Monthly dining reviews from all over the Valley.
Food ReviewsSeptember 2, 2026Dining Review: Quiessence
Food ReviewsSeptember 2, 2026Dining Review: Il Forno Bello
Food ReviewsSeptember 2, 2026Dining Review: Collagen Dumpling Dynasty
Food ReviewsRestaurant Review: The Peppermill
Nikki BuchananSeptember 21, 2021
Unveiled just before the pandemic, this risk-taking Tempe steakhouse escaped our notice for 20 months. It was worth the wait.
Local Products3 Local Products to Try This Fall
Marilyn HawkesSeptember 9, 2021
Try chicken charcuterie, elderberry syrup and fancy cocktail ice from local purveyors this month.
THE SCENE Like any The Real Housewives of New York City fan worth the salt on her Skinnygirl Margarita, I have a bit of an obsession with the Hamptons. I live for Ramona’s volcanic dinner parties (and questionable design choices), Luann’s out-of-touch pizza order (“Mrs. de Lesseps… The Countess!”), Sonja’s kooky jitney bathroom rituals, Bethenny’s avoidance of guests at her own home, high-stakes brunch battles and, of course, Barbara’s clambake, complete with doggie bags full of lobsters. Alas, I am but a desert girl in an average tax bracket, so I figured my Hamptons enjoyment would remain vicarious unless I somehow befriended a celeb –...
THE SCENE I almost can’t believe my eyes when I walk into CHAR Pizzeria Napoletana in Peoria. There’s a sleek, clean and downright Euro feel – silvery tin tiles on the ceiling, modern black light fixtures, gleaming wood and metal chairs congregated around marble-topped tables, brown leather banquettes and booths, a contemporary wooden bench and a clean white counter. I grew up in the West Valley and went to high school just minutes away from this pristine pizzeria at the corner of Lake Pleasant Parkway and Happy Valley Road. Let me tell...
Craft BeerDesert DigestFood & DrinkHappy HourHappy Hour: Pedal Haus Brewery
Leah LeMoineJuly 16, 2021
THE SCENE I am a lot of things, but two things I certainly am not are a beer drinker and a vegan. I often wish I could be both! Life – especially concerts, dive bars, festivals and my alcohol budget – would be so much easier if I loved beer. While I can find merit in a porter or stout redolent of chocolate, coffee or caramel, or in a fruity light beer like Papago Orange Blossom, I’d always rather skip the brew in favor...
Drink ThisDrink This: Opposable Rums
Nikki BuchananJuly 14, 2021
Tiki-inspired but not cloyingly tiki, this tall poolside sipper combines premium white rum and Brazilian cachaça with rosy-hued Ramazzotti Aperitivo Rosato.
Three BitesThree Bites: Frozen Fruit Pops
Marilyn HawkesJuly 14, 2021
Savvy Arizonans reach for refreshing frozen fruit pops during out infernal summer months.
Produced in limited quantities by winemaker Todd Bostock, Dos Cabezas WineWorks’ Carbonated Pink has emerged as the most cultishly consumed of Arizona’s growing number of sparkling wines.
Try spicy chocolate almonds, fruit juice sodas and hand-crafted pasta sauce from local purveyors this month.
Valley super chef Christopher Gross emerges from a three-year hiatus to lead a wildly decadent multi-course odyssey.
Learn how to make the River’s Edge cocktail from Jade Bar at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa.
Three BitesThree Bites: Tartines
Marilyn HawkesMay 10, 2021
Bruschetta-like tartines lend some French zest to Valley small plate menus.
Drink ThisBeer Meets Barrel
Craig OuthierMay 10, 2021
When a spirits-centric Scottsdale restaurant puts its barrels to use, beer magic happens.
Try sangria in a can, cocoa frilling rub and spicy shoyu sauce from local purveyors this month.