FeaturesFood & DrinkFood Fight!
Eric VanderwallJune 25, 2026
Chef rivalries. Disgruntled influencers. Batsh*t crazy bakers. Gentle foodie, we present five of the all-time most legendary culinary feuds in Valley dining.
ListsPHOENIX Team Picks: November
Lauren LoftusNovember 1, 2017
Each month, we of the PHOENIX magazine editorial 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.
Happy November! As we mend our elastic waistbands in preparation of stuffing ourselves on everyone's favorite fall holiday, we're asking ourselves, "What are your favorite Thanksgiving-y dishes in the Valley?
RecipesRecipe Friday: TEXAZ Grill Mashed Tater Salad
Marilyn HawkesSeptember 28, 2017
As a kid growing up in Texas and Louisiana, TEXAZ Grill owner Steve Freidkin now has fond memories of his mama’s mashed tater salad. So when he got tired of throwing away the leftover mashed potatoes at his popular Phoenix restaurant, he recalled the potato salad of his youth. “I thought, well, dang. It worked for my family. Maybe it will work here.”
The verdict? “Some people like it and some people are a little freaked out by it,” he says. “It’s a little different, but c’mon, it’s got bacon in it so it’s got to be good.”
Freidken uses russet potatoes with the skin on and makes the dressing separately from the salad. “It has most of the ingredients of a Southern-style potato salad, but it’s got a little Louisiana flair to it.”