Flu season is upon us, which means constant reminders to get a flu shot and copious amounts of Kleenex and chicken noodle soup. Although fixing yourself yet another cup of Theraflu isn't a bad idea, sometimes at-home remedies just don’t cut it. For those who have gone through too many cups of tea, here are some alternate solutions to sooth your cold and boost your immune system.
Once known for its lumberjack college kids, good skiing and decent drinkin' scene, Flagstaff is quickly making a name for itself as a foodie town (and we're not just talking about the phenomenal pizza). To explore the burgeoning culinary scene up north, we're running a series of Q & A's with the personalities behind the chef hats behind the town's restaurant renaissance we're calling the "Flag Food Boom."
Today we're chatting with:
Caleb Schiff
Pizzicletta
203 W. Phoenix Ave., Flagstaff
928-774-3242, pizzicletta.com
The Welcome Hospitality crew has for three years worked to build restaurants with reputations that live up to their name. With both Welcome Diner and Welcome Chicken + Donuts in central Phoenix proven successes around town (PHOENIX named the latter a Best New Restaurant last year), the brand turned its eyes to the south. So what happens when a Phoenix foodie favorite meets a recently UNESCO-designated World City of Gastronomy? A whole lot of yum.
Once known for its lumberjack college kids, good skiing and decent drinkin' scene, Flagstaff is quickly making a name for itself as a foodie town (and we're not just talking about the phenomenal pizza). To explore the burgeoning culinary scene up north, we're running a series of Q & A's with the personalities behind the chef hats behind the town's restaurant renaissance we're calling the "Flag Food Boom."
Today we're chatting with:
Brian Konefal
Coppa Café
1300 S. Milton Rd., Flagstaff
928-637-6813, coppacafe.net
According to legend (from the soothsayers over at HuffPo), the Moscow Mule was invented in the 1940s as a way to get picky Americans to start drinking vodka and ginger beer. Before then, it seems stateside drinkers weren't fans of either vodka or ginger beer on their own. But a mash-up of the two had us singing a different tune. The Moscow Mule – just like the animal it's named for – is not simply the sum of its parts... something special happens when you mix vodka (or try gin!) and ginger beer with a healthy squeeze of lime in a copper mug. It's a magical hybrid.
We've scouted the best five mules in the Valley for your mash-up pleasure.
Once known for its lumberjack college kids, good skiing and decent drinkin' scene, Flagstaff is quickly making a name for itself as a foodie town (and we're not just talking about the phenomenal pizza). Today, we kick off the first in a series of Q & A's with the personalities behind the chef hats behind the town's restaurant renaissance we'll call the "Flag Food Boom."
Local coffee shops are renovating their weeknight offerings as they embrace the full meaning of the term “coffee bar.” Whether it’s an evening client meeting or an attempt to test the dating pool waters, these dynamic coffee bars have you covered from Americano to Desert Pale Ale.
Pan de muerto – in English, that's bread of the dead or, spookier yet, dead bread – is a traditional Mexican soft and sweet bun baked to commemorate Día de los Muertos on November 1 (All Souls Day) and November 2 (Day of the Dead). Both celebrations can be traced to pre-colonial times and were established to honor lost friends and family. Typically, the celebrations include an altar de muertos, or altar for the dead, that function as a guide for the muertos, or spirits, to come back and hang with the living for a day. Pan de muerto is typically shared on these altars as an offering. The delicious round loaf is usually decorated with strips of dough that resemble skeleton’s bones and sprinkled with sugar or sesame seeds. The taste is similar to a piece of plain sweet bread, but with a subtle orange flavor and a dash of cinnamon.
You can usually find the bread at Food City or Ranch Market during the last few weeks of October and the first week of November. But, if you prefer your pan with a little bit of soul, brush up on your Spanish and try one of these five authentic Mexican panaderías for all your dead bread needs. You and your dearly departed are both sure to love 'em.
