Today's Top Picks
Click a day to view events
Search for things to do
- Events
- Movies
- Dining
- Venues
Dining
Find a nearby restaurant
Get Out's top 100 restaurants in the East Valley| Tucson chef Janos Wilder publishes chile rellenos cookbook |
|
Janos Wilder, the James Beard Award-winning chef from Janos Restaurant and J Bar in Tucson, has published a cookbook, “The Great Chiles Rellenos Book.” Read more... |
| Mesa police to serve Famous Dave’s BBQ on Tuesday |
|
Volunteers from the Mesa Police Department will serve barbecue to customers from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que at Mesa Riverview. Read more... |
| Scottsdale Culinary grad makes final 7 in ‘Top Chef’ |
|
I recently learned Stephanie Izard, one of seven contestants remaining on the Bravo TV show “Top Chef,” is an alumnus of the Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Read more... |
| Dirty Dining: Restaurant inspections April 21-27 |
|
These are the worst East Valley offenders from restaurant health inspections reviewed April 21-27. For more details, or to search for any restaurant in Maricopa County, go to maricopa.gov and click on Restaurant Ratings. Read more... |
| 5,358 people devour free sandwiches at Joe’s Real BBQ | |
 |
The line of people showing up for free sandwiches Wednesday at Joe’s Real BBQ goes out the door and around the side of the historic brick building in downtown Gilbert. And around the back. And loops around the parking lot. And doubles back across the rear of the building. Read more... |
| Joan’s Kitchen feeds craving for Flint-style coneys Saturdays | |
 |
For Al Cummer, a Flint-style coney dog is part science and part art. The specifications are exacting, but when you get the ingredients just right … Read more... |
| Get your rebate check yet? Here are 6 places to splurge |
|
Is your tax rebate check burning a whole in your pocket? Sure, a lot of the so-called experts recommend you do something sensible with it, like paying off your credit card biil. But where’s the fun in that? Read more... |
| Review: Papaya Thai spices up east Mesa neighborhood | |
 |
East Mesa probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of good Thai food. Papaya Thai, a two-month-old eatery on the northwest corner of University Drive and Lindsay Road, is trying to change that. Read more... |
| Bourbon Steak rolls out buffet for Sunday barbecues |
|
Bourbon Steak, celebrity chef Michael Mina’s restaurant at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, is hosting a summer series of Sunday barbecues. Read more... |
| Taneko Japanese Tavern introduces new menu items |
|
Taneko Japanese Tavern is introducing two new appetizers and three new entrees. The former are Prince Edward Island mussels and an edamame dip served with yucca and nori chips. The latter are a yellowtail nori maki roll, a rainbow roll and a boneless wood-roasted whole fish with Japanese barbecue sauce. Read more... |
| Joe’s Real BBQ to give away free sandwiches Wednesday |
|
Joe’s Real BBQ holds its annual Free Food Day on Wednesday, May 6. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., the downtown Gilbert restaurant will give away pulled pork and chopped brisket sandwiches, barbecue pit beans, cole slaw, soft drinks and bottled water Read more... |
| Teachers can get free Chipotle food on Tuesday |
|
Tuesday is National Teacher Day, and Chipotle Mexican Grill locations throughout the Valley are celebrating by giving any Arizona teacher who shows a teacher or staff ID free burrito, bowl, tacos or salad from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Read more... |
| Kabuki Japanese Restaurant starts new happy hour |
|
Kabuki Japanese Restaurant at Tempe Marketplace has launched a new happy hour featuring a lower-priced menu of sushi, appetizers and cocktails every weekday afternoon. Read more... |
| Dirty Dining: Restaurant inspections April 14-20 |
|
These are the worst East Valley offenders from restaurant health inspections reviewed April 14-20. For more details, or to search for any restaurant in Maricopa County, go to maricopa.gov and click on Restaurant Ratings. Read more... |
| Cinco de Mayo celebrations kick off Saturday |
|
Cinco de Mayo is Monday, but many Mexican restaurants are kicking off their celebrations Saturday. Here are five of the hottest parties in the East Valley this weekend. Read more... |
| Get free ice cream Tuesday at Scottsdale Ben & Jerry’s |
|
The good news: Tuesday (April 29) is Ben & Jerry’s annual Free Cone Day! The bad news: The Ben & Jerry’s at 92nd Street and Shea Boulevard in Scottsdale is the only East Valley location participating in the nationwide promotion. Read more... |
| Drift launches free happy hour buffet of Polynesian appetizers | |
 |
Drift Polynesian Restaurant and Tiki Bar in downtown Scottsdale is offering a cool summer happy hour special from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. Read more... |
| Fusion owners working on 2 new projects for fall | |
 |
