I’m off a couple weeks for the holidays. Look for The Dish to return in 2009. Have a safe and happy holidays!
 Archive for December, 2008Top 10 new East Valley restaurants of 2008December 17th, 2008, 8:24 pm by Jess HarterDespite what we now know was a year-long recession, 2008 was a very good year for East Valley diners hungry for new restaurants. From upscale steakhouses to ethnic eateries, the East Valley welcomed more than 50 notable newcomers. How good was this year’s crop? Several new restaurants that would have vied for one of the top spots on my 2007 list (had they opened last year) couldn’t even crack this year’s top 10. As I ranked and re-ranked my list over the past few weeks, four different restaurants resided, at least temporarily, in the top spot. I could make the case for any of them to be No. 1. And there are a handful of places that slipped on and off the bottom of the list. Besides food quality, I considered atmosphere, uniqueness and value. And when the final decisions got really tough, my criterium was this: What are the places I keep revisiting on my own time and on my own dime? So, after dining out 254 times this year for the Tribune (plus at least another 100-plus times on my own), these are the new restaurants that impressed me the most: Review: Tott’s stirs up pleasant memories in uncertain timesDecember 16th, 2008, 9:35 pm by Jess Harter
To paraphase Thomas Paine, these are the times that try diners’ souls. The economy is in free fall, and every week seems to bring news of another notable East Valley restaurant closure. Many restaurant owners tell me these are the worst days they’ve ever seen. For some, that’s going back decades. And no one knows when it’ll begin to turn around. I guess that’s why I’ve found myself getting reacquainted with an old favorite in recent weeks. The south Tempe restaurant’s official name is Talk of the Town Asian Diner, but everyone who goes there calls it by its acronym, Tott’s. From the day it opened five years ago, Tott’s has been a frequent lunch destination for the staff of the Tribune’s arts and entertainment section, Get Out. We were determined to help this wonderful new eatery make it. The Phoenician resort unveils J&G SteakhouseDecember 14th, 2008, 9:43 pm by Jess Harter
J&G gets its name from its creator, famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten (pictured), who has acclaimed restaurants around the world. The newcomer replaces The Phoenician’s signature restaurant, the venerable Mary Elaine’s. Heading J&G’s kitchen is Jacques Qualin, a former sous chef at Vongerichten’s New York steakhouse, Jean Georges. J&G joins Bourbon Steak, which replaced the Marquesa at the Fairmont Scottsdale in February, and BLT Steak, which replaced the Chaparral room at the Marriott Camelback Inn in October. J&G Steakhouse, 6000 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, will be open 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Info: (480) 214-8000 or thephoenician.com. Brazilian steakhouse to open Thursday in ScottsdaleDecember 14th, 2008, 9:40 pm by Jess HarterFogo de Chão, a Brazilian steakhouse chain, will open its 13th U.S. location Thursday on Scottsdale Road, just south of Lincoln Drive, in Scottsdale. The restaurant offers a prix-fixe menu ($42.50 per person) of 15 cuts of meat roasted over an open flame and served tableside. Fogo de Chão, 6300 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, will be open 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays, 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Info: (480) 609-8866 or fogodechao.com. Joan’s Kitchen to close for holidaysDecember 14th, 2008, 9:39 pm by Jess HarterJoan’s Kitchen, the south Scottsdale diner that draws crowds every Saturday for its weekly Flint-style coney promotion, will close for the holidays and reopen in January. That means your last chance in 2008 to get a coney is 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Joan’s will be offering a special: a coney and a bowl of Flint-style chili for $5. Joan’s Kitchen is located at 1857 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Info: (480) 946-1849. Cold Stone Creamery launches 1st co-branded storeDecember 14th, 2008, 9:38 pm by Jess HarterScottsdale-based Cold Stone Creamery and Colorado-based Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory have unveiled their first co-branded test store in north Scottsdale. The Cold Stone on Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard just east of the Loop 101 was redesigned to dedicate 40 percent of its space to premium chocolates, chocolate-dipped strawberries and chocolate truffles. Five other test stores are scheduled to open in California and Colorado. The Cold Stone Creamery/Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store is located at 14858 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., Scottsdale. Info: (480) 614-3206 or coldstonecreamery.com. Digestif adds second dinner with ‘Top Chef’ IzardDecember 14th, 2008, 3:44 pm by Jess Harter“Top Chef” winner Stephanie Izard is doing double duty this week. The Scottsdale Culinary Institute grad’s eight-course dinner Wednesday at Digestif sold out so quickly that the Old Town Scottsdale restaurant has added another Tuesday. Like the Wednesday dinner, the Tuesday one starts at 7 p.m. and costs $95. Tickets likely will sell out fast. Info: (480) 425-9463 or digestifscottsdale.com. 6 East Valley restaurants for a comfort-food fixDecember 10th, 2008, 10:50 pm by Jess Harter
With the holiday season upon us and temperatures finally cooling off — during the evening, at least — thoughts invariably turn to warm, filling comfort foods. Here are a half-dozen restaurants in the East Valley that can satisfy even the heartiest appetites: De la Cruz Bistro McDuffy’s Grille Fresh from the Farm Liberty Market House of Tricks Eddie’s House Review: La Calabria brings authentic Italian to GilbertDecember 9th, 2008, 9:20 pm by Jess Harter
