July 3rd, 2009, 1:53 pm by Jess Harter
Udder Delights is an up-and-coming Gilbert ice cream shop looking to expand its dessert menu. Tracy Dempsey is perhaps the Valley’s best-known pastry chef and has a few months of free time on her hands.
A perfect match? Udder Delights co-owner Casey Stechnij (pictured above) thinks so.
When he heard Dempsey recently left her position with Peter Kasperski’s Old Town Scottsdale restaurant group (Cowboy Ciao, Digestif and Kazimierz World Wine Bar), he contacted her.
For Dempsey, the timing was perfect. She plans to open her own dessert restaurant, Galette, by the end of the year. In the meantime, though, she was looking for a challenge.
 The idea is for Dempsey (pictured left at Digestif) to develop what Stechnij calls a “tapas-style dessert bar” menu to complement the two dozen homemade ice creams at Udder Delights.
“We’re talking about playful twists on some of the classics,” says Dempsey, who will unveil her first few creations at the store this weekend.
Over the next few months, she will experiment with a number of dishes, the best of which eventually will be incorporated into the permanent menu.
Dempsey has a lot to work with. The shop offers such ice cream flavors (pictured below) as its best-selling white birthday cake, blueberry muffin, banana cream pie and even potato chip.
“I call Udder Delights a flavor laboratory,” says Stechnij.
The Gilbert native splits his time between the strip-mall shop, which he opened in 2007 with friend Sherene Robinson, and Superstition Farm, his family’s dairy operation in southeast Mesa.
Stechnij and the farm are actively involved in the Valley’s slow food movement emphasizing locally produced meats, produce and dairy products.
 Udder Delights, Stechnij says, just got approval to make its own butter and cheeses, which will be available soon.
The opportunity to build on her relationships with the local-food community was a draw for Dempsey, who hopes to stay involved with Udder Delights after her own restaurant opens.
In the meantime?
“I see it being my obsession for a couple of months,” she says.
After five years of creating some of the best-known and complex desserts in Scottsdale, Dempsey is excited about trying to invent simpler but just as delicious dishes that will appeal to families and children in the southeast Valley.
“It’s not that different,” she says. “It’s just tailoring a menu to meet the needs of the concept and the demographics.
“It’s a good challenge to see if I can do this and still be ‘Tracy.’”
Udder Delights
Where: 1385 E. Warner Road, Gilbert (southwest corner of Warner and Val Vista Drive)
Open: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
Prices: Single-scoop cone $3.50, pints $5.99, quarts $7.99
Info: (480) 507-3859 or udderdelightsaz.com
Posted in: Gilbert • Tracy Dempsey • Udder Delights | Post a Comment »
July 2nd, 2009, 4:51 pm by Jess Harter
 The Food Writers Act of 1902 requires me, as well as every other food writer in America, to produce a story every Fourth of July about either hot dogs or apple pie. I flipped a coin, and this year it’s hot dogs:
Ted’s Hot Dogs: This longtime Tempe favorite is famous for its charcoal-broiled hot dogs, footlongs, cheese dogs and chili dogs, as well as delicious homemade onion rings. The lines can get long during peak hours, but they usually move quickly. 1755 E. Broadway Road, Tempe, (480) 968-6678.
Pittsburgh Willy’s: The Wild Willy (pictured) — an all-beef kosher dog topped with chipped ham sauteed in butter and then covered with cheddar cheese — is a bestseller at this small shop inside the Market Square antique mall. 1509 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, (480) 857-2860.
Al’s Chicago Style: The walls are covered with Windy City memorabilia, but it’s the Vienna Beef hot dogs, Gonnella rolls and Giardiniera peppers — not to mention the neon green relish — that establish the Chicago authenticity of this shop’s dogs. 53 N. Val Vista Drive, Gilbert, (480) 545-3267.
Giant Hamburgers: Its name references burgers, but this inexpensive strip-mall hangout also serves tasty hot dogs and chili dogs cooked on its flat-top grill. Be sure to include a side of some of the best French fries in the East Valley. 2753 E. Broadway Road, Mesa, (480) 733-6542.
