Archive for September, 2009
September 30th, 2009, 4:44 pm by Jess Harter
Two dozen of the Valley’s top chefs will mingle with guests and ply them with samples of their culinary creativity at the fourth annual Dine Out with the Chefs on Sunday.
The culinary event will run 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Proceeds benefit the arts center’s education and outreach programs.
The participating chefs are:
• Eric Howson and Salvador Prado of Alto (Hyatt Regency at Gainey Ranch);
• Carolyn Ellis of Arcadia Farms;
• Donald Lemperie of Asia de Cuba (Mondrian Scottsdale);
• Rick Roberts and Lester Gonzalez of Cowboy Ciao;
• Payton Curry of Digestif;
• Gio Osso of Estate House;
• Tracy Dempsey of soon-to-open Galette Dessert Bar;
• Paul Carter and Victor Casanova of Il Terrazzo (The Phoenician);
• Jacques Qualin of J&G Steakhouse (The Phoenician);
• Michael Rusconi of Lon’s (Hermosa Inn);
• Matt Taylor of Metro Brasserie;
• Matt Carter, Luis Milan, Rochelle Daniel and Jay Bogsinske of The Mission, Zinc Bistro and Nine 05;
• James Porter of Petite Maison;
• Razz Kamnitzer of Razz’s;
• Jeffrey Yankellow of Simply Bread;
• Juan Solorio of SWB (Hyatt Regency at Gainey Ranch)
• Helen Yung of Sweet Republic;
• Lee Hillson of T. Cook’s (Royal Palms);
• Mel Mecinas of Talavera (Four Seasons).
Tickets for Dine Out with the Chefs are $55 in advance and $65 at the door.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is located at 7380 E. Second St.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Dine Out with Chefs | Post a Comment »
September 30th, 2009, 4:10 pm by Jess Harter
Denver-based Smashburger, which had planned to open its first Arizona restaurant Thursday in Tempe, has delayed that opening until next Wednesday, Oct. 7. The restaurant will be at 777 E. College Ave., near Arizona State University.
Another incoming burger chain, Virginia-based Five Guys, has numerous “Coming Soon” plastered on its first Arizona location on Mill Avenue. A spokesman says the Tempe location will open in early December “at the earliest” — and maybe not until early 2010.
Posted in: Tempe • Five Guys • Smashburger | Post a Comment »
September 30th, 2009, 8:04 am by Jess Harter
 It’s hard not to like Si Señor Restaurant.
Sure, most people wouldn’t agree the New Mexico import serves “The Best Mexican Food,” as its signage proclaims, in the Southwest.
And there are plenty of “serious” diners who would turn up their noses at any sit-down restaurant that cranks out $10 platters of food big enough for two.
But the people who love Si Señor — and, believe me, there are lots of them — couldn’t care less. For eight years, the Chandler restaurant has thrived in its stand-alone building in front of a well-worn strip mall.
Maybe it’s the fresh tortilla chips that come with a quartet of sauces — red, green, ranch and bean dip — that strike all the right notes, to varying degrees, of flavor and Hatch chile heat.
Maybe it’s the steaming-hot plates of enchiladas and tamales, rellenos and burritos — drenched in ladles of green or red sauce — that arrive just a couple minutes after you order.
Maybe it’s the free sopapillas, plain or sugar-cinnamon, that conclude each meal.
A big part of Si Senor’s allure is the friendly and unassuming staff, such as the female server who sings aloud with the piped-in mariachi music while prepping the table next to you for its next customers.
 At how many Valley restaurants will you find that?
So I willing to look past the particular menu items I don’t like at Si Señor — for example, tamales and chile rellenos so overly moist they have the consistency of wet Wonder bread — and enjoy the ones I do.
The latter category includes the chile con carne, a spicy beef stew made with red or green sauce, which is among the best I’ve ever tasted. And the cheese enchiladas, stuffed with gooey yellow cheese and topped with more yellow and white, swimming in red sauce.
And don’t get me started on the speciality margaritas — 14 varieties — all made with two shots of tequila. ($7.95-$9.75).
I’m not wild about a production-line kitchen that can produce a Si Señor combination plate (enchilada, tamale, relleno, taco, chile con carne, rice and beans, $12.95) in less time than it takes me to decide to order it.
But I keep returning to Si Señor. I just can’t seem to say no.
