Arizona Restaurant week is here. All week long, through May 27 actually, the Valley’s best eateries will be showing off their latest and greatest in the culinary world. TQLA is now in the mix. They are now offering a special three course menu for the Restaurant Week. Let’s take a look, shall we?

First Course (select one item)

Spicy Crab Cake – Lump crab with serranos, served with sweet corn cream, crispy tortilla strips and tomatillo salsa

BBQ Duck Tamale – Savory Duck confit, cascabel chiles, spicy salsa and Mexican crema

Baja Ceviche – Crab, shrimp, fish, scallops, tomatoes, cilantro, cucumber, avocado and lime served with blue corn chips

Second Course (select one item)

Pumpkin Seed Crusted Salmon – Sautéed salmon served with fried green tomatoes,roasted tomatoes and cilantro rice and a sweet pepper tequila lime butter sauce

Carne Asada – Marinated and grilled Mesquite grilled skirt steak, with poblano and green chiles, caramelized onions and jalapeno cheese

Ancho Pork Tenderloin – Ancho marinated pork tenderloin served with a Nopalito demi glace, green chili mashed potatoes and sweet potato strings

Roasted Chicken – Pan roasted Chicken served with green chile mashed potatoes and creamy Serrano slaw (please allow 25 minutes)

Third Course (select one item)

Seasonal Cheesecake

Patron XO Flan – Chocolate and coffee flan with fresh cinnamon whipped cream

Cuatro Leches – White cake soaked in four milks and topped with meringue and berries

Have you heard of Sigur Rós? From Iceland, the band is the epitome of epic (we don’t like throwing that word around, either.) Post rock meets ambient, they’re music can be truly moving and intense at the same time. They’ve released six albums since 1997, and you’ve probably heard some of their music from famous movies like Life Aquatic, Vanilla Sky, and 127 Hours. After a brief hiatus, the band is back with a new track and a new album, Kveikur, to be released on June 12. Check out the single, Brennisteinn. 

There’s nothing quite like an ice cold beer and a delicious meal on a hot summer day. Sure, summer isn’t technically here yet, but it feels like it. So, bear with us. Local breweries San Tan, Four Peaks, and Mudshark will be teaming up with the Spotted Donkey Cantina for three nights this summer of beer paired meals. Each meal was crafted by Executive Chef, Esteban Colon. For $39 per person, you’ll receive a reception with appetizers and a three-course meal. We can’t wait.

June 5, 2013- Beer Dinner with SanTan Brewing Company

July 10, 2013 – Beer Dinner with Four Peaks Brewing Company

August 7, 2013 – Mudshark Brewery

In case you didn’t know it, Friday is here. That means it is time to party. That’s where the Weekender comes in. This week, we’re bringing you a cocktail from Soi 4 Bangkok Eatery at the SHOPS at Gainey Village. The Basil Caipifruta is a Thai inspired drink guaranteed to get you ready for summer. Let’s take a look.

Ingredients:

2 oz. of Cachaca Rum

4 Freshly squeezed lemon wedges

4 basil leaves, muddled

2 tsp. of powdered sugar

Splash of soda

Method:

Add all ingredients to a martini shaker and mix well. Pour entire contents into a short glass with ice and garnish with a lemon wedge.

With summer vacation practically here, it’s hard to find things to do now that the kids are home all day. Uptown Alley in Surprise is announcing their Summer Fun Pass. It’s great way to get your kids off the couch and up and moving. With activities like bowling, laser tag, a large restaurant, and over 100 games. For just $3 you can bowl a game, play laser tag, or get a $5 game play card. These deals are available Monday through Friday, from May 28 to August 30.

Today’s object of desire is perfect for all of you travelers. Whether it’s a business trip or vacation, sleeping on any sort transportation can be a daunting task. If it’s an overnight flight, not everyone turns their lights off. Also, chances are, the person next to you won’t stop playing with their smartphone or tablet. The Travel HoodiePillow will solve all of your traveling problems. It’s one of those travel pillows you wrap around your next with a hood attached. So, pop in some headphones and cover your eyes. You’ll be catching some z’s in no time.

It’s been three years since Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana opened its doors in Scottsdale. But as we all know, change is the only contant. Thus, the pizzeria will be heading downtown. Which is cool, because downtown Phoenix needs to keep growing. Anyway, their new home will be on the historic 1st street. Executive Chef Matteo Schiavone will obviously maintain the quality food items, some of which are imported straight from Italy. Located near the ASU Downtown campus and the Phoenix Public Market, the new location is guaranteed to bring in more business. The downtown location will open its doors on May 28 with a grand opening party on May 31.

Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana | 705 North 1st Street | Phoenix

It always nice seeing businesses doing good things. Memorial Day is coming up on May 27. To honor the military, Scottsdale premier comedy club, Stand-Up Scottsdale, will be having a special show before the holiday. On May 23, the club will be donating 70% of their proceeds to the Heroes to Hometowns organization. This is all in honor of one of the Valley’s fallen soldiers, Army Pfc. John C. Johnson. Johnson succumbed to his wounds when insurgents attacked his unit in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Comedian Quinn Dahle will be the night’s performer. The show starts at 8:00 p.m. and costs $10.00. Show your support by having a few laughs.

