Archive for the 'Scottsdale' Category
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 »
August 24th, 2009, 4:32 pm by Jess Harter
Jeez, I take one week of vacation and miss all kinds of news. Where to start?
• Mesa apparently doesn’t have much of an appetite for organic pizza and Earth-friendly decor. Pizza Fusion, billed as the country’s first “green” pizza chain, has closed its only Arizona location — near McKellips and Recker roads in Mesa — after just nine months. The phone number no longer works, and the chain’s website says, “We’re currently seeking a new site location.”
 • Chef Aaron May has closed his Spanish restaurant Sol y Sombra in north Scottsdale’s seemingly jinxed DC Ranch. The four-year-old tapas eatery shut down just a few days after May’s eight-month-old Autostrada closed next door. May also has scrapped plans for a Basque restaurant called Leche and a Texas barbecue joint called Ice House (the latter in the former Pischke’s spot) in Old Town Scottsdale.
• Rendezvous Point, which took over the former Citrus Cafe space near Alma School and Warner roads in Chandler, has closed after just two months. If you recall, the longtime Citrus Cafe had closed after its new owner was charged with stealing diners’ credit card numbers.
• Not all the local dining news was bad last week. Chef James Porter, who closed Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar in Scottsdale in May, already has opened his new (much smaller) place: the French-inspired Petite Maison in Old Town Scottsdale. It’s dinner-only for now (see menu), but breakfast and lunch are coming.
• Firehouse Subs, a Florida-based chain of firefighter-themed sandwich shops that opened its first Arizona location two years ago in Chandler, has opened a second at Mesa’s Dana Park (Baseline Road and Val Vista Drive).
• Regions Bistro & Bar, which in late May closed its two locations in Scottsdale and Tempe after just four and three months, respectively, has reopened its Shea Boulevard restaurant under new ownership (see menu). The Mill Avenue restaurant is expected to reopen in October.
• Dutch Bros. Coffee, an Oregon-based chain of drive-through coffee stands, celebrates the opening of its first Mesa location (McKellips and Gilbert roads) by giving away free drinks from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday. The chain’s five other Valley stands will offer 16-ounce hot or iced drinks for $2 all day.
• Need more proof that brew pubs are hot right now? Not one but two new ones are coming to Tempe this fall. Electric Dave’s Brewpub (formerly located in Bisbee) is coming to the corner of College Avenue and Fifth Street on Sept. 1, according to a sign in its window. Sleepy Dog Saloon & Brewery will open near University and McClintock drives in October.
• Mesa’s Blue Adobe Grill will host a Santa Fe Brewing beer dinner at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The four tapas-sized courses — Santa Fe scampi, green chile and spinach mushroom caps, chile-rubbed baby back ribs and blueberry cheesecake — will be paired with four beers. There are only a few $22 tickets remaining. Info: (480) 962-1000.
• Also, SanTan Brewing in downtown Chandler will host its monthly Tuesday Night Tasting at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 8. The $25 dinner, which is expected to sell out this week, features four courses — the highlight of which undoubtedly will be the chocolate-covered bacon lollipops (see menu) — paired with SanTan beers. Info: (480) 917-8700.
Posted in: Chandler • Mesa • Scottsdale • Notes | 7 Comments »
August 13th, 2009, 6:01 pm by Jess Harter
If breakfast isn’t your first meal of the day, can it technically still be called breakfast?
You can ponder this philosophical point Friday when nine Valley restaurants participate in a breakfast-for-dinner event to benefit Arizona’s Children Association statewide foster care programs.
Dubbed “PJs & Eggs,” the promotion is sponsored by Hickman’s Family Farms, Arizona’s only commercial egg producer, which is celebrating its 65th anniversary.
The nine breakfast spots, which typically close after lunch, will open at 5 p.m. Friday and offer their full breakfast menus.
Diners are encouraged to wear pajamas. Those who donate a pair of new pajamas in any size will receive a dozen free eggs and be entered in a drawing for a breakfast party for 65 people.
The participating restaurants:
• TC Eggington’s (pictured), 1660 S. Alma School Road, Mesa, (480) 345-9288.
