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Finally -- it's almost here. The annual Best Of issue is about to hit the streets, and let me tell you, it will be one big mamma-jamma. My hands are ready to cramp up just thinking about it.

(Ladies, have you ever seen the September issue of W magazine? This will be nearly as big.)

I'm giving you a heads-up now, because once the thing gets distributed early tomorrow morning, I don't expect those copies to sit around collecting dust. Every year, they fly off the racks, and my friends always wonder why they couldn't find a copy. (Rest assured, Best of Phoenix gets its own special spot on our homepage -- which stays online all year -- but it's always nice to have a print copy handy.)

Earlier this year, legendary Spanish chef Ferran Adria found himself out of the frying pan and into the fire, when the organizers of Documenta -- a huge, once-every-five-years contemporary art show held in Kassel, Germany -- invited him to be one of only two Spanish contributors.

It's an understatement to say that Spanish art critics were not thrilled with Adria's inclusion. Indeed, they were pretty pissed that the genius behind El Bulli (considered the world's best restaurant, by many) was deemed an artist.

What do you think? Are the culinary arts legit? Can a chef be an artist?

I sure think so. In the case of Adria, I'd argue that he's a conceptual artist working in a very cutting edge medium. Just because it's edible, does that make it any less expressive than paint or clay?

Anyway, I was reminded of the Documenta buzz when I saw the name of Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' upcoming fundraiser: Dine Out With the Chefs: A Celebration of the Culinary Arts.

See there? It says "arts" right in the name.

Anyway, regardless of whether you consider any of our town's top chefs worthy of the "A" word, there's no denying that the roster of participants in this year's tasting event is pretty high profile. Here, have a look:

Canal (set to debut in October at SouthBridge in Scottsdale) executive chef Justin Beckett; Confection (another coming up in Scottsdale) pastry chef Tracy Dempsey (the dessert goddess behind Cowboy Ciao); Cowboy Ciao executive chef Bernie Kantak; elements at Sanctuary on Camelback executive chef Beau MacMillan (best known for kicking Bobby Flay's butt on Iron Chef); Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch executive chef Eric Howson; Lon’s at The Hermosa Inn executive chef Michael Rusconi; Mary Elaine’s at The Phoenician chef de cuisine Frank Belosic (check out my last blog post); Razz’s Restaurant chef/owner Erasmo “Razz” Kamnitzer (who created the dish in the photo shown above); Scottsdale Culinary Institute – executive chef Jon–Paul Hutchins; Shell Shock (coming later this year to SouthBridge) executive chef Nobuo Fukuda (the Valley's newest Beard award-winner); Taggia executive chef Claudio Urciuoli; T. Cook’s at The Royal Palms Resort and Spa executive chef Lee Hillson (who just taped a top-secret new episode of Iron Chef); Windows on the Green at The Phoenician chef de cuisine Roberto Sanchez; and Zinc Bistro executive chef Matt Carter.

The event is scheduled for Sunday, October 7, from 4 to 7 p.m. Visit Scottsdale Center's website for more info.

Stepping up to top toque at Mary Elaine's after doing time as executive sous chef for The Phoenician (the resort has nine different restaurants, including Windows on the Green and The Terrace), chef de cuisine Frank Belosic plans to launch his new winter menu in early October.

The final details are still being hammered out, but here's an early preview of some of Belosic's mouthwatering creations. (I don't know about you, but the morning chill in the air, the crisp quality of the light now that monsoon season's over -- it all makes me psyched for fall, and for food that celebrates the seasons.)

Starters include seared fois gras with pain d'epices, caramelized figs, and kumquat marmelade; crispy Kumamoto oysters with smoked potato, Serrano ham, and "ultra arugula" (I'd never heard of that 'til today -- I love arugula, though); and an attention-grabbing Maine lobster cassoulet with cocoa beans, pork belly, and fennel puree.

Among the main dishes Belosic's cooking up are pumpkin agnolotti with braised duck, smoked bacon, and apple cider reduction; black truffle pappardelle with veal meatballs and arugula mascarpone; black bass with pig trotter (a.k.a. feet) ravioli, Napa cabbage, and black truffle jus (can you tell I'm craving truffles?); and veal loin with wild Burgundy snails, celery root, and green onion.

I'm certainly intrigued -- and I can't wait to find out what's for dessert . . .

Do you love Japanese food?

So do Ben Bethel and Justin Lee. They're the owner and manager, respectively, of The Clarendon hotel, and right now they're working on a Japanese-inspired menu for C4, the hotel's new eatery and bar, which is slated to open in a couple of weeks.