As the rest of the country breaks out the pumpkin spice lattes and wool-lined leggings, we Arizonans are still basking in the last vestiges of the summer sun. But with the temperatures dropping any day now, and the bikini trend with them, now is the perfect time to try summer’s best desert: the ice cream sandwich. And these aren't your garden variety, freezer section sammies with humdrum vanilla between vaguely-chocolatey wafers we're talking 'bout...
Venue: University of Phoenix Stadium
Item: Chocolate fruit kebob
Why it's weird: It's chocolate. And fruit. And football.
Tucked in-between an Italian sausage concession stand and a beer “garden” in section 114 of University of Phoenix Stadium, a chocolate fruit kebob stand feels like a welcoming oasis, surrounded by the smoky smells of typical stadium grub. Sporting an assortment of different delicious delicacies, including frozen cheesecake, a caramel apple blossom and the most popular, strawberry banana kebob, YumShack is offering football fans with a sweet tooth a chance to treat themselves during the game.
Some go for the naseau/adrenaline-inducing rides. Some go for the chance to win a massive Scooby Doo. Others go to pet the cows and llamas. Everyone goes for the food. The Arizona State Fair is in its first full week and crazy-food lovers won't be disappointed by this year's concessions offerings. There's the normal fare of funnel cakes and fry bread of course, but for the more daring, there's plenty to give your tastebuds their very own ride on the whirligig. Read on for a rundown of the sweetest, messiest and whackiest grub at the fair.
Pringles Pumpkin Pie Spice potato chips: These limited edition crisps debuted in 2012, were quickly discontinued, and are now much sought-after (and probably very stale) on sites like eBay and amazon.com.
Fans of Bobby-Q in Phoenix will find some familiar flavors at the new East Valley outpost – wood-fired steaks, saucy St. Louis-style ribs, and the cheesiest, most gooey mac and cheese around (made with five different cheeses). The menus at the venues are the same, but the new Bobby-Q -- which opened to the public on October 3 -- has some fresh amenities, too.
The Feel: Like sitting in a really cool collage of Americana. Restaurateur Bob Sikora has a big personality and favors several seemingly disparate design elements that somehow comfortably come together. He’s big on lighting, and before the new restaurant opened, he sat in every single seat and booth to check the spot’s luminousness. There’s soft blue lighting under the bar and around the bar racks. He also loves big, leafy green indoor plants, and they hang around and over various parts of the massive restaurant, along with too many flat-screen TVs to count, custom-made sconces with bent silverware sculpture bases, and old timey light fixtures. The social lounge features gorgeous handcrafted juniper tables inlaid with turquoise and copper, custom leather chairs and sofas, and antique steel mirrors. Brick and wood abound. A DJ turns the lounge into a disco dance hall late at night, but during the day, classic rock rules the restaurant speakers.
‘Tis the season for Oktoberfest beers and pumpkin porters. But Arizona’s craft brewers sometimes go outside that box to bring you other autumnal suds worth sipping. Here are five to try.
#1: SunUp Brewing Co. Oktoberfest
The only Oktoberfest beer on this list tops it by virtue of its perfect balance of crisp hops and lightly toasted malts. A medium-bodied, effervescent, eminently drinkable amber. 6.2% ABV. sunup.beer
#2: Perch Brewery Rosemary IPA
This golden IPA has a frothy head and a slightly hoppy nose but no bitter finish whatsoever. There’s a slightly spicy rosemary bite at the back of the palate, but so gentle it’s more like a nibble. 6% ABV. perchpubbrewery.com
The leaves on the trees may not be changing color, but the vibes of autumn are all around in the Valley of the Sun – the cooler temperatures, the Halloween decorations, the Thanksgiving recipes, the pumpkin spice-flavored everything, and best of all – the flavorful fall craft cocktails at local lounges. Here are five favorites, with nary a pumpkin spice-anything among them.
El Segundo (The Parlor): mezcal, watermelon, Apertivo Capalletti, lime, black pepper. $11
With a subtle spice pinch and smoky tones from mezcal ebbing and flowing into a soothing, mellow melon finish, El Segundo’s like an Autumn equinox of cocktails. Served with mint leaves and a thick watermelon slice garnish over lots of ice. (pictured, left)
