Archive for the 'Scottsdale' Category
November 1st, 2009, 1:38 pm by Jess Harter
Hungry for something to do in November? The penultimate month of the year dishes up a heaping helping of food- and drink-related events all around the Valley. Here are 10 that you might want to mark on your calendar:
 Free Cheeseburger Day: Joe’s Farm Grill celebrates its anniversary every year by handing out free meals — a one-third-pound cheeseburger, fries and beverage — for lunch and dinner. Last year (pictured at left), 3,100 people showed up to take advantage of the Gilbert restaurant’s offer. Nov. 4 at Joe’s Farm Grill in Gilbert. Free. joesfarmgrill.com.
James Beard Foundation Celebrity Chef Tour: Celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Phoenician executive chef Paul Carter will prepare a multi-course meal with wine pairings from master sommelier Greg Tresner to benefit the non-profit Beard Foundation, which promotes the culinary arts. Nov. 5 at J&G Steakhouse. $150 per person. celebritycheftour.com.
Scottsdale Festival of Greece: Gyros, mousaka, souvlaki, spanakopita and baklava are just a few of the Greek food items that will be served up during this annual three-day fest, which also will include a cooking class, films, live music, dancing and children’s activites. Nov. 6-8 at Scottsdale Civic Center. Free admission. azgreekfest.com.
SanTan Apple Fest: This annual fest organized by the Apple Dumpling Café features all things apple — from an apple flapjack breakfast to an apple baking contest to an apple-peeling contest. The day’s numerous activities also will include shopping, art and classic cars. Nov. 7 at Higley High School. Free. appledumplingcafe.com.
 SerbFest: Plenty of authentic Serbian cuisine — including ala carte meals, pastries, imported groceries and Serbian beer and liquor — will be available at this annual two-day celebration. Other highlights will be folk music and dancing, a shopping bazaar and children’s activities. Nov. 7-8 at St. Sava Church in Phoenix. $2. saintsavachurch.com/serbfest.
The Big Pour: This beer-tasting festival sponsored by Draft magazine debuted last November at Mesa’s Hohokam Stadium (pictured at right), but will move to Old Town Scottsdale’s SouthBridge and expand from one day to three. Everclear will head the musical lineup and perform the final night. Nov. 12-14 at Scottsdale’s SouthBridge. $10-$75. draftmag.com.
Corks & Cactus: This annual 21-and-over event will allow people to sample more than 80 boutique wines from around the world along with hors d’oeuvres and desserts. There also will be live music and talks by winery reps. Reservations are required. Nov. 13 at Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. $80 per person. dbg.org.
Chiles & Chocolate Festival: Vendors will be handing out free samples of spicy salsas and gourmet chocolates, which will be available for purchase. Cooking demonstrations and Spanish flamenco dancing lessons also will take place. Nov. 14-15 at Desert Botanical Garden. Free with garden admission. dbg.org.
Holiday Enchantment: This annual black-tie-optional event features a “Taste of Chandler,” which will include Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, Firebirds Rocky Mountain Grill, Grimadli’s Pizza and Kokopelli Winery & Bistro, among others. Nov. 20 at Crowne Plaza San Marcos Resort in Chandler. $45. (480) 963-4571.
Arizona Wine Growers Festival at the Farm: Most of the state’s top wine growers will come together for this inaugural event, which will feature wine tastings, interactive exhibits, seminars and live music. Awards will be presented at a $125-per-person dinner that evening at Quiessence. Nov. 22 at the Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix. $50 per person. azwinefestivalatthefarm.com.
Posted in: Chandler • Gilbert • Phoenix • Queen Creek • Scottsdale • Add new tag • Culinary Festivals | Post a Comment »
October 26th, 2009, 3:56 pm by Jess Harter
 Alcohol and sharp tools usually aren’t a smart combination, but I’ll make an exception for the second annual Pinot and Pumpkins Carve Off, which begins Tuesday at Pearl Sushi Lounge in Scottsdale.
