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Today is Teacher Appreciation Day, and several East Valley restaurants are offering free food to educators: Buca di Beppo: Get a free Buca Taster Bowl of ravioli or baked ziti through May 10 with a valid school ID card. Dine-in only.

Arizona’s drought at the James Beard Awards is now at six years and counting. The culinary world’s version of the Oscars were handed out in a New York ceremony Monday night. Jennifer Jasinski from Rioja in Denver won Best Chef Southwest.

The inaugural Scottsdale Beer Festival will make its debut Saturday night at WestWorld. Attendees will be able to sample craft beers from more than 40 breweries, including 15 from Arizona. The fest, which also will have food trucks and live music

Cork has unveiled its special Mother’s Day menu, and it’s a doozy. For $50 per person, you choose your three courses. There’s also a $15 version for the kids. Mother’s Day Menu First course (choose one): Smoked wild salmon, shrimp

Mellow Mushroom, the Georgia-based pizzeria chain known for its extensive lineup of craft beers, is moving into the former Rock Bottom Brewery building on Ray Road, just west of I-10, in Ahwatukee. It’ll be the hippie-themed concept’s fourth Arizona location

A look at some of this weekend’s Cinco de Mayo celebrations around the East Valley: Baja Joe’s: Two-day party begins with special Saturday happy hour from 3-7 p.m., followed by specials like $3 16-ounce drafts, $10 Tecate buckets, $5 house

Get your big hats out of the closet, Kentucky Derby fans. Bourbon Jacks Bar & Grill in downtown Chandler is hosting its first Kentucky Derby party starting at 10 a.m. Saturday. One of the highlights of the day – other than

Enjoy seven Widmer Brothers beers – some on tap for the first time – when Flanny’s hosts a promo night for the Portland brewery at 6 p.m. Friday. Widmer Brothers was launched by Kurt and Robert Widmer in 1984, making

Valley coffee advocate Perry Czopp is ready to spill the beans about roasting in his next coffee gathering at Tempe’s Crêpe Bar. “Three Roasts,” on Saturday, May 18, will be the second session in the Coffee Chop Knowledge Series –

How hoppy can a beer be? That’s the question the participants at one of Sierra Nevada’s pro-am “Beer Camps” wondered. The result is Hoptimum, which the Chico, Calif., brewery unveiled in 2011 and describes as “a hurricane of whole-cone hop

Circle next Thursday (May 9) on your calendar. That’s the day The Hungry Monk will be doing its annual “Stouts, Steaks, Belgians & Pancakes”  benefit for The Beer For Brains Foundation. The menu hasn’t been finalized, but look for beers

Here’s a great meal deal: BLD is launching Burger and Beer Wednesdays. From 4 p.m. to close today, you can get any burger on the menu and any beer on tap for $9.99. Half-pound, all-natural beef burgers include the BLD

Why wait until Sunday to celebrate Cinco de Mayo? Baja Joe’s Mexican Cantina is kicking off its two-day holiday party Saturday. The fun will start with a special happy hour (usually limited to weekdays) from 3-7 p.m. in the bar. After 7,

When it comes to Cinco de Mayo, one day (or even two) isn’t enough for El Palacio. The Chandler restaurant is celebrating with a full week of events. Today, patrons can enjoy 99-cent tacos and $2.99 draft beers after 3 p.m.

Four Riazul tequilas personally chosen by company founder Inaki Orozco will be used in cocktail pairings for a four-course dinner Wednesday at TQLA in Mesa. Riaszul tequila dinner menu First course: Seared ahi tuna with pickled ginger and wasabi Second course: Spicy crabcake salad

Ahi Revolving Sushi, a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant, has opened at Gilbert Town Square, on Gilbert Road south of Warner, in the building that previously housed Damon’s Grill and later Fahrenheit’s. Think Japan’s version of fast food. Diners can grab whatever ready-to-eat

For the 14th consecutive year, Joe’s Real BBQ in downtown Gilbert will be handing out approximately 5,000 free barbecue meals Wednesday – from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. – for its Customer Appreciation Day.

