For many of us Westerners, the word “Babel” conjures the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel, erected by Babylonians who aimed to reach for the heavens and incurred God’s wrath for their arrogance. But that’s not where Marwan Kandeel, the owner of De Babel — an upbeat Middle Eastern fast-casual in North Scottsdale — was going with the name at all. “Babel” is also the Hebrew word for Babylon, one of the ancient world’s...
Tucson is part of the UNESCO gastronomy list, so it only makes sense to explore the city via food. Not only does Tucson boast a formidable culinary culture, but it also offers a unique historical heritage. Check out these must-try restaurants. ¡Vamos a El Charro! Take a stroll down memory lane at this century-old café. Home of the original chimichanga, El Charro provides an array of authentic Mexican food. It’s also Arizona’s oldest Mexican restaurant...
If you made it to Sherpa Kitchen in 2020, before the pandemic caused Subash and Chandra Yadav to close their doors in November of that year, then you know what a wonderful addition to the food community it was: a small, inviting Nepali restaurant born of a food truck (Everest Momo) beloved for its handmade Nepali dumplings called momos. Steamed or deep-fried, they were a revelation, whether set afloat in nourishing broth or tossed in...
One of the best barrel-aged beers in Arizona returns this weekend!
Photo courtesy Campo Italian Bistro and Bar All the news that’s fit to nosh. Brunch Time: It seems every week I come bearing brunch news, and this week is no different: After settling into a nice happy hour and dinner rhythm, Campo Italian Bistro and Bar is opening for brunch service starting this Saturday, August 14. Expect Italian-inflected brunch classics like eggs Benedict topped with spinach, capicola and roasted pepper hollandaise, and a savory Dutch baby gilded with prosciutto, pesto and...
Ask Rabbi Jordan Brumer why he purchased Kitchen 18, a kosher restaurant in Scottsdale, and he’ll tell you he fell off a chair, banged his head and the next thing he knew, he owned a restaurant. All kidding aside, “It was a childhood dream of mine,” says Brumer, the former director of Jewish Arizonans on Campus. When Brumer bought the restaurant from Nathan Uvaydov in May 2021, the kitchen and dining room had recently been...
At Los Milics Vineyards in Sonoita, we’re hosting tastings on our crush pad while the tasting room is built. If I am not in the weeds, I give tours of the production facility. Invariably, someone asks about barrels. Questions like “Where do you get your barrels?” or “Are they all new?” are common. There are three major reasons to use oak barrels: to add aromatic and flavor compounds; allow for slow oxygen exchange through porous...
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 –...
Lean but not especially mean, this highly quaffable sour from Tucson-based 1912 Brewing Co. takes its name from the Spanish slang toma güey, or “take that, dude.” True to its word, the beer delivers a clean punch: tart but not pucker-y, with jabs of lime zest and crisp apple courtesy of Ekuanot and Citra hops. Known for his preoccupation with fruited beers, owner and brewer Allan Conger takes a more austere route here. No fruit....
photo courtesy Kähvi Coffee + Cafe Open 36 Below A new speakeasy has taken over the former UnderTow space located beneath Sip Coffee & Beer Garage. 3620 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, 480-336-8812, 36belowaz.com BlackSheep Wine Bar & Merchant “Uncork and unwind” at Chandler’s newest wine bar and eatery. The restaurant serves everything from brunch to late night snacks. Watch for daily specials. 98 S. San Marcos Place, Chandler, 480-912-1212, blacksheep.wine The Bread &...
Root Beer Float Feel like a kid again with this combination drink and dessert at Joe’s Real BBQ in Gilbert, where the root beer is made in-house ($4). joesrealbbq.com Vegan Pistachio Cherry Ice Cream No dairy? No problem. Downtown Glendale’s Papa Ed’s Ice Cream stocks vegan flavors from local ice cream maker Karen’s Kreamery ($3.50/single scoop; $4.75/double scoop). papaedsicecream.com Butterscotch Bread Pudding There’s a beautiful alchemy when vanilla gelato meets whiskey caramel atop this luscious...
Photo courtesy Pronto All the news that’s fit to nosh. Taco the Town: Love the customizable menu, fast service and efficiency of Chipotle, but long to support a local restaurant over a chain? East Valley institution Serrano’s Mexican Restaurants has a new fast-casual concept for you. Pronto will open in Serrano’s Tempe location (6440 S. Rural Rd.) this fall. “We’ve learned a lot over the past two years, and we know that fast-casual concepts have experienced significant recent growth,” says CEO Ric Serrano. “Our Pronto concept will offer...
Grilled Maine Lobster | Photo by Madison Rutherford A serpentine stroll through We-Ko-Pa will take you to a calm corner of the casino that doesn’t feel like you’re in a casino at all. Such is the charm of Ember, the casino and resort’s new fine dining destination – a culinary oasis that is well worth the trek to far-flung Fort McDowell. The kitchen is helmed by critically acclaimed chef Richard E. Pelz, who places...
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...
Our weekly look at the new releases waiting for you behind the bar at a local brewery.
