Brunch it up this weekend
by Steak Knife the blogger
This weekend is full of fun–from Passover to Easter or just enjoying the beautiful weather and your family and friends, there’s most certainly something for everyone to do.
I personally enjoy drinking myself silly on bloody mary’s and mimosas over some variable pork products and eggs. If you want to join me, check out some of these brunch spots around town:
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess: Crazy good options here from every dining outlet on the property. Call 480-585-4848 to make a reservation.
Lon’s at the Hermosa Inn: Beautiful setting, delicious eats. 602-955-7878
The Boulder’s Resort in Carefree: Choose from dining options at La Tilla or the Grill. 480-488-4317
Top of the Rock at the Buttes in Tempe: Enjoy an expansive view of the Valley on top of this rock. 602-431-2367
Litchfield’s at the Wigwam: Hop over to the wesside for a buffet spectacular. 623-935-3811
Hotel Valley Ho: Cafe ZuZu is doing an Easter Brunch and Easter Dinner. 480-248-2000
New Restaurant Alert: Graze Desert Grille at Zona Hotel & Suites
By Steak Knife, The Blogger
Zona Hotel & Suites opened their new American cuisine restaurant, Graze Desert Grille this week under a cloak of mystery. The long-awaited farm-to-table joint has been “unnamed” for weeks awaiting the debut night to local media and foodies last evening.
From what I hear, the food was outstanding. From short ribs to duck quesadillas, the menu is filled with locally sourced ingredients and Southwestern intrigue.
“Locally sourced ingredients do so much more than just help our Arizona-based economy,” said Food and Beverage Director Brian Blanke, “For instance, since our tomatoes on the vine are grown in Arizona, the travel time from the garden to the restaurant is hours instead of days. This means the tomato is picked only when it is ripe, not before, leaving a fruit that is nutrient rich and has intense flavor. By working with these Arizona grown ingredients, our dishes deliver higher nutritive value with robust flavor. Graze Desert Grille has an unwavering commitment to the Arizona farming community and we are extremely proud that our guests have yet another way to enjoy this beautiful state.”
Sounds like they “get” locally sourced and are event featuring a locally made Arizona gin called High Spirits. Never heard of a locally produced gin before so this is very exciting cocktail news!
Check out their menu or make reservations at www.zonascottsdale.com.
Scottsdale Quarter’s Got Sol
By Steak Knife, The Blogger
I love new restaurants–especially if they are filled with cozy charm and delicious food. Here’s hoping the new Sol Cocina at the Scottsdale Quarter can accomplish both of those tasks!
Located in the former Parc Central space, Sol Cocina brings a taste of Baja to North Scottsdale–sounds intriguing to me.The menu features a wide array of grilled meat and seafood. With over 60 tequilas available I believe there is a margarita out there with my name on it.
Rumor has it they offer 12 different salsas and sauces all made from scratch. Now I’m thinking happy hour with chips, salsa and a ton of margaritas…anyone want to join me?
Located in the Scottsdale Quarter
15323 North Scottsdale Road, Ste 195
Scottsdale Arizona 85254 [ map/directions ]
(480) 245-6708
scottsdale@solcocina.com
Fantastic Food: A Week In Review
By Steak Knife, The Blogger
This week has been full of all sorts of food goodness-so I thought I’d hit some high points, to share with you local diners!
Sprinkles introduces the “Cupcake ATM”: Amid a flurry of commentary on the state of obesity in America and pastry ease of access, Sprinkles, the cupcake giant, introduced an ATM that holds over 500 freshly baked sweet treats. Simply walk up to the pastel pink ATM, insert your card, and select the cupcake of your choice. The boxed treat is retrieved by a cool robotic arm and after a moment of whirring sounds, VOILA! a cupcake appears through a magical door. I for one believe the cupcake ATM seals the fate of cupcakes in America forever–they are here to stay. No amount of hand pies or cake pops are going to push cupcakes from the top spot in the baked goods category. Personally I’d rather get my cupcake at a bakery or farmers’ market, but from a sweet technology standpoint, this is a pretty unique invention.
