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The soup stand that inspired the Soup Nazi episode on "Seinfeld" reopened in midtown Manhattan on Tuesday, six years after its famously brusque owner, Al Yeganeh, shut it down and licensed his recipes to a franchising company.

More than 100 people were waiting in line for the noon reopening of the tiny storefront, including a few regulars who remembered the days when Yeganeh ladled broth and imposed discipline from behind the cramped counter.

Much about the shop was the same as in the days before "Seinfeld" made the place famous, including its strict ordering rules, now posted in nine languages.

"THE LINE MUST BE KEPT MOVING. Pick the soup you want! Have your money ready! Move to the extreme left after ordering!"

But some things are different.

Yeganeh neither owns nor operates the store now. Like other Original SoupMan stores around the country, it is a franchise, although company President Robert Bertrand said Yeganeh remains involved in the business.

Gilbert sisters win episode of Food Network's 'Cupcake Wars'

July 2, 2010

The Coffee and Cigarettes cupcakes at the Coffee Shop at Agritopia in Gilbert are not selling that well, according to co-owner Jessica Cuff.

But on Food Network's reality show "Cupcake Wars," the sweet treats were the center of attention, helping Cuff and her sister, Jenna Flowers, win Tuesday night's episode. The show pits four of the top cupcake bakers in the nation against each other in three elimination challenges. The winner receives $10,000 and the opportunity to showcase his or her treats at a high-profile event.

The Coffee and Cigarettes cupcakes are actually made from tobacco, and were part of the final challenge to make 1,000 cupcakes (250 each of four different types) in three hours. In addition, Cuff and Flowers made a chocolate marshmallow cupcake, a doughnut cupcake filled with Bavarian cream, and a special competition-only cupcake with peanut butter, chocolate and jalapeño, among other ingredients.

‘Campeones’ Closes After Only 2 Months

June 22, 2010

From The Arizona Republic

by Angelique Soenarie

Arizona’s new immigration law was one of the factors that gave one of Mesa’s major new entertainment venues a knockout punch, its owner says.

Julio César Chávez Campeones, a $4.5 million boxing-themed dining and entertainment venue that opened in November at Country Club Drive and Southern Avenue, has closed.

Brian Weymouth, who helped to develop the Alice Cooperstown concept, is the president of the Julio César Chávez Enterprises.

Weymouth said he plans to remodel the 30,000 square-foot-facility into AZ Country, a country western dining and establishment that will open in July.

He said business at Campeones dropped dramatically before and after the signing of SB 1070, but said management mistakes also played a role.

“Unfortunately, with this new Senate bill 1070 it really has impacted the entire Hispanic community, and anybody that has a business that catered to the Hispanic community has been impacted,” Weymouth said. “It appeared to me that people were leaving the state before the bill passed. I also felt the Hispanic population be it legal or illegal were fearful of the whole thing. I felt that that really disrupted business. We had to come up with a concept that wasn’t going to be affected. They’re not going to put a bill that is against cowboys.”

Weymouth said he is sad to see a concept he and Mexico’s boxing icon planned for years go, but is looking forward to his new venture.

“You’re not much of a businessman if you can’t make adjustments. We’re excited to make this happen . . . (and) Country music’s hot right now,” he said.

The country format is no guarantee, however. Weymouth will face stiff competition from Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill, which opened last year at Mesa Riverview, only several miles away from AZ Country.

'Bon Appetit' names The Grind a best new burger spot

June 17th, 2010

One of Phoenix's newest restaurants is one of the top 10 must-try burger joints in the country, according to "Bon Appetit" magazine's July edition.

The Grind, located in Phoenix's Arcadia neighborhood, is the brainchild of chef Matt McLinn, whose Valley credentials include Christopher's Fermier, and his own Méthode Bistro and BLT Steak at the Camelback Inn.

Burgers are given a salt crust and then cooked in a 1,000-degree coal-fired oven, which is meant to seal in flavors and juices.

"Bon Appetit" specifically mentions the organic Steak House BLT, the Sweet and Spicy and the Peppercorn Crust burgers.

Others on the list:

• Umami Burger, Los Angeles

• Park Burger, Denver

• Flip Burger Boutique, Atlanta

• DMK Burger Bar, Chicago

• Minetta Tavern, NewYork

• B Spot Burgers, Woodmere, Ohio

• Foster Burger, Portland, Oregon

• Village Whiskey, Philadelphia

• Little Bigs, Houston

3961 East Camelback Road; 602-954-7463; thegrindaz.com

First Taco Festival coming to Scottsdale - October 9th

June 12, 2010

Scottsdale is hosting its first Arizona Taco Festival Oct. 9 the first stop for the inaugural National Taco Association National Taco Tour.