I stopped by one of my favorite Scottsdale restaurants, Fusion, the other day to reacquaint myself with their fabulous Gladiator Burger (pictured above). I learned from JenLyn Long, who owns the restaurant with her husband/chef Matt, the couple has a pair of exciting projects in the works. Read more... |
| Eddie Matney to prepare Schnepf Farms orchard dinner May 10 | |
 |
Schnepf Farms‘ final orchard dinner of the season takes place Saturday, May 10. Fewer than 40 tickets remain for the 100-person dinner, which will be prepared by chef Eddie Matney, who’s about to open his new restaurant, Eddie’s House, in Scottsdale. Read more... |
| Dirty Dining: Restaurant inspections April 7-13 |
|
These are the worst East Valley offenders from restaurant health inspections reviewed April 7-13. For more details, or to search for any restaurant in Maricopa County, go to maricopa.gov and click on Restaurant Ratings. Read more... |
| A so-so film goes down better with Farrelli food | |
 |
Jack Nicholson is grinnin’ a face-full of piano keys. Five minutes into “The Bucket List,” and the cinema is quiet and dark as the three-time Oscar winner sells his opening scene with every ivory he’s got. But you can almost see him looking around for a better script, and so are we. Read more... |
| Culver’s makes its Arizona debut Tuesday in Mesa | |
 |
Move over, In-N-Out Burger. There’s another iconic fast-food restaurant making its East Valley debut today. Wisconsin-based Culver’s, famous throughout the Midwest for its signature ButterBurgers and frozen custard desserts, opens its first Arizona restaurant today in Mesa. Read more... |
| Gilbert man defends Flancer's pizza-eating title | |
 |
Fantasy science-fiction artist Tray Mead usually has a salad when he eats at Flancer’s in Gilbert. On occasion, though, he’ll have pizza — a lot of pizza. Mead devoured 12-and-a-half slices of pizza in just 15 minutes Sunday to successfully defend his title at Flancer’s eighth annual pizza-eating contest. Read more... |
| First Taste: Bar Tepo is impressive and – believe or not – in Mesa | |
 |
It’s been a rewarding three weeks for south East Valley diners who have been waiting for worthwhile new restaurants. Read more... |
| 30+ Valley restaurants to fight childhood hunger April 25 |
|
More than 30 of the Valley’s top restaurants will be featured next weekend at Taste of the Nation Phoenix 2008. The outdoor event, which runs 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, April 25, at The Phoenician, includes food, wine, auctions and live entertainment. Read more... |
| Dirty Dining: Restaurant inspections March 31-April 6 |
|
These are the worst East Valley offenders from restaurant health inspections reviewed March 23-30. For more details, or to search for any restaurant in Maricopa County, go to maricopa.gov and click on Restaurant Ratings. Read more... |
| Sluggish economy doesn’t stop restaurant openings in south E.V. | |
 |
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about all the new restaurants that have opened in Scottsdale this year. Despite the limping economy, no less than a dozen high-profile places made their debuts. Read more... |
| Review: ‘Vintage’ menu impresses, most of time, at Fine’s Cellar |
|
Most restaurants select a wine list that complements their menu. At Fine’s Cellar, it’s the other way around: Owner Michael Fine started with wines, then sought food to go with them. Read more... |
| New American restaurant Bar Tepo opens at Dana Park in Mesa |
|
Steve Short, owner of well-regarded Phoenix restaurant Basis, has opened another stylish New American restaurant, Bar Tepo, at Dana Park in Mesa. Read more... |
| My 1st (and last) trip to Scottsdale Culinary Festival | |
 |
I was looking forward to my first trip to the Scottsdale Culinary Festival since becoming the Tribune’s dining writer. But here’s what I learned today: A trip to the food court at the local mall is more enjoyable than going to the premier food festival in the state’s most food-centric city. Read more... |
| Review: Who needs walls? Not the lakeside, all-patio Pier 54 |
|
This time of the year, few East Valley restaurant patios are big enough to handle the hordes of diners hungry for an alfresco meal in our beautiful spring weather. EXTRA: E.V.'s best patios. Read more... |
| Dirty Dining: Restaurant inspections March 23-30 |
|
These are the worst East Valley offenders from restaurant health inspections reviewed March 23-30. For more details, or to search for any restaurant in Maricopa County, go to maricopa.gov and click on Restaurant Ratings. Read more... |
| 2 for $20: Deli Zone serves up taste of New York City | |
 |
Since two New Yorkers opened the first Deli Zone in Boulder, Colo., in 1995, it has grown into an 11-restaurant chain in the Rocky Mountain state. Deli Zone recently opened its first Arizona location on the southeast corner of Baseline and Cooper roads in Gilbert. Read more... |
| Fusion in Scottsdale is under-appreciated |
|