The Mission: This Old Town Scottsdale restaurant’s Latin American food can get a bit pricey, but the lunch menu offers a fantastic Kobe beef dog wrapped in bacon and topped with green chile pintos, Cotija cheese and grilled onions. 3815 N. Brown Ave., Scottsdale, (480) 636-5005.
Posted in: Chandler • Gilbert • Mesa • Scottsdale • Tempe • 5 to Try • Al's Chicago Style • Giant Hamburgers • Pittsburgh Willy's • Ted's Hot Dogs • The Mission | 2 Comments »
July 1st, 2009, 12:22 pm by Jess Harter
Queen Creek Olive Mill is grilling again.
The working olive mill and retail shop debuted “Grill in the Grove” in April. For two weekends, it drew huge crowds by grilling sausages from the nearby Pork Shop.
This weekend, the olive mill will be grilling sweet corn in conjunction with its current Sweet Corn Festival, which runs June 15 to July 15.
 Four flavors of sweet corn will be offered: parmesan herb, extra virgin, chili lime and garlic and sea salt. Ears will be $1 apiece. If you want to make your own at home, the mill’s gourmet marketplace will be selling the corn and flavored oils.
In addition, the olive mill will be offering apple pie ($2.50 slice, $3.50 a la mode), watermelon, sorbet-flavored lemonade ($2.25), root beer floats ($4.50) and Four Peaks beers ($3.99).
Seating will be available inside the air-conditioned mill, outside on a shaded patio with misters and in one of the olive groves.
Patriotic customers who show an American flag get half-off iced coffee, lemonade or watermelon.
“Sweet Corn in the Grove” runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Info: (480) 888-9290.
Posted in: Queen Creek • Queen Creek Olive Mill | 1 Comment »
July 1st, 2009, 11:46 am by Jess Harter
Papago Brewing Company is celebrating the Fourth of July with a Coney Island-themed event. From noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Shmaltz Brewing Company will be featuring selections from its new line of Coney Island Craft Lagers.
 A cash bar will be set up so there will be no corkage fee on any bottles of Shmaltz. In addition, Papago will be selling Nathan’s hot dogs, caramel apples and cotton candy.
San Francisco-based Shmaltz is best-known for its HE’BREW Beer series, introduced in 1996. The popular beers — which include Origin pomegranate ale, Genesis ale and Jewbelation Bar Mitzvah — are inspired by Jewish culture and history.
Last summer, the craft brewer debuted its new line’s flagship Coney Island Lager. Three additional Coney Island lagers — Sword Swallower, Albino Python and Human Blockhead — have been unveiled over the past three months.
Papago is located on the southwest corner of Scottsdale and McDowell roads. Info: (480) 425-7439.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Papago Brewing | Post a Comment »
July 1st, 2009, 9:20 am by Jess Harter
Pastry chef Tracy Dempsey, who recently left her position with Spaghetti Western restaurants (Cowboy Ciao, Digestif and Kazimierz World Wine Bar), still hasn’t found a home for her planned Galette Dessert Bar.
 In the meantime, though, she’s keeping busy. Dempsey (pictured at left) has been hired as guest chef for the summer at Gilbert ice cream shop Udder Delights. She will create a new dessert menu for the shop, as well as new ice cream flavors.
That means Southeast Valley residents will soon be enjoying treats like Dempsey’s famous ice cream sandwiches (pictured above at Digestif).
Udder Delights, owned by Superstition Farm’s Casey Stechnij and business partner Sherene Robinson, sells 28 year-round flavors of homemade ice cream — from blueberry muffin to bubblegum — plus some seasonal ones.
Udder Delights is located on the southwest corner of Warner Road and Val Vista Drive in Gilbert. Info: (480) 507-3859.
Posted in: Gilbert • Superstition Farm • Tracy Dempsey • Udder Delights | Post a Comment »
June 30th, 2009, 2:57 pm by Jess Harter
Crocodile actually does taste a little like chicken. Ostrich and kangaroo, on the other hand, taste more like beef.
These are just some of the things I discovered at Down Under Wines, a small retail shop and wine bar almost hidden in a strip mall on the north side of Chandler Fashion Center.
