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Last year, SanTan Brewing Company was involved in a well-publicized battle with Arizona State University over the name of the downtown Chandler brewery’s Sun Devil Ale (which eventually was renamed Devil’s Ale). Now SanTan is battling giant Boston Beer Company,

Josh Hebert, chef-owner of Posh restaurant in Scottsdale, has created a special concessions-themed menu for spring training fans. The four-course meal, which costs $45, includes: Amuse bouche of roasted peanuts tossed in chili aioli Popcorn soup with brown butter and smoked

Valley landmark Mary Coyle Ol’ Fashion Ice Cream and Yogurt will close – barring a last-minute sale – by the end of May. Owner Bob Kelly says business has dropped off 30 to 40 percent at his 60-year-old central Phoenix business:

Good news for ice cream lovers: Sweet Republic, the artisanal ice cream shop in Scottsdale, is now open seven days a week. To celebrate the addition of Monday hours, owners Helen Yung and Jan Wichayanuparp are offering a two-for-one coupon

From the we-wish-this-was-a-joke file: Blair River, the 572-pound Mesa man who gained worldwide attention last fall when he was named the official spokesman of Chandler’s infamous Heart Attack Grill, has died at age 29. The cause of River’s unexpected death

Talk about a change of pace. Chef Chad Burnett recently moved from Joe’s Farm Grill, the popular retro burger stand in Gilbert, to Parc Central, a new upscale eatery at the Scottsdale Quarter. Goodbye, 14 kinds of hot dogs. Hello,

Truffles Grand American Grill, which opened last month in north Scottsdale, is the latest Valley restaurant to launch an improvisational menu to complement its set menu. Available by reservation only, the improv menu option allows diners to outline their food

“Savor the Southwest,” the ground-breaking 13-week TV cooking series that debuted in 1999, is being re-run this year on PBS stations nationwide. As a kickoff, the Valley’s KAET is bringing together many of the participating chefs for a live, three-hour

My Nana’s Salsa Challenge is looking for contestants for its April 2 festival, a fundraising event for the Arizona Hemophilia Association, at Tempe Beach Park. Contestants compete in one of three categories – individual, business or restaurant – and in one

The first-ever Taste Glendale culinary festival will be held Saturday evening in historic downtown Glendale. The event, from the organizers of the annual Taste Chandler, will feature more than 40 Glendale area restaurants, as well as dessert booths, a silent

Kurt Widmer of Widmer Brothers Brewery will hold a meet-and-greet at The Hungry Monk in Chandler from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. Widmer (pictured on right) and his brother Rob (left) started the Portland brewery in 1974. Today, it’s the

Mellow Mushroom, an Atlanta-based pizza chain, will open its second Valley location March 14 at Mill and Seventh Street in downtown Tempe. Local franchisee Jay Beskind opened his first location in northwest Phoenix more than a year ago. The 8,000-square-foot

Cactus Moon Sports Grill – a sports bar, family restaurant, billiards hall and nightclub – has opened at Mesa Riverview. The 13,000-square-foot venue is the latest project of brothers Gary and Phillip Graham, who recently opened Denim & Diamonds in Mesa and

A new French restaurant, La Petite France, is scheduled to open March 5 at the Seville Shopping Center in north Scottsdale. The owners are Denis and Catherine Michel, who recently moved to the Valley from Strasbourg, France, which is close

Today is National Pancake Day at IHOP. Everyone who goes in between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. can get a free short stack. The promotion raises money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Diners are asked to make a small donation. Last

The 27th annual Arizona Matsuri (Matsuri being the Japanese word for festival) will be held Saturday and Sunday at Heritage & Science Park in downtown Phoenix. While there’ll be lots of Japanese music, dance and art, but the best part

Johnny Chu, chef-owner of Sens Asian Tapas in Phoenix, has been hired to create an Asian tapas menu for The Mint, a trendy restaurant and “ultra lounge” scheduled to open in Scottsdale’s nightlife district in April. The Mint, which takes

