Friday is here and we are definitely ready for the weekend. We’re not sure about you, but we’re ready to relax. To help us relax, we need a new cocktail. Check out the Mango Cosmopolitan from Soi 4 Bangkok Eatery. It’s an easy cosmo to make and we’re betting it’s delicious, as well.

Ingredients:

2 oz. of Ketel One Vodka

1 oz. of Triple Sec

2 oz. o Mango Juice

1 oz. of Sweet and Sour

Method:

Add all ingredients to a martini shaker and mix. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a lime wedge

Our ears perked up too when we heard this. Starting June 4, Grimaldi’s will be offering half priced wine every Tuesday. Whenever you hear about a promotion like this, there’s normally a catch like only between certain hours. Not this time. Grimaldi’s will having this special every Tuesday all day long until the last Tuesday in September. Though, the deal does exclude house wine and sangria. No matter, there’s still plenty to choose from. If you want more information or want to check out the wine menu (and we think you should), click here.

The Hangover trilogy is about to come to end. To help prevent your own hangovers, here are some brilliantly created hangover remedies, all courtesy of Bar Louie. Sure, they may involve drinking again, but who doesn’t love a good bloody mary after a long night? Throw some food in the mix and you’re golden.

Hangover Remedy 1:
Eat: Mexican Sunrise – layered cheese quesadilla, black beans, salsa verde,
salsa rojo, lettuce, cilantro, topped with fried egg.

Drink: The Ultimate Bloody Louie – Absolut Peppar, Guinness Stout, Tabasco, bloody mary mix & our signature garnish of salami, provolone cheese, pickles and a tall stalk of celery.

Hangover Remedy 2:
Eat: Breakfast Burrito Loco – scrambled eggs, bacon, tatter tots, pepper jack, guacamole, sour cream, salsa verde and salsa rojo.

Drink: Effen Good – Effen Cucumber, mint leaves, lime juice, fresh-cut cucumber, agave nectar.

Hangover Remedy 3:
Eat: Bacon & Fried Egg Sandwich – applewood smoked bacon, fried egg, swiss, lettuce, tomato, mayo on multi-grain bread, served with tots.

Drink: Strawberry Peach Bellini – SKYY Wild Strawberry, Prosecco, white peach puree, pure cane syrup, and fresh raspberries.

Who doesn’t love a good wine tasting? Sure, not allo of us are sommeliers, but we like our wine and when there’s a tasting, we go all out. The Brugos Pizza Company at el Pedregal will be hosting an exclusive wine tasting event on Thursday, May 30. The night be will be hosted by certified sommelier and wine importer, Charles Hesson. Six Italian wines by Vinifera, an Italian owned importer of vino, will be the stars of the show. Along with the wine, Spuntini, will be offered to munch on. Enjoy the tasting from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. If you plan on staying for dinner, half-off bottles will be available. The best part? The event is free. Sign us up.

34505 | North Scottsdale Road | Scottsdale AZ | 85266

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

With spring comes fresh veggies. If you’re watching your weight or just love eating salads, we’ve got an interesting twist on the Caesar salad for you. Chef Harold Marmulstein at Salty Sow has been kind enough to share the recipe for his delicious Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad. So, if you feel like showing off your newly acquired recipe to friends and family, we won’t blame you if you take the credit.

As declared by AZCentral.com, the best burger in Phoenix wants to make sure everyone in town can try it. Located at Bobby Q’s Smokehouse Burger is truly a piece of art. The half-pound burger is topped with Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar Cheese, strips of crispy Applewood Smoked bacon, a haystack of crunchy onion strings, and both BBQ and “secret” sauces. Seeing how May is National Burger Month, Bobby Q’s will be featuring it for just $9 Monday through Friday, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. all month long. Grab a beer and the Smokehouse Burger and you have the perfect meal.

