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Tempe Marketplace’s Cadillac Ranch hosts a Hooked on Chili Cook Off on Saturday. The event is free to the public, but it costs $10 to sample the chili. The day’s schedule: 10 a.m.: Live music begins 11 a.m.: The “All

Bad news for shopping mall diners: Pizza chain Sbarro is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as soon as next week, according to the Wall Street Journal. Sbarro has more than 1,000 locations in 40 countries, including eight

We thought this press release from Venezia’s New York Style Pizzeria was a creative way to offer a one-day discount on its vegetarian speciality pizza. It’s not like anyone would seriously believe the rest of it, right? AS OF APRIL 1,

Cycle, a pop-up restaurant space for the next three months at downtown Phoenix’s under-renovation Lexington Hotel, makes its much-ballyhooed debut Friday night with the Hey Joe Filipino Street Food truck outside and guest chef Tracy Dempsey (pictured) serving sweet and savory

(Editor’s note: Congratulations to Richard Blais, who won Bravo’s “Top Chef All-Stars” Wednesday night. To celebrate his victory, we dug up our extensive interview with Blais from July 2008, a month after his loss to Scottsdale Culinary Institute grad Stephanie

Pabst Blue Ribbon is looking for teams to participate in its seasonal PBR “Just for Fun” bowling league, which begins at 7:45 p.m. Sunday at AMF Scottsdale Lanes. Four-person teams compete the next 14 Sundays. Cost is $13 per person

Sample more than 100 homemade salsas at the My Nana’s Best Tasting Salsa Challenge, which runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Tempe Beach Park. Teams will be competing in three divisions – individual, business and restaurant – and each

After 37 years, Taste is shaking things up. Saturday’s culinary fundraiser, which has been held for several years at Kierland Commons, moves to the Scottsdale Waterfront and is being rechristened The Original Taste. The event, which runs 7 to 10

Old Town Scottsdale’s newest nightlife – er, make that “daylife” – destination Spanish Fly Mexican Beach Club opens at noon Saturday. Formerly Drift Lounge, the property has undergone a $2 million renovation that includes addition of a full-size pool, indoor/outdoor

Burger King‘s crown-shaped chicken tenders are history, replaced this week by basic nugget-shaped pieces with new seasoning as the chain tries to better compete with rival McDonald’s popular McNuggets. The new tenders, which come with a choice of eight dipping sauces,

AZ Girls’ Pint Out and Sleepy Dog Brewery are teaming up for Power Paws, “Pupcakes” & Beer, a fundraiser for assistance dogs. From 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Tempe brewery, attendees will get three mini cupcakes from Butter

Roll in for Japan, a pop-up event planned by Valley restaurants to raise money for the Red Cross, will take place 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Madison Event Center in downtown Phoenix. Hana Japanese Eatery, Citizen Public House, Barrio

We’ve been telling people for months that Whole Foods Market in Chandler has a craft beer bar with a great selection. Now we know why: Whole Foods is testing craft beer and local wine bars at a dozen or so of

Wingstock 2011, the annual festival billed as “Where Chicken and Music Meet,” will take place 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at Mesa Amphitheatre. Restaurants providing wings will include Native New Yorker, Wing Stop, Hooters, Fat Willy’s, Cactus

After a much-maligned debut last year as the Chandler BBQ Festival, the re-organized and re-christened Great American Barbecue & Beer Festival on Saturday was a huge success. The crowd was much larger than expected – and much larger than last

Beer Advocate ranks top 100 beers in Southwest; Four Peaks’ Hop Knot is 6th This Saturday: Chandler’s Great American BBQ fest vs. Scottsdale’s AZ BBQ fest Soy sorry: Beau MacMillan gets ‘Chopped’ Arizona shut out again as James Beard Award

Dining critic Michele Lauding may have left New Times last week, but she’s still breaking dining news via Twitter, such as this last night: Today, AZ Central confirms that chef Payton Curry, formerly of Caffe Boa, has signed a three-month

