Category: Uncategorized

Congrats to Paletas Betty owner Beatriz “Betty” Alatorre, who was the overall winner at the annual Caramelpalooza caramel-dessert contest in Phoenix over the weekend. Alatorre’s creation was a Bananas Foster Caramel Paleta. The winning paleta (a Mexican popsicle) is one of the eight

It’s been just over a year since Simply Bread unexpectedly shut its doors. Now Chandler finally has a new artisanal bakery. Bread Connection, located in the former Cathy’s Rum Cake space on the northwest corner of Alma School and Chandler

It’s not world peace or a renewable energy source, but mankind can cross off one item on its collective wish list: 24-hour cupcake dispensers. Sprinkles is installing its first all-hours cupcake vending machine at its flagship Beverly Hills, Calif., store

Blackened alligator, catfish gumbo, étouffée and beignets are on the menu of a Cajun-themed brewer’s dinner at Gordon Biersch in downtown Tempe. The dinner will start at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 7. Cost is $45 per person. Make your reservation by

Chef Brandon Crouser, who’s been lending a hand in recent months at Pittsburgh Willy’s, is bringing a taste of fine dining to the Chandler hot dog shop. Crouser will be preparing a five-course meal (see menu) at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Cost

Lucky Break, a recently opened sports bar and billiards lounge in Tempe, is giving away free half-pound hamburgers and cheeseburgers on Sunday. The offer is available to dine-in patrons only between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. No other purchase is

The Thirsty Lion at Tempe Marketplace is offering free pizza to its Facebook fans next week. Just print out this graphic or show it on your smartphone to your server between Sunday and next Saturday (March 3):

Congrats to the Arizona semifinalists for 2012 James Beard Awards, the culinary world’s version of the Oscars: Shinbay, Scottsdale (Best New Restaurant) Janos Wilder, Janos, Tucson (Outstanding Chef) Vincent on Camelback (Outstanding Restaurant) Sam Fox, Fox Restaurant Concepts, Scottsdale (Outstanding

Floridino’s Pizza & Pasta and Dilly’s Deli are offering 20 percent off meals today if you tell your server, “Dilly’s Deli is coming to Sky Harbor Airport.” Dilly’s Deli and Floridino’s are sister restaurants.

Arizona Beer Week runs through Saturday. Here are some of today’s highlights: Hot Scotchys What’s a Hot Scotchy? It’s a “beer cocktail” made by taking wort, the hot malt sugar of a beer mash, and adding Scotch (or sometimes whiskey). The

As part of Arizona Beer Week, SanTan Brewing is doing a Chimichangas & Beer promotion, offering a special chimichanga, served with rice and beans, every day this week (prices TBA): Monday: Sonoran Coney Chimi (bacon-wrapped Portuguese sausage with Coney Island chili,

Take the state’s fast-growing craft beer scene. Add a picture-perfect, 70-degree day. The result? One very crowded 12th annual Arizona Strong Beer Festival on Saturday at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix. Official attendance figures were not available, but I

Sad news for East Valley brunchers: Chandler fine-dining restaurant Cork is discontinuing its Sunday brunch at the end of the month, a not-so-surprising move given the launch of sister restaurant BLD last year. (BLD, which stands for “breakfast, lunch and

The second annual Arizona Beer Week, which starts Saturday, is nirvana for Valley beer geeks, seven days of rubbing shoulders with nationally renowned brewers and quaffing normally-hard-to-find ales. The Arizona Strong Beer Festival is the week’s signature event. It not

The 12th annual Arizona Strong Beer Festival – considered by many to be the state’s premier beer event – takes place Saturday at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix. Here’s what you need to know: There will be nearly 200 different

If you’re like me, your eyes begin to glaze over whenever you read about yet another “gastropub.” But this is one instance when you’ll want to pay attention. “British Gastropub” is theme of Cork’s monthly theme night. For one night

When the Los Angeles Times needed Valley food advice, it turned to Dodgers star outfielder Andre Ethier, who played at Chandler-Gilbert Community College and Arizona State University before turning pro. Ethier, who spends the off-season at his home in Chandler

Some people laughed when we wrote about Chick-fil-A’s $20 Valentine’s special for two last week, but others wanted more suggestions in that price range. Let’s face it: We all can’t afford to spend $100 on a meal, even on Valentine’s Day.

