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Just a few spots remain for Beer & Donuts, a unique pairing offered three times a year at Il Vinaio in downtown Mesa, on Saturday. The tasting will feature a flight of four housemade gourmet doughnuts complemented by four beers from nearby Desert

The Fourth of July is less than a week away, and Wedge & Bottle is getting patriotic with an American artisan cheese plate Saturday. American artisan cheese plate Hoja Santa-wrapped goat cheese (pictured) from The Mozzarella Company in Texas White

“Pilfer the Pantry” enters its final two days at Cork in south Chandler, and the menu now gets entirely unpredictable. For those you don’t know about Pilfer the Pantry, here’s how it works: For the final week before Cork’s annual July

A variety of beers distributed by World Class Beverages will be the focus of this week’s Friday Beer Class at Whole Foods Chandler. The highlight will be Moylan’s Our Dark Secret, a double black IPA the Northern Californian brewery created in collaboration

OpenTable, the popular restaurant reservations website, has released its 2013 list of “Top 100 Hottest Restaurant Bars,” and only one Arizona establishment made the list: SanTan Brewing in downtown Chandler. The awards are based more than 5 million reviews for more than

Is Brat Haus, the sausage-and-beer hangout that opened in Scottsdale a year ago, coming to the East Valley? Chef Payton Curry tells Republic dining critic Howard Seftel that he and partner Dave Andrea are scouting locations in Gilbert and Chandler. Brat

The good news: Queen Creek residents are about to get a great new breakfast spot. The bad news: They’re going to lose their best dinner option. The Deli, the critically acclaimed eatery opened by Blake and Nicole Matsyk in 2008,

Starting at 3 p.m. today, Tempe’s Taste of Tops will host “Sour Soiree Part Deux” featuring eight sour ales on tap. The lineup: Leifman’s Goudenband, Petrus Red, Petrus Aged Pale, Strubbes, Duchesse, Bacchus, Gueuze Fond Tradition, and Bell’s Oarsman. Over

Twenty-three years ago today the Valley recorded its highest-known temperature: 122 degrees. Chandler hot dog Pittsburgh Willy’s is celebrating that anniversary with $1.22 Lil’ Willy hot dogs from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. today. What better way to prepare for July, which

Watch out, Valley mixologists. You’ve got some competition. For a limited time, Tilted Kilt is offering “Shakers,” cocktails shaken at your table by your very own scantily clad female server. In the interest of full disclosure, it should be pointed

Michael O’Dowd, who spent 10 years as chef at nationally acclaimed Kai at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa near Chandler, has a new project: a motorcycle-themed restaurant called Fork & Torque in Tempe. According to Republic dining critic Howard

Grab your floral shirts, grass skirts and leis – SanTan Brewing hosts its fifth annual Hawaiian Luau & Pig Roast all day Saturday at the downtown Chandler brew pub. A special menu will feature Hawaiian favorites like pulled pork, loki

Green Flash Brewing from San Diego will be the subject of tonight’s Friday Beer Class at Whole Foods Chandler. The informal tasting, which costs $5, will feature samples of five Green Flash ales. Highlighting the evening will be Citra Session

Downtown Mesa’s dining scene gets a boost when Republica Empanada opens its doors for a “trial run” from 6-10 p.m. Friday. The eatery will be closed over the weekend, then officially open Monday. Republica is the brainchild of Marco Meraz,

Too many beers, too few hours in a day. Especially today, when there are three don’t-miss craft beer events going head-to-head-to-head. I thought we didn’t have to deal with conundrums like this once Arizona Beer Week was over… From noon-close,

Recently closed Kokopelli Winery & Bistro, a fixture in downtown Chandler since 2001, is joining forces with Crust pizzeria and wine bar to reopen this October with a new name, Crust at Kokopelli Winery. “We at Crust are excited to join forces

If you’re one of those people who feels the need for speed, you might want to race over to Nicantoni’s Pizza in Gilbert tonight for its annual Ferrari Night. The special event for Scuderia Southwest will feature 20 to 30 Ferraris

