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Maybe the third fourth time will be the charm? For the fourth straight year, Kevin Binkley (pictured) from Binkley’s is one of six finalists for the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest. He’s the only Arizonan to make this year’s finalists, announced today:

The weekly five-course dinners, hosted by chef Romeo Taus and his wife, Janice, in a private dining room, highlight a rotating selection from the regular menu at Romeo’s Euro Cafe in Gilbert. March 19 “Taste of Romeo’s” menu: Spicy Lamb Potatoes: Gyros meat and potatoes

MXSW reader Justin Azelton points out the location on the northeast corner of Cooper and Ray just closed. The Mesa-based concept once had numerous restaurants in the Valley as well as around the state. According to a post on the Gilbert

The weekly five-course dinners, hosted by chef Romeo Taus and his wife, Janice, in a private dining room, highlight a rotating selection from the regular menu at Romeo’s Euro Cafe in Gilbert. Jan. 29 “Taste of Romeo’s” menu: Portobellini: Grilled portobello mushroom with

New Mexican Grill has closed its location on the southwest corner of Gilbert and Queen Creek roads in Chandler. The original New Mexican Grill remains open on the northeast corner of Lindsay and Pecos roads in Gilbert. The Chandler location had opened

Rise Up Bakery, a husband-and-wife-operated business, has opened in Gilbert Tuscany Village on the northeast corner of Higley and Guadalupe. Owners Jay and Danielle Lunt (pictured) owned a successful bakery in Las Vegas for nearly 10 years. After living in

Phoenix-based Fox Restaurant Concepts has sold its nine Sauce pizzerias in the Valley and Tucson, including locations in Chandler and Mesa. The buyer is a group headed by Scott Kilpatrick, one of the original founders of Ra Sushi, which was

(Arizona Beer Class is an ongoing Thursday series profiling Arizona’s noteworthy craft beers. See previous Arizona Beer Classes here.) This week, Fate Brewing founder Steve McFate talks about his fall seasonal Candy Bar Milk Stout (6% ABV), which will be released

Thanks to an outpouring of support from the community, Yoli’s Cafe in Chandler may be able to reopen as soon as this weekend. After thieves stole its grill during kitchen renovations last week, the small cafe launched a Go Fund

Please welcome Floridino’s Pizza & Pasta in Chandler as MXSW’s newest sponsor. The longtime neighborhood favorite is located on Alma School between Ray and Chandler. Back in my newspaper days, Floridino’s was a weekly lunch destination for the entertainment staff. Specials (11

Tempe firefighters report an ice machine at Umami caught fire around 1:30 a.m. this morning, forcing about 60 people to evacuate from apartments above the recently opened ramen restaurant. The fire itself was contained to the appliance, but the smoke

The Taylor family, which has run lakeside restaurant Pier 54 in south Tempe for seven years, has sold the all-patio venue, according to a post on its Facebook page: We have had an amazing journey as the owners and operators of

Is the Valley ready for its own Dîner en Blanc, the famous French “pop-up” picnic described as equal parts mystery, anachronism and caprice? The annual Paris event (pictured above) began humbly in 1988 but quickly has grown into a must-attend soiree

It’s official: After five years at Merchant’s Square antique mall, Pittsburgh Willy’s will close its doors Feb. 2. A new downtown Chandler location, dubbed Pittsburgh Willy’s Dog House, will open a few days later. Owner Randy Walters had been planning

A few spots remain for Chandler’s five-week home-brewing class, which starts Tuesday in the kitchen of the downtown Community Center. The hands-on class, taught by Andrew Bauman (pictured) from The Perch, meets 6-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays for five weeks, ending Feb.

“Check, Please! Arizona,” the two-time Emmy Award-winning television show on Eight, Arizona PBS, kicks off its fourth season at 7 tonight. The show features a trio of guests each week who review their favorite Valley restaurants in a roundtable discussion

1. Portillo’s set to open 1st AZ location Feb. 26 in Scottsdale, another this summer in Tempe 2. Gilbert couple to open gourmet salad drive-through next month as healthy alternative to fast food 3. 2 restaurants coming soon to Gilbert:

Salonika Chicken and Veal Pirata (pictured) will be the two 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

Cork: Four-course menu offers selections like wild salmon tartare, dry-aged beef striploin, cioppino, and braised buffalo short rib. Two seatings: 5-5:30 p.m. ($75 per person) or 7:45-8:30 p.m. ($95 per person, includes champagne toast and party favors). 480-883-3773. Baja Joe’s

Please welcome Brooklyn V’s Pizza in Gilbert as MXSW’s newest sponsor. The Italian restaurant opened six weeks ago in the former Urban Legends Pizzaworks space on the northeast corner of Lindsay and Warner. Owner Vito LoPiccolo was born in Sicily and had an Italian

Please welcome Bourbons Jacks in downtown Chandler as MXSW’s newest sponsor. The self-proclaimed “urban country” restaurant and bar is located on Boston Street, just west of Arizona Avenue. Bourbon Jacks offers a menu of American comfort foods with a Southern twist such as

Sad to hear Lisa Giungo, known to many simply as Lisa G., passed away this morning after a short battle with lung cancer. Giungo was best known for Lisa G.’s Wine Bar & Cafe, which she opened in 2006 in a central

Please welcome America’s Taco Shop in Chandler as MXSW’s newest sponsor. The fast-casual restaurant opened in August on the southwest corner of Price and Ray in Chandler. America’s Taco Shop was launched by America Corrales-Bortin and Terry Bortin in Phoenix in 2008.

