French toast is one of those breakfast items that most people tend to order in restaurants rather than make at home. The folks at Taco Guild whip up a mean coconut French toast for their Saturday and Sunday brunch, but market chef Dan Santos has gladly shared the recipe for those who want to try their hand at griddling the bread at home.
Mowry & Cotton Chimichurri Artichokes + Hummus. Photo courtesy Awe Collective.
If you’ve stopped by The Phoenician lately, you’ve probably noticed that the grand dame of Scottsdale resorts is undergoing a major renovation. Along with a new lobby and bar, spa and pool area, the hotel will be replacing the longstanding Il Terrazzo restaurant with a more casual concept, Mowry & Cotton, named after two gents who opened one of Phoenix’s first fine liquor establishment (or so the legend goes).
You know the saying, “there’s always room for dessert”? Looks like the same stomach-expanding sentiment can be used in reference to real estate in one of Phoenix’s most sought-after zip codes… even if the dessert itself is meh. I guess that explains Jello.
1. Deep Purple & Alice Cooper with The Edgar Winter Band at Ak-Chin Pavilion – August 15
Deep Purple continues their Long Goodbye Tour in support of their latest album, “Infinite.” Alice Cooper will join them as he plays all his hits like “School’s Out” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy.” $15+. 6:30-11 p.m. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix, concerts1.livenation.com.
Oh, Sprinkles red velvet cupcakes, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: Regular, sugar-free and gluten-free. Yes, our celiac-brethren can now enjoy these moist sweet bombs, or even make them at home.
As editors of a city lifestyle magazine with a travel section that covers locales far beyond our beloved Phoenix Valley, you can imagine that we get pitched A TON about new and exciting travel offers around the country. Of course, we can't fit everything into a 200 page monthly magazine that only allots five of those pages to regional travel. Sigh... 'tis the nature of publishing.
But it pains us too much to kill all of our darlings. So each month, we scrape a few travel tidbits off the cutting room floor and bring you Travel Bag Bites – bite-sized travel-related goodies (special offers, activities and deals) to snack on while planning your next great escape.
From its early days as a railway shipping point in the 1880s to its modern status as a “highway city” southeast of Tucson aiming to draw more tourists, Benson has had quite a ride. Three new developments are making Arizona travelers take note.
Downtown Phoenix has just added another culinary luminary to its roster: James Beard award-winning Chef Alex Stratta has recently taken over as culinary director at MATCH: Restaurant & Cocktails inside the chic and arty FOUND:RE Hotel.
Stratta’s storied career includes stints at Mary Elaine’s at The Phoenician, ALEX and Stratta restaurants inside the Wynn Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, as well as Prado at the Omni Montelucia Resort in Scottsdale. His accomplishments include a coveted two-star rating by the Michelin Guide (three times over, in fact, for his namesake restaurant ALEX in Las Vegas) and Stratta was once named Food and Wine Magazine’s Best New Chef.
First on his to-do list at MATCH is to completely revamp the menu, which skewed to a "global street food" theme (and didn't wow our dining critic). Ahead of Stratta's menu debut in September, PHOENIX caught up with the guy who most recently raised eyebrows by hanging his hat at the respectable but decidedly un-showy and non-James Beard-y The Herb Box.
By the time August rolls around, Phoenicians have had it with brutal hot days. But August also brings a different kind of heat – Hatch chile season, that two- to three-month window when the flavorful, tear-inducing peppers from New Mexico are harvested and plentiful. Z’Tejas Southwestern Kitchen recently rolled out its annual Hatch chile menu that boasts everything from chile and watermelon gazpacho to pecan pie with green chile ice cream. Also on the menu – poached cod with Hatch chile sauce.
The Hatch chile menu will run through Oct. 31, according to Z’ Tejas Market Chef Dan Santos, but if you’d like to try making the cod at home, he has shared the recipe with PHOENIX magazine. When shopping for the fish, Santos advises buying pieces that are no thicker than two inches: “Any more than that, the bottom of the fish is going to burn and the top isn’t going to cook all the way through.”
Each month, we of the PHOENIX magazine creative team ask ourselves a different question about our favorite dining and drinking experiences in the Valley. Our picks are usually hidden in the back of the magazine among our Dining Guide restaurant listings. Not any more. Our picks are going digital! Feel free to follow us on social media (at least, those of us who tweet) and be sure to tag us (@PhoenixMagazine on Twitter and @PHXMagazine on Instagram) on pics of your favorite picks.
August 19 is National Potato Day. In honor of this holiday we're asking ourselves, What's your favorite spuds-cenric dish in the Valley?
1. John Mayer at Talking Stick Resort Arena – August 1
The Connecticut-native singer-songwriter is bringing his silky guitar strums and vocals to the Valley. Sing along to classics like “Your Body Is a Wonderland” and new songs like “Love on the Weekend.” $50+. 7 p.m. 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix, johnmayer.com.
Two years ago, Nantas Sodano quit his day job and joined the family restaurant business. He opened CM2 Pizzeria & Bake Shop right next door to Casa Mia, his family’s eatery in North Scottsdale.
To make a good pizza crust, Sodano says you must give the dough time for the gluten to develop, but don’t over handle. “Allow the dough to rise and rest,” he says.
1. Vinyl Voices at The Coronado – July 25
Storytelling and record playing collide at Vinyl Voices. Speakers include Jeff Cardello, Michelle Edwards, Kim Porter and more. Hosts Jose Gonzalez and Leslie Barton will engage with the speakers to help them open up about their lives and how music guided their self-discovery. Free. 8-10 p.m. 2201 N. 7th St., Phoenix, facebook.com/events.
I step onto the platform and grab the bar with a grip so strong my palms start to ache. But pulling up the weight, I look in the gym’s mirror and see no pain on my face, only motivation and determination.
When you hear the term powerlifting, you might think of a CrossFit gym with bulky bros and an absurd pull-up requirement. But in powerlifting, the movements are more controlled using heavier weight, whereas cross training is about practicing many different exercises. The main goal is to lift as much weight as possible. And maybe a little more.