• Stax/Breakfast Club, 4400 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, (480) 222-2582.
• First Watch, 16455 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, (480) 248-9602.
• Bacon, 4175 N. Goldwater Blvd., Scottsdale, (480) 947-3090.
• Scramble, 9832 N. Seventh St., Phoenix, (602) 374-2294.
• Over Easy, 4031 N. 40th St., Phoenix, (602) 468-3447.
• Matt’s Big Breakfast, 801 N. First St., Phoenix, (602) 254-1074.
• U.S. Egg, 402 E. Greenway Parkway, Phoenix, (602) 993-2122.
• Kiss the Cook, 4915 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale, (623) 939-4663.
Posted in: Mesa • Phoenix • Scottsdale • West Valley | 2 Comments »
August 3rd, 2009, 12:03 pm by Jess Harter
 Metro Brasserie, the nine-month-old French restaurant at Old Town Scottsdale’s SouthBridge, kicks off a seven-week series of Monday wine dinners tonight.
Each 6:30 p.m. dinner will explore a different region of France. Tonight’s inaugural dinner focuses on the Bordeaux region, with these “family-style” food courses:
• Duck confit en crepe, truffle-orange sauce, star-anise
• Oysters Bienville, mushrooms, andouille, béchamel, Peychaud’s
• Roasted leg of lamb, turnips, new potatoes and sauce Bordelaise
• Camembert, Iranian pistachios, grapes, sauternes gelée
• Pot de creme caramel, salted butter
Upcoming Mondays will explore (in order): Cótes de Rhone, Languedoc, Loire Valley, Burgundy, Alsace and Champagne.
Reservations are required; space is limited to 16 people. The cost is $30 per person. RSVP: (480) 994-3663.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Metro Brasserie | Post a Comment »
July 31st, 2009, 11:28 am by Jess Harter
 Mickey’s Hangover, the ultra-casual Scottsdale nightclub and breakfast spot, has closed.
Mickey’s featured a basement-like decor with worn-out couches and coffee tables.
But the kitchen produced some fine pub grub, and Mickey’s was a popular after-hours destination for a late-night meal.
Signature items included “Almost Famous” Cincinnati chili cheese dogs, “Fat Boy” burgers, “Fat Chick” chicken sandwiches and cheese fries (pictured).
Drink specials included buckets of cans of Schlitz beer and four flavors of Mad Dog 20/20.
Just two months ago, owner Randy Smith closed his other Scottsdale nightclub, the upscale Six.
A Mickey’s farewell party will be held tonight on the rooftop patio at nearby Acme Bar & Grill in Scottsdale.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Mickey's Hangover | 2 Comments »
July 28th, 2009, 8:59 pm by Jess Harter
Being a restaurant reviewer means I get to eat at some of the Valley’s finest restaurants on the Tribune’s dime. On my own time, however, you’ll rarely find me at those places; I’m sure you wouldn’t be surprised to learn a journalist’s salary doesn’t go very far when meals can run $200 to $300.
Summer is an exception. For these few weeks when triple-digit temperatures scare way many visitors, some the Valley’s top resorts lower prices or offer special meal deals. Here are five resorts where you can enjoy some of the Valley’s best cuisine in spectacular atmospheres:
T. Cook’s: “Iron Chef America” competitor Lee Hillson (pictured above) heads the kitchen of the Royal Palms Resort & Spa’s centerpiece, which melds Spanish Colonial architecture with a Mediterranean-influenced menu. Through Sept. 13, you can design your own three-course meal off the menu for $40 Sundays through Thursdays. Entrée suggestion: Pecan-roasted “Poulet Rouge” chicken, a French heirloom breed considered by some the world’s finest. 5200 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, (602) 808-0766.
 Kai: The only Valley restaurant to earn Mobil’s five-star rating and AAA’s five-diamond rating, this Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa restaurant spotlights ingredients produced by the Gila River Indian Community. Kai currently is offering a $59 prix-fixe menu of three of chef Michael O’Dowd’s signature items; hand-picked baby lettuces, grilled buffalo tenderloin and traditional fry bread. (Note: Kai closes from Aug. 9-Sept. 9 each summer.) 5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler, (602) 385-5726.
