan. 16

With Arizona Beer Week just over a month away, word on some of the more tantalizing events is starting to leak out. Topping the list so far: A five-course rare-beer dinner at downtown Chandler’s Vintage 95 Wine Lounge on Tuesday, Feb. 18,

Fibber Magees Irish Pub in Chandler jumps into the tap takeover game Friday with the help of Ska Brewing. Starting at 3 p.m. Friday, the bar will be tapping 11 of the Durango, Colo., brewery’s ales. Ska tap list Modus Hoperandi

The weekly “Taste of Romeo’s Euro Cafe” dinners at the downtown Gilbert restaurant on Thursdays have become one of the hottest tickets in the Valley. This week’s dinner was an early sellout, as were several of the dinners in December.

The Valley’s newest culinary festival, Taste in Tempe, will make its debut Sunday, Feb. 9, at the Tempe Center for the Arts amphitheater alongside Tempe Town Lake. Organizers say 30 restaurants, 30 wineries, and 30 craft breweries will participate. Besides the requisite

In the spirit of the season, La Ristra New Mexican Kitchen is raising money Sunday for a Gilbert family in need. The father recently passed away, leaving behind an unemployed wife with four school-aged children. Working with the Gilbert School

For the second straight week, Romeo’s Euro Cafe‘s popular Thursday private dinner is sold out, so chef/owner Romeo Taus is adding another dinner Tuesday. The 6:30 p.m. dinners, hosted in a private dining room by Taus and his wife, Janice, highlight a rotating

GFAaprons.com, a new online retail website that sells designer and custom aprons, will stage a “pop-up” store from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at Crêpe Bar in south Tempe. The website was launched by Angela Muñiz, who’s been doing PR and marketing

A couple weeks ago, recently opened Brooklyn V’s Pizza invited local “singing impressionist” Tom LaGravinese to perform at the Gilbert pizzeria. He was such a sensation that customers have been clamoring for another appearance. Well, he’s coming back. Gravinese (pictured on

Romeo’s Euro Cafe‘s popular Thursday private tasting dinners are sold out in December, so chef/owner Romeo Taus is adding Tuesday dinners this week and next. The 6:30 p.m. dinners, hosted in a private dining room by Taus and his wife, Janice, highlight a

Tempe Indian restaurant The Dhaba is holding a spice class from 3-6 p.m. Saturday. It also is offering a 20% off coupon (below) valid all weekend.

One of the country’s most unique races – the Hot Chocolate 15/5K, which bills itself as the “world’s sweetest race” – takes place Saturday morning at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale. The 5K event starts at 7:30 a.m., followed by the

Ravioli Euro Paeus and Mediterranean Stuffed Gyros are two of the five featured dishes at this week’s “Taste of Romeo’s Euro Cafe” dinner at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The weekly dinners, hosted in a private dining room by chef Romeo Taus and his wife, Janice, highlight

Valley-based Barro’s Pizza holds its second annual Holiday Hunger Fight on Tuesday. Buy a large pizza at any Barro’s and the proceeds will be donated to St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance. Last year, the pizza chain raised money for 840,000 meals.

Because of Thanksgiving on Thursday, this week’s “Taste of Romeo’s Euro Cafe” dinner will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The weekly dinners are hosted in a private dining room by chef Romeo Taus and his wife, Janice, and highlight a rotating selection from

Try some of the world’s best tequilas – blancos, reposados, premiums, and ultra premiums – this weekend at the Phoenix Tequila Fest at US Airways Center. The annual event, which runs noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, also includes Mexican food samples,

Ever wanted to learn about bitters, those mysterious ingredients used to flavor your favorite cocktails? Bill and Lill Buitenhuys (pictured on right) of AZ Bitters Lab, the state’s first research and production lab for handcrafted bitters, will discuss and demonstrate their various bitters

My Wine Cellar holds its third annual MWC Wine Festival from noon-3 p.m. Sunday at the Ahwatukee wine bar and bistro. The event will feature 20 Thanksgiving-friendly wines. You can sample all for $25 at the door (or just $20

The second annual Phoenix Brewers Invitational takes place next weekend – noon-6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 – at Heritage Square in downtown Phoenix, and you can get $10 off your mug if you order online in advance. The fest will

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse will host five-course beer dinners at many of its locations next week, including Monday in Mesa and Tuesday in Chandler. The dinners will be $30 per person, and feature “a selection” of Anchor beers and the