Pancake cupcakes with maple cream frosting and topped with bacon? That’s just one of the treats you’ll find at Top It Cupcakes, a gourmet cupcake shop that’s opened in Gilbert Town Square on Gilbert Road south of Warner. The shop

Frozen dessert chain Tasti D-Lite opened its Chandler store at Arizona Avenue and Ocotillo in December but finally is celebrating its grand opening this weekend. From noon to 3 p.m. today, Saturday and Sunday, visitors will receive a free small

Even those who closely follow the Valley’s culinary scene may not recognize the name Eytan Zias. But Gwen Ashley Walters writes in the latest issue of Edible Phoenix: Eighty percent of his clientele wear chef pants, like he did before

Bomberos Café & Wine Bar, which has been at an impasse over its lease with its landlord for nine months, has announced it will close March 6. On its Facebook page, the South American bistro says it is looking for

The Scottsdale Arts Festival, which takes place March 11-13 at Scottsdale Civic Center Park, has replaced its usual lineup of food vendors with members from the Phoenix Street Food Coalition. Among the food trucks that are scheduled to appear: Jamburritos Cajun Grille Express,

Edible Phoenix has published a nice profile of one of the Valley’s most mysterious personalties: Arizona Republic restaurant critic Howard Seftel. The piece touches on what’s in Seftel’s kitchen, who cooks in his house, the various places he’s lived and

The Daily Meal has come out with a list of the 101 Best Restaurants in America, and only one Arizona spot made the rankings. Pizzeria Bianco comes in at No. 34: Since Serious Eats founder and pizza maven Ed Levine

BLT Steak in north Scottsdale will celebrate the seventh anniversary of its original Manhattan steakhouse by offering several dining specials on Thursday, March 3. Filets, rib eye and New York strip steaks, Dover sole and signature blackboard main courses – normally

Chris Nicosia, executive chef at Sassi in northScottsdale, talks about his respect for Olive Garden, the secret to a good meatball and the key to Italian cooking at home: Have three things: sea salt, good olive oil – we use

Scottsdale’s SouthBridge has claimed yet another restaurant: Metro Brasserie has closed. The first of seven dining spaces in the restaurants-and-retail development originally opened as Foodbar in 2007. Foodbar closed after a year and was replaced by Metro, a French restaurant.

Thirteenorth Grille has taken over the north Phoenix space that used to house Marcellino Ristorante. Owner Chase Herrick and chef Thomas Ryan describe the new restaurant as an “American neighborhood grill.” Marcellino moved to Old Town Scottsdale last year. Thirteenorth

Today is National Margarita Day, and several Valley restaurants are celebrating with specials. Taberna Mexicana in Scottsdale and Ninfa’s Mexican Kitchen in Glendale are offering half-off all margaritas. Also, all Z’Tejas restaurants in the Valley are selling “Little Larry” margaritas

Here’s something we wish every brewer offered: SanTan Brewing Company, which began canning some of its beers last year, has just introduced mixed 12-packs. Each 12-pack features three cans of each of the Chandler brewery’s four  beers available in cans

Tia Rosa Taqueria at Baseline and Gilbert roads in Gilbert celebrates its one-year anniversary today with a slew of deals. Food specials include $1 tacos, $2 burritos and $3 quesadillas. The celebration also features an all-day happy hour and free

One of our pleasant discoveries at Saturday’s Strong Beer Fest was a new Odell beer called 1st Crack Espresso Stout. The beer was described as a collaboration between the Fort Collins, Colo., brewery and the Valley’s own Cave Creek Coffee

After months of delays, Oregano’s Pizza Bistro finally opens its long-awaited Chandler location today on the northeast corner of Germann and Dobson. The popular local chain already has restaurants in all the other major East Valley cities – Tempe, Scottsdale,