Today The three-day Tempe Spring Festival of the Arts, including the Arizona Wine Garden and The Art of Beer, kicks off in downtown Tempe. The re-broadcast of the 1999 ground-breaking TV cooking series “Savor the Southwest” begins on PBS. Saturday The first-ever

Mozart Café & Bakery, an all-day restaurant that uses only kosher dairy products, has opened near Scottsdale and Shea in Scottsdale. The menu focuses on healthy Mediterranean dishes – grilled, not fried – and fresh-baked challahs, croissants and pastries. Mozart, which

Six Valley food and beverage veterans have joined forces to open Garage Public House in the former Vine Tavern space in Ahwatukee. According to co-owner Doug Collins (Tavern on Mill): It’s going to be more upscale than a sports bar,

Dilly’s Deli is launching four new sandwiches and needs help coming up with clever names. The four winning suggestions will earn $50 gift cards. The new sandwiches: Cubano: Ham, roasted pork, pickles, Swiss cheese and horseradish-mustard on a sourdough hoagie

Pizzeria Bianco, legendary for its multi-hour waiting lines, will begin serving lunch April 12. The downtown Phoenix pizzeria, helmed by James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Bianco, currently offers two seatings per night Tuesday through Saturday. Pizzeria Bianco to open for

David Bickford of the PHX Rail Food blog reports via Twitter (@phxrailfood) Viet Kitchen in downtown Phoenix is making another try at dinner service. The new hours are 10 a.m. t0 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. He also noticed a window sign

Valley restaurateur Chris Bianco puts Suns swingman Mikael Pietrus to work baking dough at Pane Bianco (which the Caribbean-born player pronounces “Penny Banko”) on the Fox Sports Arizona’s “Planet Orange.” I’m definitely – after I’m done with the Suns in

Two more Valley restaurants are helping victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami: From 10 p.m. to midnight tonight, Posh chef-owner Josh Hebert will donate half of his proceeds to the Red Cross. Hebert lived in Japan. From 4 p.m.

The Republic puts a “spotlight” on busy chef-restaurateur Johnny Chu with a somewhat encyclopedic feature that strangely doesn’t even quote Chu until the 27th paragraph: Our food can show in America (that) Asian food is not just chop suey. Besides running Sens

Arizona Diamondbacks fans may not have much to cheer this season, but at least Chase Field isn’t one of eight major-league parks selected to serve Food Network-branded food. The Food Network kitchen has created a Red, White & Blue steak sandwich

Hop Knot IPA from Tempe’s Four Peaks Brewing is the best beer in Arizona, but doesn’t quite crack the top 5 in the Southwest, according to Beer Advocate’s rankings of the top 100 beers in the Southwest. Arizona manages only

Chef Payton Curry (pictured on left), who recently left Caffe Boa, has been sending out cryptic tweets this week about a new restaurant he intends to open. On Monday: I just found a location for my Therapy. We will be

A beer garden called The Art of Beer and featuring locally brewed ales makes its debut this weekend at the Tempe Spring Festival of the Arts. The twice-a-year festival, which draws nearly 250,000 people, launched a local wine garden several

Carl’s Jr., perhaps best-known for its sloppy Six Dollar burgers hawked by Paris Hilton and Audrina Patridge, unveils three charbroiled turkey burgers today: Turkey Burger: With ketchup, mayonnaise, lettuce, red onion, tomato and dill pickle chips. Guacamole Turkey Burger: With

National BBQ Month isn’t until May, but the Valley gets a jump on things Saturday with a pair of huge BBQ festivals Saturday in Chandler and Scottsdale. Here’s how they compare: Great American Barbeque & Beer Festival Noon to 8

Crudo just announced its first-ever cocktail dinner – a three-course meal paired with drinks featuring Wisconsin micro-distillery Death’s Door Spirits – at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 30. The second and third dishes will be made from a whole pig that chef

Scottsdale artisan ice cream shop Sweet Republic is inviting fans to take part in a taping of the Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” Show host Alton Brown is doing a segment on Sweet Republic’s Toffee Banofi Sundae.

