“Gastrological Dinners,” The Boulders Resort’s quarterly alternative to traditional winemaker dinners, have proven so popular that they’re being offered more frequently.

The 2008 series kicks off Jan. 24 in the Carefree resort’s new Organic Garden. The dinner, which will feature wines from Oregon’s King Estates, starts with cocktails at 6:30 p.m.

The menu: assorted hors d’oeuvres; roasted cauliflower soup with maple-smoked bacon and lobster; galantine of pheasant with truffle and cognac; granite of Granny Smith apple and chocolate mint; spiced seared elk loin, sweet potatoes, braised mushrooms and succotask; cheese tasting plate; flourless chocolate espresso cake and quenelle of kahlua panna cotta; and mignardises.

Cost is $150 person and reservations are required. The evening will include spiritual readings by astrologer Tom McMullan.

Other scheduled dinners are Feb. 28 (Long Meadow Ranch Vineyards), March 20 (Stage Coach Vineyards) and June 21 (Frog’s Leap).

Info: (480) 488-9009.

To be honest, 2007 wasn’t a banner year for new East Valley restaurants. Sure, there was quantity — more than 100 openings — but there were few shining stars. Most years, there’s at least one or two new places that would crack critics’ lists of the top 20 or 25 restaurants in the East Valley. In 2007, though, I don’t think I’d put any new restaurant on that list.

But there were several worthwhile additions to our local dining scene. I didn’t get to all of them, but I made it to most. Here are my favorites:

1. Centro Paninoteca
Created by chef-owner Chris Cottingham, former manager of the Biltmore area’s Delux, this midtown Scottsdale eatery (picture above) is tiny — just eight two-top tables and a small bar — but offers delicious panini sandwiches and wine by the glass until 2 a.m. 7120 E. Becker Lane, Scottsdale, (480) 443-7162.

2. Brush Fire Arizona Grill
D’Vine Bistro owner Mark Nowicki and chef Ramon Rice have transformed the former Dual Contemporary Cuisine in Gilbert into an upscale but affordable showcase for bold-flavored barbecue beef and pork, steaks and other grilled meats (shown at left). 4972 S. Power Road, Gilbert, (480) 457-8903.

3. SanTan Brewing Co.
Stuffed burgers and gourmet pizzas nicely complement a half-dozen excellent beers crafted by former Four Peaks Brewing Co. brewmaster Anthony Canecchia at this half-century-old bank turned brew pub in restaurant-rich downtown Chandler. 8 S. San Marcos Plaza, Chandler, (480) 917-8700.

4. Chef H
This small, unassuming Gilbert restaurant just opened by chef Hesham Khalik, whose previous gigs include The Phoenician and Arizona Biltmore resorts, offers inexpensive Meditteranean food like gyros, kebabs and wraps that taste way too good to be so healthy. 3107 S. Lindsey Road, Gilbert, (480) 786-9829.

5. Andreoli’s Italian Grocer
Italian chef/proprietor Giovanni Scorzo (pictured at right) makes his own bread, mozzarella and chocolate at this north Scottsdale stand-alone shop, which includes a deli case of imported meats and cheeses and a small dining room crammed with a mish-mash of antique furniture. 8880 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale, (480) 614-1980.

6. Urban Campfire
Owner-chef Robert Stempkowski has worked at some of the Valley’s finest restaurants, but there’s nothing fancy about the inexpensive smoked meats and simple comfort foods dished out at the former Greasy Tony’s building on the edge of the ASU campus. 921 E. University Drive, Tempe, (480) 967-5524.

7. Luc’s
Decorated in creamy white and powder blue, Cliff Skoglund and Robert Hall’s luxurious desert hideaway in far north Scottsdale fuses Southwest, French and Asian cuisines in dishes like seven-spice pork tenderloin and nuoc-mam-marinated rock hen. 34505 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, (480) 488-3811.

8. EJ’s Steakhouse
High-back mahogany booths with linen-covered tabletops help generate a Rat Pack-era vibe at this cozy east Mesa strip-mall steakhouse (shown at left), which includes a swanky lounge on one side and its own full-service butcher shop on the other. 5609 E. McKellips Road, Mesa, (480) 985-2925.