I’ve come to accept there are certain things in this world I’ll never understand. The lyrics of “Louie Louie.” Einstein’s theory of relativity. And, perhaps most perplexing, why there’s not a line out the door every night at Fusion Restaurant & Lounge. Read more... |
| Santana has a hit with Maria Maria | |
 |
With four decades of hit songs like “Black Magic Woman” and “Smooth,” Carlos Santana has established his bona fides in the music industry. Read more... |
| Acclaimed chef showcases 'many Mexicos’ at restaurant |
|
Roberto Santibañez, a Mexico City native who trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, has received international acclaim for the way he creates classic Mexican dishes with nontraditional ingredients and French cooking techniques. Read more... |
| Dirty Dining: Restaurant inspections March 17-23 |
|
These are the worst East Valley offenders from restaurant health inspections reviewed March 17-23. For more details, or to search for any restaurant in Maricopa County, go to maricopa.gov and click on Restaurant Ratings. Read more... |
| I Am the Center brings health food to downtown Tempe |
|
“How do you like the chocolate mousse?” the server asks. I look up, a bit startled. My mind had been wandering, considering my afternoon schedule after lunch, but now it returns the half-eaten dessert before me. Read more... |
| Digestif to start ‘Green Fairy’ happy hour on Thursday |
|
Everytime I mention absinthe, someone is quick to point out the legendary drink is outlawed in the United States. Read more... |
| At Fine’s Cellar, you can drink wine – or now buy it to go |
|
Three months after the opening of Fine’s Cellar, the Old Town Scottsdale bistro and wine bar has gotten the go-ahead to launch its wine retail shop. As of today, diners can shop a selection of more than 900 labels chosen by owner Michael Fine. Read more... |
| First Taste: La Bocca Urban Pizzeria serves up much more than pizza |
|
Julian Wright doesn’t have a pizza recipe handed down through generations in his family. In fact, he’ll be the first to admit he doesn’t know much at all about making pies. Read more... |
| Q&A: Roberto Santibañez showcases 'many Mexicos' at Maria Maria |
|
The Valley has a long and storied history with Mexican food, written largely in two chapters: Sonoran and New Mexican. Roberto Santibañez wants to introduce you to the rest of the story. Read more... |
| Review: New menu mostly fails to impress at Pischke’s Blue Ribbon |
|
The well-dressed blonde woman stares at the Pischke’s Blue Ribbon menu for all of five seconds before asking, “Is this really the menu now?” Read more... |
| Review: Picture-perfect pizza lacks pizzazz at Grimaldi’s |
|
A crispy crust with a nice smoky flavor. High-quality toppings like sun-dried tomatoes and roasted sweet red peppers. Fresh mozzarella. A tomato sauce made in-house. So why does Patsy Grimaldi’s famous pizza fail to excite me? Read more... |
| First Taste: Estate House’s cuisine lives up to impressive decor |
|
When you eat out as often as I do, restaurants sometimes start to blend together. You can only visit so many steakhouses or so many sushi places before they all start looking a little alike. Read more... |
| Dirty Dining: Restaurant inspections Feb.18-24 |
|
These are the worst East Valley offenders from restaurant health inspections reviewed Feb.18-24. Read more... |
| Digestif exudes rare blend of hipness, sophistication | |
 |
Four people walk through the door of newly opened Digestif, the first of four restaurants Peter Kasperski will launch this year at SouthBridge in downtown Scottsdale. Read more... |
| First Taste: Roka Akor offers Japanese treats - for a price |
|
The woman carries the small cast-iron pot in a wood yoke to our table. She lifts the lid, releasing a plume of musky steam. She squeezes juice from a slice of lemon into the soupy contents and stirs. Read more... |
| Replay: Our guide to the best restaurant patios | |
 |
Warming weather means it's time again to enjoy our favorite restaurant patios. Here, we revisit our April 25, 2007, guide to the East Valley's best patios — from Queen Creek to North Scottsdale. Read more... |
| Just opened: La Bocca Urban Pizzeria & Wine Bar in Tempe |
|
A couple in their 40s stroll down Mill Avenue in the early evening and pause in front of La Bocca Urban Pizzeria & Wine Bar. Read more... |
| 2 for $20: Slices at Tempe Marketplace |
|
The good news: After a couple months of delays, Slices finally opened last week at Tempe Marketplace. The bad news: The popular pizza joint’s third East Valley location had to drop its plans to be the first to serve beer and wine. Read more... |
| 2 for $20: Slices finally opens at Tempe Marketplace | |
 |
The good news: After a couple of months of delays, Slices finally opened last week at Tempe Marketplace. The bad news: The popular pizza joint’s third East Valley location had to drop its plans to be the first to serve beer and wine. Read more... |
| First Taste: Saddle Ranch in Scottsdale vs. Cadillac Ranch in Tempe |
|