After a week of VIP parties, Sam Fox’s latest restaurant concept – The Arrogant Butcher at downtown Phoenix’s CityScape – opens to the public today. The menu can be described as elevated comfort food. For lunch, there’s a roasted squash

In the wake of chef Payton Curry’s departure, owners Jay and Christine Wisniewski have announced a number of immediate changes at Caffe Boa in Tempe (pictured) and Boa Bistro in Mesa. While the restaurants continue to offer rustic, Italian-influenced, farm-to-table cooking,

Watching your budget pretty closely these days? It doesn’t mean you can’t eat out. Howard Seftel picks 10 dishes for a gourmet experience for less than $10 each: Torta del Rey at Los Reyes de la Torta ($7.99) Tah dik at

Prescott Brewing Company is planning to start work on a new microbrewery this spring that will allow the 17-year-old company to distribute another half-dozen types of beer. Co-owner Roxane Nielsen points out: This is a big step, especially in this

After 16 months at Caffe Boa, chef Payton Curry has given notice. His final day at the downtown Tempe restaurant and its year-old sibling, Caffe Boa Bistro in east Mesa, will be Monday. The 31-year-old plans to open his own

If you ever need evidence of the hardiness of Valley beer lovers, look no further than Saturday’s Strong Beer Festival. Despite 50-degree temperatures, gusty winds and a steady rain, more than a thousand people flocked to Steele Indian School Park

The Arizona Business Gazette has a nice feature on Posh owner-chef Josh Hebert. Among the things we learn about Josh: He graduated from Phoenix’s Brophy Prep. His first job was for Mark Tarbell. He makes turtle posole and turtle fritters.

Perhaps proving the point that the Arizona Strong Beer Festival has something for everyone, Rob Fullmer has published an excellent guide to Saturday’s event for NON-beer drinkers on his Beer PHXation blog. If you’re not much of a beer drinker,

Short-lived Vatra Grillhouse in Arcadia has reopened as Kitchen 56 with new management, a new chef and a new menu of casual American comfort food. Now heading the kitchen is Jonathan Stonis, formerly of Olive & Ivy and Bloom. Now Open in

Arizona Beer Week isn’t just an opportunity to try a lot of beers. It’s also affords ale lovers the chance to meet some of the men behind the beers. Here are some of their appearances next week: Ska Brewing’s Arlo

Upper Crust Pizza & Patio Wine Bar, which offers 45 wines and 12 craft beers, has opened at the Loop 101 and Cave Creek Road in north Phoenix. [AZ Central] Pane Bianco, the Italian sandwich take-out shop and sibling to

The James Beard Award semifinalists for 2011 were announced this morning, and Kevin Binkley of Cave Creek’s Binkley’s Restaurant and Silvana Salcido Esparza of Phoenix’s Barrio Café (both pictured) once again are in contention for Best Chef – Southwest. A third Arizona

Which do you prefer with a steak – a big-bodied Cabernet or a hoppy IPA? A couple of Arizona Beer Week events will compare how various wines and beers pair with food. The big one is the Valley’s first-ever Epicuriad, which

Who’s up for some orange chicken for lunch tomorrow? Two months after getting the boot from its landlord, popular Tott’s Asian Diner reopens Friday in Chandler, less than three mile south of its former Tempe location. Tott’s has taken over the

Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, which closed at DC Ranch in north Scottsdale, has reopened at the Scottsdale Quarter. [AZ Central] Pittsburgh Willy’s is expanding the size of its location in a Chandler antique market. [Facebook] New chef de cuisine Peter

Elements chef Beau MacMillan (center), who was just replaced on “Worst Cooks in America,” will resurface on the Food Network next month. MacMillan will compete on a March 6 episode of “Chopped All-Stars” to raise money for charities. Other chefs

Emilio Morales, chef at the recently opened Sunshine Moon Peking Pub in Old Town Scottsdale, is no fan of the Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods” host Andrew Zimmern: I’m not into making exotic food that grosses people out just because it’s a