Coal Burger, a self-proclaimed “burgeria with a conscience” from the people behind Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, is the latest restaurant to open at Scottsdale Quarter. The menu features grass-fed beef patties cooked in a coal-fired oven. A Classic Coal Burger with lettuce,

Pro’s Ranch Market – closed since a March 20, 2010, fire – has reopened at Central and Southern in south Phoenix. According to the Republic, the remodeled market includes a larger bakery, a lunch counter and a new tortilleria. Ranch Market

Petite Maison, Big Earl’s BBQ, chef Payton Curry, Iruna, Wildflower Bread Co., 24 Carrots Juice and Cruz Tequila are among those donating food and drink for Twestival Phoenix. Thursday’s 6 p.m. event, one of 200-plus volunteer-organized charity tweetups around world

Arizona Barbecue Festival (Scottsdale): $5 for $10 general admission or $50 for $100 VIP admission [Groupon] Zayn’s Hookah Lounge (Scottsdale): $10 for $20 worth of teas and hookah smoking [Groupon] Yogurtopia (Scottsdale): $5 for $10 worth of frozen yogurt [Living Social] Sunshine

It’s less than four days until CupcakeCamp Chandler, and here’s the latest update on Saturday’s free, open-to-the-public sessions at the Chandler Senior Center: Session 1 (10-10:45 a.m.) Decorating with Flair: Frosting and Icing – presented by AZ Mom of Many Hats

City Market Deli has opened near Indian School Road and 68th Street, its second location in Scottsdale and third in the Valley. The sandwich shops, which moved from Detroit to the Valley after the recession hit, offer sandwiches, wraps, salads,

You have until Friday to vote online for this year’s Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame Awards: Chef Extraordinaire Chris Curtiss, Noca Tracy Dempsey, Tracy Dempsey Originals Nobuo Fukuda, Nobuo at Teeter House Lee Hillson, T. Cooks at the Royal Palms

“Taste of Morocco” is the new theme for Cork‘s popular Sunday night tasting menu. The four-course, prix fixe menu – which features a different region of the world each month – is $35 per person. Through April 10, it includes

Finalists for the 2011 James Beard Awards, the culinary world’s equivalent to the Oscars, have just been announced, and Arizona laid a giant goose egg. Again. Kevin Binkley (left) of Binkley’s Restaurant in Cave Creek, Silvana Salcido Esparza (right) of

Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue chef Bryan Dooley is known for his catchphrase “Trust your chef.” It’s his typical three-word response when someone asks about one of his delicious dishes. Now, Dooley is spreading the word with T-shirts, which are available

Two more Valley restaurants are stepping up to help Japanese earthquake victims. Sushi Roku in Scottsdale is donating 25 percent of all proceeds today to the Red Cross and its Japanese relief efforts. The promotion extends to Sushi Roku’s sister

The good news: Avalon chef Brandon Crouser is OK. The bad news: His Honda Civic isn’t. The chef was leaving his south Scottsdale restaurant Saturday morning en route to the Old Town Farmers Market. As he pulled out onto McDowell

Elements chef Beau MacMillan survived just two rounds Sunday night on the Food Network’s “Chopped All-Stars,” bowing out with his entree course. The competition pitted MacMillan, an “Iron Chef America” victor and former co-host of the network’s “Worst Cooks in

Trader Vic’s will celebrate its 77-year history with a Vintage Vic’s dinner party at the Hotel Valley Ho restaurant this Sunday. The meal will feature hors d’oeuvres, three courses and dessert culled from nearly eight decades of recipes by chef Justin Pfeilsticker.