J&G Steakhouse: The Phoenician Resort shuttered its venerable Mary Elaine’s last year, but has replaced it with an upscale steakhouse from celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. This summer, J&G is offering a $19 burger-and-beer special: a fresh-ground patty topped with made-from-scratch Russian dressing, house-pickled cucumbers and lightly battered Vidalia sweet onions, hand-cut French fries and a premium microbrew. 6000 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale, (480) 214-8000.
Talavera: Prime cuts of free-raised meats and seafood are the building blocks of chef Mel Mecinas’s contemporary American cuisine — not cutting edge but expertly executed — at this classy-casual Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale restaurant. Talavera offers a weekly two-course tasting menu for $34, or $45 with wine pairings. Through Sept. 1, all bottles on house wine list are half-price Sundays through Wednesdays. 10600 E. Crescent Moon Drive, Scottsdale, (480) 515-5700.
Lon’s: The Hermosa Inn celebrates the spirit of the Old West, and it’s reflected in chef Michael Rusconi’s “artful American” cuisine at this hacienda-style dining room. A new summer menu includes pan-roasted foie gras with dried
cherry tamale; butternut squash ravioli with organic spinach; heirloom
tomato salad with cucumbers, red onion, San Joaquin Gold cheese and basil
sorbet; and Colorado lamb loin with goat cheese gnocchi and
fava beans. 5532 N. Palo Cristi Road, Paradise Valley, (602) 955-7878.
Posted in: Chandler • Phoenix • Scottsdale • Uncategorized • J&G Steakhouse • Kai • Lon's • T. Cook's • Talavera | Post a Comment »
July 28th, 2009, 11:25 am by Jess Harter
Uncorked Wine Bar in north Scottsdale is hosting a wine tasting from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
For $20, attendees can meet winery representatives from Phoenix’s Young’s Market and sample any 20 wines.
Participating wineries include One Hope, Matchbook, Mossback, Schramsberg, Willakenzie Estate, Gainey, Don Sebastiani & Sons, Ponzi and Girard.
Info: (480) 699-9230.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Uncorked | Post a Comment »
July 28th, 2009, 11:21 am by Jess Harter
Wednesday is National Lasgana Day, and Buca di Beppo is marking the occasion by giving away free lasagna.
Anyone who purchases a pasta dish or entrée at any Buca location will receive a free lunch-sized portion of lasagna.
The offer is not valid on take-out orders.
Buca has East Valley locations in Mesa, Chandler and Scottsdale.
Posted in: Chandler • Mesa • Scottsdale • Buca di Beppo | Post a Comment »
July 24th, 2009, 1:39 pm by Jess Harter
(Update July 26, 2009 – The sale of Canal was finalized late Friday and Gutierrez is proceeding with plans for Acua.)
Numerous reports (including my own) that a French-Asian fusion restaurant called Acua would take over Canal’s spot at Old Town Scottsdale’s SouthBridge apparently are premature.
Saturday indeed will be Canal’s last day of business. But Debi Bridges, who handles PR for SouthBridge developer Fred Unger, says the sale of Canal to Valley restaurateur Joseph Gutierrez has not been finalized. The odds it will go through, according to Bridges, are “50-50.”
If the sale is not completed — which should be known Monday, according to Bridges — Unger plans to open a new concept of his own in the Canal space.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Canal | 1 Comment »
July 23rd, 2009, 10:41 pm by Jess Harter
Friday is National Tequila Day, an opportunity to celebrate the agave-based spirit first distilled by Spanish conquistadors nearly 500 years ago near the site of present-day Tequila, Mexico. Today, there are more than 900 registered brands of tequila.
If you don’t know the difference between tequila categories such as blanco, reposado and extra anejo, here are five East Valley restaurants that carry a great selection to, ahem, study:
Juan Jaime’s Tacos and Tequila: This friendly eatery (pictured below) near Chandler Fashion Center offers approximately 80 tequilas to wash down its street-style tacos and tequila. A daily happy hour (4 p.m. to 8 p.m.) features $2.50 margaritas. 2510 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler, (480) 821-5826.
