James Porter, Eddie Matney, and Others Team Up With Local Brewery to Make Their Own Beers

Categories: News

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Eddie Matney of Eddie's House is one of four chefs customizing his own beers with Scottsdale's Sonoran Brewing Company.
​Sure, we're used to enjoying the food of top-notch Valley chefs, but when's the last time we chug-a-lugged their culinary styles in beer form?

The craft beer experts at Scottsdale's Sonoran Brewing Company are setting out to change that. They've teamed up with four, well-known Valley chefs as part of the first-ever Sonoran Brewing Company's (SBC) Inaugural Chef Series Beer Collaboration, where each chef will design and brew his own beer with the help of SBC brewmaster Zach Schroeder.

And talk about a local focus: the beers will be made using local ingredients, labels will be designed by local artist Ellison Keomaka, and local charities will receive a portion of the proceeds from each beer, which will be released throughout Arizona in 22 oz. bottles and on draft in select locations.

"I'm excited to craft my own style of beer," says chef Eddie Matney of Eddie's House, one of the participants, "and hopefully people enjoy it as much as they enjoy my food."

Read on to find out what other three Valley chefs have something brewing and to find out the release date of the first beer.

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Chris Bianco's Tomatoes Land in Chicago Butcher Shop of James Beard Award-Winning Chef

Categories: News

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​Fans of Bianco DiNapoli canned tomatoes, the organically grown plum-shaped beauties in yellow containers from taste maker Chris Bianco and California cannery expert Rob DiNapoli, already know the goodness they bring to foods like marinara sauce and salsa.

Now, it seems as if folks in Chicago are destined to find out as well -- and they don't have to have them shipped from the product shelves of Pane Bianco.

The Chicago Tribune reports Bianco's tomatoes, in addition to other artisinal foods inspired from staff travels, will be carried at Publican Quality Meats, the new Fulton Market butcher shop in Chicago.

And if the name Publican doesn't ring a bell, the name of its owner might.

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Good Bagels in Unlikely Places: Hot Bagels & Deli

Categories: News

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Garlic bagel with bacon, egg, and cheese.
​Many East Coast transplants in the Valley might argue that getting a decent bagel in Phoenix is difficult, if not impossible, to find.

Then there are others who say Hot Bagels & Deli comes pretty damn close.

Hot Bagels & Deli, the little breakfast and lunch spot with three locations -- Arrowhead, Happy Valley, and Carefree Highway -- serves up wallet-friendly sandwiches, bagels, wraps, and baked goods. The founder, originally from New Jersey, no longer owns the chain, but his East Coast recipe for bagels (hand-rolled, boiled, and baked fresh daily) remains intact -- which may be why the Arrowhead location was packed when I popped in for a visit last weekend.

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10 More Valentine's Day Dinner Ideas

Categories: Events, News
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Smart Man!
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For all of you procrastinators out there, we've dug up 10 more Valley restaurants that would love you to dine with them on Valentine's Day. (Here's our original list.)

This is it though. There isn't going to be anymore help after this. So make a decision and make reservations. You don't want to spend Valentine's Day in the dog house do you?

Christopher's Restaurant -- Two special Valentine's Day menus featuring classics like Lobster Pot Pie, Filet au Poivre, and Apple Tarte Tatin. The four-course meal will cost you $65 ++ per person. Tack on an extra $35 for the wine pairings. 

The House at Secret Garden -- Three-courses of seasonal eats plus a chocolate dessert trio for $60 ++ per person. Roasted rutabaga soup, or apple & radish salad, red wine risotto with roasted cauliflower or pork belly with local dates and portabella mushrooms, and seared scallops with a blood orange reduction and Brussels sprouts or a grilled New York strip steak with Pecorino fried fingerling potatoes. wine pairings available. 

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Post-Peter DeRuvo, Montelucia Picks Up Michael Cairns as Executive Chef

Categories: News

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​Since Peter DeRuvo left Prado, the Andalusian-inspired fine-dining spot at the Montelucia Resort & Spa, last September, the Paradise Valley luxury hotel has been looking for a new executive chef. Now, a little over four months later, they've got one.

Chef Michael Cairns will head up all aspects of dining at the Montelucia, which includes Prado, ROQ Poolside Bistro, room service, catering, and special events. A hospitality veteran for over 22 years, Cairns previously ran a catering and consulting business called Urban Chefs AZ after leaving Wright's at the Arizona Biltmore in 2007. He's also consulted for Rawhide Frontier Town & Steakhouse, the Old West tourist-driven theme park located on the Gila River Indian Community in Chandler.

In his new role, Cairns will focus on tapas (think grilled meats and steaks), and will add more family-style choices to the menu at Prado.

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Windsor to Debut Brunch Menu and Bloody Mary Bar

Categories: News

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​As if the stars were aligning to ensure at least one of my predictions for the Valley food scene actually comes true, Windsor, the cozy North Central neighborhood bar and restaurant from restaurateurs Craig DeMarco and Lauren Bailey, has announced it will debut its very own brunch menu -- which includes a unique Bloody Mary Bar.