The Valley’s fledgling food truck scene had better look out: Jack is coming. Jack in the Box, the latest fast-food chain to jump on the culinary trend, debuts its first food truck next week in San Diego, where the restaurant’s

Black Chile Mexican Grill, a new chain concept from the founders of Kona Grill, will open its second location this May at Biltmore Fashion Park. The menu will feature tacos, enchiladas and Americanized entrees like chimichangas, chorizo meatloaf and its namesake

Smok’n Joe’s Roadhouse has opened in Scottsdale, taking over the former Mardi Gras space near McDowell and Hayden. Although the restaurant’s website doesn’t have much info, its Facebook page describes the concept as “scooter-friendly neighborhood bar & grill meets roadhouse

Whole Foods Market is launching a film festival in April to celebrate Earth Month. Do Something Reel, featuring six films dealing with environmental and food issues, will be screened in 70 cities, including April 16-17 at Madcap Theaters in Tempe:

A couple days ago we mentioned Spinato’s Pizzeria would be opening its fifth Valley location next month in Ahwatukee in April. It looks like Spinato’s fans won’t have to wait quite that long. Sharp-eyed MXSW reader @ScorpionKiller snapped this photo

The media were abuzz Thursday with the news Diet Coke has passed Pepsi as the No. 2-selling soda in the U.S., although it still trails Coke by a substantial margin. The bigger news, it seems to us, is that overall

The Vig Uptown marks its first anniversary Sunday, and to celebrate the Phoenix hangout is offering 50 percent off everything on its menu except entrees. That means appetizers like nachos with slow-roasted pork or Tandoori chicken for $5, Korean barbecue

If you’re looking to score Tim Lincecum’s autograph during spring training, you might skip Scottsdale Stadium and head to the nearest In-N-Out Burger. The San Francisco Giants’ All-Star pitcher, who weighs all of 168 pounds, says he dines regularly at the

Food industry tracker Technomic has come out with a list of the 10 fastest-growing restaurant chains, based on percentage increase in sales between 2009 and 2010: Five Guys Burgers and Fries (38%) Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwich Shop (22%) Chipotle Mexican

Elements chef Beau MacMillan, no stranger to the Food Network, returns to its stages Sunday to compete on “Chopped All-Stars.” Four contestants cook dishes using a mystery basket of ingredients, and the chef with the worst dish each round is

Looking for some place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? St. Patrick’s Day events [AZ Central] St. Patrick’s Day parties [AZ Central] 16 restaurants for Irish food [AZ Central] St. Patrick’s Day events [New Times] St. Patty’s Day Round-Up [Desert Living]

Spotted Donkey Cantina II chef Patrick Boll’s long resume – which also includes Roaring Fork, Drift, Geisha a Go Go and Il Vinaio, just to name a few – covers almost every part of the Valley, but there’s one area

Keegan’s Grill is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day by selling glasses of green beer for $1 at 3:17 p.m. on Thursday (3/17) for 31.7 minutes. If you can’t make that time window, you’ll still be able to buy Bud Light and

Conspire, the downtown Phoenix gallery-and-coffeehouse-turned-vegan-bakery, is reinventing itself again. The business, which has been serving smoothies and vegan baked goods for the past few months, will gradually add a full vegan menu (along with some non-vegan items) that will include

Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, a Louisana-based chain that bills itself as the leading fast-casual chicken fingers restaurant in the nation, is planning to open its first two Arizona restaurants in Phoenix. The first is scheduled to open at Peoria Avenue and

Former All-Star pitcher Greg Maddux will host Uncork for a Cause, a fundraiser for his Maddux Foundation, at The Phoenician’s J&G Steakhouse on March 24. From 6 to 8 p.m., guests will enjoy hors d’oeuvres from J&G chef Jacques Qualin and

Fleming’s in Scottsdale is kicking off a series of 90-point Wine Dinners with a six-course Spanish-inspired meal paired with the Spanish wines of Jorge Ordoñez on March 24. Ordonez, credited with singlehandedly reintroducing Spanish wines to the U.S. in the 1980s, imports

BLD, the much-anticipated new casual restaurant from the people behind Cork, opens its doors at 10:30 a.m. today. Chef Brian Peterson and partners Robert and Danielle Morris’ latest restaurant, whose name is an acronym for “Breakfast Lunch Dinner,” is located on the northeast corner

Nobuo at Teeter House in Phoenix and Roka Akor in Scottsdale are stepping up to help victims of the Japanese earthquake. Starting Thursday, both Japanese restaurants will be donating an unspecified percentage of their revenues for the rest of March

Arizona’s craft beer industry continues to grow. The latest example: Borderland’s Brewing Company, which is scheduled to open in Tucson in July. Borderlands is the brainchild of Mike Mallozzi, a microbiologist, and Myles Stone, a medical student. They’re currently renovating a century-old downtown warehouse.