Cinco de Mayo is almost here. We have some more May 5 specials for you and this time Ireland is getting a taste of Mexico. The Thirsty Lion Pub in Tempe Marketplace has some pretty stellar deals. The restaurant has created a special Cinco de Mayo Menu that will run from Thursday, May 2 to Sunday, May 5. You’ll have all weekend long to enjoy a brew or margarita and special grub. Check out some of the menu items.

Entrees
Spicy Chicken Nachos Tri-color tortilla chips with cheddar, jack and mozzarella cheeses, topped with spicy chicken, tomatoes, olives, jalapénos, green onions, Sante Fe black beans, herbed sour cream, guacamole and fresh salsa. 11.95

Spicy BBQ Pork Quesadilla A large flour tortilla filled with slow-cooked BBQ pork, black beans, cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, jalapeños, olives, green onions, pico de gallo and chipotle aioli. 8.95

Baja Fish Tacos With sautéed shrimp or cod, chipotle aioli, cilantro lime slaw, pico de gallo, Cotija cheese and white corn tortillas. Served with Sante Fe bacon black beans. 13.95

Jalapeno Pepperjack Burger Melted pepperjack cheese, jalapeños, Tabasco onion strings, fresh guacamole and chipotle aioli. 10.95
Green Chili Chicken Sandwich Roasted green chilies, pepperjack, fresh guacamole, lettuce, tomato and chipotle aioli on ciabatta bread. 10.95

Featured Margaritas
Blood Orange Margarita : El Jimador tequila, pureed blood orange, agave nectar, muddled fruit and sweet and sour.

Pomegranate Margarita : Tequila, triple sec, agave nectar, pomegranate juice and sweet & sour.

Tropical Margarita : Tequila, melon liqueur, passion fruit puree and sweet & sour.

Spicy Margarita : Tequila, triple sec, agave nectar, habañero pepper, lemon, lime and sweet & sour.

Cadillac Margarita : 1800 tequila, triple sec, lime, agave nectar and sweet & sour.

The weekend is upon us once again and that means it is time to bring you another delicious cocktail. Thanks to Del Frisco’s Grille, here is a recipe for the perfect warm weather cocktail, a pomegranate margarita. This one comes with an added bonus: anti-oxidants.

Ingredients:

2 ounces Avion Reposado Tequila

1 ounce Cointreau

1 ounce fresh lime-sour mix*

1 ounce POM pomegranate Juice

3 parts freshly squeezed lime juice

2 parts simple syrup (1 part water and 1 part sugar)

Method:

Dampen the edge of a rocks glass. Pour all of the ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake away. Put ice in the rocks glass and pour the mix in. Garnish with a lime and there you go.

We’re here bringing you a friendly reminder that mother’s day will soon be upon us, May 12 to be exact. Brunch always goes hand-in-hand with mom’s special day, so where should you take her? The signature Latilla restaurant at the Boulders Resort will be offering a Mother’s Day brunch that features a carving station, omelet station, cold & hot items, bread & bakery, dessert and a children’s station for the little ones. Roaring Fork will be celebrating with a specialty brunch, as well. It will be featuring a selection of breakfast items, a carving station featuring roasted pork prime rib & smoked beef brisket, salads, eggs, signature side dishes, entrees and tasty desserts by Executive Chef, Michael Bouwens.

With May comes Cinco de Mayo. Seeing how we’re in the southwest, there will no doubt be plenty of Cinco de Mayo deals going on around the Valley. Millagro Grill wants to celebrate the holiday with you. Not just for one day but for three glorious days filled with food and drinks. Check out the menu that will be available on Friday and Saturday and Sunday, May 3 – May 5.

