Blogs

We all chuckled about Kai's baby lettuces harvested by the children of the Gila Crossing School, but here are the kids in person, in this video from the Food & Society 2008 Gathering for Good Food, along with Cindy Gentry from Community Food Connections, and Maya Dailey from the Farm at South Mountain.

Eating good, locally grown, organic and sustainable food doesn't have to be a middle class privilege, and this video illustrates efforts in Phoenix and Tucson to make it more accessible to everyone.

On a related note, the website Arizona Local Food is a great resource for what's in season, how to contact local farms and CSAs, and where to find local and organic food.

There are only two chances left to check out Vincent Guerithault's fabulous outdoor farmer's market before the annual summer hiatus: this Saturday and next Saturday (May 10 and 17), from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

If you haven't gone yet, don't miss out! It's like a little slice of Southern France in Vincent's parking lot. The produce is beautiful, the crepes and panini are to die for, and a little chocolate pot de creme on a Saturday morning never hurt anybody.

The outdoor market will be back in action this fall, on October 4. But of course, Vincent's Market Bistro is open all year long, so even if you do punk out on the last days of the market, you can still hit up the bistro for a lovely brunch and some strong coffee.

I never thought I'd find myself looking forward to Arizona summers, but it's actually come down to that -- and I think it has a lot to do with all the specials that local restaurants and resorts roll out for locals.

The latest is Bourbon Steak's Summer Barbecue Series, running from 6 to 9 p.m. every Sunday through the summer. For $49 a head, you can hang out on the terrace, dig in to the buffet, and listen to DJ Mikyl spin some mashups. Seating is limited, so it's a good idea to get a resi (call 480-513-6002).

Here's a peek at the menu:

Grill:
Flank Steak, Charmoula Sauce
Kompachi, Lime Cilantro Citronette
Chicken, Lemon Puree, Olive, Mint

Dessert
MM Root Beer Float, Sassafras Ice Cream

After rumors of Urban Campfire's possible closing, and after all the drama that owners Robert Stempkowski and Stephen Wolff went though over getting a liquor license for their tiny Tempe barbecue joint, now there's good news about the lawsuit they filed against the Greasy Tony's folks, who used to occupy that space. Check out Sarah Fenske's blog update for the lowdown.

A pal in NYC mentioned a new noodle shop in the East Village that specializes in tonkotsu ramen, one of my all-time favorite noodle dishes. The highlight of this dish is its incredible broth, a milky, opaque pork-bone soup with a distinctive flavor -- I could drink just that and be happy. There are usually a few slices of pork on top of the noodles, too.

Well, since I made myself hungry for it, I thought I'd pass the craving on to you. The only place in town that serves tonkotsu ramen (that I know of) is Cherryblossom Noodle Cafe, on Camelback at 9th St. They call theirs Hakata Ramen (named after the Hakata ward of Fukuoka City, in southern Japan), but it's the real deal.

Who needs a lunch break?

Head up to Kierland Commons instead, where Molto Mario is gonna be conducting a Q & A in the Center Plaza at noon. Afterward, he'll be signing copies of Italian Grill, his new book, at Sur La Table.

For info, cal 480-998-0118.

Full disclosure: Our receptionist called me about 15 minutes ago to tell me that somebody just delivered some cupcakes to the front desk.

Wow -- a dozen different cupcakes from Sprinkles! It has been a total feeding frenzy here in the New Times editorial department. My coworkers and I just indulged in an impromptu mid-afternoon cupcake tasting (i.e. feeding frenzy), and now I don't need to eat dinner tonight. (But at least these don't contain trans-fats, preservatives, or artificial flavors.)

Funny, I'd just sat down to write a blog post about tomorrow's opening of the new Sprinkles in Scottsdale, and then the cupcakes showed up. I love it when somebody reads my mind.

Anyway, these babies are (er, were...) damn good -- super moist, blanketed in a thick, smooth layer of icing, with little round confections on top that are color-coded, so you know what's inside. The killer red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing has a red and mint-green circle. The scrumptious strawberry with strawberry buttercream frosting has a pink and red doodad on top. They look like perfect little pop-art boobs done up in dessert form -- so totally Scottsdale! hahahahaha

I think the chocolate cupcake with dark chocolate icing and chocolate sprinkles was the office favorite, although they were all quite tasty.

Sprinkles has been a full-on Beverly Hills sensation since it opened three years ago; Scottsdale is its fourth outpost. Along with fresh-baked treats, they'll be selling gift boxes, t-shirts, and even doggie apparel. The address is 4501 N. Scottsdale Road, at Scottsdale and Camelback. Call 480-970-4321 for details.

A girlfriend and I took a jaunt to Cyclo for lunch today to catch up with Justina Duong, who's been flirting with the idea of opening a second location of her popular Vietnamese restaurant in Central Phoenix.

Well, I think she finally found her spot. It'll be in the same plaza as Movies On Central, just south of Camelback.

The only catch right now is putting in a gas line -- a five-figure expenditure that will seriously hit her in her designer pocketbook. Ouch!

I'd also heard that the folks behind La Grande Orange have been considering a space in the same strip, although that would invite the same issue that has plagued them at their 40th Street and Campbell location: parking! We'll see what happens there.

And on the high-style front, the guys from Haus will also be opening a new location at that spot.

It all bodes well for Phoenix -- grab some pho for lunch, with some of Justina's awesome black sticky rice and mango for dessert, shop for Jonathan Adler stuff at Haus, find a DVD at Movies on Central, and then take home a bottle of wine from LGO.

Strip mall synergy -- we need more of that!

I usually get a good feeling about a restaurant when I hear about it right after a friend has dined there. In the case of Plaza Grill, one of my foodie pals emailed me the same afternoon she had an "amazing" lunch there.

