Three BitesThree Bites: A Finer Fajita
Marilyn HawkesJuly 7, 2022
Valley chefs put hot rocks to good use with sizzling, scrumptious molcajete plates.
Try these local products this Summer.
In October 2005, Jody Boyd lost a childhood friend, Michelle Singleton, to breast cancer after a 15-month battle. Singleton, a single mom with four children, was only 32 when she passed away. Boyd was so moved by Singleton’s struggle and subsequent death, that she founded The Singletons, a nonprofit organization devoted to providing “strength, hope and community to single-parent families battling cancer.” We asked Boyd, who serves as the nonprofit’s executive director, to tell us...
Desert DigestFood & DrinkSix Questions with Tía Carmen Executive Chef Angelo Sosa
Marilyn HawkesJune 6, 2022
Accompanied by a lot of local buzz, executive chef Angelo Sosa and restaurant operator Mark Stone opened Tía Carmen at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in May. Sosa, who appeared on three seasons of Top Chef, opened the restaurant in tribute to his aunt, Carmen. The restaurant specializes in contemporary Southwest cuisine with special emphasis on wood-fire grilling. Here’s what Sosa has to say about his new venture. What does it meant...
Birdcall | Photo courtesy Oh Partners Openings Angel Thai Bistro Family-owned restaurant features a “divine dining experience” with popular Thai dishes, including pad Thai, multiple curries and coconut soup. 4010 E. Greenway Rd., Phoenix, angelthaiaz.com Birdcall Look for 100 percent all-natural fried chicken sandwiches and chicken fingers as well as salads at this Denver-based fast-casual restaurant. 7204 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, eatbirdcall.com Black Rock Coffee Oregon coffee chain opens its fifth Mesa location and 27th...
If you’re looking for an easy pasta dish to wow your dinner guests, executive chef Dylan Shortridge of Society by EVO in Tempe shares his garlic shrimp recipe. Shortridge, previously with Bourbon & Bones and Pinnacle Peak Country Club, really likes this dish because it incorporates three of his favorite ingredients: garlic, onions and citrus. The recipe is pretty straightforward, but Shortridge cautions against overcooking the shrimp and garlic. “I add the garlic right after...
The Genuine | Photo by Grace Stufkosky If you have been itching to try some new restaurants, Spring 2022 Arizona Restaurant Week starts Friday, May 20 and runs through Sunday, May 29. During the 10-day culinary event you can dine at more than 125 restaurants that will offer three, four or five-course prix-fixe menus for $33, $44 or $55 per person. A handful of new restaurants are participating this year, including La Locanda Italian Bistro,...
Desert DigestFood & DrinkSix Questions with Cala Executive Chef Peter McQuaid
Marilyn HawkesMay 9, 2022
When we last spoke with Peter McQuaid in 2016, he was just starting culinary school at the International Culinary Center in New York City after winning a scholarship from Careers Through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP). Today, the 24-year-old McQuaid is the executive chef at Cala, a Clive Collective restaurant in the new Senna House Hotel in Scottsdale. After culinary school, McQuaid spent time in the kitchen with chef Beau MacMillan at The Sanctuary and then...
The Genuine | Photo by Grace Stufkosky Openings New York Bagels ‘n Bialys Valley bagel shop known for its boiled bagels and extensive breakfast and lunch menu opens in Gilbert. 2060 S. Power Rd., Gilbert, nybagelsnbialys.com Beer Research Institute Taproom & Arcade Second location for this craft beer and scratch kitchen spot, featuring Mesa’s first and only arcade bar. 213 W. Main St., Mesa, thebeerresearchinstitute.com Call Her Martina Scottsdale’s Waterfront has a new restaurant serving...
Try low-sodium seasonings, all-natural flavored pasta, and sweet and savory pie this May and June.
Packed with pickled and roasted goodies, new-look vegetable boards offer variety and fun to meat-free Phoenicians.
Chef Mauro Martina of OEB Breakfast Co. recently shared his energy-boosting, vegetarian and gluten-free recipe for chia seed pudding, a favorite dish of OEB’s customers. Besides being tasty, the pudding has the added benefit of chia seeds – little powerhouses that add antioxidants, minerals, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. When deciding which fruits to puree, Martina recommends natural, sugar-free purees made from mangos, bananas and strawberries. Choose your own milk and sweeten...
Desert DigestFood & DrinkSix Questions with Chef Lee Hillson of T. Cook’s at the Royal Palms Resort
Marilyn HawkesMay 3, 2022
We recently caught up with Lee Hillson, executive chef at T. Cook’s at the Royal Palms Resort, to chat about fine dining, menu development and how he kept his staff happy during the pandemic. The veteran chef spent 12 years at T. Cook’s in the early 2000s, and then left for another opportunity. He’s been back since 2019 overseeing the iconic resort’s food and beverage operations. Here’s what he had to say. How has fine...
After making waves in late 2020 with their debut restaurant, Southeast Asian-influenced Belly Kitchen & Bar (named one of our Best New Restaurants in 2021), Phoenix restaurant veterans and longtime friends Robert Cissel, Paul Waxman and Michael Babcock are back at it. This summer, the Instrumental Hospitality partners will launch a second Belly at Epicenter in Gilbert. Then they’ll head back to Downtown Phoenix to open Sin Muerte, a vegetarian restaurant set to debut...
The PHiXAZ Nonprofits: Four Questions for Rebecca Thimsen of Arizona Helping Hands
Marilyn HawkesApril 11, 2022
Over the past two years, life has been trying in many ways. Some days the news is bleak and we tend to forget that there’s a lot of good in this world. There are many folks in the Valley who devote their time to nonprofit agencies, from animal rescues to homeless shelters. In this blog series on Valley nonprofits, we shed light on some of the people and organizations that are making a difference. ...