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Archive for the 'Outside the Valley' Category

Starbucks releases 600-store closure list; none in Valley

Friday, July 18th, 2008 by Jess Harter

sadadStarbucks finally has released the official list of all 600 stores it’s closing, and Arizona is pretty much unscathed. The only location in the state to get the ax is a Starbucks along I-10 in Eloy.

Compare that to California, where 88 locations are closing, or Texas, which is losing 57. Even Minnesota, which has a million fewer residents than Arizona, will see 27 closings.

Besides Arizona, other states losing only one Starbucks are New Hampshire, Delaware and South Carolina.

Starbucks announced plans to close 600 stores earlier this month in an effort to boost profitability and its slumping stock price. The closures are expected to take place by March 2009.

See the full list of Starbucks stores that are closing nationwide
Find your nearest Starbucks in the East Valley

Grilling TV show shot in Arizona to debut Saturday

Tuesday, June 17th, 2008 by Jess Harter

Steven Raichlen, a four-time James Beard Award-winning Miami chef and author of “The Barbecue Bible,” hosts a new PBS show, “Primal Grill,” debuting Saturday on Channel 8.

The series, filmed at Tubac Golf Resort & Spa in southern Arizona, airs 1 p.m. Saturdays through Sept. 20. Info: primalgrill.org.

New York City’s new most expensive burger: $175

Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 by Jess Harter

originalNew York City has a new most expensive burger. The Wall Street Burger Shoppe is offering a Kobe beef burger (pictured at left) with black truffles, seared foie gras, aged Gruyere cheese, wild mushrooms and — get this — flecks of actual gold on a brioche bun. The cost? A cool $175.

The restaurant’s owner tells The Associated Press the pricey burger is a favorite of Wall Street types who want to impress their friends. She says she sells 20 to 25 per month.

New York’s second-most expensive burger is Daniel Boulud’s, which has an ground sirloin exterior with a filling of boned short ribs braised in red wine. It’s topped with toasted parmesan, fresh horseradish mayonnaise, tomato confit, fresh tomato and frisée lettuce and sells for $150.

Both are bargains compared to the burger at Fleur de Lys at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The Kobe burger, stuffed with foie gras and black truffles and served on a brioche truffle bun, will set you back $5,000. But, as a bonus, the price includes a bottle of Chateau Petrus 1995.

Tucson chef Janos Wilder publishes chile rellenos cookbook

Saturday, May 10th, 2008 by Jess Harter

Janos Wilder, the James Beard Award-winning chef from Janos Restaurant and J Bar in Tucson, has published a cookbook, “The Great Chiles Rellenos Book.” The paperback ($16.95) has more than 70 recipes, ranging from poppers to casseroles.

Country Thunder festival serves up more than just barbecue

Sunday, April 20th, 2008 by Jess Harter

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I made my annual trek to Country Thunder on Saturday. Not that I was expecting much out of the food scene at the four-day country music extravaganza near Florence. Having attended for several years, I remembered it offers the typical festival fare: barbecue turkey legs, Indian frybread and, of course, plenty of beer.

There were a few surprises, though. Hale Lake (pictured above), a Hawaiian native whose Island Noodles booth has been a fixture at Valley festivals and spring-training stadiums this year, made his first trip to Country Thunder. I enjoyed a carton packed with wok-fired soba noodles, carrots, brocolli and other vegetables.

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Fatburger founder Lovie Yancey dies at age 96

Saturday, February 2nd, 2008 by Jess Harter

Fatburger founder Lovie Yancey, who opened her first then-called Mr. Fatburger in south-central Los Angeles in 1947, has died of pneumonia at age 96.

Yancey had a restaurant in Tucson in the early 1940s, before moving to L.A. and launching her famous burger stand. She dropped the “Mr.” from the restaurant’s name in 1952 and began offering franchises in 1981.

The chain has been immortalized in TV shows such as “Sanford and Son,” films such as “The Fast and the Furious” and “Lethal Weapon” and songs such as Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day.”

The 82-restaurant chain has six locations in Arizona, including Tempe, Scottsdale, Mesa and Gilbert.

Dolly Steamboat resumes dinner cruises in February

Friday, January 25th, 2008 by Jess Harter

dollyThe Dolly Steamboat, which offers dinner and nature cruises on Canyon Lake east of the Valley, resumes seasonal operations Feb. 9 and will celebrate its 25th anniversary March 1.

The menu for the two-and-a-half-hour dinner cruises includes such entrees as filet mignon, prime rib, grilled chicken and pasta. Cost is $54-$64.

Ninety-minute narrated nature cruises are held during the day and cost $19.

Info: (480) 827-9144.

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