When the taco brigade takes over the Scottsdale Waterfront this fall, professionals and amateurs will trot out their most tempting crisp- and soft-shelled creations, with more than 30 teams competing for a $7,500 cash prize and bragging rights.

Entries are being accepted now. The Arizona Taco Festival Team entry form is available at aztacofestival.com.

Would-be taco champs can enter one or all of the four categories: chicken, pork, beef and fish.

There's also a "side cart throwdown" including guacamole, salsa and tamale, and the wildcard category of "Anything Goes Taco."

The tournament comes from Rick Phillips and David Tyda, who've formed a company called Affordable Food Festivals to host family-friendly affairs like their Arizona Barbecue Festival and competition that was held at the Scottsdale Waterfront in April.

People attending the Taco Festival can expect a hot chile pepper eating contest, cooking demonstrations, live music, a tequila expo, a margarita competition, and a kids' zone with hourly piñata beatings.

Phillips and Tyda are also founders of the newly created National Taco Association, which Tyda says was born of necessity.

"For the barbecue, we worked with the Kansas City Barbecue Society to handle our judging mechanism," Tyda explained. "But no one's ever done a taco festival or created sanctioned judges for tacos. Can you believe it?"

Other planned stops on the NTA National Taco Tour include Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Austin.

The Taco Association's slogan is "Stopping World Hunger One Taco at a Time." Proceeds benefit Waste Not Arizona, a program that collects excess perishable food daily from restaurants, resorts, caterers, grocers and food purveyors, then delivers it to homeless shelters and schools.

Details: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 9. $10. aztacofestival.com

Macayo's Mexican coming to Chase Field

June 7, 2010

Macayo's Mexican Kitchen and the Arizona Diamondbacks are teaming up to feed fans at Chase Field.

Three concession stands at the field will serve pork mini-chimichangas, spinach con queso, green corn tamale bites, and chicken taquitos, all made with Macayo's 60-year-old recipes and chiles grown at its McNeal farm, near Tombstone. But if you can't make it out to the game, Macayo's Depot Cantina Restaurant in Tempe is hosting a party on June 17 at 2 p.m.

There will be live music, a batting cage, a speed pitch, Dbacks mascot Baxter and a Diamondbacks-themed "Snakebite" Margarita.

Diamondbacks President and Chief Executive Officer Derrick Hall blogged in February that he was excited about Macayo's coming on board at Chase Field.

"They cooked for all of our employees today and it was outstanding," Hall wrote on the Diamondbacks' official website.

Win a diet makeover for your family from chef Michael Stebner

June 3, 2010

Deciding to eat healthier is an important step towards good health. But it’s the second step – actually eating healthier – that nutritionists say really matters.

Trading the family Twinkies for soy nuts, however, can be tough.

Your family can win a food makeover.

Chef Michael Stebner of True Food in Phoenix will help one Valley family learn to eat quick-and-healthy without breaking the bank.

At True Food, the collaboration between restaurateur Sam Fox and Andrew Weil, Oprah’s favorite University of Arizona lifestyle physician and author, Stebner has created healthy foods for both adults and kids.

“The food is healthy, but it’s not like medicine,” Stebner said. “It’s more global, but it’s not like we’re trying to get them to eat curry. We know they’re just kids.”

A father of three persnickety eaters, Stebner creates colorful meals loaded with “sneaky, hidden nutritious foods,” like a strawberries-and-bananas-on-almond-butter sandwich. He tops pizza with corn, and adds strawberry to homemade lemonade.

To receive Stebner’s help, send a letter describing your family, outlining how they eat and why your family wants to change. We will select a winner by June 9, and begin the family food remake immediately.

The project will be published in the fall.

To enter: Send entries – including a phone number – to food writer Karen Fernau at karen.fernau@arizonarepublic.com or 200 E. Van Buren, Phoenix AZ 85004.

Cheesecake Factory tops 'Xtreme Eating Awards' list

May 30, 2010

On the Extreme Eating Awards' list in the June issue of the public-interest center's Nutrition Action Healthletter:

• The Cheesecake Factory's Pasta Carbonara with Chicken, which, in addition to the 2,500 calories, has 85 grams of saturated fat. That's more saturated fat than a person should consume in four days, Liebman says. The dish has four cups of white-flour pasta, smoked bacon, chicken, and Parmesan cream and butter sauce.