 The front of the store is crowded with wood racks of wine from Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. In the back, the space decorated with boomerangs and Aboriginal prints opens up a bit to reveal several tables and a small bar.
Working behind the counter are gregarious co-owners Roger Carpenter and Phil Roberts (pictured). Shaven-head Carpenter looks like the big-game hunter in “Jurassic Park 2.” Roberts could be Jeff Spicoli’s long-lost uncle.
Both know their wines — Carpenter was a master sommelier in Sydney — and can suggest, for example, an excellent Australian Shiraz for under $20. In fact, most of the glasses on the wine list are under $10.
Down Under also sells Coopers, the only Australian beer available in Arizona. (Ask about Foster’s and Carpenter will bark, “It’s made in [expletive] Canada!”) The preservative-free craft beer ($3.75 per bottle) comes in five varieties.
The menu, mostly small dishes meant for noshing, is Australian-Asian fusion, meaning almost anything from chicken satay with black Forbidden rice ($8) to seafood lasagna with shrimp, whitefish, squid and octopus ($11.50).
The more exotic offerings, though, are some of the most popular at Down Under.
Topping the list are the crocodile potstickers ($8.50) filled with ground white meat and accompanied by a soy-ginger dipping sauce. Ostrich sliders (three for $12.50) with caramelized onions are chewier than their chicken equivalent.
 “Baybee Emu Wings” ($8), Down Under’s tongue-in-cheek name for a bowl of whole chicken wings, are grilled with a hint of caramelized Vegemite, a dark brown paste that’s the national condiment of Australia. They come just one way: Hot.
Kangaroo, grilled and marinated, hops into the picture on the kangaroo salad ($11.50). You also can get ‘roo on a baguette with horseradish as part of the Aussie Meat Sampler ($13, with two croc potstickers and an ostrich slider, pictured at right).
For those with a hearty appetite, the Aussie Mojo Meat Pie ($8), sort of a pot pie served with ketchup, salsa and corn chips, delivers 680 calories and a heart-threatening 40 grams of fat. But it’s worth it.
Of course, not everything on Down Under’s menu is so adventurous. A hummus duo ($8) pairs traditional and red pepper. You also can mix and match six kinds of bruschetta (any four for $10).
Delicious cheese plates ($12-$15) include fruit, nuts and crackers and are large enough for several people to share. There also are paninis and small flatbread pizzas.
Down Under Wines
Where: 3305 W. Chandler Blvd. (in front of Chandler Fashion Center)
Open: 11 a.m. to close Monday through Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Prices: Appetizers $8-$10, salads $6-$11.50, paninis $8, entrees $7.50-$11.50, desserts $5.
Info: (480) 705-7131 or downunderwinestore.com
(Photos by Ralph Freso, East Valley Tribune)
Posted in: Chandler • Down Under Wines • Down Under | Post a Comment »
June 30th, 2009, 8:52 am by Jess Harter
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers has opened at San Tan Village in Gilbert, becoming the Colorado-based chain’s eighth East Valley location. To celebrate, the restaurant is donating 50 cents from every burger sold this week to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Posted in: Gilbert • Red Robin | Post a Comment »
June 29th, 2009, 9:44 pm by Jess Harter
Nearly three months after launching regular Espresso 101 classes, Liberty Market has unveiled its latest class, Pizza 101. The first session was held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. today at the downtown Gilbert market.
David Traina, executive chef and co-owner of Liberty Market, addresses the half-dozen inaugural participants at the pizza counter. Each paid $10 for the two-hour class, which included their own pizza and beverages.
Liberty Market makes its wood-fired pizzas in a Renato oven that ranges from 600 degrees to nearly 1,000 degrees. The oven never goes cold. At night, the doors are closed and the embers glow until morning.
Traina regales the class with personal tales of oven maker Renato Riccio, an Italian immigrant who makes his famous ovens in Texas.
Pecan from right here in Arizona is the only wood used in the oven. One of its characteristics is it burns very evenly.