Arizona Beer Week, a statewide celebration of craft beer, starts Saturday. Hundreds of events are listed on the ABW website. Many are simply happy-hour-type specials – $3 pints at this bar, $4 pints at that restaurant – but there also

The Dugout Sports Grill, featuring 18 TVs inside and five more on the patio, has opened in Ahwatukee. [New Times] Gwen Ashley Walters spotlights Beckett’s Table‘s Chocolate + Guinness in her monthly Sweet Spot feature. [Phoenix Mag] Caramelpalooza 2011 has

I was barely out of bed Sunday morning when I received a Facebook message from a friend: Simply Bread closed doors today! For a moment, it was hard to believe. But within hours I heard the same news from a

Arizona ranks No. 9 on the list of states with the deadliest eating habits, according to an analysis by the website 24/7 Wall Street. The analysis looked at a number of factors that cause unhealthy diets and resulting obesity. These

With nearly every Valley restaurant is trying to lure diners with Valentine’s Day specials, Culinary Dropout is going the opposite direction. On Tuesday, Feb. 15, the Scottsdale Waterfront gastropub is hosting a day-long anti-Valentine’s promotion, including music and drink specials

Bonfire Grill & Bar, which took over the former Furio building in Old Town Scottsdale, will open March 1. Bonfire, which has a wood-fired grill, will offer a menu of New American cuisine created by consulting chef Matt Carter (Zinc

Phoenix Suns forward Channing Frye has an interesting response when asked what he’ll do after he retires from basketball: I might have my own restaurant. I love food and good food. I go to enough restaurants that I think I

Oscar Mastrantuono, owner of Bomberos Café & Wine Bar in Phoenix, says his South American bistro may be forced to close at the end of the month. Mastrantuano and his landlord are at an impasse over the lease, which expired last

With French bistro Zinc and Latin American restaurant The Mission (and, briefly, Asian eatery Nine 05), it’s hard to imagine chef Matt Carter anywhere but a kitchen. But he has a pretty good idea what he’d be doing if he hadn’t

Postino Winecafé‘s much-anticipated Gilbert location is scheduled to open in October. Postino East, which will take over half of the former GrainBelt GrillHouse building on Gilbert Road, will have garage doors, a patio and a grassy area. It will be

Canteen Modern Tequila Bar in Tempe, District American Kitchen and Wine Bar in Phoenix and Primebar in Scottsdale are among a small but growing number of Valley restaurants converting into late-night dance clubs to get the most profit out of

Sweet Daddy Cupcakes, the Glendale bakery that competed on the Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” show two weeks ago, is expanding. Owners Kory Davidson and Jason Podany are opening a second location at Arizona Avenue and the 202 in Chandler in March.

Phoenix is the 18th-drunkest city in the country, according to a new ranking by Men’s Health. The magazine considered several factors, including deaths from liver disease (Phoenix is 26th), deaths from DUI crashes (46th), DUI arrests (22nd), severity of DUI

LGO Public House, scheduled to open next month, has pulled out of CityScape, the $900 million retail/commercial project in downtown Phoenix. Bob Lynn, founder of the La Grande Orange restaurant group, says the “space wasn’t suitable” to build a ventilation

Victoria “Vicki” Johnson, who founded Macayo’s Mexican restaurants with her husband, Woody, died Jan. 29 at age 89. The high school sweethearts’ first Macayo’s opened in 1950 at 4001 N. Central in Phoenix. Diners at the location, still open today, have

BarFly, the latest venture from Valley restaurateur Sam Fox (pictured), will open Feb. 18 at Phoenix Sky Harbor. It replaces the old Fox Sport Grill (which had no association to Sam Fox). The new eatery, located beyond the security checkpoint

Five Arizona craft brewers have teamed up to create what they’re calling the state’s first collaboratively blended craft beer for the Arizona Beer Week, which runs Feb. 19-26. The beer, an Imperial Red Ale that will debut at the Strong