In a state whose history is filled with Wild West range wars, two new “ranches” are waging their own modern-day showdown in the East Valley. At stake: watering and grazing rights for a herd of cash-flush 20- and 30-somethings. Read more... |
| Review: EJ's Steakhouse is cut above most Mesa restaurants |
|
Mesa ranks third among Arizona cities in terms of population. When it comes to its number of noteworthy restaurants, though, most East Valley residents would place it much farther down the list. Read more... |
| Ra Sushi brings a slice of nightlife to Dana Park | |
 |
Ra Sushi at Dana Park shopping center is open and airy compared with the Tempe, Ahwatukee Foothills and downtown Scottsdale locations. But like the other locations — there are five — it has that trendy, hip, rock ’n’ roll vibe. And there’s not an empty seat at the bar when we stop in. Read more... |
| Build-your-own Genghis Grill serves it just the way you like it | |
 |
The chef at Genghis Grill is one talented guy. Never has an East Valley restaurant served up a selection of dishes so perfectly designed, in my opinion. Read more... |
| Dirty Dining: Restaurant inspections Feb.11-17 |
|
These are the worst East Valley offenders from restaurant health inspections reviewed Feb.4-10. Read more... |
| Review: Sushi Eye in Motion in Chandler |
|
It’s hard to think of a Valley neighborhood that hasn’t had a sushi restaurant open in the past few months. From Scottsdale (Roka Akor) to Mesa (Ra Sushi) to Gilbert (Blue Wasabi) to Queen Creek (Sushi Creek), East Valley diners are mackin’ on maki. Sushi rolls are on a roll. Read more... |
| Phoenix festival features Middle Eastern food, dance | |
 |
When it comes to her church’s annual festival, Marion Saba of Scottsdale is not modest. “We probably have the best food of any festival in the Valley,” she says. Read more... |
| Submarina brings San Diego vibe to East Valley | |
 |
Every summer, legions of Arizonans — known as Zonies — invade San Diego to escape the Valley’s scalding temperatures. Now the tables are being turned: San Diego-based Submarina California Subs is coming to Arizona in a big way. Read more... |
| Dirty Dining: Restaurant inspections Feb.4-10 |
|
These are the worst East Valley offenders from restaurant health inspections reviewed Feb.4-10. Read more... |
| Scottsdale's Humble Pie a different slice | |
 |
Pears, potatoes and pistachios — these are pizza toppings? If you don’t think so, Humble Pie, a cozy pizzeria and wine bar that opened last month at Scottsdale’s Hilton Village, will make a believer out of you. Read more... |
| Japanese dining tradition makes U.S. debut in Scottsdale |
|
Don’t look for a sushi bar when the first Roka Akor — the reflective name for its U.S. restaurants — opens Monday on the northeast corner of Scottsdale and Indian Bend roads. Sushi and kitchen dishes are prepared back of house. Read more... |
| Saddle Ranch is a hard habit to break | |
 |
Opened in January, this Scottsdale restaurant and bar — with a mechanical bull taking center stage — is all about fun. Read more... |
| Dirty Dining: Restaurant inspections Jan. 28-Feb.3 |
|
These are the worst East Valley offenders from restaurant health inspections reviewed Jan. 28-Feb. 3. Read more... |
| SouthBridge's Estate House offers mansion-inspired dining | |
 |
Ron Dimas is sitting at one of the elegantly set tables in the empty dining room at Estate House, downtown Scottsdale's newest high-end restaurant. It's still three hours before the doors will open for dinner, and the 39-year-old chef is describing the seasonal menu he has created for the multilevel, mansion-inspired dinner house. Read more... |
| Brush Fire Grill captures the taste of Arizona | |
 |
What does Arizona taste like? That's a question I pondered last month. I was toying with the idea of writing a story for out-of-state visitors here for the Super Bowl, those looking for an authentic Arizona culinary experience. Read more... |
| 2 for $20: Rome’s keeps old-fashioned pizza parlor tradition alive | |
 |
The nationwide proliferation of Dominos and Pizza Huts has significantly reduced the number of traditional, sit-down neighborhood pizza parlors, but if you search around enough you still can find some holdouts. Read more... |
| $190 steak debuts at Scottsdale restaurant | |
 |
The price of the East Valley’s most expensive steak more than doubled Monday, thanks to the opening of Bourbon Steak. Read more... |
| 2 for $20: Arizona Native Frybread turns staple into tacos, desserts | |
 |
American Indian fry bread can be eaten in many different ways, and Arizona Native Frybread, a strip-mall restaurant on east Main Street in Mesa, showcases many of them. Read more... |
| Dirty Dining: Restaurant inspections Jan. 21-27 |
|
These are the worst East Valley offenders from restaurant health inspections reviewed Jan. 21-27. Read more... |
| Grill Square not drawing in Mesa | |
 |