Off to the kitchen, where the class helps make a batch of pizza dough in Liberty’s refurbished 1934 Hobart 80-quart mixer. Some trivia: Liberty Market co-owner Joe Johnston’s grandfather invented this mixer.
Thirty pounds of freshly mixed pizza dough — made with just flour, water, salt and yeast — are placed into a clear container that will be placed in the walk-in cooler to rise overnight. Pizza cook Mike Mickelson pulls out a white plastic container of dough mixed the previous day for the class to use.
Traina demonstrates how to toss dough in the air. Fortunately, such moves are not necessary to make pizza, he says.
A class member gets instruction from Mickelson on how to stretch the dough into the proper shape and thickness.
Mickelson shows a class member how to check the dough for “window panes,” areas where the dough is thin enough to see light through. “The more sections you can see through the better,” Traina says.
A class member and Traina share a laugh.
Traina watches a class member ladle sauce onto her dough. Liberty Market’s sauce is made with San Marzano tomatoes (considered the world’s best for sauces), garlic, salt, pepper and basil.
Liberty Market does not cook its pizza sauce while making it because cooking it a second time in the oven would destroy its flavor.
Traina helps a class member put her pizza into the oven using a metal pizza peel. Pizzas are moved to various positions around the oven during the four or so minutes they take to cook.
Class members get straight A’s on their “final exams.” Then they eat them. Plus, each class member receives a pound of starter dough to take home.
Afterward, the inaugural Pizza 101 class and their instructors pose for a graduation photo.
For information on the future Pizza 101 classes, which will be held monthly, call (480) 892-1900 and leave your name and e-mail address. Or send the info in a direct message via Twitter to @libertymarket.
Posted in: Gilbert • Liberty Market | 3 Comments »
June 29th, 2009, 5:58 pm by Jess Harter
If you’re a member of Fox Restaurant Concepts‘ VIP club, you can get 25 percent off your bill (including alcohol) at most Fox restaurants Saturday.
Participating eateries are Blanco, Bloom, The Greene House, North in Scottsdale, Olive & Ivy, True Food Kitchen and all Sauce locations except Chandler.
To join the VIP club, which is free, go to foxrc.com and click on “ENews.” An e-mail will be sent out Thursday to registered users explaining how to get your discount.
Posted in: Valleywide | Post a Comment »
June 29th, 2009, 8:52 am by Jess Harter
Chick-fil-A restaurants across the Valley are celebrating breakfast this week by giving away a free menu item each morning until 10:30. Today, you can get a free order of three Chick-n-Minis.
The rest of the week’s giveaways: sausage biscuits on Tuesday, chicken breakfast burritos on Wednesday, chicken biscuits on Thursday and Chick-n-Minis again on Friday.
No other purchase is necessary, but there’s a limit of one item per person per day.
Posted in: Valleywide • Chick-fil-A | Post a Comment »
June 29th, 2009, 8:00 am by Jess Harter
Americans celebrate Independence Day on July 4, but the lesser-known Independents Week — a Valley shopping holiday of sorts — starts today.
 The latter is an annual event, now in its seventh year, from Local First Arizona, a non-profit organization that promotes locally owned businesses. It runs through July 5.
By printing a “Golden Coupon” available on the group’s Web site, shoppers receive 20 percent off almost any purchase at more than 80 participating businesses. The coupon can be printed multiple times for purchases at multiple businesses.
Many of the participants are restaurants and food-related stores, ranging from eateries (such as Cowboy Ciao) to ice cream shops (such as Udder Delights) to retailers (such as Pop the Soda Shop).
The wide variety of non-restaurant businesses includes Changing Hands Bookstore, Phoenix Rock Gym, the Hotel Valley Ho, Hoodlum’s music store, the Heard Museum and Mood Swings Salon.
You can find the complete list of participating business and print coupons here.
Posted in: Valleywide | Post a Comment »
June 25th, 2009, 1:02 pm by Jess Harter
Two weeks ago, while driving home from work, I was involved in a minor traffic accident. A young woman in a Mazda sports car drove through a red light and into the side of my Chevy Tahoe. Fortunately, no one was hurt and the damage — to my full-size SUV, at least — was relatively minor. (The same couldn’t be said about her Mazda.)