Tuesday is Valentine’s Day, Arizona’s 100th birthday and also the anniversary of several Valley companies. Celebrate with some freebies: Whole Foods Chandler is giving away a free brownie from Fairytale Brownie, which is celebrating its 20th year, to its first

The latest in beer-bottling technology reaches Arizona this week with the debut of Left Hand Brewing‘s Milk Stout Nitro. The Longmont, Colo., brewery’s biggest seller is its Milk Stout, which like many stouts has become very popular as a nitro

Gilbert’s New Mexican Grill is opening a second location next month at Gilbert and Queen Creek roads in Chandler. Owner Ralph Aranda opened his 32-seat eatery last January in the former Chef H space on the northeast corner of Lindsay

The sixth incarnation of Il Vinaio‘s popular Beer & Donuts tasting took place Saturday. Here were the pairings (from left): Cream cheese-frosted carrot cake doughnut with Four Peaks Sunbru Kolsch Mustard rye fritter with Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA Pineapple-filled

“Check, Please,” Eight’s restaurant-review show that just started its second season, featured a pair of East Valley restaurants last week, and both got rave reviews. The first was Chandler gourmet hot dog joint Pittsburgh Willy’s: The other was Tempe’s Essence

The long-awaited Postino Gilbert Winecafé is scheduled to open March 19, and owner Craig DeMarco already is thinking about additional restaurants in Gilbert. DeMarco, who has two Postino locations in Phoenix, opened Windsor, an all-day restaurant, and Churn, an ice cream

Four Peaks Brewing Co. will celebrate its 15th anniversary with an all-day festival April 21 at Tempe Beach Park. The 21-and-over event has been dubbed Randomonium and will include beer, food and music. It will start at 2 p.m. and

Every restaurant in the East Valley seems to be cashing in on Valentine’s Day, and Chick-fil-A is no exception. The fast-food chain’s Crossroads Towne Center location at Gilbert and Germann in Chandler is advertising “a very special evening with your

Who knew Adam Richman is such a wimp? The host of the Travel Channel’s popular show “Man v. Food” got his butt kicked by Chompies’ Ultimate Slider Challenge in March 2010, but that hasn’t stopped a parade of locals from accomplishing

After the mega-disaster that was last month’s Street Eats Food Truck Festival in Scottsdale, the last place you might want to go is the Food Truck Round Up at Superstition Farm on Saturday, March 17. But the southeast Mesa dairy

Barro’s Pizza is giving away coupons for a free slice to the first 1,000 people that “like” its new Facebook fan page next week. Starting Monday, you can go to the page, “like” it and enter your information to receive an

Monti’s La Casa Vieja is celebrating Arizona’s Centennial on Feb. 14 with 75-cent steak dinners – the price one would have paid in 1912. Starting at 9:12 a.m. that day, the first 100 customers at Tempe’s oldest restaurant will receive

Chicago-based Portillo’s Hot Dogs looks like it’s expanding to the East Valley. Owner Dick Portillo says he’s in discussions with Tempe Marketplace and Chandler Fashion Center to open restaurants at both malls, according to the Phoenix Business Journal. The 200-seat restaurants,

The Spot, a self-described “upbeat neighborhood hangout” offering sandwiches, salads and flatbread pizzas, opened today on the northeast corner of Higley and Ray in Gilbert. Located next to Fresh & Easy and across the street from Agritopia, The Spot is a

Matt Carvalho, former executive chef at RnR in Scottsdale, has taken over the kitchen at Queen Creek Olive Mill‘s Tuscan-inspired eatery del Piero. The Scottsdale native comes from an Italian-Portuguese family and got his first job at an Italian restaurant

