Scottsdale Fashion Square is becoming the ideal spot for foodies with new restaurants popping up everywhere you turn. The latest addition, Zinqué (pronounced zinc-kay) had its grand opening this past week and I was lucky enough to snag an invite to their media event. The relaxed but stylish Euro-inspired restaurant mimics cafes found in the South of France, Italy and Spain where guests can start with a latte and end with a glass of wine....
If you have a citrus tree or two in your backyard, you’ve probably accumulated a surplus of fruit and have already run out of recipe ideas. Have you ever tried making marmalade? Chef Chris Smith of Merkin Vineyards offers an easy recipe that you can use in a variety of ways, from topping toast to glazing a ham to enhancing a charcuterie board. You can eat right away or can in Mason jars for later...
I finally got around to visiting Old Town Scottsdale’s latest Arizona wine-tasting room: Maynard James Keenan’s Merkin Vineyards, which opened last year. It was something of a nostalgic homecoming for me, because the space served as the first home of my restaurant, FnB. And, yes, I like what they’ve done with the place. Just like Keenan’s Caduceus tasting room in Jerome, MV is posh and welcoming. General manager James Cunningham walked me through the offerings:...
Four Peaks Brewing Co. recently announced the newest addition to its brood of award-winning brews. For fans of the brewery’s best-selling Kilt Lifter, Gilt Lifter is a lighter alternative with a toasty flavor and smooth finish, 3.4 percent ABV and only 99 calories per 12-ounce serving. A lower calorie count doesn’t mean less flavor, according to Andy Ingram, Four Peaks’ co-founder and head brewer. “You don’t find many beers this drinkable with this much flavor,”...
Kaleidoscope Juice, a local health and wellness company, will open its eighth Valley location in Gilbert next month. Kaleidoscope offers fresh-pressed juices, nutritious smoothies, coffee, acai bowls, grab-and-go salads and gluten-free baked goods. It uses high quality, organic ingredients that are locally sourced when possible. The new location will feature a walnut wood bar, banquet seating and a community table. It will also include a baking production area that will allow the company to expand...
Chef Donna Sites is bringing a bevy of knowledge and talent to the table at Cock N’ Tails Modern Brasserie, a rock ‘n’ roll-themed restaurant that’s slated to open in Uptown Phoenix on January 24. Decked out in eclectic rock memorabilia, the eatery features an elevated, chef-driven menu full of classic American dishes with a few twists. Handcrafted cocktails are also a key component of the concept, which will open at 7th Street and Bethany...
Brace yourself: The internet’s favorite alcoholic beverage is about to become local. “To keep up with demand for White Claw,” Mark Anthony Brewing, the maker of the spiked seltzer, is building a 916,000-square-foot brewing facility in Glendale off the Loop 303, planned for a speedy completion in “under seven months.” It seems White Claw is about to become even more ubiquitous in the Valley, and if you’re interested in trying it for the first time,...
When Nick LaRosa of Nook Kitchen put together his menu, he wanted to do a spinoff on bagels and lox. Then, he had a great idea: “Why not put everything bagel seasoning on salmon?” LaRosa tried different preparations and decided pan seared and finished in the oven would be the best way. Once you make up a batch of Everything Bagel Spice, you can use it for all sorts of dishes, LaRosa says. “You can...
Bryan McCormick’s dream of bringing his brewery to the 12 West building in downtown Mesa has become a reality. McCormick founded 12 West Brewing with Noel Garcia in 2016. The pair began brewing on a one-barrel system at its original location at Barnone in Gilbert and quickly started producing on a 10-barrel system due to increased demand. Now, the duo is finally expanding their business to a former events venue at 12 West Main Street...
Marauders, a pirate-themed bar and restaurant that recently opened in south Tempe, is “built by musicians for musicians,” according to owner D.L. Marble. The singer-songwriter identifies with the pirate lifestyle, spending much of his time on his sailboat in San Carlos, Mexico and frequently visiting San Diego. He is also a yacht rock enthusiast, so he named many of the nautical watering hole’s cocktails after songs of the genre. Marauders features drinks, many of which...
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only about 20 percent of America’s kitchens are headed up by women. But at The Phoenician, women play a much bigger role, with four female chefs in leadership positions. “We put our power on the plate,” says executive sous chef Rebecca Tillman. To celebrate, the resort will present “Fierce Females at The Phoenician,” an all-woman chef series of multicourse dinners served community-style at Mowry & Cotton. The...
Squash lovers, this bountiful breakfast recipe is going to rock your world. Italian-Canadian chef Mauro Martina, who recently opened OEB Breakfast Co. in north Scottsdale, shares his popular Truffle Squash Ragu recipe and a couple of tips on how to make this savory breakfast dish. Martina likes the Truffle Squash Ragu because it’s delicious on its own or with poached eggs, toast or egg noodles. The dish is also easy to modify. “You don’t have...
1. Chef Lee Hillson’s resurrected pasta carbonara at T. Cook’s. The resort restaurant’s longtime chef is back, and he’s bringing egg yolks with him. royalpalmshotel.com 2. Tipping back a Zombie at the new High Street location of Hula’s Modern Tiki. If anyplace needs a dose of tiki swerve, it’s North Phoenix. hulasmoderntiki.com 3. Crushing some of those delicious-looking wood-roasted oysters at Persepshen. Named the No. 3 best new restaurant in the Valley by PHOENIX dining...
In an effort to celebrate a year passed, and to possibly introduce you to a wine you haven’t tried yet, I reached out to fellow colleagues in the wine industry to ask them what wines they thought to be memorable in 2019. I’ll start off by telling you my pick: Petit Manseng. Originally from the southwest of France, the Jurançon to be exact, the white varietal held natural appeal to Kent Callaghan of Callaghan Vineyards,...
Josephine, a new restaurant concept from True North Studio Lifestyle, will open in the heart of the Roosevelt Row Arts District in early January. Housed in a bungalow built in 1919, Josephine will also have a 1970s Parisian-inspired cocktail bar, Coup de Grâce, tucked away in the back of the restaurant that will feature “molecular twists” on classic cocktails with an emphasis on whiskey and absinthe. Executive chef Ryan Pitt will offer “an elevated, yet...
