Sam Olguin, talented mixologist and proud new partner in So Far, So Good at The Churchill food-hub in Phoenix has created a lusciously smooth classic, combining butterscotch-infused vodka with a welter of cool-weather goodies.
Nikki Buchanan, Author at PHOENIX magazine
Food ReviewsMaple & Ash
Nikki BuchananNovember 2019
The buck is prodigious, the bang scant at this much-hyped, Michelin-starred Chicago import.
Food ReviewsSpace Case: Ocean 44
Nikki BuchananNovember 2019
Dennis Mastro broke ground on Ocean 44 near Scottsdale Fashion Square last year – a spectacular glass-and-steel scratch build with interior design by Testani Design Troupe.
Food ReviewsThe Hidden House
Nikki BuchananNovember 2019
With its greatest-hits-style modern menu, this cozy, crowd-pleasing gastropub is another welcome addition to the rising Chandler dining scene.
Food & DrinkAtlas Bistro
Nikki BuchananOctober 2019
Chef Cory Oppold creates modernist, multi-course wonderment at this storied Scottsdale BYOB.
Food ReviewsSpace Case: Taco Chelo
Nikki BuchananOctober 2019
Serial restaurateur Aaron Chamberlin never planned on opening a down-home taqueria. But a trip to Southern California changed all that.
Food ReviewsSeydi’s Pupuseria & Grill
Nikki BuchananOctober 2019
Pupusas are having a moment – and this North Phoenix pupuseria might be the Binkley’s of them.
Drink ThisDrink This: Mercury Mirage
Nikki BuchananOctober 2019
Weft & Warp at the Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows amplifies the smoked cocktail trend with the Mercury Mirage, a robust Sazerac-like sipper that uses smoke three ways.
Food ReviewsLittle Miss BBQ
Nikki BuchananSeptember 2019
Our food-line-averse critic finally gets her first taste of the Valley low-and-slow legend.
Food ReviewsBeCe Kitchen
Nikki BuchananSeptember 2019
Go east, Beaver Choice. Shuttered last spring, the European comfort-food favorite reappears in SanTan Valley with a new name and trimmed-down, fast-casual menu.
Food ReviewsSpace Case: Welcome Diner
Nikki BuchananSeptember 2019
Artist and entrepreneur Sloane McFarland opened the original Welcome Diner in a renovated Valentine diner on Roosevelt Row in 2004, aspiring to mingle his interests in community development and the emerging farm-to-table movement.
Drink ThisDrink This: Date Night
Nikki BuchananSeptember 2019
This pale green refresher from The Covenant is like a martini jazzed up with fresh lemon juice and Kiwi Reàl.
Who says there ain’t no cure for the summertime blues? Rancho Pinot makes a variation of the classic Moscow Mule that looks and feels blessedly cold in your hand.
Food ReviewsCasa Corazon
Nikki BuchananAugust 2019
Behold the stealth brilliance of this Oaxacan-Yucatecan fine dining restaurant in CenPho.
Food ReviewsAnhelo
Nikki BuchananAugust 2019
Set in historical Heritage Square, this new chef-run restaurant excels with small bites, but over-punches a bit with pricey entrées.