It'll be a soft opening, with a pre-grand-opening menu (read: work-in-progress) for the first 30 days or so, says Bethel. Don Dunlap, formerly of Michael's at the Citadel, has been hired as the restaurant's general manager.

(In case you haven't heard, Camus never did reopen at The Clarendon, and is officially out of the picture.)

Sushi will definitely be on the menu at C4, and so will a few kinds of ramen. But everything else is up in the air, besides the concept: casual, affordable Japanese food.

These guys seem really open-minded, and Central Phoenix could use a lot more in the way of Japanese food, so tell me: What would you like to see more of?

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Udupi Cafe, the Tempe Indian eatery that's won rave reviews in the past for its vegetarian cuisine, just got nailed again by the Maricopa County Health Inspector. What a shame.

You'd think they would've tried to shape up, after their inspection back in May turned up an appalling 13 violations, including three major repeats. This time around, they got hit for eight more violations -- and now the county's taking action to permanently revoke Udupi's operating license.

Ooh, I finally got a hold of the menu for next week's big James Beard Foundation event, Taste America. Check out what Arizona's culinary rock stars -- all James Beard Award winners for Best Chef: Southwest -- are planning for the foodie confab:

Miniature Lobster Rolls with Celery-Tarragon Tartar Sauce
Sweet Corn Parfaits with American Caviar
Prepared by Bradford Thompson

Parnassienne
Prepared by Christopher Gross

Still to come are Chris Bianco and RoxSand Scocos' mystery dishes, as well as the specifics on Robert McGrath's lamb dish. But what the heck, McGrath is playing host that night, too, so he's off the hook.

(Although Restaurant REM, McGrath's new eatery, is still under construction and won't be opening 'til December, guests will get a sneak peek at the new place during the Taste America reception, which will take place inside the lobby. The dinner itself will be held in a big event tent outside.)

This all-star dinner -- which includes the reception, the dinner with wine pairings, plus a post-meal reception with live entertainment -- takes place next Friday, September 28, at 7 p.m. at Restaurant REM, 7107 E. Lincoln Dr. Tickets don't come cheap at $250 apiece, but it's worth it, and not just because of the food -- this is a fundraiser commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Beard Foundation, and part of the proceeds will benefit the Arizona's Careers Through the Culinary Arts Program. (Hopefully it'll help spawn a whole new generation of Beard award contenders.) Call Robyn Lee at 480-951-2950 for tickets.

The next day, on Saturday, the 29th, hit up the Williams-Sonoma at Scottsdale Fashion Square, where Barbara Fenzl from Les Gourmettes Cooking School and Linda Hopkins from Les Petites Gourmettes Children's Cooking School will give free cooking demonstrations, and you'll be able to taste free samples from Schnepf Farms and Queen Creek Olive Mill.

I got a tip from a fellow chocolate freak that Chatham's Fine Chocolates is about to make a big move -- definitely in the right direction, IMHO. No offense to Hilton Village, but I'm psyched to hear that the Valley's best chocolate purveyor is heading to central Phoenix very soon.

Tomorrow marks the last day that Chatham's will be open at the Scottsdale location. According to Chatham himself, he'll be spending a good week or so moving the merch, then taking a breather for a few days before opening on October 8.

"I'm a Phoenix guy!" he told me, explaining that he went to school in Sunnyslope, and adding that he was excited about being centrally located.

The new shop will be at 114 West Camelback Road -- which means I'll be getting groceries at AJ's, browsing cute clothes at Frances, picking up some CDs at Stinkweeds, eyeing the cool toys at Red Hot Robot, and then swinging by Chatham's to get my chocolate fix.

Have you ever been to the Scottsdale shop, btw? Oh god, it is so much fun -- a whole wall of exotic bon bons, each one with a little description card. And all kinds of fancy-ass chocolate bars, including Vosges. I didn't get a chance to ask Chatham if he'll be stocking the ever-elusive bacon bar, but in case he doesn't, I'm sure he can be persuaded. Doubt you'll need to twist his arm much, because he's just so enthusiastic about chocolate.