FRIDAY
Drink Specials

$3 domestic bottled beer
$4 all draft beer & premium bottled beer
$5 Milagro Margarita, Ruffino Pinot Grigio, Bogle Chardonnay, Red Diamond Pinot Noir,14 Hands
Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangria Rojo, Sangria Blanco, Well Drinks
$6 Habanero Raspberry Margarita
$7 Rodney Strong Chardonnay, Chateau St Michelle Cab
$10 Talbot Pinot Noir, Stratton-Lummis The Riddler

Food Specials

$5 Pan Plano Queso, Guacamole Traditional
$6 Salsa Trio & Chips, Camarones Dulces,
$7 Tostados de Costilla, Pollo Tacos, Costilla Tacos, Al Pastor Tacos
$8 PB&J Puerco, Wings
$9 Carne Tacos

SATURDAY & SUNDAY

Food Specials
$2 each Chicken or Costilla (Short Rib) Tacos

Drink Specials
$3 Mexican Draft Beer, Margaritas, All Domestic Bottle Beer, Mimosas
$4 Import/Premium Bottle Beer, All Craft Beer on Draft, Well Drinks
$5 Sauza Margarita, Sangria Rojo Sangria Blanco
$7 Cruz/Cointreau Margarita
20% off All Bottles of Wine

For those of you who didn’t know, May is national burger month. If normally don’t dine on burgers, you should reconsider. No, we’re not talking McDonald’s, we’re talking actual, delicious burgers that will be provided by Kelly’s at South Bridge. Chef Israel Medina recently designed three new burgers that will be voted on throughout the month of May on their website. Now that we have your curiosity, check out the burger selections.

Burger 1 – Brioche Toast, Four-Cut Patty, Tomato, Butter Lettuce, Brie Cheese, Crisp Bartlett Pear

Burger 2 – Brioche Bun, Four-Cut Patty, Chorizo, Roasted Poblano, Roasted Red/Yellow Peppers, Avocado Spread

Burger 3 – Brioche Bun, Four-Cut Patty, Pancetta, Onion Ring, Fried Egg, BBQ Bourbon Sauce

Like you need another reason to party. In case you actually did, Cinco de Mayo will soon be upon. Since we’re in the southwest and neighbors with Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is a partying tradition in the Vally. This year, you should probably head to anyone of Sandbar’s locations. All three locations will be hosting an all-day and all-night fiesta on May 4 and May 5. Called Cinco de Sandbar, the days will be filled with drink specials and live music from local bands and DJs like Black Bottom Lighters, The Walkens, and The Hourglass Cats.

Photo courtesy of Haute Living.

It’s important for you and your family to eat healthy. If you’re constantly eating fast food, processed food, and things of the like, having a healthier and fresher alternative will make you feel so much better. The s.e.e.d. café, part of the Madison Improvement Club, will be featured at the Arcadia farmer’s market every Sunday through August. It’s the perfect place to pick up freshly grown and local fruits and veggies. S.e.e.d. café’s Chef Joe Meyer’s famed Joe-nola house-made energy bars will be the star of the show at the market. Made with healthful yet super tasty ingredients such as cherries, oats, shredded coconuts and chocolate-covered goji berries, they are guaranteed to add some pep to your step. Grab some of the bars along with some of their delicious house-made juice, and you have the perfect post-workout meal.

Friday is here and that means it is time to get the party started. Courtesy of Thirsty Lion Pub & Grill in Tempe and on their menu all Spring, this Cosmo is refreshingly delicious. The Blood Orange Cosmo will give you your cocktail fix this weekend. If you don’t feel like heading into Thirsty Lion go ahead and make your own.

Ingredients:

1 ½ oz Absolut Mandarin

½ oz triple sec

¼ oz fresh lime juice

¼ oz blood orange puree

1 splash cranberry juice

Method:

Pour all ingredients into a shaker and shake well. Pour into your favorite martini glass and enjoy.

Has it really been a year since Crudo first opened doors? Time really flies when you’re eating great food and drinking the perfect cocktails. On Thursday, April 25, Crudo will be celebrating their anniversary and you all are invited. Chef Cullen Campbell, the newly named Chef of the Year by the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame, will be offering his entire food menu at half-price. Bar Crudo next door will be joining the festivities with stellar wine and drink deals all night long, as well. The party goes down from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in the restaurant and until midnight in the bar. To make reservation, call 602.358.8666. See you all there.