Tom Ryan, one of the barbecue pioneers in the East Valley, will open another Tom’s BBQ on the northeast corner of Alma School and Queen Creek in south Chandler. The fast-casual restaurant will take over the Ocotillo Plaza’s former Buono’s

You may remember Mark’s Cafe as one of the feel-good stories of 2011. The small Tempe restaurant, then called Culinary Solutions Cafe, was struggling to stay afloat. Then its customers and other area businesses stepped in to help. Thanks to the

The menu is out for the next Beer & Donuts on Saturday, June 29, at Il Vinaio in downtown Mesa. The event, held two or three times a year, features a flight of four housemade gourmet doughnuts complemented by four

The beer has been brewed. Monday, representatives from a dozen of the Valley’s top craft beer bars gathered at Sleepy Dog Brewery in Tempe to collaborate on a new beer. “Brewers are able to get together and ‘play’ with beers

Chef Off!, a series of friendly culinary competitions between East Valley chefs, returns tonight when John Wong of sN Asian Kitchen in Mesa battles Chad Thomas Bolar from Pesto’s Pizza & Wine in Chandler. The fun food-and-wine events were initiated last

Curry Corner, a Pakistani restaurant near ASU, becomes the latest Valley eatery to be featured on the popular TV show “Diner, Drive-ins and Dives” tonight. The episode, “A Festival of Flavors,” airs at 7 p.m. on Food Network HD, and

Please welcome sN Asian Kitchen as MXSW’s newest sponsor. I’ve been a big fan of this cozy Asian fusion restaurant and bar since it opened nearly a decade ago on the northeast corner of Stapley and Baseline (tucked in behind

Recently opened Spokes on Southern is teaming up with Pitcher of Nectar Distributing (POND) to offer its first beer festival Saturday night. The event, which will be held by the Tempe restaurant and bar’s waterfront patio, is dubbed POND by

Summer is a time when things slow down at most Valley restaurants. Not so at AZ Food Crafters, where there’s been a flurry of activity. The Chandler cafe and takeout shop that specializes in hand pies – aka hot pockets, empanadas,

Tonight’s Friday Beer Class at Whole Foods Chandler goes Down Under. The informal tasting will turn its attention to Epic Brewing – the one in Auckland, New Zealand, not the one in Salt Lake City. Although Epic is known for

Superstition Farm is in the process of building an on-site microcreamery, and the southeast Mesa dairy farm is trying to raise $100,000 through a crowdfunding campaign to complete the project. Farmer Casey Stechnij (pictured) and his family have some of

Please welcome the Jimmy & Joe’s Pizza as MXSW’s newest sponsor. The family-run pizzeria has two locations: McClintock and Ray in Chandler and Dobson and Baseline in Mesa. Jimmy & Joe’s signature offering is the “Serious Slice” – so huge it comes

SanTan Brewing: Reserve a special brewery tour, including a half-pint of beer, for Dad for $10. There also are ribeye and sirloin steak specials. SN Asian Kitchen: Acclaimed Valley jazz singer Renee Patrick performs from 5-8 p.m. Flancer’s: Specials will

Looking for a cool gift idea for Dad? Iguana Mack’s in Chandler will host a four-course Sierra Nevada beer dinner at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 19. Sierra Nevada beer dinner menu: Spicy shrimp and crab bruschetta (paired with Summerfest pilsner)

Monsterland – the horror-themed museum, restaurant, and nightclub in downtown Mesa – is attempting to rise from the dead. Owner Kevin Wynn, who converted his seasonal haunted house in September 2011 and then closed it in January of this year,

Its best-case scenario of opening in November 2012 was admittedly overly optimistic. But little did Arizona Wilderness Brewing – Gilbert’s first microbrewery, located on the southeast corner of Arizona Avenue and Guadalupe Road – expect its doors to be still not