9. Cien Agaves Tacos & Tequila
Thirteen types of tacos and the namesake 100-plus tequilas draw an eclectic crowd, ranging from baby boomer turistas browsing Old Town Scottsdale’s curio shops to hip 20-somethings who can pack the place after dark, to this rustic two-story restaurant and bar. 7228 E. First Ave., Scottsdale, (480) 970-9002.

10. Forefather’s Gourmet Cheesesteaks & Fries
The name pretty much sums up the menu at this south Tempe strip-mall shop, but the Philly Original — complete with Wiz, of course — is one of the better cheesesteaks in the East Valley, and the fries (or, if you choose, sweet potato fries) are pretty good, too. 8707 S. Priest Drive, Tempe, (480) 763-1776.

I drove over to Phoenix to meet my friend Thomas Bond for lunch at Delux, the small but popular grill on the northwest corner of Camelback Road and 32nd Street. Delux is opening a second location in Scottsdale in early 2008, and I wanted to see if the burgers are as good as I’ve heard.

We arrived at 1:30 p.m. on a weekday and the strip-mall eatery was packed. We were lucky to get the last available table on the patio on a chilly afternoon.

Thomas and I both got the Delux Burger ($9, shown above), which comes with Maytag Bleu and Gruyere cheese, baby arugula and a mixture of caramelized onion and bacon, and is served on a demi-baguette. It’s a good burger, although Thomas liked it more than I did.

We could have gotten the Standard Classic Burger (also $9), with a choice of cheddar, American or jack cheese, with tomato, onions and pickles.

A large helping of fries ($5, pictured at left), served in a miniature shopping cart, is cute but nothing special in terms of taste.

We also tried two of the desserts: a slice of carrot cake ($5.50) and a lemon-berry cupcake ($3). On this day, both were dry and disappointing.

I think $14 for a burger and fries is a little steep, but Delux’s Phoenix location has been quite busy for two years. It’ll be interesting to see what happens at the new location, across the street from Stax Burger Bistro at Camelback and Scottsdale roads.

Taneko Japanese Tavern will offer free sake tastings Mondays in January. Guests at the Scottsdale restaurant will be able to sample as many as three different types of the Japanese staple from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sake experts will explain how to evaluate the beverage and identify what foods can accentuate tastes. Anyone who attends all four Monday tastings in January will receive a free bottle of sake. Information: (480) 308-9950.

One of the coolest things about newspapers moving online is the opportunity for readers to post comments on pretty much any story - agreeing, disagreeing, asking questions or adding information.

One of the problems with reader comments, though, is almost every website allows them to be posted anonymously, typically under an alias (unlike reporters, who have their real name listed at the top of the story) so you never can be sure who the “reader” is.

Perhaps the greatest abuse of this system comes with dining reviews. When a new review is posted, whether it’s favorable or unfavorable, you can pretty much count on the restaurant’s supporters (and often, I suspect, the restaurant’s employees or owners) to post a series of flattering comments.

I don’t have a problem with this - everyone is entitled to share his or her opinion. What I object to is when someone posts several similar comments under various “names,” blatantly trying to mislead other readers.

How can newspapers tell this happens? For one thing, we can compare the IP (computer) addresses on the comments. When comments purportedly from five different people are posted from the same computer in a 20-minute span, I’m pretty sure someone’s trying to pull a fast one.

For example, look at the reader comments on this week’s unflattering review of Majerle’s Sports Grill in Chandler. After it appeared in print, several readers called me to say they agreed with my review; no one called to disagree with it.

On the web version of the review, though, it was the exact opposite: More than a dozen comments were immediately posted - all strongly disagreeing with the review. Many of these comments came from the same computer, although the “names” are quite different.

Oh, I suppose it’s possible “Don W” and his wife (who’ve had two “great” visits to Majerle’s), “MJ” (who’s had several “great” visits with family and friends) and “Jackie” (who’s been there three times) are coincidentally sitting together, perhaps in some Internet cafe, sharing the same laptop at 2:30 in the afternoon.