Deseo, the upscale Latin American restaurant at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in north Scottsdale, is limiting its wine list to South American wines (such as Achával Ferrer Malbec from Argentina, pictured), starting March 1. Deseo manager Jim Hansen

Howard Seftel begins the day with his list of the Phoenix metro area’s best breakfast restaurants: Matt’s Big Breakfast, Kiss the Cook, The Breakfast Club, Original Pancake House, T.C. Eggington’s, Over Easy, Rancho House Grille (pictured) and Butterfield’s. Top 10

Two Hippies, the chain of ’60s-themed, ultra-casual eateries that started in 2007, is opening four more restaurants, bringing its Valley total to 19: • A Two Hippies Beach House and Groovy Bar opened this week at Greenway Parkway and Cave Creek

Cheba Hut is celebrating the passage of Prop. 203 (medical marijuana) on Thursday (2/03, get it?) by offering 4-inch subs for $2.03 at all five of its Valley locations. [AZ Central] Ex-Valley chef Jeff Smedstad, now owner of Café Elote in

Four months after taking over Adobe Restaurant, chef Wade Moises is out. Moises, you may recall, left Sassi in north Scottsdale to launch PastaBar in 2009, but left the downtown Phoenix eatery in August 2010. He was hired in September

Howard Seftel looks at his 10 favorite places to grab a bite after a concert or game: Kazimierz World Wine Bar, Sens Asian Tapas, Petite Maison, AZ 88, Four Peaks Brewing Co., Delux, Fez, Carlsbad Tavern, Hanny’s and Joe’s New York

Alex Padilla, chef at recently opened Taberna Mexicana at the Scottsdale Seville, credits his mother for his culinary career: My mom is a chef. She worked for Ninfa’s in Houston, which is the most famous Tex-Mex restaurant in the city,

With Valentine’s Day approaching, Republic nightlife editor Megan Finnerty reveals her picks for the Valley’s best singles bars. [AZ Central] The second annual Caramelpalooza will be held March 17 in the Smeeks parking lot in Phoenix. [New Times] Gwen Ashley

Monti’s La Casa Vieja in Tempe is celebrating its 55th anniversary with the help of some of the Valley’s top chefs. Each month, a visiting chef will serve a special dinner menu for one night. Eddie Matney (Eddie’s House) will

David Tyda takes an early look inside soon-to-open Big Earl’s BBQ in Old Town Scottsdale and talks to chef-owner James Porter about his latest project. Construction tour: Big Earl’s BBQ [Eater AZ] Big Earl’s BBQ [restaurant website]

The Bidwill family, owners of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, have bought the recently closed Tom’s Tavern in downtown Phoenix and plan to reopen the 80-year-old restaurant. Tom’s most recent owner, Michael Ratner, put the restaurant up for sale last year

Scottsdale-based P.F. Chang’s has rolled out a new happy hour menu for all its restaurants nationwide. [Phoenix Biz Journal] Cuidad de Manila, a Filipino restaurant in Mesa, has changed its name to Lutong Bahay ni CACHI. [AZ Central] Sweet Cakes

Geno’s Cheesesteaks & Deli has opened in Gilbert. And, no, it’s not associated with the legendary Philly cheesesteak spot Geno’s Steaks. The Gilbert restaurant, on the northwest corner of Val Vista and Williams Field, is a sibling of Geno’s Famous

Arizona State University graduate Sven Liden and some friends have developed Bakon Vodka: We were just joking around like, `I wonder if a bacon-flavored spirit would be good.’ Of course, you’re like, `Well, I don’t know.’ But then we started thinking about

The recession hasn’t been kind to some of Scottsdale’s high-profile restaurateurs. According to the Republic, the damages include: • Aaron May, a high-flying chef who walked away from two restaurant leases at DC Ranch, is saddled with $1.75 million in

Habit Burger Grill, which has 30 locations in Southern California, is coming to the East Valley. The chain plans to open its first Arizona restaurant in the former Tott’s Asian Diner building at McClintock and Guadalupe in Tempe this spring.