Here's an email that just came in from a New Times reader:

I have just finished reading your article. "Overdone", in the Sept. 13 issue of the New Times. While I have never been to Stax, something in your article struck me as wrong. You mentioned that the server never asked how you liked your burger cooked, but you ordered it medium-rare anyways. You were then disappointed that they came out either well-done or raw. I have been a waiter for many years now, and your article surprised me. I thought the Maricopa County Health Department required that ground meat be served at no less than 155 degrees farrentheit, which would put it right between medium and medium-well. Certainly no restaurant I have worked in over the past decade or so in Phoenix allowed a guest to receive a medium-rare burger. I never ask how someone wants it cooked, although I will explain the limitations placed on us if the subject comes up.

Am I mistaken? Is it legal to serve ground meats at medium-rare in a restaurant in our county? I am not surprised that the cooks couldn't get it right, as it takes practice to time cooking something like a burger, which can't be "touch-tested" like a steak could. I am surprised that they attempted at all.

On the whole I enjoy your articles very much, and I found "Overdone" entertaining and informative. I just would like clarification on that one point.

That was an interesting question; I've never considered whether it was actually legal to serve burgers medium rare, as I have been asked, on many occasions, how I would like my burger cooked.

Anyway, I'm no health inspector, and the reader piqued my curiosity, so I went ahead and looked it up. According to the Maricopa County Environmental Health Code, the food must be cooked to at least 140 degrees. (Medium-rare in the burger world.) The temperature requirements are slightly different for poultry, pork, roast beef, and steak.

I've definitely seen notations on many menus indicating that eating raw/undercooked foods may increase one's risk of food-borne illness, and I've also eaten my share of those raw/undercooked dishes.

This all has me thinking about the legality of different foods and food preparations, something that's never really been on my radar. I've always just jumped right in and tried things (at trusted establishments, of course) just to be adventurous. Sometimes the weirdest, most off-putting things turn out to be the tastiest. In Japan, I've had chicken sashimi as well as whale sashimi, and someday I'd like to try fugu (the potentially poisonous fish). I'm sure they'd all be illegal here, for more than one reason.

What do you guys think about it? Do you hesitate to order something rare or medium-rare?

Last night I had a great dinner at Lisa G -- killer balls, as always, plus a few new surprises.

Lately, Lisa's been busting out with different specials. And lucky for me, I got there on pizza night (Wednesday). My table ordered up a couple of 'em as appetizers, and ended up half stuffing ourselves, they were so good. The dough's from MJ Bread (like the amazing foccacia that comes with the balls), and I loved the toppings: prosciutto, mascarpone, caramelized onions, figs, and arugula. That combo has been such a hit that Lisa's kept it that way for awhile now.

Thursdays, she's doing lasagna (I can only imagine how good that is), and Fridays, chilled poached salmon with tzatziki. Saturdays are whatever she feels like whipping up.

I was also digging the updated drinks menu. My sweetie and a friend of ours loved the caipirinha (available in plain, peach, pomegranate, or watermelon), but I went with the rosemary drop just for sheer novelty. It was actually a really tasty, sweet-tart martini made with Stirrings rosemary essence and Bong vodka. That's right, it's called Bong vodka, and it comes in a glass bottle shaped just like a water pipe. I can already think of a few people who'd like that for Christmas...

Honest -- I really was ready to head out to east Mesa to check out Thai Hut one of these days, but thankfully the owners moved their Thai restaurant right into central Phoenix, to McDowell Road just east of Central Avenue. They opened a few days ago, right across the street from the Phoenix Art Museum, and I can't wait to stop by for some curry.

In a couple of weeks, look for the opening of Mod Moda Market, a new boutique food purveyor right next door to Drip Coffee Lounge at 2325 N. 7th Street. Owner Vine Saccento, who also owns Drip, says Mod Moda Market will stock all organic produce (from Boxed Greens in Tempe), homemade organic soups, basics like milk, butter and eggs, plus coffee, tea, and quirky items like Mona Vie, an acai berry health drink that's packaged in wine bottles. Eventually, the shop will also offer premade foods to go.

Sometime a little further out, Anna Klettke from Sapna Chill Out Cafe (whose crepes are well known to those who frequent the Downtown Phoenix Farmer's Market) will open a new restaurant in the Bragg's Pies Factory Building, a recently renovated 1940s-era streamline moderne building at 1301 W. Grand Avenue.

I'd be down for dinner at Asia de Cuba anyway, but a really good mojito for five bucks sounds like extra motivation. Through September, the restaurant's offering happy hour cocktail specials from 4 to 7 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays.

They just debuted a bunch of new menu items, too, including pan-seared jumbo sea scallops with sweet and sour plantains and habanero corn crema, coconut and mustard seed sustainable Chilean seabass with crab and corn flan, and Asian pear bread pudding.