Si Señor Restaurant
Where: 600 N. Alma School Road, Chandler (between Ray Road and Chandler Boulevard)
Open: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Prices: Appetizers $7.50-$9.75, salads $10.25-$12.25, combo plates $8.95-$12.95, chicken/steak entrees $12.95-$16.95.
Info: (480) 857-1217 or sisenorrestaurants.com
Posted in: Chandler • Si Señor | 5 Comments »
September 28th, 2009, 4:25 pm by Jess Harter
Kiley’s Grill, a neighborhood restaurant and sports bar, has opened in a building that formerly housed a Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant in Chandler.
Kiley’s, located on Alma School Road between Elliot and Warner roads, has offered a limited menu of appetizers, sandwiches, burgers and pizzas for its first few days, but hopes to launch its full menu Wednesday.
The bar boasts 101 different martinis, and has margaritas, spiced rum and vodka mixed drinks on tap. You also can buy a special 24-ounce beer mug for $10 and get refills for $5.
Happy hour, which runs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close daily, includes such specials as $2 domestic drafts, $3 imports, $5 appetizers and $5 10-inch pizzas.
A second Kiley’s, which was to open earlier this year on the southeast corner of Gilbert and Williams Field roads in Gilbert, was put on hold after the landlord declared bankruptcy.
Kiley’s Grill, 2394 N. Alma School Road, Chandler, is open 10 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Info: (480) 245-6601.
Posted in: Gilbert • Kiley's Grill | 1 Comment »
September 28th, 2009, 4:01 pm by Jess Harter
Congratulations to Higley High School grad Julie Fiedler (right) and her International Culinary School classmates at the Art Institute of Phoenix, Katelyn Remick and Tyler Burke.
The trio may have lost their culinary battle against Michael Symon on the Food Network’s popular “Iron Chef America” Sunday, but the magnanimous Iron Chef offered them a sweet consolation prize: internships at his prestigious Cleveland restaurant Lola.
Sunday’s battle marked the first time culinary students had competed against an Iron Chef on the TV show. The featured ingredient was balsamic vinegar.
You can catch repeats of the hour-long episode featuring Fiedler, who also attended the East Valley Institute of Technology, and her teammates at 8 p.m. Thursday, 3 a.m. Friday, 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. Saturday and 2 a.m. Sunday on the Food Network.
Posted in: Valleywide • International Culinary School | Post a Comment »
September 28th, 2009, 2:53 pm by Jess Harter
Great news for east Mesa residents: Caffe Boa, the popular Mill Avenue bistro and wine bar, is opening a second location at Power and McDowell roads near Las Sendas.
The new Caffe Boa, which takes over the former Pacific Bay Company, is expected to open around Nov. 1.
The menu will include many of the favorite dishes from the Tempe bistro (pictured above), but owner Jay Wisniewski says the new restaurant will feature a wood-burning oven — something not found at the Mill location — for making pasta dishes, but not pizzas.
Another feature, Wisniewski says, will be a salumi station, offering artisan cured meats, at the end of the bar.
The 2,500-square-foot Mesa restaurant, which will have hardwood floors and earth-tone colors, will seat about 55 inside and another 45 on a patio with a fireplace.
Compared to the Tempe location, the Mesa one will offer a pared-down wine list of 25 reds and 25 whites — all available by the glass, half-bottle or bottle — from a glass-enclosed wine cellar.
“We think it will allow customers to try great wines from around the world without breaking the bank,” Wisniewski says.
The Mesa location is opening at an intersection that already has D’Vine Bistro & Wine Bar and Red White & Brew.
“Although there are some restaurants already doing good things there, I feel we can offer something that’s not out there,” Wisniewski says.
This marks Caffe Boa’s second try at expansion. Several years ago, Wisniewski opened additional locations in Ahwatukee (later sold and now with a different menu, although it retains the name) and north Scottsdale (since closed).
Posted in: Mesa • Caffe Boa | 3 Comments »
September 23rd, 2009, 4:39 pm by Jess Harter
The Desert Botanical Garden will host an outdor beer-tasting event called Biergarten from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday.
Tickets, which are $75, include a commemorative 5-ounce sampling mug, 20 2-ounce beer samples, food and entertainment. Nearly 60 different beers will be available.
There also will be two cash bars with beer and wine. Complimentary soda and water will be provided, too.