If you’re heading to the Ameri-Can Canned Craft Beer Festival in two weeks, why hassle with Old Town Scottsdale traffic and parking – not to mention, Scottsdale cops? Arizona Brewery Tours is offering a $75 package called Get Your Can on

Colorado brewery Oskar Blues is the subject of this week’s Friday Beer Class at Whole Foods Chandler. The informal tasting will feature five beers: Dale’s Pale Ale, Deviant Dale’s IPA, Old Chub Scottish-style ale, OSKAr the G’Rauch (IPA collaboration with Ska),

OHSO Eatery + Nanobrewery will host the two-day Arcadia Bike-In Beer Festival this weekend to raise money for the Ingleside Middle School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). From 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 25% of all sales will be

It’s Craft Beer Thursday, which means craft beer promos around the East Valley… Today’s craft beer events The Hungry Monk: NFL Draft Party includes $3 local craft beers from 5-9 p.m. Plus, tapping Great Divide’s 18th Anniversary barrel-aged IPA at

The Pecan Grove Restaurant and Pie Co. has opened in the former Native New Yorker space on the northwest corner of Alma School and Chandler Heights in south Chandler. The restaurant, which opens at 7 a.m. daily, offers a short

Pajamas & Pancakes, a fundraiser for the ASU Autism/Asperger’s Research Program, will take place 4-8 p.m. Sunday at My AZ Kitchen in Gilbert. Attendees will enjoy pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage with a choice of coffee or orange juice for

The Valley’s best salsa-makers will compete Saturday in the 29th annual My Nana’s Salsa Challenge, one of the Valley’s longest-running culinary events. Up to 20,000 people will sample 100-plus hot and mild salsas from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and

Several East Valley restaurants will participate in the first-ever Eight’s “Check, Please! Arizona” Festival this Sunday at CityScape in downtown Phoenix. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the outdoor event will showcase two dozen restaurants featured during the first three

• Today’s special at Pittsburgh Willy’s in Chandler is the “wElvis,” a grilled PB&J sandwich in honor of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. It’s made with strawberry preserves and Jif peanut butter on buttered Swedish rye. The “wElvis” (pictured)

Chanterelle, crimini,  shiitake, portabella, morel, porcini – the list of edible mushrooms is quite lengthy. And Cork will celebrate their variety Sunday with Taste of Mushrooms, the Chandler restaurant’s monthly $35 four-course tasting menu. Taste of Mushrooms menu 1st course:

Flancer’s Incredible Sandwiches and Pizzeria raised a record $36,000 this year to benefit Warfighter Sports/Disabled Sports USA, says restaurant owner Jeff Flancer. “Thanks to all the folks who supported our events, raffles and auctions to benefit this nonprofit organization that

It’s Thursday, which means craft beer events around the East Valley… Today’s craft beer events Flanny’s: Monthly tap takeover featuring 24 beers from Oskar Blues starts at 6:30 p.m. (info) Taste of Tops: “Keep Your Glass” Belgian beer night from 6-8

Beer glasses come in all kinds of shapes. Why should beers cans be any different? On May 6, Budweiser will start selling special eight-packs of cans shaped like bow ties, a nod to the brand’s longtime bow tie logo. Although Budweiser

Just a few tickets remain for a Sierra Nevada walking beer dinner in downtown Tempe on Thursday. Guests will meet at Canteen Modern Tequila Bar for passed hors d’oeuvres at 6 p.m., followed by carne asada tacos paired with Sierra Nevada

Port Brewing will be the subject of this week’s Friday Beer Class at Whole Foods Chandler. If this sounds kinda familiar, it may be because Port was supposed to appear at last week’s class, but canceled at the last-minute. So

It’s Wednesday, which means deals on wine… Today’s wine specials: Nicantoni’s: $1 off any any glass of wine; $1 of any specialty pizza Whole Foods Chandler: Get a glass of wine and nosh plate for $5 from 5-9 p.m. VinciTorio’s: Half-priced