You know the saying, “If you build it, they will come”? Well, that’s not always the case. Take Mesa’s Grill Square, for example. This chic restaurant and bar — located by entrance two in Fiesta Mall, near Sears — hasn’t been attracting the masses since it opened in late summer. Read more... |
| Sports-oriented venues break out the buffets and big screens for Super Bowl viewing | |
 |
Don’t feel like watching Tom Brady, Michael Strahan and company vie for Super Bowl glory on your 19-inch Sony, yet not willing to shell out thousands to watch them play in person? Why not hop in the car and take in the game at one of the East Valley’s countless restaurants or sports bars? Here are some suggestions, from the ritzy to the comfortably casual. Read more... |
| 2 for $20: Queens Bakery brings pizza to downtown Mesa | |
 |
Queens Bakery & Pizzeria opened late last year in downtown Mesa, taking over the front of a Main Street building it shares with Christy’s Cake Supplies. The menu includes a variety of hot and cold subs, salads and pizza, as well as a selection of pastries, cheesecakes and other desserts. Read more... |
| Dining notes: Talavera debuts at Scottsdale’s Four Seasons |
|
The Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale opened its redesigned high-end restaurant, Talavera, this week. The restaurant, formerly known as Acacia, is still helmed by executive chef Mel Mecinas. The new name comes from a type of hand-painted Mexican pottery. Read more... |
| 2 for $20: Spicy Pickle perks up E.V. sandwich scene | |
 |
Denver-based sandwich chain Spicy Pickle opened its first Arizona location in December. Located on the southwest corner of Ray Road and the Loop 101 in Chandler, the fast-casual restaurant offers subs, paninis, salads and 11-inch pizzas. Read more... |
| Dining notes: E.V. restaurants roll out Super Bowl buffets |
|
Chow down and keep score at these East Valley buffets; Joe's Real BBQ turns double-digits; Wagyu steaks served at Meritage Steakhouse at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa; and more, as dining writer Jess Harter surveys the local gastronomic landscape. Read more... |
| Review: Strike it rich at Mining Camp Restaurant | |
 |
Opened in 1961 at the base of the Superstition Mountains, the Mining Camp is part restaurant, part historical museum. Steaks and burgers are available, but the real lure of the Mining Camp is an all-you-can-eat feast of chicken, ham and ribs, with lots of sides, all served family style. Read more... |
| 2 for $20: Corleone’s cheesesteaks are an offer you can’t refuse | |
 |
With Corleone's opening at the SanTan Village regional shopping center in Gilbert, Philly cheesesteak fans in the south East Valley no longer have to trek to sister locations in downtown Tempe or north Scottsdale to get their Whiz fix. Read more... |
| Review: Mastro’s City Hall Steakhouse expensive, but worth it | |
 |
If you can get past the sticker shock — for example, $42.95 for the small (12-ounce) bone-in filet — you’ll discover the steaks at Mastro’s City Hall Steakhouse in Scottsdale are worth every penny. Read more... |
| 2 for $20: Chronic Tacos rides a 'tequileria’ wave to Mill Avenue | |
 |
Chronic Tacos, a Southern California chain of surfer-themed taco shops, opened its first Arizona location on downtown Tempe’s Mill Avenue in late December. Read more... |
| Dining notes: Kabuki brings Japanese cuisine to Tempe Marketplace |
|
Kabuki Japanese Restaurant, a fast-casual chain from Southern California, has opened its first Arizona location at Tempe Marketplace. Read more... |
| Review: Tiny Gilbert eatery Chef H makes a big impression | |
 |
“Please, sit anywhere you’d like.” I look at the six empty booths lining the wall, then at the hopeful faces of the three people working — well, eager to work — at Chef H Restaurant & Grill. Read more... |
| South Beach Restaurant and Lounge a good starting point | |
 |
We don’t feel like we’re in Miami, but there’s no denying that north Scottsdale’s new nightclub is ultra-hip. It’s filled with couples and small groups in their 20s to 50s on a recent Wednesday night. Read more... |
| Jess Harter's top new restaurants of 2007 |
|
1. Centro Paninoteca - Created by chef-owner Chris Cottingham, former manager of Delux in Phoenix, this midtown Scottsdale eatery is tiny — just eight two-top tables and a small bar — but offers delicious panini sandwiches and wine by the glass until 2 a.m. Read more... |
| Five East Valley breakfast spots for a niche crowd | |
 |
Looking for a morning spot to get your breakfast where you can rub elbows with local musicians, ball players or your bar staff from the night before? Or maybe just a place where you can bring the family? Read more... |
| Review: When it comes to hustle, Majerle’s shoots an air ball | |
 |
You’d think a restaurant owned by Dan Majerle, namesake of the Phoenix Suns’ annual Hustle Award, would provide great service. Sadly, this isn’t true at Majerle’s Sports Grill in Chandler. Read more... |
| 2 for $20: Chicken isn’t the only amazing dish at Red House | |
 |
