The big news is that executive chef German Sega (a Sea Saw alum) departed this past week, and has been replaced by Gio Osso, who's been working as a cook at Luc's for a few months. Prior to this gig, Osso was executive chef at Oscar Taylor, at 24th Street and Camelback.

Osso is the third chef to take the helm at Luc's since it opened last August. Chef Eric DiStefano tried French-Asian fusion the first time around (as famously trashed by now ex-critic Nikki Buchanan, of Phoenix Magazine), then Sega stepped in with a much stronger Japanese perspective. That apparently didn't work either, as Sega's exotic menu utilized lots of esoteric ingredients that even die-hard foodies didn't recognize (as an admitted Japan geek, I was psyched to try some of the quirkier dishes).

According to Luc's general manager Joshah Mitchell, the restaurant will keep its name and stylish decor, but after a three-day hiatus (Sunday, May 18 through Tuesday, May 20), it will reopen with a completely new menu, created by Osso, on Wednesday, May 21. No specifics are available yet, but Mitchell told me the new concept would be contemporary American cuisine.

Actually, Mother's Day was the last day for Christopher's Fermier, his long-running bistro at the upscale shopping center at 24th Street and Camelback. Now he has a new spot called Christopher's (on the ground level, next to Macy's), which will open this Friday (assuming he passes the final city inspections scheduled for this week).

At the moment, Gross is busy moving stuff out of his old space, and is antsy to get things rolling at the new one. "Put me to work!" he told me, laughing.

The menu at Christopher's will include lots of familiar favorites, such as wild mushroom soup with foie gras, house-smoked salmon, smoked truffle-infused filet mignon, and hanger steak with sauteed shallots. There will also be plenty of new things to try, from duck confit and fig pizza, to pied de cochon (pig trotters) with sweet breads.

Night owls will be happy to hear that Christopher's will offer an after-hours menu 'til 2 a.m. Meanwhile, the in-house lounge, called Crush, will serve a variety of small plates (smoked salmon, cheeses, salads, and other nibbles).

Gross mentioned his history with running fine-dining restaurants in the Valley, from a 140-seat high-end restaurant in North Scottsdale, to a 60-seater in Phoenix.

"It's really hard to do the big high-end restaurants," he said, explaining that next month he'll launch C144 -- an intimate, 12-seat dining room. It'll be reservation only, with nightly eight-course tasting menus.

Don't be surprised to see streamlined versions of C144 dishes appear on the regular menu, which Gross plans to change up in about a month. "I want to still have the high-end aspect to it, and this will make it fun for everybody in the kitchen."

We were contacted last Fall about being a part of "Drive-ins, Diners, and Dives" hosted by popular chef, Guy Fieri. In mid-December, Guy and the crew came to our restaurant and shot some 18 hours of footage, which included shots of the food, farming, cooking, and our guests. That footage has now been edited into a 6 to 8 minute segment (three restaurants are highlighted in each show) of a show entitled "Real Deal Fast Food". The premise of this episode is that there are some places that serve what is traditionally considered "fast food", but prepared with great care, creativity and superior quality. We are certainly honored to be considered one of those places.

I say, program your DVR whether you'll be able to watch it or not -- it's fun to show this kind of stuff to out-of-town visitors, then take them there to eat :-) Here are the scheduled re-runs of this episode: May 20 (evening), May 25 (afternoon and evening), May 26 (evening), June 2 (afternoon), and June 13 (evening).

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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!

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!