(Note: This post was updated after comments from Fresh & Easy.) Cheerio, Fresh & Easy? British conglomerate Tesco announced this morning it is pulling out of the U.S. market, putting the future of its 199 Fresh & Easy stores in

Nearly 300 American craft breweries sell their beers in cans. Back in 2002, though, there was just one: Oskar Blues. So it’s a little ironic the brewery that launched the craft canning movement in this country will be the subject

Go Lb. Salt, Aaron and Liz Eckburg’s Gilbert-based business specializing in premium salts, is offering a series of salt-related cooking classes over the next few months. “BYO Beef” is a three-session course (Thursday, May 2, and May 15) on dry-aging your

Joyride Taco House, which will serve “Mexican food made for daily life,” will open June 3 next to Postino in the former GrainBelt GrillHouse building in downtown Gilbert. The restaurant is the latest brainchild of  Upward Projects, whose concepts also

If you missed out on yesterday’s Tax Day deals, you have one more opportunity. Pittsburgh Willy’s, which isn’t open Mondays, is offering its special today. Get three regular chili ‘n’ cheese dogs, a bag of chips, and a soda for

A large contingent of Valley home brewers joined ASU professors and others at Taste of Tops in Tempe last night to remember David Conz, who passed away Friday. Conz was a sociology professor at ASU, but perhaps was best-known simply

All five Valley locations of Baja Fresh Mexican Grill – including two in Tempe and another in Chandler – mysteriously closed their doors over the weekend. No one was more surprised than the Irvine, Calif.-based chain’s marketing director Jerry DeLucia,

It’s Tax Day. If yours already are filed, kick back and enjoy one of these food and drink specials today at participating restaurants: Arby’s: Free curly fries or potato cakes with the coupon here. Boston Market: Two ribs specials, including half-rack of

It’s Monday, which means burger deals… Monday burger specials: Lucky Break: $5 turkey & veggie burgers Coach & Willie’s: Cheeseburger & fries for $7 Cogburn’s: Burger & fries for $5 Cove Grill: Any burger & side for $6 with beverage

Flancer’s held its 13th annual Pizza Eating Contest, the finale of a month-long series of fundraisers for Warfighter Sports, at its Gilbert location today. A pair of wounded U.S. veterans who received rehabilitation through Warfighter Sports – Brian Smith and

As 4/20 approaches, it’s time to wonder: “Where’s Waldo?” Specifically, Waldo’s Special Ale, a limited-release double IPA (9.2% ABV) from Lagunitas Brewing. The northern California brewery introduced Waldo’s – which it calls the “dankest and hoppiest beer ever brewed at

Flancer’s still is looking for a few more competitors for its 13th annual Pizza Eating Contest, a charity fundraiser for Warfighter Sports, at 11 a.m. Sunday at its Gilbert location. For their $30 entry fee, contestants get a commemorative shirt

As if great weather, lots of other dogs, and a myriad of food smells aren’t enough, now there’s another reason to bring Fido to the Gilbert Farmers Market on Saturday: Chef Michael’s Food Truck for Dogs. Chef Michael’s, a Purina-owned

ATL Wings Your Way has closed its Gilbert restaurant on the southeast corner of McQueen and Elliot in Gilbert. According to a post on the franchise concept’s Facebook page, the store was sold in January, but the new owner was

The Sushi Room in Chandler still has a few spots left for its Sushi Making Class at  2 p.m. Saturday. The $35-per-person class includes the instruction, a sushi roll, a sake bomber and additional rolls/appetizers for tasting. RSVP: 480-821-9000 or tiffany@up-agency.com.