Given the ubiquitousness of Italian restaurants, a Feast of the Seven Fishes is a surprisingly rare event in the East Valley. The Italian-American Christmas tradition, also known as The Vigil, typically consists of seven different seafood dishes, although it can include as many as

Valley food truck Buzz-n-Beez will make an appearance tonight on “Eat St.,” a Cooking Channel show that checks out the best food truck offerings around the country. The episode, shot in May and entitled “The Bee’s Knees,” will showcase the

AAA Arizona has announced its 2014 list of Five and Four Diamond restaurants, and once again Kai (pictured) leads the way. In fact, the fine-dining restaurant at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa – located on the Gila River Indian

Kudos to Cork, which has been named one of OpenTable’s 2013 Diners’ Choice award winners as a Top 100 Restaurant with the Most Notable Wine Lists. The south Chandler fine-dining restaurant is the only Arizona representative on the list, which

Who makes the best pizza in Tempe? “Best in Chow,” a show on cable’s The Cooking Channel, tries to find out tonight. The half-hour show, hosted by comedian Cris Nannarone, checks out the Truffle Harvest Mushroom Pizza (pictured) from La Bocca,

Barrelhouse American Kitchen & Cocktails in Chandler has rolled out its new fall/winter cocktail menu with some fun and quirky offerings. The Blue Dane (pictured, $9) features a house Danish blue cheese infused gin martini with Dolin Dry Vermouth. The After

Like many (maybe most) new restaurants and bars, The Perch is running behind schedule. The new target for the much-anticipated pub and nanobrewery in downtown Chandler is mid-November. Meanwhile, I recently checked out its progress, including the cleaned-up patio: Workers have

Zappone’s Italian Bistro in Gilbert will host a three-course Halloween wine dinner at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31. There will be live music, and guests are encouraged to dress in costume. Halloween Wine Dinner 1st course: Cream of mushroom soup

October’s Sunday tasting dinner at Cork will celebrate the gastropub concept – a tavern serving high-end food and drink – which was born in British pubs in the early ’90s. The Chandler restaurant’s four-course tasting dinners, available on the last

Please welcome Zappone’s Italian Bistro as MXSW’s newest sponsor. The neighborhood restaurant opened last December on the northwest corner of Higley and Baseline in Gilbert. Zappone’s features homemade pasta, pizza, and entrees made with ingredients imported from Italy. It also serves Italian beer,

Nosh Arizona debuts its Sunday brunch this weekend. The Chandler gastropub will offer brunch from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Nosh brunch menu French toast with syrup & berries or Bananas Foster-style Pancakes with peach compote Yogurt parfait with fresh berries, granola

What do you get when Chandler hot dog shop Pittsburgh Willy’s teams up with Chandler artisan bakery Bread Connection? The Wing Ding Willy on a freshly baked pretzel bun. It’s a Polish hot link topped with bacon, crumbled blue cheese, creamy

Chandler gastropub Nosh Arizona will celebrate Halloween with a Sierra Nevada beer dinner at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31. Sierra Nevada beer dinner Kellerweis Michelada with hop salt rim Beet salad with gorgonzola crumble (paired with Brux Wild Ale) Pumpkin pork

Back in June, MXSW broke the news Scottsdale-based Fox Restaurant Concepts would open Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar in a new development in Gilbert’s downtown historical district in the summer of 2014. Now the developer has revealed another tenant: Lo-Lo’s Chicken &

Thursday is The Hungry Monk‘s monthly Beer & Bacon Night from 5-9 p.m., and this month’s featured brewery will be Firestone Walker. The eight FW beers on tap will include the Arizona debut of the California brewery’s experimental Agrestic Sour Wild

Local eateries are continuing to raise money and awareness for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The latest to jump on board? Jimmy & Joe’s Pizzeria. The family-owned and -operated pizzerias in Chandler and Mesa will donate 20% of all sales

Inspired by the Valley’s sudden influx of fall produce, Cork chef Brian Peterson is offering three-course “spontaneous” menus all this week. For just $35, you’ll enjoy three improvised dishes featuring fresh local produce from Arizona purveyors. Some of the dishes

Please welcome AZ Food Crafters as MXSW’s newest sponsor. The locally owned hand pie bakery and cafe opened in February in a strip mall on the southeast corner of Alma School and Ray in Chandler. By the time their bricks-and-mortar location

My Wine Cellar & Bistro will hold its annual wine festival, featuring 20 wines from four distributors, on Sunday, Nov. 24. Attendees will get to sample all 20 wines from noon to 3 p.m. at the Ahwatukee venue, named one of

Two pumpkin ales brewed right here in Arizona are the contestants in round four of the popular Bar Fight series at Chandler gastropub Nosh Arizona. Here’s how Bar Fight works: Every other month, Nosh chooses two craft beers to face off,