Sherry Cameron, CEO of Bill Johnson’s Big Apple restaurants, is asking fans to show up Tuesday at the company’s bankruptcy hearing to support its reorganization plan. The local chain, which has been in operation for more than a half-century, has

Before heading to Taco Bell to try out its much-hyped new breakfast menu, be aware that some, if not most, of the fast-food chain’s Arizona restaurants aren’t offering it. That’s what I discovered when I rolled into my local Taco

Queen Creek Olive Mill, which already sells flavored olive oils ranging from Mexican lime to chile to chocolate, may have unveiled its greatest flavor yet: Bacon. The working olive mill, shop, and Italian-inspired bistro is selling 250-milliliter bottles of bacon

A couple of beer-related events tonight: The Watering Hole bar at Whole Foods Chandler is celebrating Craft Can Night with $2.50 cans from SanTan, Ska, Santa Fe, Oskar Blues, and other brewers from 4 p.m. to close. There’ll be a

Beer & Donuts is back! The popular promotion, held twice a year, will return to downtown Mesa restaurant Il Vinaio on Saturday, Feb. 11. For just $14, you get four fresh-baked gourmet doughnuts, each paired with a different craft beer:

I love Thai food. I love beer. So I’m pretty excited Latitude Eight, the excellent Thai restaurant in downtown Chandler, is hosting its first beer dinner Tuesday, Feb. 21, during Arizona Beer Week. Dubbed “Surf & Turf Redefined,” the menu

One of the drawbacks to living in a region that measures its winters in days, instead of months, is the all-too-short window for the season’s comfort foods. I was reminded of this when I saw some of the new items

Scottsdale-based Sonoran Brewing has announced an interesting series of 2012 seasonal beers designed in collaboration with local chefs and featuring local ingredients. The first, dubbed 7 Wives Saison, will be released March 3. Lon’s at the Hermosa Inn chef Jeremy Pacheco

Pittsburgh Willy’s, the Chandler gourmet hot dog eatery, and the Hungry Monk, Chandler craft beer bar extraordinaire, are teaming up Thursday for a special hot dogs and beer promotion. PW owner Randy Walters will be in the Monk’s kitchen, making

Today is National Beer Can Appreciation Day. Oft-maligned by many beer drinkers, cans have been gaining favor in the last couple years because they chill quicker than bottles, they don’t break as easy and they’re more conducive to poolside/lakeside enjoyment. Here are

Today marks the start of the Chinese New Year, a 15-day celebration for a billion or so people. Celebrate 2012 – the Year of the Dragon – by bidding your friends “Gong Xi Fa Ca!” (which means “wishing you prosperity” in

Buffets Inc., the parent company of Hometown Buffet and Old Country Buffet, has declared bankruptcy for the second time in four years. The company, which has 494 restaurants in 38 states, announced it will close 81 restaurants. The East Valley’s only

The Valley’s original “pop-up” restaurant – 5th Season – returns Feb. 2 in Mesa. The East Valley Institute of Technology hosts 5th season on the first Thursday of the month when school is in session. Culinary students transform a banquet

If you love pork, you should be kicking yourself for missing last night’s Pork & Pints dinner at BLD. Four great pork dishes paired with four beers: Pulled pork slider with spiced Napa cabbage and apple cider, paired with Four

Perhaps the most predicted (or maybe just hoped for) beer trend of 2012 is a return to “session” beers – lower in alcohol and with more mainstream appeal than last year’s parade of ever-more-extreme beers. The first local evidence of

I love spicy foods – from the “suicide” wings at Teakwoods to the habanero barbecue sauce at Joe’s Real BBQ – but Americans certainly don’t have a monopoly on zesty cuisine. So today, which happens to be International Hot &

Brian Banasek is determined to bring good food to downtown Mesa. As chef/owner of S’Bistro, he introduced escargot and foie gras to an area more accustomed to hot dogs than haute cuisine. S’Bistro succumbed to the Great Recession, closing in

Every year, thousands of winter visitors known as “snowbirds,” many of them retirees from the Upper Midwest, flock to the Valley to enjoy our pleasant weather. And, while here, many are on the lookout for restaurants like those “back home.”