For $15, you get a pumpkin, carving tools and two glasses of Pinot Grigio or Pinot Noir from 4 p.m. to close every day through Halloween.
Pumpkins will be judged during Thursday night’s ArtWalk at Pangea Gallery in Old Town Scottsdale, with the winner receiving a $750 Stuart Anthony Black limited print.
A second round of judging will be held Halloween night at Pearl for more prizes. All proceeds from the Carve Off will go to children with leukemia.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Pearl Sushi | Post a Comment »
October 26th, 2009, 9:09 am by Jess Harter
After spending the weekend in a foie gras- and pork belly-induced haze, my usual bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios this morning seems a little mundane. I’m referring, of course, to the Arizona Grand Tasting, the finale of the three-day Crave Arizona culinary festival in Old Town Scottsdale.
I didn’t get to every single dish Saturday, but I tried most of them. While many were impressive, here are the ones I’ll most remember:
 • Estate House hit the sweet spot with foie-stuffed figs rolled in gianduja chocolate and hazelnuts with a sour cherry gastrique (pictured at left on top).
• Petite Maison shared one of its popular late-night treats: roasted bone marrow with a red wine gastrique (second from top).
• Metro Brasserie did a nice double-take on pork with charcuterie topped with pork rind (third from top).
• Talavera also brought lollipops, in this case slightly tart mango cheesecake ones coated with crushed almonds (bottom).
Not all dishes were complex. BLT Steak kept things simple yet delicious with slices of American wagyu hanger steak. Recently opened Crudo did the same with rich butterfish.
Sweet Republic literally trucked in a pair of its artisan ice creams (blue cheese and Medjool date, bacon) as well as a couple sorbets (Cabernet pear, cantaloupe).
Short ribs were popular, from Kazimierz’s tacos to Cafe ZuZu’s on cheesy grits. So was pork belly, whose proponents included Cowboy Ciao and Deseo.
Sassi served up the day’s most-filling samples: Italian sausages on a roll topped with “Roman slaw” and housemade brown mustard, freshly fried Yukon Gold potato chips and seasoned beans.
The wineries represented alone were worth the price of the event’s $75 ticket. I was surprised I never saw a line at the Dunn’s Vineyard table, where they were pouring from $125 bottles of 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon.
In fact, many of the more notable wines — from Justin’s Isosceles to Quintessa’s Faust — seemed to draw the least interest from festivalgoers. I’m not sure what that says about the Valley’s wine palate.
Did you go to the Grand Tasting? If so, what were your favorite dishes?
Posted in: Scottsdale • Culinary Festivals | Post a Comment »
October 21st, 2009, 7:05 am by Jess Harter
No segment of the restaurant industry has been hit as hard as fine dining during the past year, so it’s not surprising the second annual Crave Arizona culinary festival — a showcase for many of Scottsdale’s poshest eateries — has scaled back a little this year.
The three-day festival, which was called Eats3 in its inaugural year, begins Thursday and includes a kickoff party and bartending competition (combined into one event this year), a free ArtWalk, an art gallery dinner (down from six last year), three wine tastings (down from four) and an upscale barbecue.
The centerpiece event, though, is the Arizona Grand Tasting, which takes place Saturday on the canal bridge between Old Town Scottsdale’s SouthBridge and Scottsdale Fashion Square.
Nearly 40 of Arizona’s top chefs will prepare food, and more than 200 wineries will offer samples. Admission to the Grand Tasting, which organizers say is being enlarged this year, is $75 — $10 less than last year — and covers all food, drink, demonstrations and seminars.
 Participating Valley restaurants will include T. Cook’s, Cowboy Ciao, Atlas Bistro, Elements, Zinc Bistro, Posh, Petite Maison, Metro Brasserie, Prado, Sassi, House of Tricks, Lon’s, Talavera and True Food Kitchen.
This year’s roster of celebrity chefs doesn’t have quite the star power of last year’s lineup headed by the legendary Jacques Pepin, but will include Michael Mina, Douglas Rodriguez and “Top Chef” TV show winner Stephanie Izard.