I’m always on the lookout for good, inexpensive Chinese food. So when I hear about Red House, a month-old restaurant in the Fry’s Marketplace strip mall on the northwest corner of Via Linda and 90th Street in Scottsdale, I grab a friend and head over for lunch. Read more... |
| Review: Cantina Laredo brings gourmet Mexican food to Gilbert | |
 |
Let’s just cut to the chase: Cantina Laredo is one of the best restaurants I’ve eaten at this year. Read more... |
| Review: Atomic 29 Grill appeals to basic instincts | |
 |
What’s your favorite number? Seven is considered lucky in most cultures, and many people think their birth date has significance. Sports fans often identify with a number worn by a favorite player. Read more... |
| 2 for $20: Great cheesesteaks brought forth by Forefather’s | |
 |
There are a lot of cheesesteak places in the East Valley, but few offer what I consider a really good Philly. Read more... |
| Review: Grand Lux Café decor serves up feast for eyes | |
 |
Opulent. Lavish. Extravagant. Choose your adjective to describe the decor of Grand Lux Café, the Cheesecake Factory’s upscale sibling that opened last month at Scottsdale Fashion Center. Read more... |
| 2 for $20: Add Los Favoritos to our list of cheap favorites | |
 |
One sure way to find good, cheap food is to watch where teenagers go to eat. Who better knows how to stretch a hard-earned dollar? Read more... |
| Review: Every day is spring break at San Felipe’s Cantina | |
 |
Spring break officially is three months away, but don’t tell the folks at San Felipe’s Cantina, a new restaurant and bar at Tempe Marketplace. Take a seat at a picnic table on San Felipe’s patio and close your eyes. Feel the warmth of the sun of your skin. Hear the Corona bottles being popped. Smell the fish tacos and grilled meats. Read more... |
| Local dining notes: Gilbert’s Brush Fire is going to be hot |
|
Good news for diners in Gilbert and east Mesa: Nearly a year after well-regarded Dual Contemporary Cuisine closed, another restaurant finally has moved into its strip mall space on the northwest corner of Ray and Power roads. Read more... |
| Review: Scottsdale’s Crust slices out a corner of the pizza market | |
 |
I imagine it’s difficult to open a successful pizzeria nowadays, what with the competition from national chains, not to mention all the local Italian restaurants. Read more... |
| 2 for $20: Dos Gringos Mexigrill brings Mexican beach to East Valley | |
 |
When Brian Roehrich maxed out his credit cards and mortgaged his house to open Scottsdale’s Dos Gringos in 1996, little did he realize he was launching an East Valley restaurant and nightlife empire. Read more... |
| Review: Asia de Cuba’s 'dim sum' brunch has little appeal | |
 |
Three friends and I take our seats in the sun-drenched, all-white dining room of Asia de Cuba, the Asian-Latin fusion restaurant at the ultra-trendy Mondrian hotel in downtown Scottsdale. Read more... |
| Review: SanTan’s Gordon Biersch has long waits, shortcomings | |
 |
How starved are Gilbert residents for restaurants? Look no further than the month-old Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant at SanTan Village for an answer. Read more... |
| Review: Beauty runs only skin-deep at Scottsdale’s stylish Canal | |
 |
Much like the models expected to grace the S-shaped runway that carves through its dining room, Canal looks very nice. The question for diners: Is Canal more than just a pretty face? Read more... |
| 2 for $20: Gennaro’s offers more than good pizza | |
 |
Since opening earlier this year in south Chandler, Gennaro’s Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen has built a solid neighborhood following with its delicious New York-style pizzas. Recently, though, a friend and I stopped in at lunchtime to try a couple of the nonpizza menu items. Read more... |
| Review: King’s Fish House hooks diners with good grub | |
 |
I confess I wasn’t looking forward to visiting King’s Fish House, the California-based chain that opened its first Arizona restaurant last month at Tempe Marketplace. Read more... |
| Old-fashioned cooking comes to Schnepf Farms |
|
Mark Schnepf stands in the roadside shack where his family sold vegetables in the 1960s and shakes his head at the steady stream of vehicles on Rittenhouse Road. Read more... |
| Review: McDuffy’s Grille a home run | |
 |
Like all sports champions, McDuffy’s run eventually had to come to end. Still, it was a little surprising when the venerable institution abruptly closed last year after 18 years. (A Peoria spinoff is still going strong.) Read more... |
| 2 for $20: Bagels not just breakfast food at Einstein Bros. | |
 |
Bagels aren’t just for breakfast anymore. Einstein Bros. Bagels, like many bagel shops across the country, also offers a variety of bagel sandwiches for lunch. Read more... |
| Review: Scottsdale’s Cien Agaves puts a classic duo in the spotlight | |
 |
Certain foods and drinks just seem to go together. Wine and cheese, beer and brats, milk and cookies. Read more... |