Have you ever been to the Melting Pot? If not, you really should because fondue is delicious. It has a great atmosphere, perfect for a date, and even better food. Today, the Melting Pot announces its new menu. Stepping up their normal four course meal, they are featuring an endless entree portion. You read that correctly. For just $36.95 per person, you can enjoy endless entrees like Filet, Choice Angus Sirloin Teriyaki sirloin, Memphis BBQ pork, Buffalo Chicken Breast, Chicken Breast, and White Shrimp. So, if you’ve never been there, you should probably go soon.

It is time again to get your hopes up. Today’s ride is the 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo. It’s a Porsche. It’s a 911 Turbo. You know it’s going to be good. This year’s model has some brand new features like an all-wheel-drive system and a longer chassis. It also features an anti-roll system which is awesome for taking tight corners (not that you should be) and LED headlights. Its standard engine is a  turbocharged 3.8-liter six-cylinder thats pumps out 520 horsepower. For $198,000, this ride can be all yours.

One of Tempe’s newest spots is known for its patio. With a gerat view of the beach park and A Mountain, Tempe’s Front Porch is a great place to hang out. TFP offers a great lunch menu and a tapas menu for dinner. With 13 beers on tap that will always be changing, if you haven’t been there yet, you should check it out. Lots of other people have. Tempe’s Front Porch has been open for just about a month now and they want to show their appreciation to all of you with their daily specials:

Monday: Margarita Monday!! $3 off specialty margaritas, 4pm – close.

Tuesday: Guys night out!! – ½ off whiskey, bourbon, & scotch from 7pm – close (not including flights).

Wednesday: Paper Bag Beer Special!! – Random beer in a bag for $1.

Thursday: Ladies Night – $3 off glasses of wine & $3 360 vodka drinks 4pm – close.

Friday: Fireball Friday – $2 shots of Fireball 7pm – close.

Saturday: Bottomless Mimosa’s – $10/person 11am – 3 pm.

Sunday: Bottomless Bloody’s – $10/person, 11am – 3 pm; ½ of bottles of wine, 4pm – close.

Local rockers Jimmy Eat World will be coming out with a new album next month. Jimmy Eat World is probably one of the biggest bands to come out of the Valley. It was cool watching them start from a local group to selling out stadiums. Though, they have been out of the limelight for a couple years. It has been about three years since their last release. Their new album, Damages, brings back the catchy indie rock we love so much. Check out their single, I Will Steal You Back. They have indeed stolen us back.

It is that time of year where Arizona’s best restaurants gear up for a week of food and fun. Arizona Restaurant Week will be from May 18 to May 27. More than 125 restaurants in Phoenix and Tucson will be strutting their stuff and showing off new and unique items. Chef Nate Johnson from Distrito at the Saguaro Hotel will be going the extra mile. Using a specially-designated Restaurant Week menu, Chef Nate will compliment your taste buds with items like grilled Spanish octopus, or Pulpo al Carbon, glazed pork belly with grilled scallions, Chile Relleno with black beans and Queso Oaxaca and our favorite, his special guacamole. We’ll be bringing you more Restaurant Week news all next week.

We don’t have to tell you but in case you’ve forgotten, today is Friday. With the weekend comes our favorite post of the week: The Weekender. Today’s cocktail comes to us from the Spotted Donkey Cantina at el Pedregal. The Flor Bonita is the perfect drink to have this weekend, whether you’re at the cantina or hanging out at home.

Ingredients:

1 ½ oz Sauza Hornitos

1 oz O3 Liquor

½ oz Hum (Hibiscus Spirit)

1 oz Margarita Mix

Method:

Build in shaker with ice. Shake hard around 10 times. Then strain and serve in short glass with ice. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Brunch is pretty much the perfect meal. It is the exquisite blend of the best parts of breakfast and lunch. One of our favorite spots, Postino, will now be offering a brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays. The Arcadia location will be featuring farm-fresh comfort foods, $5 mimosas, and bellinis every weekend from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. The menu includes delicious items like Country Toast with Italian ham, dijonnaise and gruyere with sunny-side up eggs, or Ciabatta French Toast with housemade berry preserves, almonds and vanilla crème fraiche. Yeah, we thought you would like that.

A lot of us live in apartments. Sure, they’re not an investment like owning a home, but it’s nice being to save some money. One of the biggest problems with apartments we find is the lack of barbecuing. Sometimes it would nice to be able to step outside and grill a burger or steak instead of having to use one of the community grills (if you’re lucky enough to have one.) That problem has been solved. The Balcony Grill is the answer to our prayers. Designed to hang on those flower pot holders, the grill is an extremely easy substitute to community grills. Basically, we want one.