• Five Guys' Bacon Cheeseburger without toppings, 920 calories and 30 grams of saturated fat. That's like two McDonald's Quarter Pounders, Liebman says. A large order of Five Guys' french fries, 1,460 calories — about triple the calories of a large order of fries at McDonald's. The bacon cheeseburger and fries tally 2,380 calories.

• P.F. Chang's Double Pan-Fried Noodles Combo, 1,820 calories, 7,690 milligrams of sodium.

• Bob Evans' Cinnamon Cream Stacked and Stuffed Hotcakes, 1,380 calories and 27 grams of saturated fat and 7 grams of trans fat. A fourth of a cup (about 4 tablespoons) of syrup is another 200 calories.

• California Pizza Kitchen Tostada Pizza with Grilled Steak, 1,680 calories, 32 grams of saturated fat and 3,300 milligrams of sodium.

• California Pizza Kitchen's Pesto Cream Penne, 1,350 calories, 49 grams of saturated fat and 1,920 milligrams of sodium.

• Chevys' Crab and Shrimp Quesadilla, 1,790 calories, 63 grams of saturated fat and 3,440 milligrams of sodium.

• Outback Steakhouse New Zealand Rack of Lamb with garlic mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables, 1,820 calories, 80 grams of saturated fat and 2,600 milligrams of sodium.

• The Cheesecake Factory Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake, 1,670 calories and 48 grams of saturated fat. "A tower of any food is rarely a good idea," the center's newsletter says.

Lo-Lo's gets boost from Charles Barkley

May 28, 2010

The post-game show after Tuesday's Phoenix Suns playoff victory was catered, on national television, by Lo-Lo's Chicken and Waffles, which received a hearty endorsement from former Sun and current broadcaster Charles Barkley.

During the "Inside the NBA" segment on TNT following the game, broadcast outside the US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix, crew members delivered plates of fried chicken, waffles and gizzards.

Host Ernie Johnson said it was Barkley's favorite restaurant in Phoenix. Co-host Kenny Smith, a former Houston Rockets player, asked Barkley if it was like Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles in Los Angeles.

"It's better than Roscoe's," Barkley said.

Barkley gave an informed pitch for the restaurant, saying it was operated by the grandson of the owner of Mrs. White's Golden Rule Cafe and saying it was so popular that a second location had just opened in Scottsdale. Johnson held up a menu showing the Lo-Lo's logo.

Scottsdale's TeaGschwendner becomes TeaTime

May 27, 2010

In a refreshing change from small, independent shops being gobbled up by large chains, TeaGschwendner (the Goliath) is now TeaTime (the David).

The Old Town Scottsdale store, which opened in spring 2009 as a partner location to the Germany-based tea retailer franchise, has just been purchased by Scottsdale resident Dewey Schade.

Schade is a primary partner with other investors, yet the tea shop's day-to-day operations will continue to be run by founding store manager and in-house tea expert Bob Williford.

"Over the past eight months, the national management team in Chicago changed, and the new team is putting an emphasis on opening franchise stores in major markets rather than pedestrian-friendly destination stores like ours in Scottsdale," Williford said.

Gilbert bakers compete in Food Network's 'Cupcake Wars'

May 26, 2010

Jessica Cuff will be the first to tell you she thinks the cupcakes she and sister Jenna Flowers bake at The Coffee Shop at Agritopia (which they co-own with their parents Steve and Jeanne Flowers and Jessica's husband Curt ) are as yummy as any cupcakes she's eaten anywhere.

And she's been everywhere to check out the competition, including the iconic Magnolia Bakery in Greenwich Village. Now her boast has been put to the test.

This past March, the sisters teamed up and went to LA to compete in "Cupcake Wars," a reality cooking show on the Food Network that begins its second season June 13.

Caffe Boa Bistro in Tempe makes

$4 mil Suns bet

May 25, 2010

Jay Wisniewski, owner of the original Caffe Boa on Mill Avenue in Tempe, is an ardent Suns fan.

How ardent, you ask?

Ardent (or crazy) enough to make an outlandish promise to help inspire a victory.

He vows that if the Suns win the championship, he will give the entire Phoenix Suns team – every player, every coach, every towel boy – free meals for life at the Tempe Caffe Boa. Naturally, certain rules apply.

The offer stands for food only (no alcohol), and although each Suns member is entitled to eat anything on the menu, he is also restricted to one meal per week. Thanks to the farm-to-table philosophy of Chef Payton Curry, Caffe Boa’s menu features some pretty healthy stuff (bone marrow and foie gras being the likely exceptions). So the food is athlete-friendly, you might say.