From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, February 19, and continuing every Saturday and Sunday thereafter, Windsor, which opened last April, will be serving up a brunch menu of familiar a.m. fare with dishes including Homemade Donut Holes with vanilla mascarpone and strawberry jam, Southern Style Sausage & Gravy starring Schreiner's sausage, and the Windsor Eggs Benedict.

"We first launched brunch at our sister restaurant Postino Central a few months ago and the neighborhood loved it, so we figured why not do it Windsor-style?" says DeMarco, who also owns Postino Arcadia, Postino Central, and the coming-soon Postino East in Gilbert.

Read on to find out about Windsor's Bloody Mary Bar and to see the menu.

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Valentine's Day Dinner Roundup 2012

Categories: News
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Valentine's Day is right around the corner. No, seriously it's six days from right now. You have made dinner reservations, right?

NO?! Well you better get to it. Good thing we know of a whole mess of restaurants that are celebrating the big V-Day.

And guys -- if the lady in your life said something along the lines of "I don't care about Valentine's Day. It's just a dumb commercial holiday. You don't need to do anything" -- it's a trick. Man up and take your lady out for a nice meal!

There's a lot of info to fit into one post -- so we'll try and make it quick and as painless as possible. Click on the name of the restaurant for the address and phone number.

iPic Theaters' Dinner and A Movie -- The Scottsdale eat-in theater is cooking up a special menu featuring filet mignon, ginger sake shrimp, portobello risotto, and red velvet bread pudding. Prices vary. Reserved seat available.

Arizona Biltmore's Afternoon Tea -- The ladies will love this event! An extensive list of teas will be accompanied by a menu of themed desserts and savory eats Thursdays thru Sundays from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. $36 - $46 ++ per person.
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Portillo's Is Coming to Arizona (and I Am So Flippin' Happy)

Categories: News

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Ah, the memories. My Portillo's at 100 West Ontario in Chicago.
​Sheesh Portillo's, what took you so long?

That's what a lot of Chicago transplants in the Valley may be saying to themselves upon hearing the news that the Chicago-area restaurant company is bringing its Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef, hamburgers, Maxwell Street Polish, salads, and desserts to several locations in the Valley.

Count me in that crowd. During my time in the Chicago area, Portillo's, a fast-casual restaurant known for its quick service, great food, eye-catching decor, and counter-view of food preparation, was a mainstay (I was particularly partial to the Chicago dogs and decadent slices of rich, chocolate cake) and whenever I go back to visit, it's a must-have.

I've even gone the route of having a Portillo's Hot Dog Party Package shipped to a good friend here as a birthday present.

Read on to find out whether this Chicago institution plans on putting one of its restaurants in your neck of the woods.

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Now Open: Big Jimmy's Five Dollar Pizza

Categories: News, Now Open
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Hey Tempe, you have a brand new pizza spot and it may be the best five dollar pizza we've ever tasted.

Located on Apache just east of Dorsey in the same complex as Food City, Big Jimmy's is cranking out crazy good pizza for crazy cheap prices.

It's no Cibo or Pizzeria Bianco but for five dollars it can't be beat.

We normally wouldn't make a big deal about a take out pizza place but Jimmy's is different. They make their dough from scratch (it's the perfect amount of fluffy and chewy), their sauce is super flavorful, and they even have flavored crust. Oh and they're open till 3 a.m.

This place is almost dangerous. We accidentally ate there three times in the last four days and we probably won't be buying a lame frozen pizza from the grocery store as long as this place is around.

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Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza Closes Silvana Bistro, Devotes Efforts (and Space) to Barrio Queen

Categories: News

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Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza at Silvana Bistro.
​In what may be the Valley's quickest opening and closing of a new restaurant by a legendary tastemaker, Barrio Cafe owner and chef Silvana Salcido Esparza has decided to close the second of her two concepts, Silvana Bistro, and devote all her energy (and Silvana Bistro's space) to the first: Barrio Queen.

"Quick-draw Salcido, that would be my cowboy name," Esparza tells me. "[Silvana] Bistro was just getting her legs, but I was not feeling it. I felt as if the restaurant was too stuffy -- not like I had imagined -- so I killed it quickly."

She's not kidding. Opened for about three weeks, Silvana Bistro, named after Esparza's maternal grandmother and namesake, was a decidedly more upscale dining experience than the more casual Barrio Queen (which opened in December and sat next door to Silvana Bistro in the SouthBridge space in Old Town Scottsdale) and one that Esparza defined as "the Euro-Mexican cuisine known in southern Mexico."

Esparza tells me the Euro idea was fun but that she felt as if she was being pulled in a direction that wasn't her.

"When I said Euro, I meant ingredients and styles. But at the end of the day, I am just a street girl serving my food."

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