Plaza Grill is only six months old, and part of the reason it's been so under-the-radar, explains chef-owner Luis Mata, is that the eatery didn't have a liquor license for the first three months. Now that wines, sangria, and margaritas are part of the mix, things are starting to pick up, he says, and they've begun hosting wine dinners. (The next one, featuring Spanish wines, is May 14.)

Mata was a longtime manager at Such is Life, and his former employer, the well-known local chef Moises Treves (also formerly of Coyoacan and Cocono's) is lending him a hand. This is Mata's first restaurant.

The food at Plaza Grill is upscale Mexican, Mata explains, with dishes from Veracruz, Oaxaca, Mexico City, and beyond. Entrees (most of which are $15 or less) include mole poblano, cochinita pibil (tender slow-roasted pork in achiote sauce), and camarones empanizado (breaded large shrimp from Guaymas, Mexico), while daily specials feature items such as lamb chops with pasilla pepper sauce, grilled calamari, and prickly pear cactus with chorizo and monterrey cheese.

Sounds promising!

Plaza Grill is located at 14620 N. Cave Creek Rd., between Greenway and Thunderbird. Business hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday. For more information, call 602-374-2483.

The latest buzz from photographer Wayne Rainey, who owns the Roosevelt Row art spaces Monorchid and Holgas, says Holgas will soon be getting a green renovation. In about three months, he says, it will reopen as a cafe selling organic cupcakes and coffee.

The still-unnamed shop will be operated by New York transplant, Christine Lockwood, who is a former Whole Foods exec. And although it won't be strictly an art gallery anymore, Rainey says the cafe will still showcase the work of local artists.

It's nice to hear that there will be another coffee hangout in the area -- pretty soon, we'll all be able to cafe-hop from Tammie Coe (the cool indie bakery on Roosevelt, just west of 7th St.) to Conspire (a funky, artist-owned boutique/cafe tucked into an old house, at 5th St. and Garfield) to this new joint, and then to Carly's Bistro (Roosevelt at 2nd St.) and Fair Trade Cafe (behind Trinity Cathedral, on 1st Ave.).

That's a lot of caffeine.

Wow -- this is pretty groovy: I think I'm gonna get a chance to chit-chat with Ted Allen on Monday!

This has all come about very randomly, but the culinary guru from Queer Eye (ah, I was so hooked on that show...), who's since made a mini-career as a judge on shows like Iron Chef America and Top Chef, is game to talk to me about food and cooking and entertaining.

Sooo, dear readers, is there anything you'd like me to ask him? Give me some good questions! I'll post all the goods on the blog then.

Merci!

I know I am. The drumbeat for Cinco de Mayo has already started, but before I can think about salsa, I'm gonna get my souvlaki fix.

Tomorrow through Sunday is A Taste of Greece, at Tempe Beach Park, and like the name suggests, there will be all kinds of fabulous homemade Greek food.

There will be Greek wine tastings and dance performances, too -- I'd say the drinking and dancing go together perfectly. Opa!

It's official: The opening date for chef Eddie Matney's new enterprise, Eddie's House, will be three weeks from today, on May 21.

The menu will be a mix of his signature Mediterranean-inspired dishes, as well as new creations. For a lighter meal, customers will have the option of ordering entrees as small plates.

Originally, the restaurant was expected to open in mid-March, but let's face it -- renovating a space can take more time than expected. In the case of Eddie's House, it's the location of the former Cook 'n Jack's (7042 E. Indian School), which has gotten a homey makeover, complete with an exhibition kitchen, a living room-style dining room, and a swanky patio.

Eddie's House is already accepting reservations (dinner hours will be 4 p.m. to midnight, Monday through Saturday). For more info, call 480-946-1622.

Update: Please read the comment that Chatham Kitz wrote in response to this post, about a change in plans for the event . . .

Leave it to the Valley's most fanatical chocolate purveyor -- Chatham's Fine Chocolates -- to host the most mouthwatering events I've heard about in ages. It's two wine and chocolate tastings with renowned chocolatiers Fritz Knipschildt of Knipschildt Chocolatier, and Jeff Shepherd of Lillie Belle Farms.

Perhaps you've sampled some of their exotic creations on a visit to Chatham's. Knipschildt does truffles named after women, which gets me wondering about the stories behind them. (Like, what kind of feisty gal was Patricia, whose namesake chocolate is filled with red chile and tangerine buttercream?)

And then there's Lillie Belle's far-out combinations, which have a crack-like effect when you eat them. Take the ridiculously good Smokey Blue, an organic milk chocolate truffle made with toasted almonds and Rogue Creamery's Smokey Blue Cheese. Yeah, it's as delicious as it is unusual.

Anyway, these two guys will be in town for the wine and chocolate tastings, special Mother's Day events co-hosted by Morton's Steakhouse, with wines by Gloria Ferrer and hors d'oeuvres from Morton's. Tickets are $100 apiece, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Junior League of Phoenix.

The event on Friday, May 9, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., will be held at the Morton's at Kierland Commons. Call 480-951-4440 for reservations.

On Saturday, May 10, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., the tasting will be held at Morton's on Camelback Road. Call 602-955-9577 for reservations.

Attention, Martha fans: America's favorite domestic goddess is launching her own limited-edition line of wines, called Martha Stewart Vintage. She's teamed up with E & J Gallo Winery to create a 2006 Sonoma County Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cab. And lucky us, we're one of only half a dozen U.S. metropolitan markets where the wine will be available.

I'm eager to find out if drinking enough of this stuff will make me start acting like her -- if so, that could be a good thing after my next party, when I'm staggering around, trying to collect empty beer bottles before passing out for the night.