When two Chandler police officers showed up to gather information and take statements, I struck up a conversation about their favorite restaurants. Call it an occupational hazard — I’m always asking people where they like to eat. Here’s where the officers, whose department is located in downtown Chandler, said they like to go:
 The Greek’s Grill: The heaping shawarma platter ($7.99 chicken, $8.99 beef) is the must-have entrée at this Mediterranean eatery. Lunch specials, available 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, include such selections as gyro sandwiches and chicken pitas (all $5.75) and come with a side of Greek fries. 610 N. Alma School Road, Chandler, (480) 855-7692.
Tokyo House: It’s not surprising law enforcement would uncover this obscure rice-bowl spot, which I think I’ve eaten at more than any other restaurant in Arizona over the past two decades. This strip-mall gem isn’t much to look at, but the teriyaki chicken bowls ($4.49 regular, $5.59 large) are among the best in the Valley. 2050 N. Alma School Road, Chandler, (480) 963-0015.
Floridino’s Pizza & Pasta: This friendly pizzeria, usually packed for lunch and dinner, is a neighborhood favorite and offers great lunch specials. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., get a one-item junior pizza and large fountain drink for just $3.99, or a two-item calzone (pictured) — as big as a partially deflated football — and drink for $5.99. 590 N. Alma School Road, Chandler, (480) 812-8433.
Murphy’s Law Irish Pub: When your shift ends after midnight, restaurant options are limited. Fortunately, the blackened chicken garlic pizza ($8.95) — actually on flatbread — is available until closing time at this Irish pub. A late-night special includes one of the small pizzas and two domestic drafts for $11.50. 58 S. San Marcos Place, Chandler, (480) 812-1588.
Benihana: This Japanese restaurant chain — where the chef’s skills are as much about entertainment as good-tasting meats and seafood — isn’t a regular stop in the officers’ meal rotation, but one of them said he had recently eaten at the Chandler Fashion Center location and liked it. 3025 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler, (480) 812-4701.
Posted in: Chandler • Benihana • Floridino's • Greek's Grill • Murphy's Law • Tokyo House | Post a Comment »
June 24th, 2009, 6:05 am by Jess Harter
At a time when burgers are trending more upscale — exotic meats, gourmet cheeses and fancy toppings — there’s something comforting about a good old-fashioned burger.
For the past decade, that’s exactly what the aptly named Giant Hamburgers has been serving.
The cramped strip-mall space on the southwest corner of Lindsay and Broadway roads in Mesa certainly is no-frills. There are six small booths, eight two-person tables and an eight-seat lunch counter.
The décor, such as it is, consists of a mirror, a clock and a couple of inexpensive prints.
The heart of Giant Hamburgers is a large flat-top grill that produces just about everything on menu, whose simplicity is documented on the wall behind the cash register. No table menus or table service here.
 The delicious burgers, which start at $4.25, are made with fresh meat — never frozen — and require two hands to handle. Mayo, mustard, lettuce, onion and tomato are the standard, but you can customize to your taste.
There’s no skimping: Cheeseburgers come with two slices of cheese (applied while the patty is cooking, making the cheese extra gooey); bacon cheeseburgers get three slices of bacon.
Fries ($1.50) — wonderfully well-done on the outside yet soft on the inside — are the only side option, unless you consider a bowl of chile ($2.35) a side dish.
Other lunch and dinner choices include a grilled chicken sandwich ($5), a grilled steak sandwich ($6.40), a grilled fish sandwich ($4.75) and a grilled cheese sandwich ($3.20).
No-nonsense breakfast combos start with one egg, hash browns, choice of meat and toast ($3.85) and go up in one-egg increments. Again, nothing fancy. Just basic and good.
 For dessert, nine varieties of homemade pies ($2.20 per slice, $11 per pie) range from apple to chocolate cream and are showcased in a case next to the register.
When he’s not working the cash register, friendly owner Don Horne (who almost named the place Horne’s Hamburgers) usually is bussing tables and chatting with diners.
From teenagers to retirees, Giant’s customers seem to enjoy the vibe. No one walks out the door without a genuine “Thanks for coming!” from at least one member of the staff.
