Drink ThisMore Beat the Heat Tips
Editorial StaffAugust 1, 2011
COOLING COCKTAILS.
Keep it Cool - Quench Your Summer Cocktail Cravings with These Five Refreshing Drinks
CocktailsSeptember 4, 2026Interview with a Mixologist: Zach O’Haire from Mea Culpa
Openings/ClosingsSeptember 2, 2026August 2026 Openings & Closings
Food ReviewsSeptember 2, 2026Dining Review: Quiessence
Food ReviewsGreat Phoenix Coffee Shops
Editorial StaffAugust 1, 2011
Don’t let the summer sun suck the life out of you. These five local coffee shops offer tasty, icy treats to jolt you out of your summer daze.
Caramel Macchiato at Sola Coffee Bar
Rather than badgering a barista for multiple pumps at other coffee houses, try Sola Coffee Bar in Old Town Scottsdale. Complete with local art on the walls
SWEET SPOT
Calling this sparkling dessert a cheesecake is a bit of a misnomer. Sure, it has cream cheese, but what it doesn't have is a heavy, dense texture. In fact, it's practically light as a feather on the tongue.
That's because pastry chef Heather Nasworthy, who has been whipping up gorgeous desserts at Carefree Station for the past two and a half years, whips the cheesecake base into a frenzy of fluffy mousse.
Food ReviewsBest Phoenix Seafood Spots
Editorial StaffAugust 1, 2011
These aren’t just any cold seafood samplers. Live large and treat yourself to glittering, gorgeous towers of chill.
Eddie V’s Prime Seafood
15323 N. Scottsdale Road,
Scottsdale
480-730-4800
eddiev.com
After a decade of offering fine dining on Market Street at DC Ranch in north Scottsdale, the Eddie V team packed up its pots and pans and, in February, reopened in new digs at the Scottsdale Quarter. What didn’t change was their remarkable cache of seafood. While “prime” usually refers to beef, it certainly also applies to the daily market fish that’s so pristine it needs nothing more than a turn under the broiler and a simple dress of lemon, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt.
Food ReviewsSpasso Pizza in Phoenix
Editorial StaffAugust 1, 2011
Prop yourself on the leafy patio of this quaint, casual eatery, which dishes up fresh mozzarella, crispy pizza and addictive ‘Italian’ fries.
The name makes it pretty clear what Spasso is all about. What it doesn’t convey is this little eatery’s low-key charm. Tucked in a corner inside Town & Country Shopping Center, Spasso is pocket-sized with a disproportionately large bar and a handful of tables. Some imagination went into turning the back wall into an Italian street scene. A “tree” hung with fairy lights centers the room, and multi-paned windows look out onto the leafy patio.
Food ReviewsProvince at Westin Downtown
Editorial StaffAugust 1, 2011
The new Westin Downtown’s flagship restaurant tempts diners with an eclectic, ambitious menu. Will it become a dining destination?
A big-name chef opening a restaurant in a hotel isn’t a new phenomenon. Just look at Las Vegas or Honolulu – or even our own backyard. Michael Mina opened Bourbon Steak at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. Jean George Vongerichten opened J&G Steakhouse at The Phoenician. And now Chicago-based Chef Randy Zweiban has opened Province at the new Downtown Westin.
Grits, deviled eggs and peach cobbler are just a few of the killer comfort foods you’ll find at this sassy Old Town Scottsdale newbie.
When I heard Chef Matt Carter (Zinc Bistro, The Mission) designed the menu at Bonfire Grill & Bar in Old Town Scottsdale, I set the bar high because I know what he can accomplish with creative, international, upscale cuisine. But he had another plan, aiming straight for affordable, middle-of-the-road, meat-and-starch comfort fare with a few rich twists. While he doesn’t reach new culinary heights here, his creations hit the mark with what diners crave.
Local ProductsPink from Dos Cabezas WineWorks
Editorial StaffAugust 1, 2011
PINK
Although we can (and do) drink it all year long,
rosé is our favorite food-friendly wine for summer eats – think salads, grilled chicken, barbecue and spicy Mexican or Asian foods.
Last year, we fell in love with southern Arizona’s Dos Cabezas 2009 Pink, a pale, dry Provençal-style rosé crafted from grenache, tempranillo and mouvedre. The 2010 Pink is a totally different wine, made with grenache and primitivo, but it’s still easygoing and fun to drink. The color is bright pink with juicy strawberries on the nose and hints of dark cherry and pepper on the palate.
Drink ThisEnglish Lemonade at Kitchen 56
Editorial StaffAugust 1, 2011
DRINK THIS
The Royal Wedding may have been a spring affair, but it’s still prime time for a tall, refreshing glass of English lemonade.
Kitchen 56 in Arcadia makes it with 1 ounce Beefeater Summer Edition gin, a floral spirit with notes of elderflower, black currant and hibiscus
The Gallery Café at Heard Museum North Scottsdale32633 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale480-344-3385heard.org/north Ladies and gents who lunch, take heed: The Heard Museum North Scottsdale, a smaller sibling of the Downtown museum that houses a world-famous American Indian art collection, serves superb midday fare along with cocktails. The newest addition, created by Café Manager Irene Rutigliano, is the Happy Cactus. She squeezes the juice of two limes, puts the juice and limes into a shaker and...
Local ProductsLemon Meringue Tart
Editorial StaffJuly 1, 2011
Nothing says summertime quite like pie, and few things cool us off quicker than a bite of the chilled lemon meringue tart ($5.50) at Café ZuZu. It’s only called a tart because it’s an individual serving, but it easily serves two if you’re inclined to share.
Pastry Chef Nicole Gebhart, who has been at Café ZuZu since it opened more than five years ago, has a knack for pies – and tarts. For this luscious lemon meringue tart, she starts with an all-butter pie dough, baked to a golden brown. She fills the tart shell with a bright, sassy lemon curd, which consists of egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and lots of butter.
Local ProductsPickled Perfection
Editorial StaffJuly 1, 2011
There’s a reason a chile pepper is prominently displayed in the logo of Pickled Perfection’s pickles and vegetables. Sliced serranos float in the brine along with sprigs of dill, cloves of garlic, red chile flakes and coriander seeds.
That’s not the only thing that makes these pickled products unique. The brine (a secret recipe consisting of salt, sugar, vinegar, water and spices) isn’t cooked. It’s poured cold over fresh vegetables into 32-ounce deli containers, and in three days, the vegetables are pickled.
Shut off your stove this summer and cool your palate with a light, nutritious – but still delicious – raw feast.
After 25 years of dishing up delectable French cuisine with Southwestern flair, Vincent Guerithault is stirring up buzz once again with a hip, new happy hour menu.
Vincent On Camelback has defined fine dining in the Valley for 25 years,
With a mishmash menu of Italian, French and Spanish plates, this cozy new hangout is quickly turning into Scottsdale’s newest neighborhood gem.
The name threw me for a loop. Local Bistro could mean anything, from a farm-to-table concept (it’s not) to a French café serving rustic cuisine bourgeoise with good wine (it’s not that, either). Instead, Local Bistro is dishing up some pedigreed French dishes with Italian classics and a stray Spanish plate or two, plus a fantastic wine selection with 27 served by the glass.