You may be thinking that we’re crazy. Okay, we may be a little crazy but this is totally legit. The brand new Butterfly Wonderland knows that AZ’s deserts are full of butterflies. So if you or your child is a shutter-bug (you can bet that pun was intended) or just like snapping some pics while you’re hiking, you should listen up. Butterfly Wonderland is launching a photo contest with a grand prize of $1,000. Second place receives $500 and third place will win a lifetime membership at the Wonderland. This contest is open to all amateur photographers that are at least 8 years old. The deadline for entries is May 20 and the winner will be chosen on May 24 by a team of qualified judges. All submissions must be uploaded by May 22. You can upload them here.

For more information, click here.

Yes, we’re being repetitive but your mother is important. This Sunday is Mother’s Day and we have one more place where you can treat her right. Milagro Grill in Phoenix will be celebrating every mom in the building on the 12th. Every mother in the building will receive half-off brunch. She can enjoy food items like Cinnamon-Banana Pancake with Chocolate Chunks and an Frances Concha Bread French Toast, and much more. It wouldn’t be brunch if mimosas and bloody marys weren’t part of the mix, along with 20% wine. Also, every mom there will get a beautiful long-stem mum flower.

Downtown Phoenix is growing more and more vibrant every year. If you’ve ever frequented the area, then you’ve probably seen the Phoenix Public Market. It is state’s largest open-air market with 100 vendors and open year-round, rain or shine. Now you can add the perfect place for a bite to that list. On Wednesday, May 8, from the minds who brought us St. Francis comes the Phoenix Public Market Café. Chef Paul Steele will bring together the freshest, local ingredients, with his simple and health-focused menu. If you think it’ll be expensive, you’re in for a treat. Breakfast and lunch items will be $10 and under and dinner items will be $15 and under. The café is doing some philanthropy as well with all proceeds of kids menu items going to the St. Mary’s Foodbank’s backpack program. So basically, the Phoenix Public Market Café is one of the best things to hit downtown in quite a while. To kick it all off, the mayor will be hosting a lighting ceremony on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Phoenix Public Market Café | 14 East Pierce Street | Phoenix

This isn’t your mother’s Land Rover. This is the Land Rover Defender LXV Special Edition. And it is very special. This is the 65th anniversary edition, hence the Roman numerals in its name. There aren’t very many car models that can say they’ve reached such an achievement. Its 2.2L diesel engine isn’t built for speed, but for life expectancy. There’s a lot we don’t know about this ride, like price and US release, for example. But we can tell, this ride was meant to last.

We know your busy but you never too busy for mom. She did bring you into this world, after all. This Sunday, May 12, is Mother’s Day. Thanks to Local First Arizona for the great ideas, here are some ways to celebrate mom’s day the local way. You can stop by one of the Valley’s many local flower shops and get her a bouquet of her favorites. Find a one-of-kind piece of jewelry from a local jeweler. You can treat to day at the spa. The list goes on. For more Mother’s Day gift ideas and the best brunch places around town, click here.

The Appleseed Cast is probably the best band you’ve never heard of. Indie rock with a flair of the 90′s, Appleseed cast has been around since  1998. Back then, their debut album, The End of the Ring Wars, pretty much pioneered the start of the “emo” movement. Fifteen years later, their back with a new record, Illuminati Ritual. While touring extensively to promote this album, the band’s van was run off the road and they lost around $8,000 worth of equipment, according to Pitchfork. They are currently fundraising to get back on the road. Check out the title track on their Illuminati Ritual. 

Most of us have only seen the rainforest in movies and TV. On May 25, that can all change. A little piece of the rainforest will call Scottsdale home. At the end of the month, Butterfly Wonderland will open its doors. For a limited only, you can get their lifetime membership offer for just $99 individually or $249 for a family of four. The Butterfly Wonderland spans a 5-acre parcel of land and will be home to an indoor rainforest environment that will feature the largest butterfly pavilion in America. If you’re interested, you sign up quick because the offer is only valid through June 15.

Is it Friday already? Ah yes, the beloved weekend is here and that means it is once again time for the Weekender. Our latest and possible greatest cocktail comes to you from the brand new Salut Kitchen Bar. The Lemon Lavender Fizz is the perfect drink for summer. If you don’t feel like heading into Salut for the drink, they’ve been kind enough to share the recipe.

Ingredients:

2oz Bombay Saphire Gin

¾ oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

¾ oz Lavender Syrup

2 ½ oz Sparkling French Lemonade

Method:

Mix the gin, lemon juice, and syrup with ice and shake. Fill your favorite tall glass with ice and add the the mix. Then top it off with French sparkling lemonade. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a fresh sprig of lavender.

If you’re having a bad day, your pet can really make you feel better. So, if you’ve had a rough day, week, month, year, whatever, watch this cute animation by Madeline Sharafian. We know it will make you feel better because sometimes you just need someone who loves you no matter what.

Omelette from Madeline Sharafian on Vimeo.