Rodriguez and Izard, who also appeared last year, will be among four chefs giving free cooking demos (vs. five last year) during the Grand Tasting. There also will be a pair of wine seminars (down from four).
Arizona Grand Tasting
When: Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday
Where: The Bridge at the Scottsdale Waterfront, 7135 E. Camelback Road
How much: $75
Info: (888) 946-3277 or cravearizona.com
Other Crave Arizona events leading up to the Grand Tasting:
• Top Bar Chef Competition & Kickoff Party: Bartenders compete for the title of National Top Bar Chef at The Bridge at the Scottsdale Waterfront. The club-like atmosphere will include the spins of DJ Peabody and dessert bites from local chefs. Admission to the party, which starts at 9 p.m. Thursday, is $25 (includes two cocktails).
 • “Taste of Art” ArtWalk: Old Town Scottsdale’s weekly ArtWalk will feature food samples prepared by students at the Arizona Culinary Institute and wines from Washington state. The ArtWalk, which begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, is free.
• “Taste of Art” Gallery Dinner: The Marshall-LeKAE Gallery will host a five-course dinner with award-winning winemaker Fritz Maytag and Deseo chef Rodriguez at 8 p.m. Thursday. Cost is $150 per person.
• Wine Luncheons: Three-course meals with wine pairings will be offered at noon Friday at Atlas Bistro (Miner Family Vineyards), Bourbon Steak (Palmina Winery) and Café Forte (TBD). Luncheons are $50 apiece.
• Library Wine Tastings: Taste and purchase rare wines during hosted tastings Friday at Olive & Ivy (Marc De Grazia Vineyard, 3 p.m.), Calvin Charles Gallery (Juston Vineyard, 4 p.m.) and The Estate House (York Creek Vineyards, 4 p.m.). Tastings are $50 apiece.
• BBQ and Bubbles: This event, which starts at 7 p.m. Friday, includes grilled foods from national and Valley chefs, beer and wine, live music and silent auctions at The Bridge at the Scottsdale Waterfront. Admission is $100.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Crave Arizona • Culinary Festivals | Post a Comment »
October 19th, 2009, 2:32 pm by Jess Harter
My Monday morning ritual of the past few months has included figuring out which East Valley restaurants closed over the previous weekend. Maybe this is a sign the economy is turning around: Today, there are a couple weekend closures of note, but both restaurants — Bella Vino in Chandler and Digestif in Scottsdale — are promising to reopen by the end of the year.
 Workers were removing fixtures and equipment Monday from Bella Vino, the upscale Italian restaurant on the southeast corner of Alma School and Chandler Heights roads. But a sign on the door indicated Bella Vino (pictured) plans to reopen in November at Gilbert Road and the Santan Freeway. No word on whether it would offer an Italian menu (its original concept), a Mexican menu (which it recently added) or keep both.
(If memory serves, there are a couple of Italian options, Olive Garden and Streets of New York, already at Gilbert and the Loop 202, but I can’t think of a Mexican restaurant there. Plus, owner-chef Anthony Serrano’s family operates several Mexican eateries in western Arizona.)
Meanwhile, Digestif continues to experience a whirlwind of change since opening last year. The Cal-Ital restaurant left its indie-cool, beatnik-basement digs in July and moved across Stetson Drive to a much smaller, stripped-down space vacated by one of owner Peter Kasperski’s other eateries, Sea Saw. Then, chef Payton Curry announced earlier this month he was leaving to take over the kitchen at Tempe’s Caffe Boa.
Marianne Markogianis, marketing guru for Kasperski’s restaurant group (which also includes Cowboy Ciao and Kazimierz World Wine Bar), says Kasperski hopes to reopen Digestif by December. Although the restaurant will get a new name, a new look and a new chef, Markogianis says it likely will retain its recently converted gastropub menu, albeit shortened, of globally inspired dishes.