Spring Training is in full swing: Throw on your teams’ jersey and a fedora and join the throngs of baseball fans hitting the pavement this weekend all over the Valley. Some of our favorite pre or post game eats can be found at 5th and Wine, Bamboo Club and Crust (which has even opened inside of Salt River Field!). So drink and eat responsibly kids–personally I find the people-watching part of Spring Training to be the most enjoyable part.
Devoured Culinary Festival returns this weekend: The cook kids culinary festival is this Saturday and Sunday (March 10 and 11) from 11 am to 3 pm at the Phoenix Art Museum. I have been the past two years and enjoyed every bite. The event focuses on hyper-local restaurants and Arizona wine and beer. Cost is $79 at the door for a one-day pass and $150 at the door for a two-day pass. More info at devouredphoenix.com.
After a brief respite, Steak Knife is baaaaaack! And eating at Big Earl’s BBQ…
By Steak Knife, The Blogger
I’ve been on vacay. Or something. I know you’ve all missed my classic sardonic wit and charm. Never fear, Steak Knife is back and better than ever.
I’m so good that I snuck into Big Earl’s BBQ today for a quick bite to make some observations about the joint after the previous chef’s unexpected departure last week.
I ate there when the place first opened and never had too warm and fuzzy of feelings about the Q. It was just “ok” and certainly not deserving of the glowing review Howard Seiftel gave it.
Today I tried some non-BBQ items (still not quite ready to venture back down that path) and was very pleasantly surprised. The locally made sausage on a hoagie was crispy, spicy and fresh. The fries were done well and seasoned perfectly. The best part however, was the service. We had a very engaged and positive server who didn’t seem to be sporting any Big Earl’s tattoos, but acted as though he liked his job nonetheless. I also had the chance to gab with Luis, the new GM and found him to be witty and very committed to the restaurant.
So I’ll be back Earl. And I will try the BBQ again–I’m hoping for a home run, so no pressure.
PS. I wonder if Martin Cizmar of the Phoenix New Times is aware of the framed tribute to him that hangs on the wall?
Hot Day, Hot Apple Cider
By Steak Knife, The Blogger
I know it’s still in the 90s, but I was sent this recipe for hot apple cider this week courtesy of Chef Michael Pieton at the Boulder’s resort and it sounded so…lovely. So here’s a warm and holiday inspired recipe. Add an ice cube or two.
Hot Apple Cider
with Mulling Spices
1 qt Apple Cider
1 c Orange Juice
1/4 c Honey
1 ea Orange, sliced
1 ea Lemon, sliced
2 Tbl Mulling Spices, wrapped in
cheesecloth
Ingredients
Instructions
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer
for 15 minutes.
3. Remove the cider from the heat and let it stand for five
minutes.
4. Discard the sachet of mulling spices and serve hot.
Brugos Pizza Company Moves to El Pedregal This November
By Steak Knife, the Blogger
Always in the mood for fresh and delicious pizza, I am happy to report one of my faves has moved to N. Scottsdale!
Brugos Pizza Company has moved to North Scottsdale and will be opening its doors at el Pedregal early November! Family owned and operated by Christina and Troy McDonald, this restaurant (Also located in Reno, Nevada) will be a real treat for the pizza connoisseur!
The restaurant will be open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The Lunch menu is served 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Dinner menu begins at 4:00 p.m. and is offered until 10:00pm. Brugos Pizza Company is located at el Pedregal Shops and Dining at 34505 North Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale, AZ 85266.
A Girl and Her Goat Come Together To Feed Hungry Kids
By Steak Knife, The Blogger
I love interesting collaboration type events. This one takes the cake. Top Chef winner and acclaimed Chef, Stephanie Izard bonds with local boy Beau Mac and Chef Randy Zweiban for what’s sure to be a fun stop on the Goat Tour. Proceeds benefit Share Our Strength–a charity that feeds hungry kids in America. Check it out!
WHAT: Celebrity Chef Stephanie Izard is coming to Scottsdale to host an event with Chef Beau MacMillan (elements) and Chef Randy Zweiban (Province, Chicago & Phoenix). Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy a multi-course dinner featuring recipes from Izard’s newly launched cookbook – Girl in the Kitchen (available October 5, 2011, Chronicle). Izard will also draw inspiration for the evening’s dishes from Arizona’s local and seasonal produce making this a truly tailored and unique experience for guests.