You can’t accuse Pittsburgh Steelers fans of being sore losers – at least not Pittsburgh Willy’s owner Randy Walters. To show he’s a good sport in the wake of his Steelers’ 29-23 playoff loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday,

Did you miss out on Four Peak‘s last batch of Bourbon Barrel Kilt Lifter? Join the club. On the day after Christmas, the special 15.5-gallon cask was drained in less than three hours. But you’re in luck. The brewery is

Slickables, a new concept from former San Francisco residents Tina Chau and Sam Chang, has opened next to La Bocca in downtown Tempe. The shop sells $2 ice cream sandwiches – “sandwiches that are lickable,” thus the name Slickables – made

Iowa Cafe, home of Midwest favorites like Maid-Rite loose-meat sandwiches (pictured) and breaded pork tenderloins, has moved to a new east Mesa location about a mile away. The restaurant, which was on McKellips between Higley and Recker for 26 years,

Flancer’s has announced its quarterly beer dinner: A four-course meal with Colorado’s Odell Brewing at its east Mesa location on Wednesday, Jan. 25. 1st course: Beer-braised German sausage with caramelized sweet onions and Michigan apples, triple mustard German potato salad,

BLD is giving you a chance to “pig out” with a special “American Pork & Pints” dinner Thursday, Jan. 19. Chef Ehren Litzenberger will pair four courses of pork-centric dishes with pints of American-style craft beers chosen to enhance each

Tempe brewery Sleepy Dog is asking for help in naming its new summer beer. A sample of the Belgian-style blonde ale infused with blue agave nectar will be tapped at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13. Only those in attendance can

Stand-up comedy is the theme for SanTan Brewing‘s Monday Night Movies series in January. Each Monday, a double feature of comedians doing their stand-up will be screened: Jan. 9: Richard Pryor & George Carlin Jan. 16: Chris Rock & Jim

Since April Goff opened Designer Cakes by April at San Tan Village Marketplace a year ago, fans have been asking her to offer a cake-decorating class. Now they’ve gotten their wish. From Jan. 12 to Feb. 2, Goff will teach

If you – like most Americans – are constantly trying to eat healthier, one of the best things you can do is eat less meat. There are a lot of statistics to back this up, but here are just two:

NYPD Pizza is closing 2011 and kicking off 2012 by offering 99-cent slices of cheese pizza from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The offer is valid for dine-in and carry-out orders, but there’s a limit of two slices

Calling all Zachs and Zoes: Z’Tejas is celebrating National Z Day this Sunday (Jan. 1) by offering free dessert to anyone whose first or last name begins with a Z. No, Z’Tejas didn’t make up this holiday – it actually

Looks like Pittsburgh Willy’s, the popular Chandler hot dog eatery and the East Valley’s unofficial headquarters of Steelers Nation, is throwing a bone to Bears fans. Or, rather, throwing them an authentic Chicago-style hot dog. PW owner Randy Walters has

East Valley restaurants are beginning to publicize their New Year’s Eve celebrations. Many of these will sell out, so make your reservations soon. I’ll add to the list as more become available: Caffe Boa (Ahwatukee): Dinner celebration will offer an assortment

As we count down the last couple days of December, it’s time to unveil my annual list of the East Valley’s best new restaurants. Favorites like Spinato’s, Paletas Betty, Oregano’s, U.S. Egg and Rancho de Tia Rosa all opened additional E.V.