Sleepy Dog Brewpub in Gilbert is hosting a free screening of “Beyond the Myth: A Film About Pit Bulls and Breed Discrimination,” at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The 2010 documentary runs 92 minutes. According to IMDb: It explores the contributing factors

This Thursday’s weekly “Taste of Romeo’s Euro Cafe” dinner is sold out, and next Thursday is Thanksgiving. So the Gilbert bistro is offering additional “Taste” dinners at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and next Tuesday. Like the usual Thursday dinners, the special Tuesday

Join cider makers from Woodchuck Cider, Wyder’s Cider, and JK Scrumpy’s Cider in a one-of-a-kind cider class at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Whole Foods Chandler. The informal class will cider-making techniques, trends, innovations, and sampling. Homebrewers will be able to

Helping a homeless animal is as easy as ordering a pizza this weekend at NYPD Pizza. The local chain is donating 25% of all dine-in food sales Saturday and Sunday to the Arizona Humane Society at all 10 of its Valley locations.

Barrelhouse American Kitchen & Cocktails is rolling out something I’ve never seen in the East Valley: A four-course dinner with craft cocktail pairings inspired by a local artist. The guest artist for the inaugural dinner, which will take place at

Baja Joe’s Mexican Cantina is starting live music on Fridays. Kicking things off this Friday will be Swain’s World, who play a variety of classic rock, new rock, ’80s pop, dance music, blues, funk, and a little country. Swain’s World will

The 13th installment of Chef Off!, an ongoing series of friendly culinary competitions to promote East Valley chefs, will take place Monday at The Groves Bar & Grill in Gilbert. The theme of the evening? Turkey, of course! The “home”

Learn the basics of making cocktails when the Top of the Rock restaurant at the The Buttes resort in Tempe offers a cocktail class at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Participants will get the recipes for three cocktails, a tasting, a question-and-answer session, and

Some notable changes are in store for the 2014 Devoured Culinary Classic, Arizona’s premier food and drink event, held at the Phoenix Art Museum. First, there’s a slightly tweaked new name: Devoured Food & Wine Classic. Second, the dates have

Chicken Astoria (left) and Mediterranean Stuffed Gyros will be two of the five featured dishes at this week’s “Taste of Romeo’s Euro Cafe” dinner at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The weekly dinners, hosted in a private dining room by chef Romeo Taus and his wife, Janice,

Want a quick look at the top food- and drink-related events happening in the East Valley each weekend? The MXSW Weekend Guide newsletter is sent out via email every Friday morning so you can make sure you don’t miss something.

Ahwatukee cheese shop Wedge & Bottle holds its annual Raclette Day from noon-3 p.m. Saturday. Raclette is a Swiss dish made with melted cheese of the same name. The name derives from the French word “racler,” meaning “to scrape.” The cheese round

Dinner parties are the focus of this fall’s cooking classes at Hackett House, the 125-year-old brick building in downtown Tempe. The first class took place last month, but there are four remaning: Dinner Party Cooking Classes Tuesday, Nov. 12: Frank

Four Seasons Scottsdale chef Mel Mecinas will host a multi-course tasting menu with help from other prominent Valley chefs from 6:30-10 p.m. Friday as Cooks & Corks becomes a stand-alone event. The annual event, which also offers fine spirits, wines, and craft

Kasseri Chicken (left) and Wiener Schnitzel will be two of the five featured dishes at this week’s “Taste of Romeo’s Euro Cafe” dinner at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. If the dishes sound familiar, it’s probably because this week’s menu is the same as

Salad and Go, the healthy salad drive-through in Gilbert, is teaming up with Funktional Fitness, Agriscape and Deep Space Marketing on a Be Healthy Gilbert Festival. Held at Freestone Park this Saturday, the festival focuses on how to create a more healthy lifestyle

Chandler fine-dining restaurant Cork will host its first blind pairing dinner, an intimate evening of decadent cuisine and adventurous wines, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7. Five courses of seasonal dishes from chef Brian Peterson will be paired with some

Four Peaks Brewing hosts a book release party for “Brewing Arizona: A Century of Beer in the Grand Canyon State” from 6-8 p.m. tonight. Author Ed Sipos will discuss and sign his 360-page, 250-photo encyclopedic chronicle of beer’s history in