April 20 is shaping up as a busy day for East Valley craft beer drinkers. Yesterday, we told you about Four Peaks Brewing’s plans for an all-day celebration of its 16th anniversary. Earlier: Four Peaks to celebrate 16th anniversary April 20

Queen Creek Olive Mill holds the next of its monthly tavolo (Italian for “table”) dinners from 6:30-9:30 Thursday, April 18, pairing a five-course, Spanish-inspired menu with red wines from its retail store’s shelves. Offerings will include a zesty chilled gazpacho;

Ahwatukee cheese shop Wedge & Bottle will be offering European beer and cheese flights from 6:30-8:30 tonight with the guys from Pitcher of Nectar Distributing. Enjoy a flight of five beers – Freigest Abraxxas, Panil Bariquee, Huvila Arctic Circle, Haandbryggeiret

Ahwatukee wine bar and bistro My Wine Cellar will host a Deschutes beer dinner on Thursday, April 25. pairing four of the Bend, Ore., brewery’s ales with chef Sarah Baer’s food. Deschutes beer dinner menu Reception: Amuse bouche (paired with

Last September, MXSW broke the news Los Reyes de la Torta was going to open an East Valley location in Tempe. Now, the sit-down restaurant has opened in the former JB Restaurant building on Southern just west of McClintock. Los Reyes de la

Four Peaks Brewing will celebrate its 16th anniversary from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 20, with a Sweet 16 party at its new Wilson Street taproom. The indoor-outdoor event will feature several of the Tempe brewery’s specialty ales, including

Vito’s Pizza and Italian Ristorante in Mesa will host “Lights, Camera, Murder” – an evening of dinner theater – at 6 p.m. Thursday. Besides the live entertainment, the $50 ticket will include a three-course meal with Caesar salad; choice of

Moonshine Whiskey Bar, the country bar that recently took over the Margarita Rocks building in downtown Tempe, is giving away free BBQ pulled pork sandwiches on next Wednesday, April 17. You’ll need to print the coupon from the Voice daily

Please welcome My Wine Cellar as MXSW’s newest sponsor. Located on Warner just west of 51st Street, My Wine Cellar is Ahwatukee’s only neighborhood wine bar and restaurant with retail. The bar offers more than 30 wines by the glass, starting at

There still are a few tickets left for Il Vinaio‘s next Beer & Donuts, which takes place Saturday at the downtown Mesa restaurant. You can stop by any time between 2-5 p.m. to enjoy your four-beer, four-doughnut pairing. Beer & Donuts

Whole Foods Chandler celebrates the arrival of Black Diamond Brewery to the Arizona market with a Beer Class-style tasting at 6 p.m. Thursday. Sample the Concord, Calif., brewery’s Rampage Imperial IPA, Jagged Edge IPA, Freestyle Belgian Blonde, White Out Wheat & more

In honor of Michigan’s advance to tonight’s NCAA mean’s basketball championship game, Sunshine’s Motor City Cafe in south Tempe is giving away free Sanders fudge sundaes with any purchase of at least $3.25. Just tell them you saw the deal on their

Today is National Empanada Day, and TQLA in Mesa is offering an off-meu plate of the stuffed pastries for $8.25 all week. The Dana Park restaurant’s version is filled with chorizo and a red chile sauce and topped with Mexican

SanTan Brewing has changed up the beer lineup for its variety 12-packs, and now will adjust the beers seasonally. Originally, the 12-packs included three cans apiece of Devil’s Ale, Epicenter, HopShock IPA, and Hefeweizen. The new 12-packs just hitting stores

The Tempe Spring Festival of the Arts runs today through Sunday and is expected to draw more than 200,000 people to downtown’s Mill Avenue. A wine and beer garden will be set up on Seventh Street on the west side

The Scottsdale Culinary Festival and the Scottsdale League for the Arts have announced the latest entrants into the  Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame: Crudo’s Cullen Campbell is the chef of the year, while Pavle Milic and Charleen Badman (FnB Restaurant, AZ Wine Merchants, Bodega) are

Mother Road Brewing will be the subject of this week’s Friday Beer Class at Whole Foods Chandler. Sample several beers from the Flagstaff brewery, which opened in 2010, for just $5. The informal tasting, open to anyone 21 or over,

Last month, told you about Salut Kitchen Bar planning to open on University, about a third of a mile west of McClintock, in Tempe. Today, the restaurant and wine bar officially opens to the public. The 3,400-square-foot space, formerly Sayuri Sushi Bar,

