Most jobs don’t allow for TV-time, so there’s a pretty good chance you missed EATERAZ’s segment on Good Morning Arizona! yesterday. Or, you did have access to a TV but can’t handle Tyda’s on-camera beauty, so you looked away. Well, here’s the clip in fuzzy Internet low-fidelity, so you should be okay.

We rounded up a few food trucks for a segment in the back parking lot at KTVK Channel 3. The topic was not just food, but letting people know that while most major cities enjoy the fruits of these trucks on a daily basis, Phoenix is (as usual) a bit behind the curve and struggling to change its laws allowing them to break the Farmer’s Market paradigm. Still, you can enjoy these guys by simply following them on Twitter, Facebook, or in your car. Twitter handles are included below and those link to their web sites and Facebook pages.

Short Leash Dogs: Not so much a food truck as a food trailer, but no less lovable. Locally made Schreiner’s hot dogs are served in a pita-like bun allowing them to top dogs with wacky combinations like mango chutney, diced jalapenos, red onions, cilantro, and mayo. Plus, the husband and wife that run Short Leash are everything you want a food truck couple to be–just happy to not be inside a cubicle workin’ for The Man.
Twitter: @shortleashdogs

Torched Goodness: After 17 years in the hectic restaurant industry, it was time for Eric Ireland to focus on one thing and do it well. So, really, why the hell wouldn’t that thing be crème brûlée!? Served in single-size foil cups, these little, $4 desserts are becoming all the rage wherever Torched Goodness throws down the parking brake.
Twitter: @torchedgoodness

Sweet Republic: If you haven’t heard of Sweet Republic by now, you’re either living under a rock or in some weird cone of silence – because the media coverage on these guys has been frenzied to say the least. And it’s all well-deserved. Republic was one the Valley’s first truly creative artisan ice cream makers, and their shop at 92nd St. and Shea quickly became a big draw. But their best move? Deck out an old ice cream truck with, well, ice cream. They brought scoops of Point Reyes bleu cheese ice cream, a signature mint lime, and others that made for a perfect post-segment refresher.
Twitter: @sweetrepublic

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It was really a no-brainer. We were sitting next to Chef Beau MacMillan at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain last week and he said that Jason Asher (above in red), the head mixologist in Sanctuary’s Jade Bar, was one of the finalists in a long-running national cocktail competition. He mentioned that the contest was being run by GQ Magazine and Bombay Sapphire. He also mentioned that EATERAZ should come along.

Before Tyda could even check his calendar, Phillips was clicking “confirm purchase” on Southwest.com. So off to Vegas we went.

Held on the patio of PURE Nightclub, the intimate final rounds of the “Most Inspired Bartender” contest were tightly guarded from the public eye – so much so that we had to talk our way in (then again, we have to do that pretty much anywhere in Vegas). Asher said he mixed well, but the competitors really brought out the surprises. Hey, third place doesn’t sound that bad. We tried to finagle some insider info out of old friend and contest judge Tony Abou-Ganim (pictured above with Asher), but those Master Mixologists seem to never accept bribes.

On the next night, Asher assured us that the winning announcement event was closed to anyone outside the contest. Even though nobody was doing well at the tables, word came through—HOME TEAM TAKES THE CROWN! Asher not only killed the competitors’ scores with his Beet & Yuzu Gimlet with Watermelon Ball garnish, but he will appear on the cover of GQ’s December Issue!

So get into Jade Bar now, and meet the future GQ cover model. Say “hi” to Beau, too. He didn’t do well at craps and could use a hug … or a twenty.

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…Or can you? Do you have what it takes to be a certified judge for the National Taco Association? Can you tell if there’s too much Ancho-Lime-Chile in a Carne Asada marinade? Can you spot the faint overdone-ness of a shrimp taco? Are you a tortilla snob? Then maybe it’s time for you to serve your country and become a certified judge.

As you know, we are producing the first taco festival in the history of the world. (No, really, it’s never been done. Isn’t that freakin’ crazy?!) Because we wanted to keep the judging fair and balanced (meaning blind and qualified), we launched an organization called the National Taco Association. Consider it the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) of tacos. After attending a brief class on taco judging and score keeping, you will hold one of the most important positions at the Arizona Taco Festival on October 9. A judges duties are grueling–you will hang out in a tent from 10AM to 4PM, eating free tacos and marking scores and having fun.

Becoming a certified judge does little more than get you into heaven and solidify your name in the taco history books (wherever they are). At the very least, we’ll add you to the Wikipedia page (once complete … er, started). But eventually, your membership to the NTA will get you all kinds of things like an ID badge, schwag, and lifetime discounts at local restaurants. Best of all—it’s free to join!

So if you’d like to details on how to become a judge at the Arizona Taco Festival and simultaneously help kickstart the National Taco Association while ensuring your heavenly after-life, then simply send us an e-mail to info@aztacofestival.com. We’ll hit you back with all the info.

