’Tis the season for gift card savings! Bookmark this blog, where we’ll corral gift card deals from Valley restaurants through the end of the year. Check back often for new additions, and always verify with the restaurant, as offers are subject to change and may have specific date ranges. Angry Crab Shack: Purchase a $25 gift card and get a $5 bonus card from November 26-December 31. Born & Raised Hospitality: Buy $50...
All the news that’s fit to nosh. Hash Fund: Love the over-the-top bloody Mary bar, cereal-crusted French toast and myriad breakfast hash options at Hash Kitchen? So do the money people at Savory Restaurant Fund, a $200 million fund Mercato Partners formed to back up-and-coming restaurant concepts like Hash, owned and operated by Maggiore culinary family scion Joey Maggiore, his wife Cristina and their business partner, Flora Tersigni. “Hash Kitchen uniquely captures the demand from today’s consumer for restaurant experiences that...
Telosa isn’t the first desert utopia envisioned for the Valley. Some communities have been around for decades, others are still in the dream phase. Sun City Developer Del Webb created the “original retirement community” in the early 1960s. The West Valley burg is largely responsible for the Phoenix metro’s status as a haven for seniors. Arcosanti Architect Paolo Soleri’s vision of arcology – architecture plus ecology – was manifested in this artsy commune north of...
Photo by Leah LeMoine THE SCENE The “all-day café” trend that has gripped both coasts has reached Phoenix, and it’s no surprise a California transplant has led the charge. Headquartered in Venice, Zinqué (pronounced zin-kay) is a Golden State-inflected French concept where you can get coffee and pastries in the morning, lunch in the afternoon, and dinner and drinks in the evening. In the first two-thirds of the day, it offers counter service. At cocktail hour, it switches to table service, which it also offers during weekend brunch. ...
Lemon Meringue Pie Cut through the richness of a holiday meal with Buck &Rider’s bright and citrusy showstopper. Available by the slice at B &R or whole at LGO Bakeshop ($44-$55/pie). lgobakeshop.com Tropical Pies Just want a slice? Pop into HULA’S Modern Tiki for a quick trip to a dessert-ed island via coconut or key lime pie ($7/slice). hulasmoderntiki.com Pumpkin Pie Is it Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie? Sweet Provisions’ iteration boasts a halo of whipped...
Miracle cocktails | Photo by Melissa Hom All the news that’s fit to nosh. Christmassy Carousing: Holiday revelers, mark your calendars. Two beloved pop-up concepts are returning this winter. Sippin’ Santa: Head to Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour from November 23-December 24 for Sippin’ Santa, a holiday-themed tiki takeover. Tiki expert Jeff “Beachbum” Berry will be selling collectible tiki mugs and barware, and seasonal libations will include Yule Log Grog, White Russian Christmas, Azul Navidad and The Regifter. No reservations; everything is first-come, first-served. Miracle: From November...
Photo by Leah LeMoine THE SCENE I’d heard about Linger Longer Lounge for years, but I never knew where it was. Downtown Phoenix? Midtown? CenPho? Scottsdale? As I pulled into the parking lot for a media happy hour there a couple of weeks ago, my confusion was validated. It’s tucked into the far corner of a plaza that itself feels somewhat recessed from the intersection of 16th Street and Sierra Drive, just north of East Maryland Avenue....
Phoenix Pizza Festival | Photo courtesy Flargus All the news that’s fit to nosh. Pizza Party: The Phoenix Pizza Festival is back! To celebrate its sixth year, the fest has grown to include two days: Saturday and Sunday, November 13-14, at Margaret T. Hance Park. Limited tickets are available for $12 each – sold exclusively online – and attendees will be able to sample $2-$4 slices, full pies, drinks and desserts from 15-20 pizza makers, food trucks and vendors. Valley...
With the Valley’s population boom and groundswell of makers, artisans and entrepreneurs, there’s never been a better time to shop locally. From cornhole boards and cocktail kits to body oils and books, there’s a gift for everyone on your list.
Arizona hotels are emerging from the nadir of the pandemic with new looks and amenities.
Photo by Leah LeMoine THE SCENE To stay connected during the pandemic – and to nurture our shared love of cooking – my friend Kristy suggested a weekly FaceTime cooking date. Her proposal: We’d take turns selecting recipes to cook along with the other, virtually. A cooking club for two? I said yes without hesitation. We started Quarantine Culinarians in July 2020 and have miraculously kept it up since, with a few skipped weeks and a brief hiatus this past summer. (I promise this will lead to a happy hour write-up – just stay with...
All the news that’s fit to nosh. PSL Alert: You don’t have to hit Starbucks for your autumnal coffee fix. This year, respected local coffee shops like Press Coffee and Peixoto Coffee are getting in the spirit with seasonal offerings. Press’s first pumpkin spice latte will be served at all nine of its locations, including the outpost opening this Friday, October 8, in Downtown Phoenix. Peixoto’s buttered pumpkin latte comes heaped with marshmallow fluff from locally owned marshmallow café Toasted Mallow. You can...
Tijuana Donkey (left) and Mango Mezgarita (right) | Photo by Leah LeMoine THE SCENE Last year, during the height of the pandemic and before the vaccine was available, I became something of an expert on takeout happy hours. I re-crisped pizza and nachos in my oven after they’d wilted in transit. I poured cocktails from their secure plastic carrying containers into my own glassware to make them feel fancy again. I re-plated, photographed, blogged and Instagrammed. One of the highlights...
The Sicilian Baker Halloween cannoli | Photo courtesy The Maggiore Group All the news that’s fit to nosh. Autumnal Abundance: It’s fall, y’all! And with this past weekend’s cooler temps, that’s starting to feel real and not just like a cruel calendar joke. Embrace the transition with seasonal specials from The Sicilian Baker including pumpkin pie cannoli with pumpkin-infused sweet ricotta filling (order as a special: large shell dipped in chocolate and decorated with edible pumpkins; available October 15-November...
All the news that’s fit to nosh. La Chimichanga Más Grande del Mundo: Valley institution Macayo’s Mexican Food is gunning for world domination. This Saturday, September 25, at 10 a.m., Macayo’s team members at the Ahwatukee location will attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the longest chimichanga on the planet. “We’re extremely proud to be the original developer of the world’s first chimichanga* – and to have it become our signature dish. In fact, since it was first created,...