Meanwhile, Suns fans who bring their ticket stubs to the Tempe Caffe Boa before or after the game will be given a 10 percent discount on their restaurant tab. And should they say the word “Dragic,” at either location (Wisniewski a new Boa outpost in Mesa), they’ll be treated to a Santomas Malvasia 2006, one of Slovenia’s many wines garnering attention these days.

Wisniewski says, “We’re really pulling for a win,” but you have to wonder if that could possibly be true.

Details: Caffe Boa On Mill, 398 S. Mill Avenue, Tempe. 480-948-9112; Caffe Boa Bistro, 2837 N. Power Road, Mesa

Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue Crafts Vegetarian Dishes

May 24, 2010

Since opening his Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue in Cave Creek a year ago, owner Bryan Dooley has discovered an interesting thing about his customers.

Not all of them eats meat.

But rather than smack them upside the head for choosing to dine in a carnivore’s emporium (a bestseller is the “Big Pig,” a huge basket of french fries smothered in pulled pork, barbecue sauce, beans, scallions, jalapenos and sour cream), Dooley is experimenting with vegetarian options.

A “pulled” squash sandwich has been a favorite from the beginning. As a play on pulled meats that are slow-cooked and shredded, the recipe features roasted spaghetti squash (the yellow fruit separates into pasta-like strands when cooked) moistened in Dooley’s homemade sauce that’s a tangy combination of tomato puree, vinegar, Worcestershire, garlic, mustard, sugar, lemon, spices and plenty of beer. It sits on a buttered, toasted bun, and comes with a sweet-fiery pickled jalapeño plus a side like baked potato salad or creamy, olive-studded coleslaw.

The squash won’t fool anyone into thinking he or she is chomping beef brisket, but it is surprisingly toothsome and hearty. For a touch more substance, try it topped with a fried egg.

Dooley has been testing other non-meat tricks in his pecan-wood smoker, too, including whole cabbages, though he admits he has yet to find a home on the menu for that unlikely bite.

New offerings include an heirloom tomato sandwich with peppery upland cress, red onion, basil and Dijon mayonnaise finished in a sprinkle of pecan-smoked sea salt.

Other new nibbles feature fresh-cut watermelon wedges drizzled with homemade cardamom-jalapeno honey, or the “rib salad,” which rather than pork on the bone, is romaine lettuce ribs, rubbed in rib-eye spice and splashed with lemon-pepper vinaigrette for a cool, crunchy treat.

Details: Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue, 6130 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek. 480-575-7155. bryansbarbecue.com

Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana blessed by VPN

May 22, 2010

Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana and Enoteca is now officially “certificate vera pizza Napoletana.” In English, that means the Scottsdale restaurant has been blessed by the Naples-based Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, the globally accepted “disciplinaire” of the standards required to be an official Napoletana pizzeria.

That makes Pomo the first VPN-certified pizzeria in the Valley, and only the second in the state, next to the 4-year-old Vero Amore in Tucson, owned by Aric and Joshua Mussman. Pomo opened in March in the Borgata at Scottsdale Road and Lincoln Drive.

VPN regulators descended on the small bistro last week to inspect all equipment, ingredients and cooking technique, as outlined in an 11-page document that includes three pages of instructions for the pizza crust alone. Other requirement include using only a wood-burning brick oven (no gas, coal or electric), a special “fork” dough mixer instead of the common spiral mixer, and ingredients limited to Italian imported flour type 00, San Marzano regionally designated tomatoes and imported extra-virgin olive oil.

“Some people think that this is simply a certificate that you pay for,” said Pomo owner Stefano Fabbri. “But it’s a rigorous procedure, to ensure authenticity.”

Inspectors studied Pomo’s pizzamaker Matteo Schiavone in action, to see if the Naples-born “pizzaiolo” hand tossed and dressed each pizza in a clockwise direction as VPN mandates. The finished pies were put in the imported Acunto Forni oven, cooking in 90 seconds at least 905 degrees.

The inspector ultimately judged that the resulting pies were textbook VPN style, of a medium crust that’s thin but that bends and folds, touched with crisp char on the edges while soft and nearly wet in the center. In the authentic VPN recipe, Pomo’s margherita pie features a light wash of juicy tomatoes scattered with snowy blobs of certified mozzarella di bufala, extra-virgin olive oil, and fresh basil leaves lightly crisped by the flames.