Tempe’s Front Porch – aka the patio at Monti’s La Casa Vieja – is starting weekend brunch this weekend (just in time for Saturday’s Tour de Fat at Tempe Beach Park). Brunch menu Seasonal fruit cup with tequila yogurt dip

Lobster Mac ’N Cheese – lobster and cavatappi pasta smothered in a cheddar, gruyere, and fontina cheese sauce with a breadcrumb crust – is one of seven plates on the new menu at Nosh Arizona. The Chandler gastropub, just named

Queen Creek Olive Mill launches a new breakfast menu and new hours Tuesday. Breakfast highlights: Beast and eggs: Chicken fried steak with two eggs served your way “Angry Swine” omelet featuring sausage from The Pork Shop (pictured) Ricotta and Vanilla

Please welcome La Ristra New Mexican Kitchen as MXSW’s newest sponsor. The family-owned restaurant and bar opened in June in the former Chuy’s Mesquite Broiler space on Warner Road, just west of Lindsay, in Gilbert. La Ristra’s menu features the flavors of New Mexico, particularly the

Picazzo’s Gourmet Pizza & Salads will open next month on the northeast corner of Kyrene and Warner in south Tempe. It should be right at home – it occupied the space until last year. Picazzo’s menu features healthy, natural, and organic pizzas,

On the heels of July’s tasting of American vodkas, BLD in Chandler will host an All-American Gin Tasting at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28. Participants will enjoy five American craft gins plus hors d’oeuvres for just $27 per person. BLD’s resident

H&H City Pizza, which will specialize in wood-fired pizzas, is taking over the former Marco’s Pizza space on the southwest corner of Arizona Avenue and Ocotillo in south Chandler. H&H is the brainchild of chefs Marshall Reichert (Cottonwood Country Club) and

Chef Off!, a series of friendly culinary competitions between East Valley chefs, will return Wednesday, Oct. 9. The 12th installment will pit John Wing of sN Asian Kitchen in Mesa against Larry Shore of Barrelhouse American Kitchen & Cocktails in

Chandler fine-dining restaurant Cork has unveiled its prix fixe menu for Arizona Restaurant Week, which starts Saturday and runs through Sept. 29. For nine days, participating restaurant throughout the state will offer three-course dinner menus for either $30 or $40.

Nosh Arizona, the gastropub on the northwest corner of McClintock and Ray, no longer will be open Sunday evenings, but will be opening for Sunday brunch on Oct. 20. Chef Stacey Carson will be spending the next few Sundays finalizing the

The Pittsburgh Steelers take on the rival Cincinnati Bengals tonight in Monday Night Football, prompting Pittsburgh-related food specials at a pair of East Valley restaurants. Kickoff is 5:40 p.m. Pittsburgh Willy’s Twilly at Hungry Monk The Hungry Monk in Chandler

It’s time again for Beer & Donuts at Il Vinaio in downtown Mesa. The popular tastng, held three times a year, features four house-made gourmet doughnuts paired with four small craft beers. This round, all four beers will be from Epic

Oops. Looks like the expansion of the Gilbert Food Truck Food Court to three days per week is on hold until next week. Trucks apparently showed up for their first-ever Thursday lunch today only to discover roof damage at their

Fresh & Easy has been given new life. British conglomerate Tesco announced today it is handing over 150 of its 200 stores in Arizona, Nevada, and California to L.A. billionaire Ron Burkle, an owner of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins. Tesco is

Thar she blows! One of Arizona diners’ biggest “white whales” – Midwest giant Steak ‘N Shake  – has been sighted in downtown Tempe. The iconic chain, known for its tall shakes and juicy “steakburgers,” is taking over the front portion of

El Palacio has a shelf of trophies for its delicious salsas. Pittsburgh Willy’s has a wall of best-of awards for its specialty hot dogs. Now the two Chandler eateries are joining forces. The result is the El Palacio Grande, a

Deschutes Inversion IPA and BBQ baby back beer-glazed ribs with apple-jicama slaw (pictured) won round 3 of Nosh Arizona‘s ongoing “Bar Fight” series, beating out Bell’s Two Hearted Ale and rosemary-brushed balsamic chicken satay skewers. In August, diners could order both dishes plus

World of Beer, which just celebrated its one-year anniversary in Tempe, has something new on tap: Food. The Mill Avenue craft beer bar, which has 58 draft handles, debuted its new kitchen Monday. The 20-item menu is compact, but doesn’t

Chicago fast-casual favorite Portillo’s announced its long-awaited first East Valley location will open at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, at Tempe Marketplace. It will be the chain’s 38th location but just the second in Arizona. The first opened in Scottsdale earlier

Starting Sunday, you no longer will have to order a burger and fries at Burger King. At least, not separately. The fast-food chain is debuting a limited-time French Fry Burger for $1. It’s not all that creative – basically a

The Humble Pie family of restaurants is unveiling a new concept – Sol Diablo Cantina Kitchen – next month on the southwest corner of College Avenue and Fifth Street (across the street from Sun Devil Stadium) in Tempe. The Mexican-inspired cantina