| Review: What’s missing at Taggia? Passion, among other things | |
 |
The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference. And a general lack of enthusiasm pretty much sums up my feelings about Taggia, the eight-month-old coastal Italian restaurant at FireSky Resort & Spa in Scottsdale. Read more... |
| 2 for $20: Firehouse Subs keeps sandwiches steamy | |
 |
Firehouse Subs — started by a pair of firefighting brothers from Jacksonville, Fla., in 2004 and already up to more than 300 locations nationwide — opened its first Arizona restaurant last month on the southwest corner of Loop 101 and Ray Road in Chandler. Read more... |
| Review: S’Bistro offers fine dining in downtown Mesa | |
 |
The success of most restaurants usually comes down to a simple formula. Offer something people want, especially in an area where no one else offers it, and you’ve got a reasonable chance to beat the daunting odds facing any new eatery. Read more... |
| Dining notes: Grand Lux Cafe opens Thursday in Scottsdale |
|
Grand Lux Cafe, an upscale spinoff of The Cheesecake Factory, opens its first Arizona restaurant Thursday at Scottsdale Fashion Square. Read more... |
| Review: SanTan Brewing Co. rounds out the downtown Chandler scene | |
 |
Don’t look now, but the East Valley’s best concentration of small, independent restaurants — at least since corporations overran Mill Avenue in the 1990s — just might be in downtown Chandler. Read more... |
| Review: Scottsdale’s Dish Market caters to time-starved diners | |
 |
Does anyone cook anymore? I’m not just talking about Americans’ ever-growing proclivity for eating at restaurants. I’m also referring to food eaten at home. Read more... |
| Dining notes: Cien Agaves opens in Scottsdale |
|
I stopped by Cien Agaves Tacos & Tequila, a new restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale, for lunch the other day. The super-casual restaurant has the look and feel of Old Mexico, with a stained concrete bar, dark wood furniture and colorful paintings on the wall. Read more... |
| 2 for $20: Barro’s keeps lunch cheap and easy | |
 |
My criteria for a great lunch? Convenient, fast, inexpensive and good-tasting. With 14 East Valley locations offering delicious, ready-to-eat slices in six different lunch specials, Barro’s Pizza has all the bases covered. Read more... |
| Review: Taneko Tavern lacks that something special | |
 |
I’ve never been to the Land of the Rising Sun, but Taneko Japanese Tavern is pretty much what this gaijin would expect a traditional Japanese pub to look like. Read more... |
| Dining notes: Union Wine Bar & Grill changes menu, hours |
|
Union Wine Bar & Grill, the much-anticipated tapas restaurant that opened this summer in Old Town Scottsdale, is changing its menu — scaling back on its “small plates” offerings and adding full-size entrees — and closing on Sundays and Mondays. Read more... |
| Review: Romeo’s Euro Café now downtown Gilbert gem | |
 |
Has it really been three years since Romeo’s Euro Café moved to downtown Gilbert? Read more... |
| Taming of the burger: Finding 11 hottest beef patties around the East Valley |
|
A couple of months ago, while reviewing Carlsbad Tavern in Scottsdale, I was introduced to the habanero cheeseburger, a double handful of mouth-searing pleasure for a spicy food lover like myself. Read more... |
| Dining notes: Chloe's Corner replaces The Counter | |
 |
I stopped by the newly renamed Chloe’s Corner, formerly The Counter, the other morning to check out its new breakfast menu. Besides Belgian waffles, egg sandwiches and steel-cut oatmeal Kierland Commons’ only quick-service eatery has added to its lineup of American comfort foods with such new lunch and dinner items as BLT and grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches. Read more... |
| Review: Handshakes welcome patrons to CK Tavern & Grill | |
 |
On my first visit, before I even get a menu, the bartender comes over, sticks out his hand and introduces himself. He asks my name, runs through the menu and makes some suggestions. Read more... |
| Dining notes: Firehouse Subs creates heroic sandwiches |
|
Firehouse Subs, a national sandwich chain started by a pair of firefighting brothers from Jacksonville, Fla., has opened its first Arizona restaurant on the southwest corner of Loop 101 and Ray Road in Chandler. Read more... |
| Review: Best new restaurant of 2007? It might be Luc's | |
 |
It’s too early to proclaim the East Valley’s best new restaurant of 2007. After all, several highly anticipated eateries — such as Robert McGrath’s REM, Kevin Binkley’s Café Bink and Aaron May’s Leche — are still scheduled to open before year’s end. Read more... |
| Review: Red, White & Brew serves all-American portions | |
 |
“Don’t be intimidated by our menu,” the manager advises as we’re seated at Red, White & Brew. “It’s huge.” And it certainly is. The three-month-old Chandler restaurant, an offshoot of the original in east Mesa, offers the same four-page lineup of upscale American comfort foods. Read more... |
