Arizona Death-Row Inmate’s Request for Mercy Denied [AZ Central]
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Some of you may find this shocking, but there was a time when people looked to actual professional writers to figure out which new restaurants to try. We’re talking as far back as three or four years ago. And now that there’s officially one old-school food critic still standing in a town of 4.5 million people, we thought we’d dig up this Q&A with longtime local food critic, Nikki Buchanan.
Best known for her nearly two decades at Phoenix Magazine, Buchanan’s recent career is a perfect snapshot of the demise of this once prestigious profession. After dabbling in food blogging, and a brief stint at the AZ Republic, she jumped ship to co-found a PR/Marketing agency.
(Click here to learn why the Phoenix New Times‘ longtime critic just walked away. Hint: If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.)
When we broke bread with Buchanan, she spoke candidly about her messy exit from Phoenix Magazine, which places in town she’d actually pay to eat at, and the drawbacks of eating out for a living. Hint: she calls her fridge (pictured) the International House of Leftovers.
It’s officially Thursday afternoon. Which means it’s practically the weekend. Or at least time to start thinking about Happy Hour. That said, let this video be a stern warning about the dangers of drunk dialing.
(Check out a pic of the completed pool after the jump.)
Ladies and gentlemen, can I please have your attention? I’ve just been handed an urgent and horrifying news story. And I need all of you to stop what you’re doing and listen … Cannonball!
What we think Mr. Burgundy was trying to say is, day drinking in Downtown Scottsdale is about to get got a lot cooler (pool-er?) with the opening of Spanish Fly. Carved out of the old Drift Polynesian Lounge, the owners recently wrapped up a multi-million dollar renovation that transformed this former tiki bar into a sleek, sexy slice of Baja beach resort, including a shimmering swimming pool. That said, the only rooms here are poolside cabanas filled with daybeds, and the only body of water will be the hardbodies in the water. Hey-o!
Since the dawn of conspicuous consumption, music and fashion have gone hand in hand like chocolate and peanut butter, Simon and Garfunkle, Dolce and Gabana and, well, you get the point. Taking it one step further is the Musical Instrument Museum and their partnership with Phoenix Fashion Week. Fashion Rocks at MIM will feature both global fashion and music in a comprehensive event that will feature looks from international fashion designers styled by successful local stylists. The music and runway designs will reflect the designers home countries, making it a cultural experience as well as an entertaining one.
Doors open at 6:30 this Thursday with Swag Bag giveaways for the first 100 guests. Get your tickets here to watch and hear these two arts come together like one sweet, stylish symphony.
Golly gee, Batman, scouring food blogs every week can sure weigh on someone’s spirits. This is especially true when our favorite Phoenix bloggers don’t update their sites in months. *Heavy sigh* Do you hear that? That is the sound of the tiny violin that echos throughout the office when such a tragedy occurs so consistently. Luckily, not everyone is slacking on their civic duty and there will be a Chow Down Run-Down in spite of it all.
Here’s a redux of what’s happening in our favorite consistent food blogs: »READ MORE
Have you seen the Direct TV commercial with the miniature giraffe called “Opulence, I Has It”? (If not, do yourself a favor and watch it the video link below.) Either way, ladies and gentleman, meet the breeder of those ridiculously-cute miniature giraffes from that commercial…
Or not. After poking around their website, this is either a completely ridiculous and elaborate (Go Direct TV) hoax, or they’re legit. And yes, we realize that if they are in fact real, they are animals not objects. Really this is just an excuse to point out their adorableness, real or otherwise.
See a full gallery of photos (calling all Photoshop experts) and sign the “I Want Giraffe Wait-list” here because apparently, the latest newborn is reserved for a Prince. So you know, you’ve got that to compete with.
Calling all Valley foodies and urban hipsters (if that’s not completely redundant). Everybody’s fav dining gimmick, Cycle opens this weekend with not one, but two top local chefs crafting two completely different, if similar menus? Confused? Well read up quick, because the sign up for the first 30-person, reservation-only first dinner goes live today at 4 pm.
Long story short, Cycle is a temporary restaurant housed inside the Lexington Phoenix Hotel through the summer, when the property will undergo a wall-to-wall renovation. (Click here to learn more). In the meantime, the hotel’s owners have hired social-media scenester, Ty Largo, to create a little slice of foodie heaven featuring an ever-changing menu crafted by various local chefs and food truck purveyors. Still with us? Good, because this Friday’s kickoff shindig looks like a blast.
Being a paperless publication, we have a soft spot in our hard drives for eco-friendly events happening around the valley. Habitat for Humanity’s Desert Foothills ReStore will be hosting a one year anniversary shindig on April 2 to benefit the choice secondhand store of green enthusiasts and charity givers alike.
Along with a storewide 50-percent discount, patrons can come and drop off donations for the organization in the form of gently used clothing, furniture, household items, empty ink cartridges, eye glasses, cell phones and other electronics while also participating in some awesome activities including and Eco-Art tutorial and document shredding.
Run, don’t walk, as we give away 24 free tix to the Scottsdale Culinary Festival. Plus see a hilariously-dated slideshow of the SCF over the past three decades, and learn just what it takes to feed 40,000-plus hungry patrons at the Valley’s tastiest food extravaganza.
Now entering it’s 33rd season, the Scottsdale Culinary Festival (April 5 – 10) is one of the nation’s longest-running food affairs. Featuring 12 events spread over six food-filled days, the SCF attracts than 40,000 hungry patrons a year. Plus, the entire event doubles as a non-profit fundraiser for local arts and arts education programs, which is more important than ever as state funding continues to dry up for these ‘non essential’ programs. So we thought we’d put in a call to the Scottsdale League for the Arts (SLA), and speak with Executive Director, Joe Zanovich about what it takes to put on this wildly-popular event, from the super-ritzy AZ Culinary Hall of Fame Dinner, to the flip flop-friendly Great Arizona Picnic.