Posted in: Chandler • Scottsdale • Bella Vino • Digestif | 1 Comment »
October 12th, 2009, 8:57 am by Jess Harter
The good news: Digestif chef Payton Curry and manager Shantal Abdo got married Sunday. The bad news: The couple is leaving the Old Town Scottsdale restaurant.
Marianne Markogianis, marketing maven for Spaghetti Western Productions (which also includes Cowboy Ciao and Kazimierz World Wine Bar), reports the Currys will work at Digestif through the Crave Arizona culinary festival Oct. 22-24.
The Arizona Republic is reporting Curry is heading to Tempe’s Caffe Boa, which is expanding by adding a Mesa location as reported first on this blog last month.
Digestif was launched in February 2008 with a California-Italian menu. It moved across Stetson Drive into much smaller digs and converted to a farm-to-table gastropub menu this summer.
Curry is the latest high-profile chef to exit from Peter Kasperski’s Spaghetti Western Productions. This year’s departures also have included Bernie Kantak (Cowboy Ciao), Nobuo Fukuda (recently closed Sea Saw) and dessert chef Tracy Dempsey.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Digestif | Post a Comment »
October 6th, 2009, 12:54 pm by Jess Harter
Talk about irony: Fitness Café, which caters to a health-conscious crowd in north Scottsdale, tops this week’s list of worst restaurant inspections in the East Valley.
The café, 13610 N. Scottsdale Road, was cited for seven major violations, ranging from “soiled wiping cloths stored on cutting boards” to poor (or non-existent) hand-washing by managers and staff.
Several other restaurants were tagged with five major violations this week, including Prima Pizza and Floridino’s in Gilbert, Rancho Grande Market in Mesa, Crackers Café in Tempe and Macayo’s and Cheuvront Wine & Cheese Bar in Phoenix.
You can find more details or look up other restaurants here.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Dirty Dining • Fitness Cafe | 1 Comment »
October 2nd, 2009, 11:41 am by Jess Harter
 North Scottsdale’s Mosaic, one of the Valley’s most acclaimed restaurants for the past eight years, has closed.
In a statement posted Thursday on the restaurant’s website, chef/owner Deborah Knight (pictured at right) says she and husband/GM Matt Rinn “are closing Mosaic because we have decided it is the right time for us to move on and look to new horizons.”
Mosaic featured an ever-changing menu of inventive American dishes with global influences — ranging from African to Vietnamese to American Indian — that emphasized seasonal and organic ingredients.
The restaurant, which opened in July 2001, created an immediate splash. Knight was named “Best New Chef” in 2002 by Food & Wine magazine.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Mosaic | 1 Comment »
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 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 9th, 2009, 4:07 pm by Jess Harter
The Ice Den has announced the second restaurant that will be joining the new Over Easy location at the north Scottsdale skating and entertainment center and, as rumored, it’s a neighborhood grill called 18 Degrees.
Chef Aaron May, who opened his first Over Easy nine months ago in Phoenix’s Arcadia area, will a create a menu of made-from-scratch comfort foods like burgers, mac and cheese, pizzas and roast chicken for 18 Degrees.
The dual restaurant will feature a 154-square-foot interactive screen giving players “authentic, championship golf, football, hockey and baseball experiences,” allowing players to, say, pitch to Derek Jeter or have Wayne Gretzky shoot pucks at them.
The only other such screen is located at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
There also will be 15 big-screen TVs, six private booths with their own 23-inch TVs, a glass-enclosed arcade, a lounge with overstuffed sofas and chairs and a 47-inch Nintendo Wii screen and a private-party “Warming Hut” with two 60-inch screens.
Both Over Easy and 18 Degrees are planning a soft opening around Sept. 21.
Posted in: Scottsdale • 18 Degrees • Over Easy | 1 Comment »
September 3rd, 2009, 3:04 pm by Jess Harter
Confirming one of the worst-kept secrets in the Valley, the Ice Den has announced a second location of chef Aaron May’s Arcadia breakfast spot, Over Easy, is coming to the skating-and-entertainment center in north Scottsdale.