Phoenix gourmet popcorn maker Poppa Maize has opened its long-awaited Mill Avenue stroe – right next to, conveniently enough, Madcap Theaters. Poppa Maize, which won a year’s free rent in downtown Tempe in a 2009 contest, finally opened Monday. The store

After sitting empty for a couple years, the former Bamboo Club space in downtown Tempe is getting a new tenant: Antars Sports Bistro is scheduled to open April 1. The second-story, 7,000-square-foot space will be Antars’ second Valley location. The

Spinato’s Pizzeria – which already has popular locations in Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix (two) – will open a fifth in Ahwatukee next month. The family-run business, which has won several local awards for its Chicago-style pizzas, has purchased a building at

Before Southeast Valley residents have a collective heart attack, we should point out right away Barrio Cafe chef-owner Silvana Salcido Esparza is NOT pulling out of plans to open a restaurant in Gilbert this fall. When we caught up with the

Some other takes on the weekend’s Devoured culinary fest: Howard Seftel rates Devoured Culinary Classic 2011 [AZ Central] Devoured Culinary Fest lives up to its name [New Times] Devoured [Begin Again Kitchen] Recapping Devoured 2011 [Downtown Phx Journal] Devoured Culinary Classic

Essence Bakery Cafe chef Eugenia Theodosopoulos swept top honors Friday at Caramelpalooza 2011. Held in the Smeeks candy store parking lot in Phoenix, the second annual event featured 11 of the Valley’s top candymakers. Theodosopoulos’ caramel macaron won both the blind tasting

Is the Devoured culinary festival maybe getting too popular for its own good? I think it’s a fair question after Sunday’s conclusion to the two-day event at Phoenix Art Museum. The crowd was even larger than Saturday’s, which by itself

Damn! Three weeks ago we were freezing our butts off at the Arizona Strong Best Festival in Phoenix. Saturday, we were sweating our butts off at the Devoured culinary festival in Phoenix. Doesn’t the Valley ever hit its average temperature

Ten reasons you should be going to the Devoured culinary festival this weekend on the grounds of Phoenix Art Museum: 1. Your ticket ($59 in advance, $69 at door) not only includes all the food and beverages you can consume, but

A week after last week’s raids by sheriff deputies, three Pei Wei Asian Diners still don’t have enough workers to reopen: Seventh Street and Glendale Avenue in Phoenix Guadalupe and McClintock in Tempe Shea Boulevard and Eagle Mountain Parkway in

Tired of slow-moving bar servers? A new Scottsdale taqueria will unveil the city’s first self-serve beer system for customers. El Hefe Super Macho Taqueria, located near Axis-Radius and the W Scottsdale Hotel, will hold its grand-opening party March 23. Booths

Barrio Cafe chef-owner Silvana Salcido Esparza has confirmed the news that MXSW broke four days ago – that the acclaimed Mexican restaurant is moving into the former GrainBelt GrillHouse building in Gilbert. Barrio Cafe will share the building with a new

Carefree Resort & Conference Center has transformed a private dining area for meetings and convention groups into a Southwestern restaurant called Lariat Grill. The work is part of a multi-million-dollar renovation of the conference center, formerly the Cafefree Inn. Lariat Grill,

Look who’s on the cover of the latest issue of Arizona Highways magazine. If you don’t recognize the neon sign, you obviously haven’t driven past Liberty Market in downtown Gilbert in the evening. The story headline is “25 of Our

Just in time for March Madness, Majerle’s Sports Grill opens its fourth Valley location today in Old Town Scottsdale. Named for former Phoenix Suns player (and current Suns assistant coach) Dan Majerle, the first Majerle’s opened in 1992 in downtown