Kai, Arizona’s only AAA Five-Diamond and Forbes Five-Star restaurant, launches its annual Wine Dinner Series on Tuesday. The series will spotlight Italian wines at a six-course dinner every month through July. Tuscan wineries for Tuesday’s kickoff dinner will include Panizzi from San

After months of construction, Monti’s La Casa Vieja in downtown Tempe officially launches its new wrap-around sidewalk patio today. The 2,000-square-foot space has three fireplaces and a bar and can seat 130 people. You’ll be able to get lunch on

Yucca Tap Room in Tempe hosts “One Night in Longmont” – a double beer promo featuring the Colorado city’s two nationally renowned breweries – from 6-8 p.m. tonight. Oskar Blues will have five beers on tap: Mama’s Lil Yella Pils,

The Arizona Society of Homebrewers hosts a Hops 101 class at 6:30 tonight at Boulders on Broadway in Tempe. Attendees will sample Mikkeller beers on draft – Willamette Single Hop IPA, Bravo Single Hop IPA, Nugget Single Hop IPA, Centennial Single

A Mesa Fatburger will be the latest East Valley restaurant to appear on the CBS show “Undercover Boss” this Friday. The reality series follows business leaders who don elaborate disguises to go undercover as entry-level employees to discover the faults in their

Beer and steak lovers, take note. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and SanTan Brewing are teaming up for a four-course beer dinner April 18. The event will start with a 6 p.m. reception, followed by dinner at 6:30 at the Chandler steakhouse.

Gordon Biersch will tap its annual limited-release Maibock lager with special parties at 5:30 p.m. today at its Tempe location and 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at its Gilbert location. The parties are free and open to the public. You’ll be able

Fat Willy’s Family Sports Grill in Chandler is teaming up with Relay For Life of Chandler to raise money for fighting cancer Wednesday. All day, the restaurant, located in the Bashas’ complex on the northwest corner of Gilbert and Chandler Heights, will

Arizona Republic dining critic Howard Seftel had a little April Fools Day fun with a blog post, “Top 10 New Arizona Restaurants, 2013.” My fave pick? 5. That’s a Moray, 141 W. Dean Martin Avenue, Scottsdale, 480-555-0000, eellove.com. Nothing says

Gilbert eatery The Spot recently introduced a burger on its menu, and you can try it today for $6 (normally $8.95). The patty is topped with applewood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, onion straws, lettuce, tomatoes and BBQ sauce, and served with

Moonshine Whiskey Bar & Grill is the newest nightlife destination on Mill Avenue, taking over the longtime Margarita Rocks building (old-timers will remember it as Gibson’s or, before that, Chuy’s) off downtown’s Hayden Square. As you might guess from the

Nicantoni’s Pizza is celebrating its 10th anniversary by donating 10% of all food sales this week to the Gilbert Police Department Benevolent Fund. Besides New York-style pizzas, Nicantoni’s serves calzones, sandwiches, pastas, and dinner entrees. The pizzeria is located on the

Everyone’s heard of St. Patrick’s Day. Very few know about Dyngus Day, which is today. What St. Patrick’s Day is to Irish-Americans, Dyngus Day is to Polish-Americans. In Poland, the Monday after Easter is known as Śmigus-Dyngus (“Wet Monday”). In America,

I’ve heard of dinner and movie, but hot dog and a haircut? That’s the deal Saturday when award-winning Pittsburgh Willy’s will haul its hot dog cart to downtown Chandler’s Country Clipper barber shop. Anyone getting a haircut Saturday can get a

Gringo-Star Street Bar, a new bar concept featuring vintage arcade games and gourmet food, is scheduled to open in mid-May in downtown Tempe. It will take over the former Blondie’s Sports Bar on the southeast corner on Mill Avenue and Fifth Street. The

Sample rare beers from more than 25 breweries around the U.S. and overseas Saturday when the Watering Hole, the craft beer bar at Whole Foods Chandler, hosts the Pitcher of Nectar Distributing Spring Rare Beer Festival. Beers will include Bo

