All the news that’s fit to nosh. So You Think You Can Eat?: You might want to come with an empty stomach to Macayo’s Mexican Food Chimi Challenge. From now until September 16, you can put your chimichanga love to the test for $30 with Macayo’s five-pound chimi, filled with your choice of chicken or beef, refried beans and rice. Those brave enough to take on the challenge have just 20 minutes to power through...
Dom Ruggiero, the chef-owner of wildly popular Hush Public House in North Scottsdale, has a knack for figuring out where the market is under-served, and a good restaurant is needed. Case in point: North Scottsdale was a dining desert until Ruggiero opened Hush and resolved the problem in 2019. From day one, the place was packed with customers who loved Hush’s laidback vibe and Ruggiero’s sophisticated version of comfort food. Now, he and his wife...
All the news that’s fit to nosh. We All Scream for Ice Cream: Dana Dumas, CEO and owner of SugarJam The Southern Kitchen, knows how to grow a business. She went from an at-home bakery to a brick-and-mortar brunch spot in North Scottsdale. Now, she is adding an ice cream trailer and a gift shop, known as The Market by Sugar, to her resume. The gift shop will sell handmade items like candles, crafts and...
Photo courtesy Tía Carmen All the news that’s fit to nosh. Felicidades: Tía Carmen is now open! The hotly anticipated restaurant from Top Chef alum Angelo Sosa made its debut early this month at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. The contemporary Southwestern eatery boasts globally inflected Southwestern/Mexican dishes including tuna crudo with chilled corn-coconut broth; Southwestern-style Wagyu tri-tip kebabs; lamb ragù with mesquite noodles; and the restaurant’s signature dish, chicken guisado, a...
All the news that’s fit to nosh. Flower Power: To honor National Autism Awareness Month, on April 14 Flower Child will donate 5 percent of its sales – up to $10,000 – to The Autism Community in Action. This year marks the restaurant’s third Give Back Day to TACA. It has raised more than $33,000 for the nonprofit since 2019. Reason enough to feast on the Flying Avocado wrap and gluten-free mac and cheese. Meat...
Photo courtesy Tía Carmen All the news that’s fit to nosh. Tía Favorita: Wonderful news for my fellow Top Chef devotees. Chef Angelo Sosa (seasons 7, 8 and 17) is opening a new restaurant here in the Valley. Contemporary Southwestern eatery Tía Carmen – named in honor of his beloved aunt – is set to open in April at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. “Throughout my life, my Tía Carmen instilled in me...
Photo courtesy ADERO Scottsdale All the news that’s fit to nosh. Globe-al Dining: We may not get snow in the Valley (except for the odd desert flurry that makes us all lose our minds), but you can see what it’s like to be inside a snow globe with ADERO Scottsdale’s new holiday offering. From December 16-January 23, the resort’s on-site restaurant The Village at SkyTop will host four-course dinners in ethereal globe structures set outside against a stunning desert backdrop. Menu highlights include roasted...
In 2008, Sadhana Raj founded a small vegan eatery in Chandler with little more than a rice cooker and a $20 plug-in griddle. In 2014, she moved to a larger space on Guadalupe Road in Tempe, substantially scaling her “botanically inspired” fare and fresh-squeezed juice. She quickly garnered a group of devoted fans, who came for her healthy food and stayed for the strong sense of community. Last week, the Valley bid a reluctant farewell...
All the news that’s fit to nosh. Hash Fund: Love the over-the-top bloody Mary bar, cereal-crusted French toast and myriad breakfast hash options at Hash Kitchen? So do the money people at Savory Restaurant Fund, a $200 million fund Mercato Partners formed to back up-and-coming restaurant concepts like Hash, owned and operated by Maggiore culinary family scion Joey Maggiore, his wife Cristina and their business partner, Flora Tersigni. “Hash Kitchen uniquely captures the demand from today’s consumer for restaurant experiences that...
All the news that’s fit to nosh. PSL Alert: You don’t have to hit Starbucks for your autumnal coffee fix. This year, respected local coffee shops like Press Coffee and Peixoto Coffee are getting in the spirit with seasonal offerings. Press’s first pumpkin spice latte will be served at all nine of its locations, including the outpost opening this Friday, October 8, in Downtown Phoenix. Peixoto’s buttered pumpkin latte comes heaped with marshmallow fluff from locally owned marshmallow café Toasted Mallow. You can...
Photo by Mirelle Inglefield If you’ve fallen in love with Chula Seafood and its many-splendored oceanic options — the poke bowls, the confit tuna sandwich, the Hatch chile tuna melt, the CA burrito, the chowder, the oysters, the daily specials — then you’ll be thrilled to know there’s a third location in the works. The new Chula will be in the former Hi-Health space in Hayden Peak Crossing at Hayden and Thompson Peak Parkway....
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 &...
When Tony Andiario left Tratto four-ish years ago, I worried that the place would not be the same without him. Then Cassie Shortino, who had been working for Cullen Campbell at Crudo before it closed, stepped in and filled those shoes like a boss. I remember arguing back then with a food-loving pal of mine about the virtues of Andiario’s elegant chicken liver mousse versus Shortino’s far more rustic seared chicken livers with strawberry jam...
Melissa Maggiore plans to open The Italian Daughter, a new concept to honor her late father Tomaso, later this month.