Good old-fashioned food. Good old-fashioned prices. Good old-fashioned friendliness.
For me, those three things will never get old or go out of fashion.
Giant Hamburgers
Where: 2753 E. Broadway Road, Mesa (southwest corner of Broadway and Lindsay roads)
Open: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Prices: Burgers $4.25-$6.25, sandwiches $3.20-$6.40, sides $1.50-$3.20, breakfast combos $3.85-$7.95, pie $2.20-$2.95
Info: (480) 733-6542 or gianthamburgers.com
(Photos by Darryl Webb, East Valley Tribune)
Posted in: Giant Hamburgers • Mesa • Giant Hamburgers | 5 Comments »
June 23rd, 2009, 2:32 pm by Jess Harter
 Wow, everyone is jumping on the prix fixe bandwagon. Less than an hour after Canal announced it will offer a three-course, $25 prix fixe dinner menu this summer, high-end J&G Steakhouse (pictured) announced a three-course, $35 prix fixe menu of its own.
The Phoenician Resort restaurant’s deal, which is available 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. every day, includes choice of:
Appetizer
• Heart of Romaine Caesar salad;
• steamed shrimp salad with champagne vinaigrette;
• sweet pea soup
Entree:
• slow-baked salmon with rhubarb compote;
• lemon-pepper chicken steak;
• grilled Black Angus flat-iron steak and frites
Dessert:
• cheesecake with strawberry jam and rhubarb ice cream;
• warm chocolate cake with caramel ice cream
Info: (480) 214-8000.
Posted in: Scottsdale • J&G Steakhouse | Post a Comment »
June 23rd, 2009, 2:09 pm by Jess Harter
Scottsdale’s White Chocolate Grill won this week’s “grilled fish” category in the seemingly endless Ultimate Hometown Grill Off on the “Live with Regis and Kelly” TV show.
Owner/chef Bobby Fitzgerald (pictured above making a dessert at the restaurant) submitted a one-minute video of him and his 7-year-old daughter, Kate, grilling a simple piece salmon with a citrus-soy glaze.
In weekend voting on the syndicated TV show’s website, Fitzgerald’s video beat out four other finalists in the category. He will fly to New York and make the dish on Friday’s show, which airs at 10 a.m. on Channel 12.
At the end of summer, Fitzgerald will compete against the winners of several other categories for the overall Grill Off championship. The victor will be featured in Better Homes and Gardens magazine.
White Chocolate Grill is located on the southwest corner of the Loop 101 and Scottsdale Road in north Scottsdale. Info: (480) 563-3377.
Two weeks ago, Joe’s Real BBQ in Gilbert was one of five finalists in the beef brisket category, but lost to Rudy’s BBQ and Catering from Sinton, Texas.
Posted in: Scottsdale • White Chocolate Grill | Post a Comment »
June 23rd, 2009, 12:26 pm by Jess Harter
If you’re into cooking, there’s a cool new website that just launched today. One of those “aggregators” that brings together related content in one place, Good Bite rounds up posts from some of the country’s most popular food bloggers.
The 10 spotlighted blogs include such sites as Simply Recipes, David Lebovitz and Smitten Kitchen.
Good Bite also has other features, such as a weekly panel discussion on a cooking topic. Recipes are accompanied by how-to videos for those whose kitchen skills are less than impressive (cough, cough).
Good Bite is already in my browser’s bookmarks. You also can follow it on Twitter at @goodbite.
Posted in: Valleywide • Web | 1 Comment »
June 23rd, 2009, 12:00 pm by Jess Harter
“The Next Food Network Star,” the cable channel’s culinary reality show, is casting for its 2010 season. Producers will hold their first-ever Valley casting call from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 8.
The auditions - open to “any chef, home cook, caterer or culinary enthusiast who might be interested in becoming the host of his or her own cooking show” - will take place at the Embassy Suites Phoenix-Scottsdale, 4415 E. Paradise Village Parkway, Phoenix.
You can get more audition info here.
Posted in: Phoenix • TV shows | Post a Comment »
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