Please welcome  as MXSW’s newest sponsor. The website features local deals and coupons from restaurants, spas, retailers, and service providers. Shopping Buyz also has online deals from some national companies. And recently introduced Vacation Buyz, offering savings on hotels, vacation

Want to learn more about wine? My Wine Cellar in Ahwatukee is starting another four-week series of its Wine 101 classes this weekend. The classes run 1-2:30 p.m. Saturdays. Besides learning about wine, participants will get to taste four wines

Southern Arizona winemaker Sam Pillsbury (above, wearing white hat) will be the guest of honor at a Pillsbury Wine dinner Thursday, June 27, at Barrelhouse American Kitchen & Cocktails in Chandler. Pillsbury Wine dinner menu Tropical gulf shrimp ceviche with

It’ll be craft beer vs. wine when Vintage 95 Wine Lounge hosts a four-course “Grapes & Grains” summer dinner Thursday, June 27, in downtown Chandler. Each course will be paired with a beer from nearby SanTan Brewing and a glass

Food Network personality Alton Brown has announced his first-ever tour – dubbed “Alton Brown Live! The Edible Inevitable Tour” – and it includes a stop on Sunday, Oct. 20, at the Mesa Art Center. Brown, best-known for his show “Good

Not a lot of people outside of north Mesa are familiar with Baja Joe’s Mexican Cantina. That’s a shame, because Baja Joe’s serves up really good Mexican fare, especially seafood. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better fish taco

It’s National Donut Day. And lest you think this is another of those corporate-created food-holidays-come-lately, you should know that Donut Day was created by the Salvation Army in 1938 to raise funds for donuts for U.S. soldiers. Krispy Kreme is

It’s Thursday, which means craft beers events around the East Valley… • Taste of Tops in Tempe toasts the late Greg Fretz all day with several of his Phoenix Ale Brewery‘s beers, including his namesake Fretzy’s Unfiltered Ale, on tap. All

Chompie’s is inviting diners of all ages to order from its new children’s menu today as part of “Eat Like a Kid,” a fundraiser for Playworks Arizona, a nonprofit that seeks to transform schools and end bullying by providing physical activity

You only have one more day to make a reservation for the four-course Four Peaks beer dinner at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Flancer’s in Mesa. Beer dinner menu 1st course: Parmesan-sage polenta with prosciutto-wrapped, herbed-goat-cheese-stuffed shrimp (paired with Sunbru Kölsch)

Joyride Taco House – the latest restaurant concept from the folks behind Postino, Windsor, Churn, and Federal Pizza – opens at 11 a.m. today in downtown Gilbert’s Heritage District. Located alongside Postino in the former GrainBelt GrillHouse on the northwest corner

Since MXSW first broke the news that Postino founder Craig DeMarco would unveil a new concept – Joyride Taco House – next to his Gilbert wine cafe, I’ve been counting the days until its opening. Well, my wait is almost

Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, the Celtic-themed “breastaurant” chain based in Tempe, is one of the food and beverage industry’s more successful concepts. Since launching in 2003, it has grown to 70-plus locations in 26 states and Canada. For the

Tonight’s Friday Beer Class at Whole Foods Chandler tries something a little different with an IPA blind tasting. For $5, you can sample four different IPAs while guest bartenders HopHead Fred and Ben VanderMeer discuss various IPA styles and ingredients. The

It’s National Hamburger Day, and The Habit Burger Grill is celebrating by giving away free burgers. The California-based chain will be handing out its signature Charburger with cheese (normally $3.45) from 4-6 p.m. today. The limit is one per person.