Did you know that DLT has an (NYC-based) big sister named Tasting Table? Best described as a (free) email magazine for food lovers everywhere, TT sends its members one delicious idea every weekday about dining, wine, cocktails, cooking or restaurant personalities.
And speaking of boozy delights, Tasting Table just launched a new edition taking aim at those of us that take their cocktails and mixology as seriously as they do their food. Thus, the TOP SHELF edition that launched just today. So the next time you have friends over and need to impress them with your high-level cocktail skills, TT is there to help.
Tell ‘em DLT sent you. And then have fun explaining to New Yorkers that there is a place called Arizona, or anything west of the Hudson River for that matter.
Recently, we received an update about a local hotel that we hadn’t thought about in years. However, this isn’t any ol’ Motel 8. This is actually the sister property to one of the Valley’s most famed (and infamous) resorts. A posh property that, back in the 1980s, brought a whole new level of sophistication to the West Valley. But today, it’s mostly forgotten, except by business travelers and savvy families looking to get great bang for their buck.
Towering over the I-17 freeway at Dunlap Ave., the Sheraton Crescent Hotel is a 342-room landmark located adjacent to the Metrocenter Mall (another local icon that’s seen better days). Built by famed anti-pornography advocate/disgraced AZ real estate developer, Charles H. Keating, the Crescent served as a model for his larger The Phoenician Resort, right down to the ornate interiors overflowing with Italian marble, crystal chandeliers and oversized tapestries.
Downtown Phoenix's new Province restaurant features bold Latin flavors such as shrimp and grits with Manchego cheese
Are you counting down the days until opening day at Chase Field? Do the D’backs have a chance to rebound from back-to-back awful seasons? If we knew the answer to that last one, we’d be in Vegas right now. But one thing we do know, there are some great new pre- and post-game drinking and drinking options in Downtown Phoenix. After all, just because you’re going to a baseball game doesn’t mean you have to settle for greasy nachos and (crappy) $12 beers. Hit up one of these sleek new hotspots featuring some serious culinary chops.
Tucked into the first-floor of the soaring new Westin Phoenix Downtown, Province restaurant is a stylish new spin-off of the Chicago original. Featuring a bold (and surprisingly affordable) menu of Modern Latin dishes, Province is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner up until 10 pm. Click here to see the full menu, including the killer-sounding shrimp and grits with Manchego cheese and a ‘BBQ’d Ten Hour Braised’ lamb with roasted eggplant, chorizo and cornbread.
Consider this sign of the apocalypse #12,276. The uber-prestigious Library of Congress has acquired the entire Twitter archive. Yes, every bitchy thing you wrote about that Starbucks barista or your roommate’s lack of personal hygiene is now permanently stored alongside the Nation’s most important records and cultural touchstones.
No word on whether there will be a wing devoted to Charlie Sheen.
It looks like Detroit will get it’s RoboCop statue, but whether it wants it or not is another story. Created to honor the cult classic 1980s film that was set in a futuristic version of the Motor City, online donors have pledged more than $60K to make bring a 10-foot-tall version of this silly movie prop to life. The only problem is, the Mayor of Detroit wants nothing to do with it.
(Meanwhile, if you wanna meet Mr. RoboCop himself, aka the actor Peter Weller, click here to enter our Phoenix Film Festival giveaway.)
Ol’ McClendon had a farm. Even if you’ve never heard of Bob McClendon, or met him in all his suspender-wearing glory a local farmer’s market, you’ve probably savored some of his farm-fresh goodies. That’s because this owner of McClendon’s Select supplies organic produce and boutique foodstuffs to some of the Valley top kitchens, including Pizzeria Bianco, Binkley’s and Matt’s Big Breakfast.
Learn more with top-notch profile by the Arizona Republic.
Look, we don’t want to go all overboard here, but this might be the most. Exciting. Thing. Ever. Yes, it’s Phoenix Film Festival time here in the Valley and that can only mean one thing. A sprinkling of C-list celebrities rolling into town to promote their latest paychecks projects. But we’re not talking any ol’ actors. We’re talking the man, the machine, the RoboCop.
Yes, Peter Weller, best only known as the man inside the robot suit in the cult 1980s hit, will be hosting a special Q&A this Saturday as part of this film fest’s week-long run (March 31 – April 7). But Weller isn’t the only famed face taking the stage at this 11th annual film fest. Future US President, Grant Hill, will be there this Friday to introduce his sports documentary, while Cuba (remember me?) Gooding Jr. will also host a Q&A on Saturday to discuss what happened his to once promising career.
First it was a ‘pop-up’ shopping experience, and then it was a ‘pop-up’ restaurant. Now there’s a delicious-sounding ‘pop-up’ charity event coming to Downtown Phoenix to support the relief efforts in Japan. Hosted this Wednesday, March 30, from 6 – 9pm inside the Madison Event Center, drop in to donate to Red Cross and enjoy amazing food from local restaurants such a Hana Japanese Eatery, Barrio Cafe, and (the delicious) Citizen Public House.
Wanna help? Well if you’re a local business, click here and fill out the form, and someone will be in touch immediately.
Meanwhile, individuals can best help by simply showing up and give the suggested donation of $20 at the door (or more if you’d like). All funds raised will go directly to the Grand Canyon Red Cross.
