Photo by Nikki Buchanan I don’t know about you, but a Caribbean vacation sounds pretty good to me right now. Short of hopping a plane to Jamaica, the next best thing might be a trip to Ms. Martha’s Caribbean Kitchen at 19th Avenue and Northern. The restaurant sits on the west end of a lovely ’40s-era Spanish Colonial building (the former Good Shepherd Home for Girls), and owner Martha Laurencin keeps the religious theme...
Photo by Kristy Durkin Kura Sushi is on the cutting edge of the revolving sushi concept internationally and now nationally. We are lucky enough to have a new location right here in the heart of Phoenix. Located at 20th St and Camelback Rd at the shopping center anchored by Fry’s, you will spot the unassuming location by the line of patrons outside. Lines seem to start forming just before they open at 11 a.m....
Much more than a sit-down version of Claudio Urciuoli’s original seafood counter on 24th Street, this swank Downtown charmer ventures into excitingly global territory.
Charles Barber looks happy tooling around in his new restaurant, a sleek North Phoenix spot he named Aftermath to reference what came before and what comes next for him. As you may already know, he partnered with Dom Ruggiero to open Hush Public House in 2019, Barber running the front of the house, Ruggiero manning the stove. The place was a runaway hit and remains wildly popular, but after two years, Barber was ready to...
Sottise exterior | Photo courtesy TJ Culp Just in time for a little holiday frivolity, TJ Culp, chef-owner of Restaurant Progress, and his partner Esther Noh have launched Sottise, a winsome wine bar and restaurant in the Roosevelt Row arts district. Its French name, which means “folly” or “foolishness,” reflects the couple’s lighthearted approach to this venture: “Yeah, we’re a French-inspired wine bar, but let’s not take ourselves too seriously here when there’s wine...
Inspired by her own health journey and world travels, health coach Nico Doniele teamed up with EVO founder Nick Neuman to open Santé, a high-end, 5,000 square-foot restaurant in North Scottsdale with an emphasis on healthy, organic food. Her motto, “Let us live to eat and live longer to eat,” is reflected in the globally inspired menu, which has vegan, vegetarian, paleo, gluten-free, keto and low FODMAP options. “We wanted to create a restaurant where...
Seafood in the desert?! Don’t knock it ‘til you try it, and we recommend giving it a go at Angie’s Lobster, a new drive-through concept from the folks who founded local healthy fast-food chain Salad and Go. Tony and Roushan Christofellis sold the salad biz this summer to focus on their new endeavor, a fast and efficient seafood restaurant boasting lobster meals with fries and a drink for under $10. The first location opened in...
Roasted Chilean Seabass | Photo by Madison Rutherford The iconic Arizona Biltmore resort recently reopened, revealing a $70 million renovation that included Renata’s Hearth, an upscale, Latin-influenced eatery that debuted on May 18. Combining Old World mystique with a distinctly modern identity, Renata’s Hearth (née Wright’s) presents a full sensory experience – from enticing aromas and bold flavors to ornate décor and pleasant sounds. During my visit, a live flutist and guitarist serve as...
St. Francis was an Uptown Phoenix institution of sorts, serving as both a community gathering place and a solid place to enjoy gourmet global fare. Nestled in a historical building on Camelback Road just east of Central Avenue, its name was derived from a neighborhood land deed dating back to the mid-1930s and was originally owned by the Brophy family. St. Francis’ former chef, Aaron Chamberlain, made his mark on the area through a menu...
Graze Box | Photo courtesy BlackSheep Sometimes being the black sheep isn’t such a bad thing, especially when wine is involved. Join the herd at downtown Chandler’s newest wine bar, BlackSheep, where you’ll find an array of authentic wines from around the globe, specialty craft cocktails and light bites. The bar, which opened in July, has a sleek, modern aesthetic. The patio is home to 1940s-era streetlamps with multiple table sections, perfect for those...
A new family-run pizzeria has opened in Downtown Phoenix. While it’s still finding its footing, it’s jumping off to a tasty start. Located on the corner of Van Buren Street and Fifth Avenue next to We’ve Got Flowers! is the new Via Della Slice Shop. Its housed in a historical warehouse, which I discovered after scrolling back through Via Della’s Instagram. I learned that the building was originally built in the 1920s as a car...
Photo by Nikki Buchanan I’m a sucker for good fried chicken, so when I read about Fryd Bird, a new fast-casual in Mesa, getting rave reviews, I grabbed a friend and headed there for lunch. Modern and cheerful, one yolk-yellow wall displaying a huge rendering of an UN-fried, alive and kicking bird, the place had a small, steady line during the lunch hour. Lots of the customers appeared to be working guys, there for...
It’s easy to get overwhelmed at the Valley’s new Cooper’s Hawk location in Chandler, which opened its doors on Monday. Those doors lead you into an expansive tasting room lined with every varietal you can imagine on one side, a glass case displaying glistening chocolate truffles on the other, and an array of upscale wine accessories splayed out on tables in the middle of the room. Before you even set foot in the dining area,...
Ryan and Caitlin Jocque are no strangers to the restaurant industry. The duo, who are behind the popular Valley eateries Original Chop Shop, Diego Pops, The Montauk and The Hot Chick, recently opened Eat Up Drive In, a new fast-casual concept in Arcadia that pairs homestyle meals with convenience. When the Jocques first saw the property at 40th Street and Indian School Road, they immediately thought it would be a great location for a drive-in...
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...