Details: Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana and Enoteca, 6166 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-235-5822, pomopizzeria.com

Radio Café closed as restaurant

May 19, 2010

Although it was only open about a month, Radio Café has already closed – as a restaurant, at least.

After three weeks of renovation and menu re-tooling, it was meant to be the new and improved version of Radio Milano, an Italian-inspired restaurant that got off to a sputtering start in 2007.

In its new incarnation, Italian dishes were replaced by a more casual and accessible menu whose most notable feature was lower price points.

And sushi.

But now it’s all moot. Radio Café served its last supper Wednesday night, re-opening today as a venue for private events.

LGO Hospitality founder and president Bob Lynn (the brains behind La Grande Orange Grocery, La Grande Orange Pizzeria and Chelsea’s Kitchen) says that with summer coming, it seemed like the smarter thing to do, pointing out that LGO restaurants (particularly Chelsea’s Kitchen) get tons of requests for private parties but are unable to accommodate big parties. They simply aren’t set up for it, nor can they schedule events during business hours.

Radio Café, which offers its new menu, Chelsea’s menu or any customized menu customers care to create, solves the problem rather neatly. Seven private parties are already on the books.

Details: Radio Café, 3950 E. Campbell Avenue, Phoenix. 602-956-6600, radiocafeaz.com

Julio G's in Scottsdale closes

May 17, 2010

Julio G's has closed its doors. Owners say the business is a victim of the extensive road construction along Indian School Road in Scottsdale, which plagued drivers and businesses for 11 months.

Dick Lipson, who owned and operated the restaurant with his wife Lonnie for 17 years, says he understands the importance of progress but contends that having a frequently blocked front entrance, no sidewalks and dirt from one end of the property to the other was "devastating" to his business.

Construction began in April of 2009, affecting the Lipsons' Cinco de Mayo celebrations, and ended mid-February of this year.

"We kept it open as long as possible," Lipson says, "but now it's time to move on."

He said Julio G's business typically dropped 20-25 percent during the summer months, but that last summer, it dropped nearly 50 percent.

The Lipsons aren't really out of work, however. At the moment, they're helping their family at Garcia's Las Avenidas (the original Garcia's restaurant on 35th Avenue in Phoenix, owned by Lonnie's mother, Olivia Garcia ), and they still own Señor Rick's, which has been going strong in Aurora, Colo., for 22 years.

Julio G's fans who get hungry for old favorites can find most of them at Julio's Too (7305 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale). Owned by Steve Rosa and the Lipsons' son Aaron, it's a quick-serve version of Julio G's.

La Hacienda debuts Fiesta Fridays Suckling Pig Roast

May 15, 2010

It's finally here. La Hacienda, which has been tormenting diners with teases on the return of its suckling pig roast since it reopened in January, is now delivering.

When the Mexican fine-dining destination at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess closed almost two years ago, it took with it a popular dish: spit-rotisseried suckling pig. Yet now, in Hacienda's more relaxed modern Latin concept, Fiesta Fridays Suckling Pig Roast debuted May 7 and runs through the summer, in a patio party featuring a live tortilla maker, mariachis and tastings with the restaurant's "Goddess of Tequila."

Originally, the pig was stuffed with homemade chorizo and carved quite ceremoniously tableside. Now, as a more casual presentation, the porker is grilled over mesquite, alongside carne asada, pollo adobado and camarones a la talla.

Spicing it up, there is a lavish salsa bar showcasing habanero and pineapple salsas, salsa cruda, salsa morita, pipian sauce, corn puree, cilantro, pickled jalapenos and carrots, cabbage, grilled spring onions, limes, radishes, cucumbers, serranos toreados peppers and totopos home-style tortilla chips. Sides include guacamole and salsa made in molcajetes tableside, plus handcrafted corn and flour tortillas, sopes and huaraches served with frijoles de la olla and arroz a la Mexicana.

Wash it all down with watermelon agua frescas, fresh prickly pear lemonade, rojo sangria or margaritas, and revel in the gourmet bargain buffet price of $29 for adults or $13 for children. In its fancier times, the cost of the pig, alone, was $29.

La Hacienda at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, 7575 E. Princess Drive, Scottsdale. 480-585-2706. fairmont.com.

Jac’s Pizzeria replaces Nello’s in Scottsdale

May 13, 2010

It’s a story of a family-owned pizza parlor making way for a family-owned pizza parlor. Jac’s Pizzeria & Pub has replaced Nello’s Pizza at First Avenue and Scottsdale Road in Old Town.