Or maybe “Mario” (who raved about his “many” visits to Majerle’s) posted his comments on a computer at the public library, only to get up and walk away and, coincidentally, have “Jimmy” immediately sit down at the exact same computer to share his great times at the restaurant.

I’m not trying to pick on Majerle’s. I’ve noticed the same phenomenon on a lot of restaurant stories on our website.

Perhaps this simply is the new way that restaurants now advertise (particularly when trying to do damage control after an unfavorable review): Have your employees post a series of fake comments raving about how your restaurant isn’t really so bad.

I suppose it will fool some people. At least for a little while.

You’d think a restaurant owned by Dan Majerle, namesake of the Phoenix Suns’ annual Hustle Award, would provide great service. Sadly, this isn’t true at Majerle’s Sports Grill in Chandler.

The six-week-old sibling of the former Suns player- turned-broadcaster’s popular downtown Phoenix sports bar is like a high-profile rookie who’s still struggling with the fundamentals.

At first glance, the rookie’s moves are eye-catching. Majerle and his partners have totally remodeled the former Rockfish building on the outer ring of Chandler Fashion Center. The cozy space boasts 18 high-definition TVs, plenty of sofas and even a bocce ball court. Despite its monotone palette — brown booths, brown tables, brown walls, brown floors — there’s an unmistakable upscale vibe.

Contributing to a see-and-be-seen atmosphere is a staff of black-clad female servers — all young, all pretty, all baring cleavage. It’s a Scottsdale nightclub, only one that serves burgers and chicken wings. But if you’re not part of the “in” crowd … well, you’ll pretty much feel like a bench player.

On my first of three visits, it takes 10 minutes for a server to take our drink orders. After she does, she walks over to another table where she and two other servers spend 20 minutes talking to friends.

When our beverages finally arrive, we order appetizers. It’s halftime of a Suns game, and the restaurant is only two-thirds full. Still, when the fourth quarter starts — 30 minutes later — our starters are no-shows. All the while, I watch one server talking to her boyfriend at a nearby table, and two others sit in the booth behind us with friends.

Finally, a cook comes out and asks if we’ve gotten our appetizers. When we tell him no, he goes back to the kitchen and returns with two plates — unfortunately, not what we ordered.

There’s much more, but you get the idea about the service. And the food? Well, most of it is mediocre.

The chicken wings ($8.59), which the menu calls “the biggest and highest quality around,” are neither. At least they’re not as bad as the Asian chicken chopped salad ($8.59) with big hunks of lettuce covered with rubbery won tons.

The Fully Loaded pizza ($10.99, shown above right) has a nice flavor but the consistency of casserole. (Thinking the light, doughy crust was made soggy by so many toppings, I order a simple two-item pizza on a subsequent visit, but still need a fork, or maybe a spoon.)

Sandwiches, such as the Philly cheese steak ($8.99, shown at left) and Cajun chicken sandwich ($8.59), are average at best. In fact, about the only stars on the menu are the burgers, especially the cheeseburger sliders ($6.99).

With a lineup like that, Majerle’s won’t score many points with diners.

>> Majerle’s Sports Grill, 3095 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler, is open 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. (480) 899-7999.

Four Fox Restaurants in Scottsdale — Bloom, North, The Greene House and Olive & Ivy — are offering three-course, prix-fixe dinnes for $55 to $60 on New Year’s Eve. You can get the details here.

Atomic 29 Grill, which hold a special promotion on the 29th of every month, has announced its December deal: Anyone who brings two or more non-perishable food items to the Mesa restaurant between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday will receive two half-rack of ribs for the price of one. The food items will be donated to United Food Bank.

I have a confession: I’ve never been a big fan of Meditteranean food. Oh, I’ve tried my share of hummus, gyros and kebabs, but I’ve never really developed an affinity for the cuisine.

Until last week.

I was doing some last-minute holiday shopping when I noticed a new restaurant, Chef H Restaurant & Grill, on the northeast corner of Lindsey and Pecos roads in Gilbert.