Beaver Choice, the East Valley’s critically acclaimed Swedish/Polish/Canadian restaurant, finally reopens today in its new, larger space on the southeast corner of Baseline and Extension in Mesa. The restaurant opened in 2010, but closed its original space at McClintock and

Kneaders Bakery & Cafe, a Utah-based chain known for European-style crusty breads and pastries, makes its Valley debut with a grand opening Monday on the southwest corner of Baseline and Higley in Gilbert. Its signature breakfast menu item is all-you-can-eat Chunky

For the second straight week, Whole Foods Chandler is offering an extra edition of its popular Friday Beer Classes. At 7 p.m. Friday, the regular weekly informal tasting will showcase Left Hand Brewing from Longmont, Colo. The highlight will be

The Living Room, The Sushi Room, and Chop – sibling restaurants at Downtown Ocotillo in Chandler – will be raising money for tornado victims in Oklahoma and Texas on Sunday. All day, $2 from every glass or bottle of wine (including sake)

SanTan Brewing in downtown Chandler has a personal connection with the Oklahoma tornado victims. “One of our own employees, Jennifer Simson, has family that was affected by the devastation,” says SanTan owner and head brewer Anthony Canecchia. “This tragedy hits

Looks like Amy’s Baking Company isn’t the only Valley business getting a makeover on a reality TV show. Cameras also will be rolling this weekend at Rocky Point Cantina in Tempe. Since taking over the old Dos Gringos Trailer Park

Please welcome the El Rey Cafe as MXSW’s newest sponsor. Located in a converted house on the southeast corner of Sossaman and Queen Creek roads in Queen Creek, the El Rey offers made-from-scratch Mexican food. The original El Rey Cafe has been

DownUnder, the Australian-themed bistro and wine bar in Gilbert, has closed, according to a notice posted on its door. The eclectic bar and wine shop – originally called Red Kangaroo – was launched in a strip mall on the north

Wanna learn how to cook on a Himalayan salt block? Gilbert-based Go Lb. Salt is holding a 90-minute class at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Entitled “Cooking with Saltware,” the class includes the physics and chemistry of cooking on salt blocks, demonstrations of various

No holiday this weekend for Taiko. The Japanese restaurant on the southwest corner of Ray and Cooper in Chandler has a couple of events going on. On Saturday, Taiko hosts another of its popular sake-tasting parties at 7 p.m. Seating is

Summer is almost here, and Sleepy Dog Brewery in Tempe is cutting back its taproom hours. The new hours: Closed Sunday and Monday, 4-11 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 4-midnight Thursday and Friday, and 2-midnight Saturday. The brewery’s recently opened pub and

Flancer’s will host a four-course Four Peaks beer dinner Wednesday, June 5, at its Mesa location. Four Peaks beer dinner menu 1st course: Parmesan-sage polenta with prosciutto-wrapped, herbed-goat-cheese-stuffed shrimp (paired with Sunbru Kölsch) 2nd course: Cilantro-lime chicken tostada with iceberg

The Valley’s craft beer community is still reeling today over the unexpected death of Phoenix Ale Brewery co-founder Greg Fretz over the weekend. The 44-year-old had been fighting throat cancer since December, but participated in American Craft Beer Week events

Just when you think you’ve seen about every kind of specialty hot dog imaginable, along comes this: A prime pork tenderloin pounded flat, lightly beaded, and fried – then used as a “bun” for a bacon-wrapped Nathan’s dog topped with

As Chandler students count down the last few days of the school year,  Iguana Mack’s is helping teachers ease into their summer vacations. Today through Friday, all Chandler Unified School District teachers (and any other district personnel with valid work ID)

Sad news for the Valley craft beer community. Greg Fretz, co-founder of Phoenix Ale Brewery, has passed away after a short battle with throat cancer, the brewery announced. Fretz launched Phoenix Ale Brewery with George Hancock in 2010 and served

Looks like attendees of this week’s Friday Beer Class at Whole Foods Chandler will be pulling an all-nighter. This week’s informal tasting is actually two tastings. From 5-6:30 p.m., Arizona’s own Prescott Brewing will be sampling its IPA and Amber.