 Maria Maria: The back-wall bar at musician Carlos Santana’s stylish Tempe Marketplace restaurant offers 28 premium tequilas (all 100 percent weber blue agave), including a 2-ounce snifter of Gran Patron Burdeos for $65. 2000 E. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, (480) 449-3663.
The Mission: This Old Town Scottsdale destination pairs modern Latin cuisine with more than 50 premium tequilas. For $100, you can enjoy a two-person margarita made with Don Julio 1942 anejo tequila and centennial-edition Grand Marnier. 3815 N. Brown Ave., Scottsdale, (480) 636-5005.
Blanco Tacos + Tequila: Restaurateur Sam Fox’s Borgata newcomer (it opened in December) lists more than 60 tequilas on its menu, including a snifter of Herradura Suprema for $82. Margaritas range from pomegranate/grapefruit to peach/hibiscus. 6166 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, (480) 305-6692.
Cien Agaves Tacos & Tequila: As its name suggests, this Old Town Scottsdale two-story venue (pictured at top) boasts more than 100 tequilas, and hawks a $70 extra anejo flight (one-ounce pours) of Herradura Suprema, Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia and Partida Elegante. 7228 E. First Ave., Scottsdale, (480) 970-9002.
Posted in: Chandler • Scottsdale • Tempe • Blanco • Cien Agaves • Juan Jaime's • Maria Maria • The Mission | 1 Comment »
July 22nd, 2009, 11:38 pm by Jess Harter
And then there was one.
Canal, one of just two original restaurants remaining at Old Town Scottsdale’s two-year-old SouthBridge development, has been sold. Saturday will be its last day.
The fashion-centric eatery, best-known for its $30 lobster sandwich and the S-shaped runway in the dining room, will be replaced by a French-Asian fusion restaurant called Acua.
Of the seven restaurants originally planned for SouthBridge, only Foodbar, Canal, Estate House and Digestif got off the ground. Mexican Standoff came close; the others were supposed to be a new Sea Saw and Shell Shock.
Foodbar closed last year and has since been replaced by Metro Brasserie. Digestif moved into a smaller space across the street and reopened Wednesday.
Estate House, the sole remaining original restaurant, has revamped its menu once already and says yet another revamp currently is in the works.
Acua, which hopes to open by mid-August, will be the third new SouthBridge project from Cin-Cin owner Joseph Gutierrez, who just opened an Italian restaurant, Tutto, in the old Digestif space and is planning a Spanish restaurant, Tapas Papa Fritas, for the Mexican Standoff space.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Acua • Canal | 2 Comments »
July 8th, 2009, 7:29 am by Jess Harter
Saturday will be Digestif’s final day at Scottsdale’s SouthBridge development.
The farm-to-table Italian restaurant is moving across Stetson Drive into a smaller space that previously housed its sister restaurant Sea Saw.
The new location is scheduled to open by July 22.
For its final four days on the canal side of Stetson, Digestif has dropped its lunch hours. It will open at 5 p.m. daily.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Digestif | Post a Comment »
July 6th, 2009, 2:37 pm by Jess Harter
Old Town Scottsdale’s Estate House is running three prix fixe menus — for $20, $30 and $40 — this month. All three include an appetizer, entree and dessert.
That seems like a pretty good deal when the SouthBridge restaurant’s typical entree runs around $30.
Entrees include chicken saltimbocca, beef cheek ravioli, pork Milanese, grilled N.Y. strip steak and prociutto-wrapped halibut. Desserts include bourbon pecan bread pudding, gianduja marshmallow Napolean and spiced chocolate truffle torte.
The price does not include tax, tip or drinks. Sharing meals is not allowed. The deals expire July 31.
Click these for PDFs of the menus for $20, $30 and $40.
Info: (480) 970-4099 or estatehouseaz.com.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Estate House | 1 Comment »
July 6th, 2009, 8:33 am by Jess Harter
Digestif, Old Town Scottsdale restaurateur Peter Kasperski’s farm-to-table Italian restaurant, is moving across Stetson Drive later this month into the much-smaller digs of its former sister restaurant Sea Saw, which closed last month.