And yes, there’s plenty of pizza on Jac’s menu, in East Coast-style thin-chewy crust courtesy of chef Donald Rini, formerly of Camelback Inn.

The lineup reads pretty straightforward Italian, though owner Colter Dustin does sneak some jazz in among the pepperoni rolls, eggplant Parmesan and chicken Alfredo.

Bruschetta, for example, gets the works, loaded with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, black olives, basil and Italian spices under a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar. There’s potato soup studded with Italian sausage, a hoagie loaded with homemade meatballs, and classic pasta carbonara.

Pizzas, meanwhile, come slathered in homemade sauce, and in toppings including spicy salami, spinach and feta.

Jac’s Pizzeria & Pub, 7213 E. First Ave., Scottsdale, 480-946-2020, jacspizzeriaandpub.com

Bueno Burger opening in Glendale

May 13, 2010

Bueno Burger is slated to open mid-May at 43rd and Peoria avenues in Glendale, featuring burgers, bratwurst, burritos, barbecue beans and beer.

It encourages its customers to “B Generous” with its huge portions and more than two dozen burger toppings, which it calls “Betterments.”

It calls its side dishes “Bueno Benefits.” And it strives to “B Economical,” with entrée prices in the $5-$7 range.

The concept comes from MaryAnne Moody, formerly a pastry chef with Elements at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain. In a fast-casual format that Moody calls a cross between Chipotle Mexican Grill and the Valley’s legendary Chuckbox hamburger hamlet, customers order at a counter, then watch their meals be fired over mesquite wood on a centerpiece grill.

“We were sick of paying $11 to $12 for a burger,” she said. “But on the other hand, a 99-cent fast-food burger isn’t that great, either.”

On the Mexican side, there are all-beef hot dogs, including a Sonoran frank wrapped in bacon and loaded with toppings of beans, sour cream and peppers. On the burger side, look for single or double patties. Somewhere in the middle are the Bueno Beefless (a veggie burger) and a vegetarian quesadilla.

For kids, there are Bueno Banditos meals.

Bueno Burger, 4407 W. Peoria Ave., Glendale. 623-937-0301, buenoburgeraz.com

Scottsdale’s Little Rangoon to close at end of May

May 10, 2010

The Valley’s only Burmese restaurant soon will be just a fond memory, as Little Rangoon at Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard closes at the end of May.

“We’ve become one of the casualties of the ongoing economic situation,” said Elizabeth Chan, who, with husband Alfred, opened the little eatery in the Scottsdale Promenade center in February 2008.

It’s a significant loss to our international dining scene, and if you’ve never had Burmese food, you owe it to yourself to hurry in now and give it a try. The southeast Asian menu is an herb-and-spice rainbow, drawing from its neighboring countries of India, China and Thailand. That includes crispy opo (gourd) fritters, fish cake salad, ba-yar-kyaw soup (deep fried pea-chile pulp), and catfish chowder with rice noodles and crunchy peas.

“We really enjoyed serving our unique cuisine to the public,” Elizabeth said, adding that a bargain awaits any creative investor who might pop up. “We’re trying to sell the whole operation at 75 percent off our capital, giving buyers the option to keep our cuisine if they want.”

Still, she noted, “The chance of finding a buyer with the ability to cook our cuisine is next to nothing.”

For fans of the distinctive foods of Myanmar (formerly Burma), there is still a whisper of hope. George & Son’s Asian Cuisine at Frank Lloyd Wright and Via Linda in Scottsdale offers a few Burmese choices scattered among its extensive selection of Chinese dishes.

Little Rangoon-Taste of Burma, 7000 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, 480-922-8585, littlerangoon.com. George & Son’s Asian Cuisine, 11291 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale. 480-661-6336. georgeandsons.com.

Texaz Grill

May 6, 2010

The deals: On the 25th of each month through September, Texaz Grill, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, brings back its 1985 dinner menu with its original prices. Among the choices available all day on the 25th are chili cups for $1.95, rib eye steak for $10.95 and $1.75 desserts.

The deal: 6003 N. 16th St., Phoenix. 602-248-7827. texazgrill.com

Big Daddy's BBQ opens in Scottsdale

May 2, 2010

Three years ago, just as the economy was about to tank, the Mastro Restaurant Group sold its three high-end Valley restaurants: Mastro's Steakhouse, City Hall Steakhouse and Ocean Club.