Native New Yorker defends its 2012 title when Wingstock, a chicken wing and music festival, takes place Saturday at Mesa Amphitheatre. Vying to take over as “King of Wings” are East Valley restaurants such as Hungry Monk, ATL Wings, Cogburn’s,

Please welcome two new sponsors of Mouth by Southwest: Baja Joe’s Mexican Cantina and The Menu Designer. Baja Joe’s is located on the southeast corner of McKellips and Gilbert in Mesa. Their specialty is seafood – more than 75 dishes

DownUnder chef Jared Lupin and business partner Matt Marlowe have won the keys to a fully equipped Tempe restaurant, Salt Public Relations announced today. The PR company, which represents some of the Valley’s top restaurants, held a contest to fill

Mardi Gras may have been last month, but the flavors of Louisiana have just arrived in the East Valley. Bourbon Street Bar & BBQ has opened in the former Tom’s BBQ space on the northwest corner of Gilbert and Chandler

Barrelhouse American Kitchen & Cocktails, which opened last weekend in Chandler, has unveiled its happy hour specials. From 4-6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, you can get $1 off all beers, $2 off wines by the glass, $3 off specialty cocktails,

Learn how to cook with a Himalayan salt block (aka salt plate or salt slab) Thursday at Wedge & Bottle in Ahwatukee. Mined from deep inside ancient Pakistani mountains, Himalayan salt purportedly has been protected from pollution and therefore is

More than 20,000 pounds of meat will be smokin’ and 200 kegs of craft beer chillin’ Saturday when the Great American Barbeque & Beer Festival takes place noon to 10 p.m. Saturday in downtown Chandler. The family-friendly event, which drew a

For the second straight year, Kevin Binkley is a finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest. The owner/chef of Binkley’s in Cave Creek will find out if he wins May 6. Three other Valley semifinalists – Shinji Kurita of ShinBay (Best

Online reservation service OpenTable has announced its Top 100 Best Restaurants for Service in the United States, and the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort’s Kai tops the list. The Chandler restaurant (pictured) edged out the famed French Laundry in Yountville, Calif.,

The Arizona Restaurant Association has announced its own set of awards for the state’s food and beverage industry. The Foodist Awards will cover a wide range of categories, including Top Chef, Master Mixologist, Restaurant Concept, Emerging Restaurant, and Outstanding Food Truck.

Storyline of Day 2: Crowded (again) Much like Saturday, the crowded conditions of Devoured’s newly abbreviated layout again were the talk of Arizona’s premier culinary festival Sunday. (Notice how many people in the photo above actually are eating something?) It

Storyline of the day: Rain Cold Elbow room On a day when temperatures hovered in the 50s – the coldest day ever for Devoured – and gray skies threatened more rain, it was the sold-out event’s new layout that was

Bill and Lillian Buitenhuys from the new Chandler-based AZ Bitters Lab will be sharing samples of two of their small-batch, hand-crafted bitters – Mas Mole and Figgy Pudding – from 1-3 p.m. Saturday at Wedge & Bottle in Ahwatukee. Bitters, if

For Arizona diners, this weekend is like the Super Bowl, the Academy Awards, and Thanksgiving all rolled up into one event: the Devoured Culinary Classic. Saturday and Sunday in the sculpture garden of the Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona’s premier food

Chandler’s St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church hosts its twice-a-year A Taste of Greece this weekend, three days of Greek food, dance and fun. You don’t have to be Greek to enjoy delicious foods like dolmathes (grape leaves stuffed with ground beef and

“Check, Please! Arizona,” the popular TV show on Arizona PBS channel KAET (Eight), will hold a food festival Sunday, April 28, at CityScape in downtown Phoenix. The event will showcase cuisine from many of the 117 independently owned Arizona restaurants

Kevin Binkley of Binkley’s Restaurant in Cave Creek and Shinji Kurita of ShinBay in Scottsdale are among 20 semifinalists for Best Chef Southwest honors, the James Beard Awards announced today. In the culinary world’s equivalent of the Oscars, the Valley has