Informational tastings known as “beer schools” have become quite popular at East Valley craft beer bars. Now there’s “whiskey school.” Fibber Magees, the Irish restaurant and pub in Chandler, holds its “first period” class entitled “A Tour of Scotland” from

If it’s mid-May, it’s time to pick peaches. Schnepf Farms in Queen starts its annual Peach Festival on Saturday with a peach-sampling pavilion, peach foods ranging from pancakes to pies, hay rides to the orchards, craft vendors, and live music.

One hundred degrees and not a beach in sight – so why not head to the next best thing? Iguana Mack’s in Chandler is holding a Luau Party from 4 p.m.-close tonight. The roadhouse-themed restaurant and bar is asking patron

Ahwatukee’s Wedge & Bottle celebrates its two-year anniversary this weekend with a special menu of its seven best-selling cheeses served with crackers and a beer or wine. Wine pairings are $7, and beer pairings are $5. The special menu will

One of the wine industry’s most eccentric vineyards – Bonny Doon – will be spotlighted at a three-course wine dinner Monday at Nosh Arizona in Chandler. The Santa Cruz, Calif., winery was started in 1983 by Randall Grahm (pictured), aka

Guerrero’s, a Tempe mom-and-pop restaurant that’s been dishing out above-average Mexican food for 31 years, likely is closing this summer. PHX Rail Food, David Bickford’s excellent website reviewing restaurants along the light-rail line, visits the Apache Boulevard eatery and reports

The Melting Pot in Ahwatukee has launched a new endless-entrée menu: A four-course feast for $36.95 per person. The dinner includes your choice of cheese fondue, choice of salad, an endless fondue entrée, and your choice of chocolate fondue. The

Here’s an opportunity to channel your inner Don Draper. Lucky Break in Tempe has launched Throwback Thursday, when classic cocktails are just $4. Choose from a Cosmopolitan (vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, lime juice), Old Fashioned (bourbon or rye, bitters,

Beaver Choice, the acclaimed Swedish restaurant that closed in January to move into a larger space, finally is ready to reopen May 28. The restaurant had hoped to reopen in February. Polish-born Hanna Gabrielsson, who also has lived in Sweden

Many Mexican restaurant claim to have “award-winning” salsa. El Palacio Restaurant & Cantina has the trophies to prove it. The Chandler restaurant took first place in both the mild and hot divisions at the 2011 My Nana’s Salsa Challenge. It

Fort Collins, Colo., brewery New Belgium will be the featured guest for Flanny’s monthly tap takeover from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday. The Tempe craft beer bar will have 23 New Belgium beers on draft, as well as two special firkins. The

If you’re a fan of Spanish-style guitar music, you won’t want to miss a free concert by Guitarras Latinas this Saturday afternoon at Baja Joe’s Mexican Cantina in northeast Mesa. The five-man group specializes in a wide range of traditional Latin-American music –

More than 200 canned craft beers from 60 breweries will be available for sampling at the Ameri-Can Canned Craft Beer Festival this Saturday at the Scottsdale Civic Center. The East Valley’s SanTan from Chandler and Four Peaks from Tempe will be

The twice-a-year Arizona Restaurant Week returns this weekend, starting Saturday and running 10 days. More than 125 restaurants in the Valley and Tucson will offer special three-course menus for $30 or $40 per person. As usual, the East Valley is

SanTan Brewing seasonal Mr. Pineapple has been named one of the 33 best craft beers in a can, according to website Thrillist.com. Mr. Pineapple is the only Arizona ale to make the cut. Others on the list include the Anderson

Max & Ted’s 480 Bar, the longtime neighborhood bar and grill on Arizona Avenue just north of downtown Chandler, will celebrate new ownership this Saturday. Dottie and Roy Maxted, who launched the 480 Bar 17 years ago, have sold their

Firecracker flatbread, meatball pasta, and blackened salmon sliders are among the 28 new items on the menu starting today at Bar Louie at Tempe Marketplace. New drinks include a Rat Pack martini, watermelon margarita, and strawberry-peach bellini. From 6-9 p.m.