Now the same local team is returning to Scottsdale with a new concept, one more suitable for these leaner economic times. Forget expensive prime steaks and seafood - here comes hickory-smoked barbecue.

Big Daddy's BBQ opens Monday, April 26, in the Shea Boulevard space that has housed Maloney's, Where's the Beef and Marco Polo Supper Club.

It's an order-at-the-counter place, and everything on the menu is carefully priced under $20.

Look for baby rack ribs ($16.95, full rack) and beef ribs ($17.95, full rack), as well as plates of barbecue chicken ($7.95, half), brisket ($10.95), tri-tip ($10.95) and pulled pork ($10.95).

You'll find the usual array of sides, including sweet potato fries ($2), macaroni and cheese ($2.50) and the signature creamed corn ($2.50) . Thirsty? There's a full bar and a house brew, Big Daddy's Honey Ale.

Details: Lunch and dinner, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m.-midnight, Friday and Saturday. Big Daddy's BBQ, 8608 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale. 480-609-0100.

CityScape bringing 3 restaurants to downtown

May 1, 2010

CityScape, the $900 million showplace project in downtown Phoenix, has just inked a deal with New Orleans restaurateur Jason Doyle and his Doyle Restaurant Group to bring three more restaurants and a lounge to the complex.

Brian Harper, vice president for leasing for CityScape developer RED Development, calls Doyle an "independent, Sam Fox-type guy" with a knack for creating popular concepts. Fox is the brains behind popular Valley eateries Olive & Ivy, True Food, Zinburger and Modern Steak.

Harper says all the places will be "value-centric."

The three restaurants are scheduled to open in October.

• La Crepe Nanou: The uptown New Orleans location of this restaurant has been around since 1983 and is always crowded. Look for a French café menu of soups, salads, crepes, along with a few meat, fish and poultry entrees.

• BrewPublic Craft House: Craft beers and pub grub are the focus.

• Huey's 24/7 Diner: The kitchen will never close at this diner, which will feature inexpensive comfort food.

The final piece of the Doyle mini-empire is Rasputin Vodka Bar, which Harper compares to the dark, sexy Merc Bar in Phoenix's Esplanade office complex. The Web site calls it a "late-night, DJ-inspired ultra lounge."

Harper is aiming for a summer opening.

Over the past two years, CityScape has put together an impressive restaurant line-up. Among the coming attractions are LGO Public House, a gastro pub from the La Grande Orange group; two Aaron May ethnic restaurants, one Mexican, the other an Asian noodle house; a Sam Fox, Beverly Hills-style chophouse; a pan-Asian/sushi restaurant from Jimmy Carlin called Silk; and new branches of two local favorites, the Breakfast Club and Blu Burger Grille.

CityScape is bordered by First Street and First Avenue, between Washington and Jefferson streets.

Marcellino Ristorante moves to Scottsdale

April 30 , 2010

One of the Valley’s premier Italian restaurants, Marcellino Ristorante, opens the doors to its new Scottsdale home on Friday, April 30.

After six years in north central Phoenix, it’s changing neighborhoods, moving into the SouthBridge space that has already seen two Italian restaurants – Digestif and Tutto — come and go in about two years.

If anyone can break the spell of misfortune, it’s chef Marcellino Verzino, who’ll be working with pretty much the same menu that made his reputation. But expect him to take full advantage of a new piece of equipment, a wood-burning oven. (One of its uses: lunchtime pizzas.)

Among the menu favorites are antipasti like caprese salad ($14.95), mussels in white wine ($13.95) and polenta with mushrooms ($14.95). Main dishes range through veal scaloppine with Gorgonzola ($28.95), cognac-flamed lamb with grapes ($25.95), Italian seafood stew ($31.95) and chicken breast layered with prosciutto and Fontina cheese ($23.95).

But homemade pasta is what really sets Marcellino apart. Recent daily specials have included pappardelle with lamb ragu, saffron linguini in tomato sauce and fettuccine blackened with cuttlefish ink tossed with lobster, clams, mussels and shrimp.

For the first few weeks, Marcellino Ristorante will be dinner-only. Look for lunch sometime later in May.

Details: Marcellino Ristorante, 7114 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, 602-216-0004. Hours: 5 to 9:30 p.m., Sunday through Thursday; 5 to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday.

Dr. Andrew Weil at True Food Kitchen in Phoenix

April 29, 2010

Good-health guru Dr. Andrew Weil is an Oprah favorite, the founder and director of the University of Arizona’s Center for Integrative Medicine and the author of such bestsellers as “8 Weeks to Optimum Health, Spontaneous Healing and Healthy Aging.”