East Valley restaurants are beginning to publicize their New Year’s Eve celebrations. Many of these will sell out, so make your reservations soon. I’ll add to the list as more become available: Caffe Boa (Ahwatukee): Dinner celebration will offer an assortment

Lucky Break Billiards Bar & Grill, a 6,000-square-foot upscale sports bar and pool hall, opens at 3 p.m. today on the southeast corner of McClintock and Baseline roads in Tempe. Over the past four months, the former Devils Hideaway has been

Rock Taco Cantina, a Mexican restaurant with a rock ‘n’ roll vibe that opened in June at Chandler Fashion Center, has closed its doors. Owner Patrick Flynn had hoped his higher-end restaurant and bar would appeal to 25-to-55-year-old women, the

As a Chrismas present to all its loyal customers (and customers-to-be), Pittsburgh Willy’s is offering half-off all breakfasts Saturday. The breakfast menu, developed by chef Brandon Crouser, includes cinnamon French toast, green chile pork breakfast burros (pictured) and biscuits &

Just in time for a last-minute Christmas present for any beer lover, SanTan Brewing finally got its long-awaited new glassware today. For those who’ve forgotten, Boston Beer Co., the maker of Sam Adams, made national headlines earlier this year when

Casa Ramos, a popular Mexican restaurant in Heber, has opened a second location on Main Street between Stapley and Gilbert roads in Mesa. The extensive menu offers 27 lunch specials ($6.50-$7.95, available until 3 p.m. weekdays) and 25 dinner specials

Drink Better Beer blogger Alyssa Medina has nice recap of last week’s Christmas Beer & Chocolate Pairing at Whole Foods Chandler. The women-only event got a much-higher-than-expected turnout, which is great since it benefited the non-profit group Childhelp. The pairing

Today is National Hamburger Day! In celebration, I’m unveiling my picks, in no particular order, for the 12 best burgers in the East Valley. Warning: Do not attempt to view this list on an empty stomach. Juicy Moosey Trophy’s Steakhouse

Mad Dog Saloon Sports Bar & Grill has opened in the recently vacated Salty Senorita, taking over the 7,400-square-foot building on the northwest corner of Stapley and Baseline in Mesa. The new sports bar has big-screen TVs, pool tables, darts,

Today is National Cupcake Day! And while some haters would have you believe the cupcake trend is so over, at least three new shops have opened in the East Valley in the past year. To help you celebrate, I’ve compiled

Yesterday I wrote about the weekly pierogi-making at Pittsburgh Willy’s in Chandler. Today, I enjoyed the results with fellow Midwest transplants Geri Koeppel, Charlotte Risch Shaff and Barb Walters Harris. Every Wednesday, Pittsburgh Willy’s serves potato-and-cheese-filled pierogi while they last.

Almost everyone of central or eastern European heritage is familiar with pierogi. From Minnesota to Massachusetts, the filled dumplings are standard fare at church socials and American Legion halls. But, sadly, the making of pierogi is becoming a lost art.

Sergio and Giuseppe Miele (pictured), the brothers who own the terrific Italian bistro Miele’s in Tempe, open a second venture – Amalfi Pizzeria – today in south Chandler. Amalfi takes over the former Streets of New York space on the northeast corner of

In what’s sure to be one of the Valley’s top beer events this month, the Hungry Monk is hosting a special evening with Lost Abbey and Port Brewing on Thursday. Reps for the San Diego sibling breweries – Port produces

Winter may not bring snow and ice to the Valley – at least, not usually – but it does mark the arrival of some great seasonal beers, from Christmas brews to winter warmers. The Innertubes are full of top 10

If you haven’t checked out Pittsburgh Willy’s recently launched weekend breakfast menu yet, here’s some incentive: This Saturday and Sunday, the popular Chandler eatery is offering MXSW readers a half-off deal. That’s right, buy one breakfast and you’ll get a second

BoomBozz Pizza & Taphouse opens its doors at 3 p.m. today at Gilbert Town Square, taking over the former Boston’s Gourmet Pizza building on Gilbert Road south of Warner. It will be BoomBozz’s fifth location; the other four are in Louisville,

5th Season, the training restaurant at the East Valley Institute of Technology in Mesa, will open from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday to serve its December menu. The restaurant, manned by culinary students from the vocational high school, opens one

Some sad news: Alice Salazar, co-founder of Manuel’s Mexican Restaurants, died Sunday after a two-year battle with cancer, according to her family. She was 79. Salazar and her husband, Manuel, opened their first Manuel’s in Phoenix in 1964. The restaurant has