Marilyn Hawkes, Author at PHOENIX magazine

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RecipesRecipe Friday: TEXAZ Grill Mashed Tater Salad

Marilyn HawkesSeptember 28, 2017

As a kid growing up in Texas and Louisiana, TEXAZ Grill owner Steve Freidkin now has fond memories of his mama’s mashed tater salad. So when he got tired of throwing away the leftover mashed potatoes at his popular Phoenix restaurant, he recalled the potato salad of his youth. “I thought, well, dang. It worked for my family. Maybe it will work here.”

The verdict? “Some people like it and some people are a little freaked out by it,” he says. “It’s a little different, but c’mon, it’s got bacon in it so it’s got to be good.”

Freidken uses russet potatoes with the skin on and makes the dressing separately from the salad. “It has most of the ingredients of a Southern-style potato salad, but it’s got a little Louisiana flair to it.”

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RecipesRecipe Friday: Banana chocolate crunch pancakes

Marilyn HawkesSeptember 20, 2017

Pancake lovers, your special day is coming. Tuesday, Sept. 26 has been deemed National Pancake Day and if you’re looking for a new recipe to wow your friends and family (perhaps this weekend since pancakes are more "lazy Sunday" than "gotta get to work Tuesday"), we’ve got a good one for you.

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RecipesRecipe Friday: Traditional Beef Bourguignon

Marilyn HawkesSeptember 14, 2017

As we approach cooler autumn nights, it’s hard not to dream about simmering soups and soul-satisfying stews. It’s almost time to turn on the oven again.

To that end, Chef Jean-Christophe Gros of Voila! French Bistro shares a recipe for traditional beef bourguignon that he serves at his Scottsdale Ranch restaurant. He’s fond of the recipe because it reminds him of moments he’s shared with his family over the years.

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RecipesRecipe Friday: Dave & Busters Lotsa Loaded Tater Tots

Marilyn HawkesSeptember 8, 2017

Football season has officially started, and it’s time to up your snacking game. Trent Averhoff, assistant general manager of Dave & Buster’s at Tempe Marketplace, offers a suggestion for an easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer that you can whip up at home. And everyone loves tater tots, he says. “Tater tots call to your inner child.” He makes a good point.

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SpotlightPeter Harden

Marilyn HawkesSeptember 1, 2017

The “Mayor of the Mall” holds court at Scottsdale Fashion Square.

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Veg OutChickpea Tostada

Marilyn HawkesSeptember 1, 2017

Helio Basin Brewing Co.’s mountainous chickpea tostada is worth a prost.

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Three BitesStuff It, Amigo

Marilyn HawkesSeptember 1, 2017

Crunchy, savory, dumpling-like empanadas are having their moment in the sun.

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RecipesRecipe Friday: Chompie’s Fitness Omelet

Marilyn HawkesSeptember 1, 2017

To raise awareness and funds during September’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Chompie’s is partnering with Singleton Moms, an Arizona-based nonprofit organization that supports single-parent families affected by cancer.

During September, Chompie’s will donate $1 to Singleton Moms from each entrée ordered from the deli’s special three-item menu, which includes Josh’s Whole Grain French Toast, Classic Grandpa Ruby’s Reuben and the Fitness Omelet.

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RecipesRecipe Friday: Taco Guild Coconut French Toast

Marilyn HawkesAugust 24, 2017

Coconut French Toast from Taco Guild in Phoenix.

French toast is one of those breakfast items that most people tend to order in restaurants rather than make at home. The folks at Taco Guild whip up a mean coconut French toast for their Saturday and Sunday brunch, but market chef Dan Santos has gladly shared the recipe for those who want to try their hand at griddling the bread at home.

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RecipesRecipe Friday: Mowry & Cotton Chimichurri Artichokes

Marilyn HawkesAugust 15, 2017

Mowry & Cotton Chimichurri Artichokes + Hummus. Photo courtesy Awe Collective.

If you’ve stopped by The Phoenician lately, you’ve probably noticed that the grand dame of Scottsdale resorts is undergoing a major renovation. Along with a new lobby and bar, spa and pool area, the hotel will be replacing the longstanding Il Terrazzo restaurant with a more casual concept, Mowry & Cotton, named after two gents who opened one of Phoenix’s first fine liquor establishment (or so the legend goes).

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RecipesRecipe Friday: Sprinkles Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cupcakes

Marilyn HawkesAugust 10, 2017

Oh, Sprinkles red velvet cupcakes, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: Regular, sugar-free and gluten-free. Yes, our celiac-brethren can now enjoy these moist sweet bombs, or even make them at home.

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Q&AQ&A with Alex Stratta, new culinary director at MATCH

Marilyn HawkesAugust 4, 2017

Downtown Phoenix has just added another culinary luminary to its roster: James Beard award-winning Chef Alex Stratta has recently taken over as culinary director at MATCH: Restaurant & Cocktails inside the chic and arty FOUND:RE Hotel.

Stratta’s storied career includes stints at Mary Elaine’s at The Phoenician, ALEX and Stratta restaurants inside the Wynn Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, as well as Prado at the Omni Montelucia Resort in Scottsdale. His accomplishments include a coveted two-star rating by the Michelin Guide (three times over, in fact, for his namesake restaurant ALEX in Las Vegas) and Stratta was once named Food and Wine Magazine’s Best New Chef.

First on his to-do list at MATCH is to completely revamp the menu, which skewed to a "global street food" theme (and didn't wow our dining critic). Ahead of Stratta's menu debut in September, PHOENIX caught up with the guy who most recently raised eyebrows by hanging his hat at the respectable but decidedly un-showy and non-James Beard-y The Herb Box.

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RecipesRecipe Friday: Z’Tejas Cod with Hatch Chile Sauce

Marilyn HawkesAugust 3, 2017

By the time August rolls around, Phoenicians have had it with brutal hot days. But August also brings a different kind of heat – Hatch chile season, that two- to three-month window when the flavorful, tear-inducing peppers from New Mexico are harvested and plentiful. Z’Tejas Southwestern Kitchen recently rolled out its annual Hatch chile menu that boasts everything from chile and watermelon gazpacho to pecan pie with green chile ice cream. Also on the menu – poached cod with Hatch chile sauce.

The Hatch chile menu will run through Oct. 31, according to Z’ Tejas Market Chef Dan Santos, but if you’d like to try making the cod at home, he has shared the recipe with PHOENIX magazine. When shopping for the fish, Santos advises buying pieces that are no thicker than two inches: “Any more than that, the bottom of the fish is going to burn and the top isn’t going to cook all the way through.”