He’s also partners with restaurateur Sam Fox in True Food Kitchen, the good-for-you restaurant at Biltmore Fashion Park. (A second branch will open this fall in Scottsdale.)

At 10 a.m., on Thursday, May 6, Dr. Weil will be at True Food Kitchen to give a talk about the importance of breakfast. Chef Michael Stebner will also be on hand, demonstrating recipes for True Food Kitchen’s new breakfast menu.

While Weil is well-known today for his work in integrative medicine, his early career was somewhat more controversial. While a Harvard undergraduate in the early 1960s, he worked with professors Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (later known as Ram Dass), who were researching mind-altering drugs. According to a new book by Don Lattin, “The Harvard Psychedelic Club,” Weil began undertaking his own experiments. (Weil’s undergraduate thesis was entitled, “The Use of Nutmeg as a Psychotropic Agent.”). Lattin says that a jealous Weil was responsible for the expose that resulted in the expulsion of Leary and Alpert from the Harvard faculty.

Admission is free for the Weil breakfast talk, but reservations are required. Call 480-751-2176.

LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS

Tuesday Farmers Markets

• Phoenix: St. Mary's / Westside Food Bank

4211 N. 43rd Ave.

Season: April - September 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

623-848-1234

• Scottsdale: Desert Canyon Center Farmers Market

10405 McDowell Mountain Rd.

Season: October through May 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

480-585-8639

Wednesday Farmers Markets

• Phoenix: Downtown Phoenix Public Market

721 N. Central

Season: Ongoing 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

602-493-5231

• Phoenix: Town & Country Market

2021 E. Camelback Rd.

Season: Ongoing 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

602-955-6850

• Phoenix: Mountain Park - Baseline Market

635 E. Baseline Rd.

Season: April – September 9 a.m. - Noon

623-848-1234

Thursday Farmers Markets

• Chandler: Chandler Farmers Market

Boston and Arizona Avenue at Dr. A.J. Chandler Park

Season: ongoing 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

480-782-3047

• Surprise: Clinica Adelante

Tidwell Family Clinic, 16560 N. Dysart Rd.

Season: April – July 8:30 a.m. to Noon

623-848-1234

Friday Farmers Markets

• Casa Grande: Casa Grande Farmers’ Market

1510 N. Casa Grande Ave.

Season: March – June 8 a.m. to Noon

520-866-7313

• Mesa: Mesa Community Farmers' Market

263 N. Center Street

Season: Ongoing 9 a.m. to noon

623-848-1234

• Carefree: Carefree Farmers Market

Easy Street and Ho Hum Way in Downtown Carefree

Season: October through Mid-May 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

623-848-1234

Saturday Farmers Markets

• Anthem: Outlets of Anthem Farmers Market

I-17 Exit #229 at Entrance to the Food Court

Season: October through April, first Saturday of every month

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

480-585-8639

• Phoenix: Roadrunner Park Farmers Market

3502 E. Cactus Rd.

Season: Ongoing

8 a.m. to 1 p.m. October – May; 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. June - September

623-848-1234

• Phoenix: Downtown Phoenix Public Market

721 N. Central

Season: Ongoing

8 a.m. to 1 p.m. October - April; 8 a.m. - Noon May - September

602-493-5231

• Phoenix: Farm at South Mountain

6102 S. 32nd Street

Season: October through May, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

480-236-7097

• Phoenix: Phoenix Camelback Market

3930 E. Camelback

Season: October through May, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

602-224-0225

• Cave Creek: Cave Creek Framers and Craft Market

Hammerhead Jack's, 6900 E. Cave Creek Road

Season: October through May 9 a.m. to noon

480-585-8639

• Glendale: Westgate Farmers Market

Westgate City Center Fountain Park

Season: October to May 8 a.m. to noon

480-585-8639

• Goodyear: Estrella Lakeside Market

Estrella Mountain Ranch, Estrella Pkwy. south of Elliot

10 a.m. to 2 p.m., third Saturday of the month

Season: October through May

480-585-8639

• Scottsdale: Scottsdale Downtown's Old Town Farmers’ Market

Brown and 1st Street

8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Season: November through May

623-848-1234

• Scottsdale: Market at DC Ranch

Pima & Thompson Peak Parkway

Seasonal 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

480-563-0019

Sunday Farmers Markets

• Phoenix: Ahwatukee Farmers Market

4700 E. Warner

9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. October – May; 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. June - September

Season: Ongoing

623-848-1234

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