The menu, prepared by Atlasta Catering, will feature a grill station with bratwurst and vegetable skewers with cheddar-beer fondue, a pasta station three with kinds of spaetzel and a griddle station with potato pancakes.
Music will be provided by Big Willie and the Polka Meisters, Dry River Yacht Club, Bad Cactus Brass Band and Hot Club of Phoenix.
The Desert Botanical Garden is located at 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix. Info: (480) 941-1225.
Posted in: Phoenix • Desert Botanical Garden | Post a Comment »
September 23rd, 2009, 3:10 pm by Jess Harter
Queen Creek Olive Mill will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony from noon to 1:30 p.m. Thursday to unveil recent renovations to its retail shop.
The biggest interior change people will notice is the removal of the walls that formed the room where the various olive oils were displayed. The oils are still in that same area on reconfigured shelves.
A bump-out was added to the building’s exterior to accommodate larger restrooms. It also allows the cash registers to be pushed back, resulting in more retail space.
Outside, the porch has a fresh coat of paint and the patio’s shade roof has been upgraded.
If you’ve been to the olive mill on a busy weekend, you know how human traffic gets jammed up trying to go in and out the same door. That problem has been solved with separate in and out doors.
Queen Creek Olive Mill, 25062 S. Meridian Road, Queen Creek, is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Info: (480) 888-9290.
Posted in: Queen Creek • Queen Creek Olive Mill | Post a Comment »
September 23rd, 2009, 2:26 pm by Jess Harter
Big Daddy’s Smokehouse Sports Grill, located on the southwest corner of 40th Street and Chandler Boulevard in Ahwatukee, has closed.
A statement posted on the sports bar’s website notes “the last ten months of negotiations with the landlord regarding the rent have come to an impasse and the landlord has changed the locks and has permanently closed the facility.”
Posted in: Ahwatukee • Big Daddy's Smokehouse Sports Grill | 1 Comment »
September 23rd, 2009, 7:48 am by Jess Harter
 Nearly 5,000 people are expected to descend on downtown Chandler on Saturday for the city’s annual Oktoberfest celebration outside SanTan Brewing Company. The event runs noon to 11 p.m.
Homemade German bratwurst, courtesy of Van Hanson’s Meat Market in Chandler, will highlight a menu of sausages, sauerkraut, German potato salad and other items.
Bavarian-style beer gardens will serve a selection of craft beers, including SanTan’s Oktoberfest seasonal ale.
The Arizona Accordian Club will play polka music from 12:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., followed by live music from Shawn Johnson & the Foundations from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and The Insomniacs from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
The Arizona Derby Dames will show off their roller derby moves at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Other events will includeweiner dog races, a bratwurst-eating contest, keg stacking and tricycle races.
Admission to the festival is $10. Tickets can be purchased at SanTan Brewing in advance or the day of the event.
SanTan Brewing is located at 8 S. San Marcos Place, a quarter-mile southwest of the intersection of Arizona Avenue and Chandler Boulevard. Info: (480) 917-8700.
Posted in: Chandler • SanTan Brewing Co. | 3 Comments »
September 23rd, 2009, 7:32 am by Jess Harter
A Wine & Jazz Walk will be held 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at the Promenade at Fulton Ranch, the shopping center on the northeast corner of Alma School and Chandler Heights roads in Chandler.
The highlight of the event will be a wine-tasting area, featuring more than 30 wines, presented by CorkPromen. Other restaurants from the center will offer food samples.
In addition to food and drink, several local jazz musicians will perform at various locations in the center. Merchants will offer in-store attractions ranging from makeup consultations to a jewelry and flip-flop trunk show.
Admission to the Wine & Jazz Walk is $10 per person, which will be donated to ICAN, a non-profit that provides programs for at-risk youth.
Posted in: Chandler • Cork | Post a Comment »
September 22nd, 2009, 6:38 pm by Jess Harter
 Cheesecake is perhaps the most ubiquitous dessert in the East Valley, served everywhere from pizzerias to seafood restaurants, sports bars to fine-dining destinations.
While quite simple — the American standard is a cream cheese-based filling in a graham cracker crumb crust — there’s no reason cheesecake has to be boring.