| Review: Bavarian Point brings a little Oktoberfest year-round | |
 |
Mention October holidays and most people think of Halloween. For some of us, though — such as dining writers who come from North Dakota German stock — the month also has another celebration of note: Oktoberfest. Read more... |
| Dining notes: Create your own pizza at Pizzam | |
 |
Tired of trying to split a pizza three ways with friends, much less agree on toppings? Pizzam, a just-opened pizzeria on the southeast corner of Kyrene and Elliot roads in Tempe, lets diners create their own 8-inch pies and salads. Read more... |
| Review: Hopes for Boulders on Broadway menu rocky - for now | |
 |
Boulders on Broadway is the kind of restaurant I really want to root for. Read more... |
| Dining notes: Chandler McDuffy’s scheduled to open Oct. 9 |
|
By next week, McDuffy’s will be back in the East Valley. Read more... |
| Review: RigaTony’s puts the real Italian deal on the plate | |
 |
I have nothing against the Olive Gardens and Buca di Beppos in this world. Once, years ago, I even joined a friend for lunch at a (shudder) Fazoli’s. Read more... |
| Local dining notes: Dragonfly opens on Mill Avenue | |
 |
Dragonfly Vietnamese Kitchen, the popular Mesa restaurant owned by Mike Nguyen and his wife, Linh Ly, is branching out: A second location opened last week on Mill Avenue in downtown Tempe. Read more... |
| New restaurants add to options in Queen Creek | |
 |
For years, the Queen Creek restaurant scene was defined by the cliche “There’s no 'there’ there.” Unless you were looking for a country bar or an old-time cafe, your choices were pretty much nonexistent. Read more... |
| Dining notes: Beer, food on tap at Chandler brew pub |
|
After several weeks of delays, San Tan Brewing Co. microbrewery and restaurant has finally opened its doors in downtown Chandler. Read more... |
| San Tan Brewing opens Saturday in downtown Chandler |
|
Assuming it passes its last-minute inspections, San Tan Brewing Company microbrewery and restaurant finally will open its doors at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, in historic downtown Chandler. Read more... |
| Queen Creek gets its first sushi bar with opening of Sushi Creek |
|
Move over olive mills and corn mazes, Queen Creek has a new attraction: Its first sushi bar. Sushi Creek, a trendy looking, 2,300-square-foot eatery that seats about 80, recently opened on the northeast corner of Ellsworth and Ocotillo roads. Read more... |
| Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que opens at Tempe Marketplace | |
 |
How popular is Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, the Long Beach, Calif., chain that’s opening its first Arizona restaurant at 4 p.m. today at Tempe Marketplace? So popular that customers at their nine other restaurants -- eight in California and another near Las Vegas -- routinely wait more than two hours for a table on weekends. Read more... |
| Review: Sake Tini brings a good sushi choice to west Mesa | |
 |
Having lived in the East Valley for more than two decades, I can remember when you could count the number of local sushi restaurants on one hand — and still have several fingers left over. Read more... |
| Dave & Buster's opens at Tempe Marketplace |
|
Michael Ewing looks out over Dave & Buster's 50,000-square-foot layout -- the full-service restaurant, two square bars, two private dining rooms, billiards room, three meeting rooms, 33 high-definition televisions and 140 state-of-the-art gaming stations -- and points out the obvious. "All this is set up like a Vegas casino," says the general manager of the Dallas-based chain's first Arizona location. Read more... |
| Review: Mesa's Taqueria Cajeme serves up authentic Sonoran food |
|
Those who love Mexican food know there’s a wide range of Mexican restaurants in the East Valley. Read more... |
| Review: Gilbert's Cafe Rio puts the 'fresh' in fresh Mex | |
 |
The East Valley is blessed with an abundance of good Mexican restaurants, something I admittedly tend to take for granted after more than 20 years of dining here. Read more... |
| Review: Grill Square brings trendy, tasty to Mesa's Fiesta Mall |
|
With an impeccably presented Asian-Italian fusion menu and refined urban chic decor, Grill Square is one of those stylish eateries often found in see-and-be-seen hot spots like Scottsdale, Aspen and L.A. Read more... |
| Review: At Stax, patty is pretty plain but dresses up nicely | |
 |
When I was a little kid, I was confused by the word “hamburger.” Hamburgers obviously weren’t made with ham. Why weren’t they called beef burgers? Of course, I eventually learned the term referred to the German city of Hamburg, where the sandwich purportedly originated. Read more... |
| Review: Urban Campfire serves comfort food with a side of panache | |
 |
It’s hard to categorize Urban Campfire. Is the six-week-old Tempe restaurant, which specializes in smoked meats like ribs, pork and brisket, a barbecue joint? Read more... |