Canned beer fans rejoice! The first-ever Ameri”Can” Canned Craft Beer Festival will be held May 21 in downtown Chandler. Thirteen craft brewers – nine from out of state – already have signed up. At least 30 others are expected to

Here’s a dish you’ve probably never seen before: Tamarind-glazed piranha ribs, straight from South America, served with harissa-cream-dipped baby bok choy, warm three-bean salad and bacon. It was on the menu last night at Binkley’s Restaurant in Cave Creek. Binkley’s Restaurant

Have you been to one of Liberty Market‘s community dinners yet? The downtown Gilbert eatery started the special dinners last year and they’ve proven to be very popular. The next one has just announced for Monday, March 21. The menu

Just got a first look at the menus for Province, which will open its doors in the new Westin Phoenix Downtown on Thursday. Check out the breakfast, lunch and dinner (pictured: miso chile glazed Tasmanian salmon with edamame, spinach and

Devoured, aka “The Valley’s Best Culinary Festival,” takes place this weekend on the grassy grounds of the Phoenix Art Museum, and an updated list of participating restaurants has been released: Saturday: Arcadia Farms, Arrogant Butcher, Barrio Café, Bombay Spice Grill, Carte Blanche Gourmet Tacos, Chelsea’s

SanTan Brewing Company, Lumberyard Brewing Company and Crispin Cider Company were the gold medal winners at last weekend’s Great Arizona Beer Festival in Tempe. Best Pale Ale Gold: Devil’s Ale, SanTan Brewing, Chandler (pictured) Silver: Lumberyard American Pale Ale, Lumberyard

Chaka Chaka, the tiny eatery just south of Chase Field in Phoenix, has closed. Owner Charlie Blonkenfeld is doing private catering and can still be reached at the restaurant’s number or though the restaurants website. Closed for business: Chaka Chaka

New Times broke the news two months ago about ShinBay‘s reopening at the Scottsdale Seville, but now AZ Central has some additional details. When the much-anticipated contemporary Japanese lounge opens in April, it will seat 30. But chef-owner Shinji Kurita plans

It looks like the Valley is down to one fulltime restaurant critic – at least temporarily. Michele Laudig, restaurant critic and blogger for Phoenix New Times, has resigned after a decade at the paper, according to a memo that just

Bonfire Grill & Bar, the wood-fired grill taking over the former Furio space in Old Town Scottsdale, opens tonight. Chef Matt Carter (Zinc Bistro and The Mission) consulted on the menu, which features sandwiches ($11-$15) and meat-and-vegetable skewers ($14-$24) New in

J.B.’s Family Restaurants, a Tempe company started in 1961, has filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. JB’s operates 50 company-operated, franchised or licensed restaurants in Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. J.B.’s Family

Phoenix’s Barrio Cafe, considered by some the best Mexican restaurant in the Valley, plans to open a second location in Gilbert. Chef-owner Silvana Salcido Esparza (pictured), who was nominated for the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest last year

Amarone Ristorante Italiano has closed after little more than six months at Warner and Greenfield roads in Gilbert, and already been reopened as Tutti Santi by Nina. It marks the sixth Valley location of Tutti Santi, which also is Italian

More than 200 beers will be featured at the 23rd annual Great Arizona Beer Festival, which takes place Saturday at Tempe Beach Park. The festival, which has been shortened from two days, has fallen out of favor with some in

Don & Charlie’s, the Scottsdale steakhouse that’s been a favorite hangout for pro athletes, sportswriters and sports fans for decades, has started a “baseball and brew” promotion. In March, the restaurants is offering a “home town” beer for each of

A sure sign that spring has arrived: Culver’s kicks off its popular walleye promotion today. Every year, the Wisconsin-based fast-food chain offers walleye – which many consider the best-tasting freshwater fish (and one that’s very difficult to find on Arizona

Heinz Dip & Squeeze Ketchup packets make their debut at Chick-Fil-A restaurants today. The new packets, which allow for both dipping and squeezing, hold three times as much ketchup as traditional packets. To celebrate, Chick-Fil-A is giving away a free