I figured I’d just stop and grab a menu, but the place was nearly empty and the small staff had that hopeful we’ve-finally-got-a-customer look on their faces. So I figured, what the heck. It was around lunchtime and what would it hurt to order a small menu item, even if I only tried a bite or two?

I ordered a Moroccan chicken wrap, and the server brought out a sampler plate of side dishes (pictured at right) so I could choose one for my lunch. Black beans with pineapple, baba ghanoush, tabouli, Israeli salad, carrot salad with onions, chick peas and celery. All were surprisingly delicious, and before I knew it I had eaten them all.

And my wrap (shown below) was just as fantastic – large and stuffed with well-seasoned chicken, fluffy couscous and saffron. It came with one side (more black beans and pineapple) and was just $5.99.

The entire meal was so good that I — a person who didn’t even like Meditteranean food — had to go back for lunch the next day to try something else, which turned out to be a gyro filled with beef, flavored with about 20 different spices, and homemade yogurt. With sides of saffron rice and carrot salad, it cost just $6.99.

Chef H, I learned, is owner/chef Hesham Khalik, born in Egypt and raised in Germany, where he started his culinary career. Locally, his chef gigs have included the Hyatt Regency-Scottsdale, The Phoenician and the Arizona Biltmore.

Now he’s started his own restaurant, a new but tiny eatery (just six booths) that focuses on Meditteranean foods but also serves almost anything from quesadillas to filet mignon, as the personable chef is quick to point out in his heavily accented English as he visits with every diner who comes in.

Because his restaurant is so small and storage space is limited, Khalik says he has to make everything fresh every day. The secret to his recipes, he says, is a balance of flavors.

Knowing he didn’t have a clue who I was, I asked him to elaborate. He grabbed a sheet of paper, sat down at my booth and began diagramming the molecular structure of various foods, explaining the chemical reactions that take place when you add salt, sugar or oil.

Most of it was over my head, but I know this: He’s won me over with his tasty Medittereanan food. The fact that it’s healthy and inexpensive are bonuses.

And I’m not alone. Although the restaurant only has been open for three weeks, it’s cultivated a small but passionate following.

“We gotta get the word out about this place,” says a burly guy who describes himself as a lunch regular. “Tell everyone you can.”

Consider it done.

>> Chef H, 3107 S. Lindsey Road, Gilbert, is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. (480) 786-9835.

Pizza lovers in Chicago are well-acquainted with Vito & Nick’s II Italian restaurants, which ship delicious thin-crust pies nationwide. East Valley fans no longer have to resort to such extreme measures: The expanding pizzeria chain has opened a location on the southeast corner of Higley and Queen Creek roads in Gilbert.

They tried to sneak in a “soft opening” earlier this week, but the strip-mall eatery was quickly swarmed with diners starved for restaurant options in the southeast East Valley.

I stopped in the next day for lunch and sampled a 9-inch pizza with homemade sausage, pepperoni and onions. The pizza ($14.25, pictured), which turned out to be a whopping 12 inches in diameter and was cut into 48 bite-size squares, was very tasty.

The bartender, Mingo, assured me the rest of the extensive menu is just as good.

There are more than a dozen sandwiches, as well as a giant one-pound burger ($10.75 with fries). Pastas ($10.25-$15.75 with soup and salad bar) include spaghetti, lasagna, manicotti, ravioli and mostaccioli.

Other entrees range from Italian sausage and peppers ($11.95) to chicken marsala ($13.25) to steak delmonico ($17.95).

More than 30 wines, domestic and Italian, are available by bottle, and most by the glass. Italy’s Birra Moretti is one of six beers on tap.

The decor at Vito & Nick’s II is upscale-casual, with maroonish-brown walls, a stone floor and mostly banquette seating. A 10-seat bar is located at the back of the restaurant.

Happy hour specials should be in place by this week, and a patio is forthcoming. Delivery service is also planned.

>> Vito & Nick’s II, 3321 E. Queen Creek Road, Gilbert, is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. (480) 279-4482.