And, in news that won’t surprise many, Kasperski’s planned Mexican Standoff, originally scheduled to open in late 2007, won’t be opening at all. The Digestif and Mexican Standoff spaces, which share a master lease, are being sold.
The good news for Digestif fans is chef Payton Curry will remain and the menu will continue to feature his fresh pastas, hand-pulled mozzarella and charcuterie. The bad news is Sea Saw was tiny — barely accommodating 20 diners.
The stylish Digestif, which combined a “Beatnik basement” decor with an indie-rock vibe (pictured above), opened in February 2008 at developer Fred Unger’s troubled SouthBridge complex, which was to feature seven independent restaurants.
Besides Digestif and Mexican Standoff, Kasperski was supposed to open a larger Sea Saw and a companion Japanese tavern called Shell Shock at SouthBridge. Plans for the latter two were scrapped earlier this year.
SouthBridge’s first restaurant, Foodbar, opened in July 2007 and closed after just a year. It was re-launched last fall as Metro Brasserie. The remaining restaurants, high-enders Estate House and Canal, have struggled to draw diners.
Besides Digestif, Kasperski owns Cowboy Ciao and Kazimierz World Wine Bar in Old Town Scottsdale.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Digestif • Mexican Standoff | 3 Comments »
July 2nd, 2009, 4:51 pm by Jess Harter
 The Food Writers Act of 1902 requires me, as well as every other food writer in America, to produce a story every Fourth of July about either hot dogs or apple pie. I flipped a coin, and this year it’s hot dogs:
Ted’s Hot Dogs: This longtime Tempe favorite is famous for its charcoal-broiled hot dogs, footlongs, cheese dogs and chili dogs, as well as delicious homemade onion rings. The lines can get long during peak hours, but they usually move quickly. 1755 E. Broadway Road, Tempe, (480) 968-6678.
Pittsburgh Willy’s: The Wild Willy (pictured) — an all-beef kosher dog topped with chipped ham sauteed in butter and then covered with cheddar cheese — is a bestseller at this small shop inside the Market Square antique mall. 1509 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, (480) 857-2860.
Al’s Chicago Style: The walls are covered with Windy City memorabilia, but it’s the Vienna Beef hot dogs, Gonnella rolls and Giardiniera peppers — not to mention the neon green relish — that establish the Chicago authenticity of this shop’s dogs. 53 N. Val Vista Drive, Gilbert, (480) 545-3267.
Giant Hamburgers: Its name references burgers, but this inexpensive strip-mall hangout also serves tasty hot dogs and chili dogs cooked on its flat-top grill. Be sure to include a side of some of the best French fries in the East Valley. 2753 E. Broadway Road, Mesa, (480) 733-6542.
The Mission: This Old Town Scottsdale restaurant’s Latin American food can get a bit pricey, but the lunch menu offers a fantastic Kobe beef dog wrapped in bacon and topped with green chile pintos, Cotija cheese and grilled onions. 3815 N. Brown Ave., Scottsdale, (480) 636-5005.
Posted in: Chandler • Gilbert • Mesa • Scottsdale • Tempe • 5 to Try • Al's Chicago Style • Giant Hamburgers • Pittsburgh Willy's • Ted's Hot Dogs • The Mission | 3 Comments »
July 1st, 2009, 11:46 am by Jess Harter
Papago Brewing Company is celebrating the Fourth of July with a Coney Island-themed event. From noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Shmaltz Brewing Company will be featuring selections from its new line of Coney Island Craft Lagers.
 A cash bar will be set up so there will be no corkage fee on any bottles of Shmaltz. In addition, Papago will be selling Nathan’s hot dogs, caramel apples and cotton candy.
San Francisco-based Shmaltz is best-known for its HE’BREW Beer series, introduced in 1996. The popular beers — which include Origin pomegranate ale, Genesis ale and Jewbelation Bar Mitzvah — are inspired by Jewish culture and history.
Last summer, the craft brewer debuted its new line’s flagship Coney Island Lager. Three additional Coney Island lagers — Sword Swallower, Albino Python and Human Blockhead — have been unveiled over the past three months.
Papago is located on the southwest corner of Scottsdale and McDowell roads. Info: (480) 425-7439.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Papago Brewing | Post a Comment »
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