 Over Easy will be just one of two restaurants opening there later this month. The other has not been identified, but it’s rumored to be a casual grill that will be called 18 Degrees.
A marketing person for the Ice Den only would say the second place will have an “entertainment aspect” and be the first of its kind in Arizona, and that an announcement is planned next week.
The opening of a second Over Easy comes less than three weeks after May (pictured) closed two restaurants, Sol y Sombra and Autostrada, at DC Ranch in north Scottsdale. He also has scrapped plans for three other eateries in Scottsdale.
May also is a partner in The Lodge in Old Town Scottsdale.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Over Easy | Post a Comment »
September 2nd, 2009, 7:48 pm by Jess Harter
Here’s a sure sign the long, hot Arizona summer finally is winding down: The Valley’s unofficial culinary “season” kicks off with a number of September events, including these five:
Phoenix Cooks!: Lee Hillson (T. Cooks), Michael Stebner (True Food) and Michael Rusconi (Lon’s) will be among the top chefs on three interactive stages. The five-hour festival also includes classes, food samples, wine and shopping. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, 6902 E. Greenway Parkway, Scottsdale. $75 advance, $90 at door.
 Cooks & Chords: Ruth’s Chris, Fleming’s and Aiello’s will be among the restaurants providing chef-prepared dishes at this third annual fundraiser for the the Arizona chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. There also will be wine, acoustic music and silent auctions. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 12 at the Mayo Clinic, 13400 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale. $75.
Arizona Restaurant Week: East Valley favorites Cork, House of Tricks, Vito’s Pizza (pictured at right), The Landmark, Fleming’s, Roy’s, Brio Tuscan Grille and Monti’s La Casa Vieja are some of the more than 100 Valley restaurants (plus more in Tucson) that will offer special three-course menus for $29 for eight consecutive days during Arizona’s second annual Restaurant Week. Sept. 19-26.
Downtown Chandler Oktoberfest: More than 4,000 people showed up for SanTan Brewing Company’s inaugural Oktoberfest last fall. The all-day outdoor party features bratwurst and other sausages from Von Hanson’s Meats, German side dishes and an Oktoberfest beer from brewmaster Anthony Cannechia. 12:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sept. 26 at SanTan Brewing, 8 S. San marcos Place, Chandler. $10.
Heavy Medal Challenge: Josh Hebert (Posh) and Oliver Reschreiter (JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa) will compete in an “Iron Chef”-type competition with celebrity judges to raise money for culinary scholarships. The 150 guests will enjoy a four-course dinner with wine. 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 21 at JW Marriott, 5350 E. Marriott Drive, Phoenix. $175.
Posted in: Chandler • Phoenix • Scottsdale • Culinary Festivals | Post a Comment »
September 2nd, 2009, 11:28 am by Jess Harter
Petite Maison, the two-week-old Old Town Scottsdale restaurant from chef James Porter, is starting brunch this weekend and will begin breakfast and lunch Tuesday.
Brunch will be 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays (and, this weekend, also on the Monday holiday). Check out the French eatery’s brunch menu.
On weekdays, breakfast will be 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner is 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Petite Maison | Post a Comment »
August 28th, 2009, 2:42 pm by Jess Harter
Most Valley restaurateurs are simply trying to ride out the current recession. Joseph Gutierrez thinks it’s the right time to open a new restaurant. Or three.
The 54-year-old chef, who owns the Italian-American eatery Cin-Cin in Old Town Scottsdale, is in the midst of launching a trio of new restaurants at Old Town’s much-plagued SouthBridge development:
• Tutto, an Italian restaurant, took over the former Digestif space in July;
• Acua, a French-Asian fusion restaurant, opened Aug. 20 in the former Canal space;
• Tapas Papa Fritas, a Spanish restaurant, is scheduled to open Oct. 12 in the space originally planned for Mexican Standoff.
