https://www.phoenixmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Blue-Clover-_-Trevors-Vodka-1280x720.jpg

Spicing It Up: Hot on the heels of its partnership with Mark Tarbell on a citrusy vodka (which we awarded a Best of the Valley editor’s pick for Best Spirits Collaboration, NBD), Blue Clover Distillery is shaking up another collab. This time, owner/distiller Weston Holm has hooked up with the folks at Scottsdale liquor hot spot Trevor’s. The booze enthusiasts created a private-label Mango Habanero Vodka, available exclusively at Trevor’s for $19.99 for a 750-mL bottle.    Raising a Toast: Wine Spectator recently released its esteemed “Best...

https://www.phoenixmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/217274780_850410895883028_9134937728284839469_n-1280x720.jpg

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...

https://www.phoenixmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/thumbnail_Diego-Pops-Watermelon-Salad-895x720.jpg

If you’re a big fan of watermelon, now is the time to indulge – the juicy fruit is at the peak of its growing season. Watermelon is not only sweet and refreshing, it’s also a low-calorie snack that provides much-needed hydration during scorching Arizona summers. You can eat watermelon straight from the rind or use the luscious red fruit in a variety of dishes. To that end, we’ve rounded up five places in the Valley to enjoy watermelon salad.    Alma West x...

https://www.phoenixmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/215157267_501281944289102_364775885389793498_n-1280x720.jpg

I fell in love with the Hawaiian plate lunch back in the ’80s. Not in Hawaii, where I somehow missed it, but at Aloha Kitchen in Mesa, the first Hawaiian fast-casual in town, if memory serves. Of course, nowadays, island cuisine can be found all over the Valley, and one of the newest places for an excellent Hawaiian plate lunch is Maui Hawaiian Grill in Tempe.   It’s a clean, well-lit place, but I can’t help noticing that men outnumber women here by something like 10-to-1, and I’m pretty...

https://www.phoenixmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/eegees-with-branding-in-background-1280x720.jpg

All the news that’s fit to nosh.  Calling Subs: Tucson transplants, the day has finally arrived: eegee’s is opening its first metro Phoenix location this week. The Gilbert outpost of Tucson’s most beloved fast-food sandwich shop opens this Thursday, July 15, at 3535 E. Baseline Road. To celebrate the grand opening, the eatery will offer one eegee’s sticker designed by Valley artist Timmy Ham per order (while supplies last). A limited number of special stickers will award recipients with free eegee’s for a year. Fox Restaurant Concepts...

https://www.phoenixmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IMG_9212-1280x720.jpg

Photo courtesy Fairmont Scottsdale Princess    A barman perches squat vessels shaped like boater hats atop a row of freshly stirred old-fashioned cocktails. He fires up a kitchen torch and lights each one, letting them smolder for a few moments before lifting the tops to release the sweet perfume of smoke and whiskey. A chef swabs a massive tomahawk steak and a pile of cipollini onions and mushrooms with a butter-drenched sprig of rosemary. She lights a nest of hay resting beneath the feast and covers the whole shebang with a rectangular metal cloche....

https://www.phoenixmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/210325044_527513344975540_6367644652561883885_n-1280x720.jpg

plantain latkas | Photo by Leah LeMoine   THE SCENE STOP. Stop driving by restaurants and shops you’re curious about. Pull in, park and go inside. Try as many new things as you can. At worst, you’ll spend a little money and be disappointed. At least your curiosity will be satisfied, and you’ll know not to go again.   At best, you could discover a new favorite – a neighborhood haunt, a regular spot for meals with friends, a haven with your kind of people, art, vibe, food and drinks. You...

https://www.phoenixmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/image006-1176x720.png

All the news that’s fit to nosh.   Suns Mania: The Valley is rallying, indeed – with food and drink specials inspired by the Phoenix Suns’ arrival in the NBA Finals. Grab these deals while they last:  PHX Beer Co. released a limited-edition craft brew called Shazaaam! West Coast IPA, in honor of beloved Phoenix Suns announcer Al McCoy’s famed catchphrase. Notes of mango and papaya energize this beer, which is available as a four-pack or on draft.  Humble Pie and Humble Bistro are offering a “baller deal”...