Photo by Dayvid LeMmon

​Tuck Shop is literally tucked into the corner of 12th St. and Oak. With only a small neon sign on the side of the building to announce its name, it's easy to pass by this place without knowing what delicious food and comforting environment are waiting inside. The atmosphere is equally homey and fancy, the kind of place where diners can feel totally relaxed while also knowing that they're about to enjoy some of the best food in town. One of the best parts is the noticeable lack of people staring at iPhone screens; something about the place just makes you feel guilty for succumbing to gadget addiction instead of focusing on the company and food.

The dessert menu regularly rotates, offering several options each day. The choices this week are a flourless chocolate torte, a butterscotch brownie accompanied by chocolate, and what was described as a kind of "upside-down apple pie."

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hgtv.com

​Yesterday we found out why Worcestershire Sauce is mixing it up with other stuff on the bitters shelf. Today, we give you three recipes in which the savory condiment is essential. Who knew there were that many?

Bloody Mary
The most popular hangover curative around, the Bloody Mary was introduced to American drinkers more than 50 years ago. It may have been based off the Red Snapper, a variation developed in 1920s Paris that was made using gin.

The ingredients:
2 oz. vodka
4 oz. tomato juice
½ tbsp. lemon juice
1 splash Worcestershire sauce
3 to 4 dashes Tabasco
1 teaspoon horseradish

How to make it:
Squeeze the liquid out of the horseradish, then shake all ingredients in an ice-filled shaker. Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with a stalk of celery, if you're into that kind of thing. (recipe via esquire.com)

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A round-up of tasty morsels from Valley food blogs.

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Trying to find the perfect place for a unique Valentine's date? EaterAZ gave us a sneak peak at what the Four Seasons in Scottsdale has to offer next week. On Saturday, February 11th the resort is holding "Feast the Senses" where guests can enjoy cooking demonstrations that teach them how to cook a handful of Valentine's Day inspired meals, including strawberry sorbet, crab whipped potatoes and cocoa chili espresso rubbed rib eye all while using their most important senses. If you don't mind shelling out a cool $100 and wearing the occasional blindfold (seriously) it's the perfect opportunity to learn culinary secrets from the pros.


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Photo: Jennifer Woods

​ For those of you who couldn't make it to Changing Hands Bookstore last night for Gabrielle Hamilton's packed house -- the very last stop of her paperback tour -- here's what you missed: More >>

Get This: Devil's Gulch Pork Shank, Kamut, Brussels Sprouts

​When a new spot opens in town, we can't wait to check it out -- and let you know our initial impressions. Share a few photos, some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that have just opened, sampling a few items, and satisfying curiosities (yours and ours).

Restaurant: Italian Restaurant
Location: 4743 North 20th Street (Town and Country Shopping Center)
Open: Just over three weeks
Eats: Italian
Price point: $31-$60

​Last October, rumors were flying, then were confirmed, that legendary pizza master Chris Bianco was planning to open a trattoria in Central Phoenix. And on January 16, he did just that.

His much-buzzed-about new restaurant, called Italian Restaurant, is in Town and Country Shopping Center (Camelback Road and 20th Street), the same shopping center that, in 1994, was the original home of Pizzeria Bianco before it landed two years later at 623 East Adams Street in downtown's Heritage Square.

Featuring traditional Italian favorites as well as Italian-American creations on a small menu that changes daily and is fueled by top-notch ingredients, Bianco's got chef Claudio Urciuoli (the former Prado chef hired in 2010 by Bianco) at the helm, as well as Bianco's mother, Francesca, who occasionally lends a hand and makes the desserts.

Let's go in and have a bite, shall we?

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Welcome to Chow Bella's Bites & Dishes, where Valley chefs and restaurateurs respond to a question New Times food critic Laura Hahnefeld has on her mind. Have a question you'd like to ask? E-mail laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. Miss a question? Go here.

​From predicted national trends in cuisine like Scandinavian flavors, caneles, and sous-vide at home to my fortune-telling stab at Valley crazes like more breakfasts, Nutella, and the peak/screwing over of food trucks, it's anyone's guess as to what this year holds for food in greater Phoenix.

Perhaps the best folks to ask are the ones right in the thick of it: Valley chefs and restaurateurs. So I did. And here are some of their answers:

​Lauren Bailey
Owner, Windsor/Churn/Postino Central

We're going to see people wanting healthier food fast, smaller footprints for restaurants and bars, and even more food trucks. The city is getting behind local business owners and trying to cut a lot of the red tape that discourages potential projects from getting off the ground. The adaptive reuse program is getting stronger and allowing people to put businesses in really cool buildings while preserving them at the same time.

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Amy Morris

Bench Scraper

​Welcome to our new(ish) column, "Ask the Pastry Chef," by Amy Morris, a pastry sous chef at J&G Steakhouse. Have a question for Amy? Leave it in the comments section.

What are 3 indispensable tools for pastry?

There are many directions to go with this question. Tools for making a cake, bread, chocolates...etc, you can see that depending on the specialization there are numerous tools to choose from. Instead of concentrating on one area I think it will be more beneficial for me to suggest basic hand tools that are used in pastry every day, no matter what the project may be. You will see that these tools can be used for a multitude of things.

3. Bench Scraper--
This tool has a large flat stainless steel blade with a plastic or wood grip to hold onto it with. Essentially this tool is used how it sounds and you can use if for many purposes. If you don't have a canvas pastry cloth this tool will help you clean your counter effortlessly. Scrape the bench scraper across the counter and easily discard bits of flour into a bowl or garbage can.

Other uses include cutting dough and/or lifting food from one surface to another. The fun doesn't end there! This is an essential tool to smooth out frosting on a cake while you
are spinning it on a cake turner. The end result is a smooth even finish. Like everything else, there are sizes to choose from, but a 6'' by 3'' is the perfect mid-size for any project. These are also available online or through a bakery supply store.

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Okay this is it. We promise not to talk about the Super Bowl for an entire year after this post but we found these four things while looking for extremely important stuff on Pinterest.

Like the above video of Top Chef champion Michael Voltaggio makin' his super boneless chicken wings. We couldn't not share this with you. Look how good those wings look!

What about beer cocktails? Your Super Bowl Sunday totally needs to include these. Good thing we found this list! There's a recipe for beer spiked run punch that sounds delish. Check it out " target="_blank">here.

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Image via Shutterstock.com

​To be honest, I've never liked Valentine's Day. It's really just another consumer-driven madhouse in which I end up in a last minute scramble to find roses or a box of chocolates (usually at the grocery store check out aisle). What really gets me is the fact that I never get gifts, but I'm always expected to give them.

Even in grade school, when we cut out little red hearts with our miniature scissors and scrawled our crush's name on them, I'd end up with like three Valentines in my sandwich bag (I'm still convinced they were from my mother) while the other kids' bags seemed to be overflowing with notes, stickers and candy. I'm bitter about that. But this year I'm resolved to do better, to turn over a new leaf as they say, and to buy my wife a gift at least a couple days in advance.

In preparation, I consulted with local sexpert Shanna Katz for some ideas on how best to say not just "I love you" but "I want you in that bed now" and added a few of my own. So, for all procrastinating men with significant others (and women too, if you feel like turning the tables this year) here's a list of edible Valentine's Day gift options. And don't be shy about sending us your own ideas.

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