 “I didn’t want to do three places at once, but the way the lease is set up it’s a package deal,” says Gutierrez, who was head chef at the Arizona Biltmore’s L’Orangerie in the 1970s, ran the Fairmont Scottsdale’s Marquesa in the ‘80s and debuted Tapas Papa Fritas in Phoenix in the ‘90s (it’s now Tarbell’s).
The veteran has his work cut out for him at SouthBridge. Seven restaurants originally were announced for the complex, which opened in 2007. Only one of those, Estate House, is open today.
“The economy is bad,” Gutierrez says. “You’ve got to have prices people can afford for dinner.”
So Tutto (pictured at left) offers freshly made pastas for $15 to $17 and pizzas for $11 to $14 (see Tutto menu). At Acua, small plates start at $7 and large entrees at $16 (see Acua menu). Everything on Tapas Papa Fritas’ menu will be less than $25.
Gutierrez’s passion for food won’t allow him to sacrifice sophistication for affordability. A typical entrée at Acua, for example: oxtail ravioli with crispy sweet potato, foie gras perigourdiné emulsion and shaved truffle.
At Tapas Papa Fritas, Gutierrez says, the house sangria will be made with 19 ingredients.
“There are very sophisticated diners in Arizona now, especially in Scottsdale,” he says.
Gutierrez also suspects a management-heavy staff was part of the problem at Canal, something he discovered when many of its employees applied for positions at Acua
“Everyone wanted to be a manager,” he says. “Apparently, no one was a cook, no one was a busboy. Everyone was a manager.”
It promises to be a hectic next few months at SouthBridge for Gutierrez, especially since he has a 14-month-old at home and his wife is expecting another child.
“We need to make this work,” he says. “Diapers are very expensive.”
Tutto, 7114 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, is open 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Info: (480) 947-2129.
Acua, 7144 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, is open 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Info: (480) 949-9000.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Acua • Cin-Cin • Tapas Papa Fritas • Tutto | Post a Comment »
August 26th, 2009, 12:35 pm by Jess Harter
 This one really hurts: Fusion Restaurant & Lounge, one of my all-time Valley favorites, has closed in Old Town Scottsdale.
Fusion, owned by chef Matt Long and manager-wife JenLyn, offered an ecletic menu of sophisticated yet affordable comfort foods such as chorizo mac ‘n’ cheese, hoison-marinated duck breast and Kobe burgers with caramelized jalapenos and a red chili cheese sauce (pictured).
For the past few years, the restaurant was practically inaccessible due to the construction of the W Scottsdale Hotel across the street. The hotel finally was finished last fall, about a year behind schedule.
If there’s a silver lining for Fusion fans, it’s that the Longs now can devote their full attention to Daily Dose, the all-day bistro they opened in October on Scottsdale Road just south of Indian School Road.
Daily Dose recently unveiled a new dinner menu featuring such dishes as Southwestern chicken and waffles, oat-and-horseradish-crusted trout and, yes, even Fusion’s chorizo mac ‘n’ cheese.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Daily Dose • Fusion | 2 Comments »
August 25th, 2009, 3:48 pm by Jess Harter
Pink Pony and Quilted Bear, two venerable Scottsdale restaurants with nearly a century of history between them, are among the latest victims of the economic recession.
Pink Pony — once labeled the best baseball restaurant in America by famed baseball writer Roger Angell — had been an Old Town mainstay for 60 years.
Known for its huge steaks served with homemade biscuits and Pink Pony’s own steak sauce, the restaurant displayed a huge collection of commemorative bats behind the bar.
Quilted Bear was opened in 1973 by legendary restaurateur Dale Anderson, who died earlier this year. It offered steaks, seafood and a huge salad bar.
The two closures follow the May shutdown of 72-year-old El Chorro Lodge in Paradise Valley.
Posted in: Paradise Valley • Scottsdale • El Charro Lodge • Pink Pony • Quilted Bear | 3 Comments »
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