WHY: This stop in Scottsdale is part of the nationwide “Goat Tour,” which will bring Chef Stephanie Izard into cities across the country to celebrate the release of her new cookbook Girl in the Kitchen as well as raise money for Share Our Strength. As Izard makes her way across the U.S., she will team up with fellow James Beard nominees, Food & Wine Best New Chefs and celebrity chef friends to bring the events to life.
For more information on Izard’s “Goat Tour”, visit goat-tour.com.
Share Our Strength is a national non-profit aimed at ending childhood hunger in America by 2015. Izard has been involved with Share Our Strength for many years, participating in their chef focused Chicago event, Taste of the Nation. For more information on Share Our Strength, visit strength.org.
WHO: Selected as one of the Best New Chefs in 2011 by Food & Wine, Stephanie Izard is the chef/partner of the Chicago restaurant Girl & the Goat. A 2011 James Beard ‘Best New Restaurant’ nominee, Girl & the Goat has been praised by high-profile publications such as Saveur, New York Times, Food & Wine, Better Homes and Gardens and others. Izard is the first and only woman to win Bravo’s Top Chef (Season 4/2008) and is the only winner of the original version of the show to take the title of “Fan Favorite.” She is also a graduate of the Scottsdale Culinary Institute.
In addition to the local culinary talents of Chefs MacMillan and Zweiban, are national cocktail designer Kim Haasarud, a.k.a. the Liquid Chef, who will be joined by local cocktail maestro Travis Nass of Rancho Pinot, and wine and spirits aficionado, Dave Johnson. Diners will also get a chance to experience Mulch Coffee, the java bar for The Accidental Yard and coffee kings Brian Clemens and Jason Calhoon.
WHEN: Sunday, October 16, 6pm
WHERE: The Accidental Yard
3811 North Brown Avenue
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
TICKETS: Tickets will be available online at goat-tour.com starting September 27 at 10am. Tickets are $150 per person and include dinner, open bar and wine tastings, meet and greet with the chefs and a signed copy of “Girl in the Kitchen”.
Have A Slice, Save A Life
by Steak Knife, The Blogger
Every year, Breast Cancer Awareness Month seems to be more and more pervasive–everything from NFL players wearing pink socks to endless merchandise–THINK PINK is permeating into our conciousness.
Our friends at CRUST Pizzeria have joined forces with the Karen Mullen Breast Cancer Foundation.
October 7th has been designated as a National Pizza Party Day by Slice of Hope, a pizza industry charitable initiative. Slice of Hope has banded together pizzerias from across the nation in an effort to fight this invasive disease, which will impact hundreds of thousands of women and men this year. In fact, more than 190,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed this year. And, sadly, approximately 40,000 women will die from the disease this year. That’s approximately 110 breast cancer deaths daily, and CRUST Restaurant owners Mike Merendino, Ryan Mitchell, and Duke Hornia says that’s simply too many.
On Oct. 7, pizzerias across the nation — including CRUST— will donate funds to the Karen Mullen Breast Cancer Foundation, which has committed to giving 100 percent of the Slice of Hope proceeds to a handful of the nation’s leading breast cancer research labs.
Sounds like a delicious way to help a very worthy cause. For more information click here!
Spooky Cocktail From The Spotted Donkey
It’s almost October 1st and that means the countdown to Halloween is on! Here’s a spooky cocktail courtesy of our friends at The Spotted Donkey in Carefree!
THE CAULDRON
INGREDIENTS:
3oz of 3 Olives Purple Vodka
1 oz Soda Water
Cranberry/Lime Globule
Dry Ice Chip
1 Gummy Worm
PREPARATION:
Mix vodka, soda water, cranberry/lime globule in a martini shaker
Shake vigorously and serve up in a martini glass
Add dry ice chip to bottom of cocktail for smoky affect
Garnish with gummy worm
Spotted Donkey Cantina at el Pedregal
34505 North Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale, Arizona 85266
480-488-3358