Desert Eagle in Mesa, Gordon Biersch in Tempe and Gilbert, and Fate in Scottsdale are celebrating American Craft Beer Week with daily specials. Desert Eagle Brewing Today: Red Mountain Ales for $3 Tuesday: Buzz Bomb IPAs for $3 Wednesday –

Two Arizona breweries – Four Peaks from Tempe and Grand Canyon from Williams – were among the gold-medal winners in the competition part of third annual Ameri-Can Canned Craft Beer Festival. More than 170 beers – about 60 more than last year

The Phoenix Ale Brewery and Sonoran Brewing Company have announced they’re combining forces. The two companies have reached an agreement to brew Sonoran’s beers at Phoenix Ale Brewery’s facility in Phoenix. Sonoran, which launched in 1996, has been using a small

Today is the start of American Craft Beer Week – not to be confused with Arizona Beer Week, which is in February – and there are a bunch of beer-related events planned around the East Valley. ACBW was launched by

Most restaurants run specials on Mother’s Day, but not many give away food for free. At Pittsburgh Willy’s in Chandler, moms can get a free gourmet hot dog and a free cookie from 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Sunday. They even

A very special Friday Beer Class this week at Whole Foods Chandler. Not only will the “subject” be The Bruery, the acclaimed brewery from Orange County, Calif, but this week’s class also will be free! That’s right. Show up at

Jimmy & Joe’s Pizzeria is offering a Mother’s Day special: A dozen free wings and a free house salad with purchase of any 16-inch pizza. With a dozen wings normally $7.50 and a house salad $5.50, that’s a value of

Gringo-Star Street Bar, a new bar featuring vintage arcade games, a gourmet food truck inspired menu, and interactive street art, opens at 11 a.m. today in downtown Tempe. It takes over the former Blondie’s Sports Bar space, below Hooter’s, on

Please welcome Nunthaporn’s Thai Cuisine as MXSW’s newest sponsor. Located on the southwest corner of Main and Center in downtown Mesa, Nunthaporn’s offer authentic Thai food in a refined but casual environment. The menu features more than 50 traditional Thai dishes, along

Flancer’s has unveiled its Mother’s Day menu specials for this Sunday. Great Fig in the Sky Bruschetta is made with warm Flancer’s bread topped with figs, crumbled goat cheese, prosciutto, and marinated roma tomatoes and drizzled with a sweet balsamic

AZ Food Crafters, the Chandler hand-pie shop that opened in February, has a new lunch special: Choose any hand pie, a salad and two mini sweet hand pies for $8. The special is only good at the takeout shop, not

BLD in Chandler has seasonally renovated its daily happy hour menu, which is available 3-7 p.m. daily and all night Mondays. Happy hour food menu Spicy tomato bacon soup and grilled cheese ($5) Tomato basil bruschetta with balsamic reduction ($5)

How much free barbecue can you eat in an hour? Every week, a lucky 5 Star BBQ & Grill fan gets to find out. Here’s how it works: Every time you eat at the Mesa BBQ joint you can enter its

Butter pecan cinnamon raisin French toast, jalapeno brat hash, and smoked prime rib au jus are just three of the drool-worthy items in a special Mother’s Day “Beer & Brunch” buffet Sunday at SanTan Brewing. Other breakfast fare will include

The Hungry Monk hosts “Stouts, Steaks, Belgians & Pancakes,” its annual fundraiser for the Beer for Brains Foundation, from 5-9 p.m. Thursday. The Chandler restaurant and craft beer bar will offer a special menu of food and beers: SSB&P food

Four Peaks Brewing is taking its next beer dinner on the road. Or, more specifically, on the water. The Tempe brewery is teaming up with The Desert Belle, the Saguaro Lake cruise boat, for a five-course beer dinner at 6:30

Salad and Go, the Gilbert gourmet salad drive-through restaurant that opened in February, has introduced its first seasonal salad. The Roasted Peach and Asparagus Salad is made with  roasted peaches, roasted asparagus, and goat cheese topped with a goat cheese