Travel7 Louisville Must-Douxs
Craig OuthierMarch 31, 2020
Going to the Kentucky Derby this year, or planning a weekend spirit quest? Sprint out of the gate with this checklist.
Craig Outhier, Author at PHOENIX magazine
Valley NewsState of Health
Craig OuthierMarch 25, 2020
Let’s step back for a panoramic view of Arizona health news in 2020
The dining maestro weighs in on to-go dining and state support amid the coronavirus crisis. Uncertainty and intense anxiety is gripping the Valley restaurant and bar industry following the coronavirus closures mandated by Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, and a similar statewide policy expected from Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. Only takeout and delivery services will be permitted for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, one of the Valley restaurant owners who preemptively ended in-restaurant service last week, FnB...
The PHiXBag Bites: March 2020
Craig OuthierFebruary 26, 2020
Airfare of the Month: March is arguably the Valley’s best month, weather-wise, and therefore not the most opportune time to travel. But doesn’t spring in New York City sound not-horrible, too? Budget carrier Frontier Airlines is offering a smoking-hot $140 round-trip, nonstop fare to the Big Apple in March, with a midweek departure. Reserve those Hamilton tix. flyfrontier.com Airfare of the Month, Regional Crisis Division: For what it’s worth, Air Canada will fly you from...
Desert Digest6 Daily Specials Around the Valley
Craig OuthierFebruary 19, 2020
Monday: “Family supper” at Worth Takeaway. Want to take your love of the Mesa sandwich legend to the next level? Pop in starting at 4 p.m. for Monday-only multi-item dinners, featuring savory sensations like crispy pork with guajillo chile. worthtakeaway.com Tuesday: Buttermilk fried chicken at Windsor. Available after 4 p.m., this crispy American classic is also served on Mondays at the beloved Uptown gastropub. windsoraz.com Wednesday: The green chile tuna melt at Chula Seafood. Hump...
Desert Digest6 Eating-and-Drinking Things We’re Looking Forward to in February
Craig OuthierJanuary 30, 2020
The Cheetos elote at Urban Phoenix in Arcadia Lite. Roasted Mexican street corn sprinkled with cheese-flavored puffed-corn snacks? So crazy, it just might work. urbanphoenixcafe.com Going to Taco Boy’s in the Roosevelt Row arts district and having one of those mesquite-charcoal-grilled carne asada tacos everyone and their madre is talking about. aztacoboys.com Noshing on the Valley’s best regional and ethnic eats at PHOENIX-sponsored Devour the World. See page 132 for more details. devourphoenix.com Trying the...
The PHiXBag Bites
Craig OuthierJanuary 23, 2020
Anchors Away: Rocky Point made its long-awaited debut as a cruise hub in January when the Astoria, a vintage trans-Atlantic ocean liner operated by Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV), departed from the Sonoran town’s still-under-construction deep sea port. The 11-day sail of the Sea of Cortez that followed (including stops in Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and other beach cities on the “Mexican Riviera”) was scheduled to be repeated twice in January before CMV put the...
AdventuresThe PHiXBag Bites
Craig OuthierJanuary 7, 2020
Star-Crossed: Looking for a wedding date? L’Auberge de Sedona suggests February 20, 2020. That’s the calendar square pegged by British astrologer Carolyne Faulkner as the best day to get married due to key planets aligning for commitment, stability and sacred contracts. Gamely, the resort created a Celestial Ceremonies package pegged to the date, good for “star bathing” and other astro-themed experiences – along with the wedding ceremony itself, of course, in one of Arizona’s most...
Desert Digest6 Eating-and-Drinking Things We’re Looking Forward to in January
Craig OuthierJanuary 6, 2020
1. Chef Lee Hillson’s resurrected pasta carbonara at T. Cook’s. The resort restaurant’s longtime chef is back, and he’s bringing egg yolks with him. royalpalmshotel.com 2. Tipping back a Zombie at the new High Street location of Hula’s Modern Tiki. If anyplace needs a dose of tiki swerve, it’s North Phoenix. hulasmoderntiki.com 3. Crushing some of those delicious-looking wood-roasted oysters at Persepshen. Named the No. 3 best new restaurant in the Valley by PHOENIX dining...
TravelNewport Beach, Revisited
Craig OuthierDecember 26, 2019
What happens when a 40-something returns to his college stomping grounds? A great family vacation, is what.
The PHiXBag Bites
Craig OuthierDecember 3, 2019
Still Cookin’: The recent implosion of UK-based travel firm Thomas Cook has evidently not affected the operations of subsidiary Condor Airlines, the German budget carrier that started hauling Phoenicians nonstop to Frankfurt two summers ago. Euro-curious Valley residents can book travel out of Phoenix starting in April for about $700 round trip. condor.com Up the Junction: One of our favorite airfare deals this winter is the $97 nonstop round-trip fare to Grand Junction, Colorado, in...