Some restaurants achieve success despite a challenging location. I hope La Calabria Ristorante will be one of those. The Italian eatery opened four months ago in the former Mei Xiang Asian Cuisine space on the northwest corner of Ray Road and Val Vista Drive in Gilbert. Unfortunately, its strip mall sits so far back from Ray that a row of roadside businesses — a paint store, a tire store and a gas station — hide La Calabria from passers-by. If you’re lucky enough to find it, though, you’re in for a treat. La Calabria is a mom-and-pop operation. Owner Giovanni Spataro, who hails from Calabria (the region of southern Italy that forms the toe of the “boot”), serves as chef; his wife, Clara, runs the dining room. With its square layout and hardwood floors, La Calabria has a dance studio vibe, but maps of Italy and personal photos, as well as the Italian ballads piped in, add a homey touch. The authentic Italian food, though, is what truly impresses. What’s on menu for holidays? Restaurant gift cardsDecember 6th, 2008, 9:04 am by Jess Harter
Finding holiday gifts for friends, relatives and co-workers usually isn’t too difficult. But there’s always “that person” on your list. You know the one. The guy or gal who seemingly has everything. Well, here’s an idea for something that every person needs: food. And it’s is easily giveable in the form of restaurant gift certificates. Gift certificates — or, increasingly, computerized gift cards — are big business for restaurants, especially those locally owned. The National Restaurant Association estimates many non-chain restaurants ring up as much as 25 percent of their annual sales between Thanksgiving and Christmas. “When I first started 15 years ago, someone walked up and said, ‘Do you sell gift certificates?’ And I said, ‘What’s that?’ says Mark Russell, founder of Scottsdale-based Oregano’s Pizza Bistro. “They turned out to be huge — we sold a lot. And since then it’s just gone nuts.” ‘Top Chef’ Izard to cook Dec. 17 at DigestifDecember 4th, 2008, 11:21 am by Jess Harter
Izard, the first woman to win ‘Top Chef,” was one of the featured guests at the inaugural Eats3 culinary festival in Old Town Scottsdale in October. She’ll return to cook with Digestif chef Payton Curry and pastry chef Tracy Dempsey. Sommelier Sariya Jarasviroj Brown from Vin Divino will present Austrian wine pairings. The dinner, which starts at 7 p.m., costs $95 plus tax and tip. Info: (480) 425-9463 or digestifscottsdale.com. • Check out the menu for Stephanie Izard’s dinner at Digestif (pdf) First Taste: Sam Fox scores another hit with BlancoDecember 3rd, 2008, 6:58 pm by Jess Harter
Love him or hate him — and there are plenty of East Valley diners in either camp — Sam Fox has a golden touch. The Scottsdale entrepreneur is a culinary King Midas whose fingerprints can be found on 28 successful restaurants spread across four states. Despite a sour economy that seems to be swallowing worthwhile restaurants on an almost daily basis, Fox shows no signs of slowing down. In the past couple weeks, he’s opened another Sauce (his 10th) in Chandler, and debuted True Food Kitchen in Phoenix. Most recently, he’s introduced Blanco Tacos & Tequila, his casual-chic Mexican brand that debuted last year in Tucson, to the Valley by taking over the former Taneko Japanese Tavern at the Borgata shopping center in Scottsdale. McDonald’s $1 McDouble replaces double cheeseburgerDecember 3rd, 2008, 11:09 am by Jess Harter
The McDouble is essentially the same two-patty sandwich, but with one slice of cheese instead of two. On Monday, franchisees reportedly were given the option of raising the price of double cheeseburgers to $1.19 or substituting the new sandwich at the $1 price. I checked McDonald’s in Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler on Tuesday, and all had eliminated the double cheeseburger in favor of the McDouble. First Taste: Rustic Spanish dishes are works of art at PradoDecember 2nd, 2008, 4:43 pm by Jess Harter
In a year when several East Valley luxury resorts are replacing their signature restaurants with celebrity-chef-driven steakhouses — such as Bourbon Steak (Fairmont), BLT Steak (Camelback Inn) and J&G Steakhouse (The Phoenician) — at least one resort is catering to a different palate. The new InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa, built on the grounds of the razed La Posada in Paradise Valley, has unveiled Prado, a Spanish-influenced restaurant that takes its name from the famous Madrid museum. It’s an entirely appropriate moniker: Chef Claudio Urciuoli’s dishes — surprisingly affordable, at least by resort standards — deserve to be on display. Although Spain is the world’s leader in avant garde cooking, the country’s cuisine is firmly rooted in the simple life of centuries past, whether it be a huge bowl of lentil soup ($7), dark and earthy, or a plate of roasted beets sweetened with a touch of honey ($9). • Check out the dinner menu for Prado (pdf) Chandler D’Vine to host art and wine fest SaturdayDecember 2nd, 2008, 4:02 pm by Jess HarterD’Vine Bistro & Wine Bar in south Chandler will hold an art and wine festival from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Artists and vendors will set up outside. Inside, attendees can sample 25 wines for $10. Barbecue meals will be available for $12. Info: (480) 782-5550 or dvinebistro.com. Sushi Roku launches $5 happy hour menuDecember 1st, 2008, 6:20 pm by Jess HarterSushi Roku, the swanky eatery at the W Hotel Scottsdale, has launched a $5 happy hour menu available 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The specials include appetizers, such as edamame hummus or tuna tataki; sushi rolls, such as a rock shrimp tempura with jalapenos roll; and drinks, such as 12-ounce Sapporos, hot sake or house wines. Info: (480) 970-2121 or sushiroku.com.
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