Rice Paper – a restaurant showcasing Vietnamese spring rolls – plans to open in midtown Phoenix in May. Owners Lan and Hue Tran says the rolls will sell for $2.75 apiece. The sisters, who worked in their family’s Vietnamese restaurant

Phoenix’s Lux Coffee Bar is moving into a vacant space next door – tripling its size – and turning into a “public house.” Owner Jeff Fischer says the new place – yet to be named – will be a “beverage-driven pub”

Tryst Café, which opened in late December at Desert Ridge but only has been offering breakfast (pictured: the breakfast burrito) and lunch, has started dinner service. To see the health-oriented dinner menu, click here. Tryst also has introduced a cocktail

It’s taken less than two weeks for new chef Brandon Crouser to retool the menu at Avalon in Scottsdale. The results, not surprisingly, are similar to his globally inspired fare at highly acclaimed Atlas Bistro. Check out the menus: Brunch

In the wake of all the Valley barbecue fests, cupcake fests, taco fests and mac-and-cheese fests, it was almost inevitable that there would be a buffalo chicken wing event. Thus, we have Wingstock 2011, to be held April 9 at

Tradiciones, the Mexican restaurant at downtown Phoenix’s Pro’s Ranch Market, has closed. Rick Provenzano, one of three brothers who own the California-based chain of markets, says the restaurant is remodeling and changing its menu. Provenzano says the plan is to

Take an early look at the menu for chef James Porter’s Big Earl’s BBQ in Scottsdale. [page 1 | page 2] Perk Eatery, a family-owned breakfast and lunch spot, has opened in north Scottsdale . [New Times] Bill Johnson’s Big Apple Restaurant

Los Dos Molinos has opened in Ahwatukee, the popular Mexican restaurant’s fourth location in the Valley. The Ahwatukee location, at 40th Street and Chandler Boulevard, is only offering a partial menu for now, and will host a grand opening when

Randy Zweiban, the chef and owner of Province in Chicago (pictured), will open a second location of his well-regarded restaurant at the soon-to-open Westin Phoenix Downtown. Zweiban calls the food at his restaurant, which will open with the hotel on

The owner of Fuego Bistro will open a taco shop, Fuego Tacos, this week at the Esplanade in Phoenix. [AZ Central] Here are more details on recently opened Tasty Thai in Tempe. [AZ Central] Low-calorie frozen dessert chain Tasti D-Lite has

Starting in mid-February, Noca plans to open for lunch. The Phoenix restaurant has posted a draft of its proposed sandwich menu on Facebook. Click here to see the menu. (Pictured: Noca’s lobster roll) Noca set to launch “Nocawich” lunch service

Don Jose Mexican Food, which closed in 2007, has been reopened by a couple of longtime customers who miss the east Phoenix restaurant. [New Times] Eddie V’s Prime Seafood will open on Valentine’s Day at the Scottsdale Quarter. [Phoenix Biz

Into the Soup is looking for contestants for the first-ever Fatazz Meatball Cookoff, planned for March 6 at Harold’s Corral in Cave Creek. Organizer Heidi Lee is trying to sign up at least 40 Valley restaurants to participate. For $15

You can’t deny that cupcakes are on top. There’s “Cupcake Wars” on the Food Network – a contest recently won by The Coffee Shop in Gilbert. And who can forget last October’s Cupcake Love-in, featuring hundreds of cupcakes from local bakeries, devoured

It didn’t take long for Ana Borrajo to land on her feet. Less than a month after closing her Sapna Café in downtown Phoenix, Borrajo has been hired as chef of Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee. Like Sapna, year-old Pomegranate (pictured) offers

Even after 11 years in Arizona, Brian Peterson remains a Chicagoan at heart. For the chef and part-owner of Cork and the upcoming BLD in Chandler, that includes rooting for his Chicago Bears and enjoying Chicago pizza – even if