Here are five East Valley restaurants that serve cheesecake with a twist:
S’Bistro: You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy owner-chef Brian Banasek’s creative cheesecake lollipops ($2 apiece, pictured at right), which come in a variety of flavors and coatings with sauces. 124 W. Main Street, Mesa, (480) 962-0344,
La Calabria: Italians substitute ricotta for cream cheese, resulting in a drier texture. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better example than the cheesecake ($5.95 per slice) made by owner-chef Giovanni Spataro’s wife, Clara. 1534 E. Ray Road, Gilbert, (480) 726-3537.
McDuffy’s Grille: How do Americans improve a dessert that’s been around for at least 2,000 years? By deep-frying it, of course. McDuffy’s “cheesecake bites” ($5.29) are served with ice cream. 980 E. Pecos Road, Chandler, (480) 966-8200.
Cork: Pastry chef Danielle Morris uses chevre, a creamy goat’s milk cheese, for a tangy French twist, served with champagne grapes and port-soaked fig ($5). 4991 S. Alma School Road, Chandler, (480) 883-3773.
Vito’s Pizza: Take turtle cheesecake bites, bury in chocolate cream and top with nuts, chocolate chips and caramel. This pizzeria’s Chocolate Eruption ($7) lives up to its name. 1947 N. Lindsey Road, Mesa, (480) 832-3311.
Posted in: Chandler • Gilbert • Mesa • Cork • La Calabria • McDuffy's Grille • S'Bistro • Vito's Pizza | 1 Comment »
September 22nd, 2009, 6:29 pm by Jess Harter
Howl at the Moon, a Chicago-based chain of dueling-pianos bars, will open its 14th location — and first in Arizona — Oct. 16 in Old Town Scottsdale.
Billing itself as “the world’s greatest rock n’ roll piano bar,” Howl at the Moon will take over the space that formerly housed Lyte Lounge southeast of Camelback and Scottsdale roads.
The bar will feature two piano players at a time playing music from the 1970s to today. The players will change hourly.
Howl at the Moon, 7419 E. Indian Plaza Drive, Scottsdale, will open at 7 p.m. Oct. 16. Info: (480) 994-4695.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Howl at the Moon | 2 Comments »
September 22nd, 2009, 6:13 pm by Jess Harter
La Grande Orange, one of the Valley’s top pizzerias, has launched a pizza happy hour from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursday.
During the nightly hour, the east Phoenix eatery is lowering the price of its cheese pizzas from $12 to $5. Additional ingredients are $2-$3 apiece.
The offer only applies to dine-in orders.
La Grande Orange is located at 4410 N. 40th St., Phoenix. Info: (602) 840-7777.
Posted in: Phoenix • La Grande Orange | Post a Comment »
September 22nd, 2009, 4:26 pm by Jess Harter
 A couple weeks ago, I broke the news about a new Asian fusion restaurant that’s taking over the former KiZake Sushi & Martinis space, as well as the neighboring Vivi’s Boutique space, in downtown Chandler.
Owner-chef Virakon Vongphachanh finally has settled on a name: Siracha Lounge.
Not to be confused with the popular Asian-American condiment Sriracha sauce, Siracha (sometimes spelled Si Racha) is a city in Thailand.
Vongphachanh hopes to get Siracha Lounge open by Halloween.
Posted in: Chandler • Siracha Lounge | 2 Comments »
September 22nd, 2009, 11:02 am by Jess Harter
Marie Callender’s kicked off its October half-price pie sale Monday, more than a week early.
More than 30 kinds of pie, regularly priced $10.49-$15.49, are available for $6.99. The sale, which only applies to pies to go, runs through Oct. 31.
Marie Callender’s has East Valley locations on Chandler Boulevard, just east of I-10, in Chandler and on Dobson Road, north of Southern Avenue, in Mesa.
Posted in: Chandler • Mesa • Marie Callender's | Post a Comment »
September 21st, 2009, 5:54 pm by Jess Harter
If the recession is hurting the Valley’s restaurant industry, it’s not readily apparent at Joe’s Farm Grill in Gilbert.
More than a dozen customers are standing in line to place their orders at the window of the retro-looking burger stand on Wednesday night.
Outside on the grassy grounds, picnic tables are filled with families devouring hamburgers, hot dogs and milkshakes.
“We’re sometimes surprised there’s a recession because we see so many people eating out at restaurants,” says Kristina, a 30-something mother of two who declined to give her last name.
Read the rest of this story on EastValleyTribune.com
Posted in: Valleywide • Cork • Joe's Farm Grill • Joe's Real BBQ • Liberty Market • The Deli | 1 Comment »
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