The men behind MercBar revive the moribund Esplanade dining scene with a trio of top-flight eateries.
The men behind MercBar revive the moribund Esplanade dining scene with a trio of top-flight eateries.
A new Arcadia market-restaurant hybrid leans on sourcing and vibes to cast a lingering Italian spell.
Known for his CenPho hits, restaurateur Omar Alvarez is now pouring inspiration into the oft-neglected West Valley dining scene.
Sam Fox continues his Franco-American hot streak with this winning Scottsdale brasserie.
Lo-Lo’s Chicken & Waffles magnates Larry and Rasheedah White bring the noise at their high-energy East Valley steakhouse – but do they nail the food?
Hold onto your molinos, mole fans – this Scottsdale sister location of the beloved Mod-Mex restaurant in Tubac is bringing the goods.
Restaurateur Racan Alhoch gives no quarter to social media critics – or mediocre Italian-American food.
These restaurants fuse cuisines from different cultures to create deliciously inventive dishes.
Brimming with unusual fish cuts and delightfully idiosyncratic entrées, this hole-in-the-wall sushi restaurant in Mesa is sure to reel you in.
Fabian and Julie Ocampo rise admirably to the challenge at their South American restaurant in Downtown Phoenix.
LaCasce is proud of the positive culture he’s created at the iconic hotel’s signature restaurant, ZuZu, where he says teamwork, learning and creativity thrive.
The Coconut Blossom | Photo courtesy Instagram.com/thebarkingbodega I don’t have a dog, but I do follow a lot of canine-centric Instagram pages. I guess I like to live vicariously through various dog owners via the internet without all the time, money and patience it takes to actually be one. The Barking Bodega, it seems, was built for people like me. Well, scratch that. This spot, which opened in March, was built for dogs with...
This promising Italian concept in Scottsdale is rounding its first turn without the services of its founding chef – and the quality has stumbled in kind.
Farm-to-table? How about farm-on-table? Under the expert direction of chef Sacha Levine, the produce playground’s new culinary program is pure, veggie-centric poetry.
Earlier this month, 14 chefs gathered at The Camby hotel in Central Phoenix for the Rock the Guac competition in honor of National Guacamole Day and benefitting Free Arts of Arizona. Their challenge? Creating different guacamoles designed to stand out.
I know taste testing 14 different guacamoles may seem like a dream, but let me tell you that guac has the tendency to taste more or less the same after a few scoops. But in the name of journalism, I persevered.
The sweetest (perhaps weirdest) take was from Tarbell’s in Phoenix that whipped up a chocolate mousse dessert topped with an avocado mousse/puree. It was tasty but let’s face it, couldn’t pass as guacamole. I can’t say there were any competitors that I flat out didn’t like at all, but my favorite was The Market by Jennifer’s. I loved that the chef used focaccia instead of the hackneyed tortilla chip and how she managed to seamlessly blend many different flavors and textures together.
Below are four guacamoles that stood out, both to me and the official judges, plus a recipe for the first prize winner.