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Sunday used to be a day of rest, but a new deal at the Trader Vic’s will make it a day of eating … cheaply. We’ve long been fans of their Happy Hour — a menu of serious items with serious portions priced $1-$5. Think $3 burger, $3 spare ribs, and $2 hummus. Seriously, it’s the best we’ve found.

That Happy Hour program is now available all day Sunday, every Sunday, starting this week. They’re also kicking in the Happy Hour drink specials–$5 select glasses of wine, $3 Kilt Lifter and Stella drafts, and specials on Cruzan rum and Maker’s Mark cocktails. Plus, they serve a few “Sunday-only” items, like a Cuban Sandwich, Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wrap, and Crispy Salmon Tacos.

On Sunday, Trader Vic’s is open from 2-9pm, with live music playin’ from 3pm.

Trader Vic’s
6850 E. Main St.
480.421.7799
www.hotelvalleyho.com

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Azucena Tovar isn’t playin’ around. She owns Los Sombreros and will be competing in the Pork Category at the Arizona Taco Festival with her carnitas tacos. It’s great that she’s bringing tons of pork, but here’s the best part—you can go to Los Sombreros right now and try her competition carnitas tacos for $2 each and pair ‘em up with a bottle of Tecate for another $2.

We wanted to go say thanks to Azucena for entering the Festival and check out the Tacos and Tecate deal, but we ended up in the kitchen, cameras rolling, hearing about how the slow-roasted pork is made. We can’t reveal the recipe, but we can show you the process. Click on the picture above to watch the video.

“Tacos and Tecate” is good from 4pm-10pm every single day.

Los Sombreros
2534 N. Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85257
480-994-1799
www.lossombreros.com

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Did you know it’s possible to make a prediction without consulting a Magic 8-Ball or Allison DuBois? Sometimes, you can just use logic to figure out what’s about to happen. Check it:

On October 8th, you are going to starve yourself. Why? Because that’s what you do before you want to eat big. See, on October 9th, you’re going to gorge yourself on tacos at the Arizona Taco Festival. It’s going to be hot that day, so you’ll cool off with some shaved ice and maybe a paleta or two, but nothing is going to cure your craving for dessert. That’s why we predict you are going to wake up on October 10th and head straight to the Cupcake Love-In, a huge cupcake-a-rama taking place at the Hotel Valley Ho.

First, let’s start with the amazing news: literally 100% of ticket sales and a generous portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit Singleton Moms (helping single mothers battle cancer) and Safe Haven for Animals (providing shelter and adoption services for Fidos and Fidettes throughout the Valley). Entry is $10, and kids under six are free.

Then, let’s get to the amazing sweets: So far, they’ve got about 25 cupcakers ready to serve ‘em up. Teams include: Arcadia Farms, Butter & Me, Bloom, Honeymoon Sweets, Posh, Ruthie’s Sweet Nothings, Scratch, Tammie Coe Cakes, Tracy Dempsey Originals, and Wicked Kitchen.

There will be a Kids’ Corner, a cupcake-eating contest, prize giveaways, and a raffle drawing emceed by ABC 15’s Andi Barness. At the core of the event is a competition that will be judged by a panel of local celebrity chefs and big name Valley foodies. Categories include Most Outrageous Cupcake, Best Savory Cupcake, and Best Use of a Secret Ingredient. It sounds like about 9 billion calories will be served that day, but that’s alright because we predict Monday will be a day off of work.

No, really. It’s Columbus Day. You can stay home. See? Logic … it really works!

The event takes place from 11am to 3pm. More info and tickets can be found here: http://cupcakelovein.com

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Driving by the old Mickey’s Hangover today, we noticed something from the future (or Japan). It was one of those giant mobile tag bar codes with the words “What Happened to Mickey?” next to it. These mobile tags are getting to be a big deal, so we wanted to investigate. We drove to the office and picked up the flatbed scanner. When we held it up to the mobile tag, nothing happened. Then we just stared at it like one of those stereogram pictures in the mall, waiting for a alien or grasshopper to appear. But we got nuthin’. So, we decided to actually open the mobile tag app on our phones and they immediately linked us to www.whathappenedtomickey.com/winner.

We’ve got to admit, we were expecting something fun to happen, like a video or game or something, but it was just a bunch of boxes meant to collect our contact info, and a number to text “winner” to. Nothing came back. Oh well, guess we’ll all know what happened to Mickey soon enough. We DO know that the new owners were hoping for a June opening, as they apparently told Chow Bella, but hey, you gotta cut a business owner a little slack in these kooky times. We peaked in (see below!) and saw that the space has been totally opened up and the bar seems to be saddled right where it was in the old Mickey’s days. Want to stay updated yourself? Drive by and take a mobile tag. Or just scan the picture above, it actually works. Just don’t use your flatbed scanner. It doesn’t work that way.

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We don’t really know how to say this politely, but things got a little crazy on Saturday night. The wine flowed freely at Lunch & Learn (especially the Moet) and the crowd was pumped because this was the season’s single “Dinner & Learn”—taking place in the Views Ballroom at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain.

A jazz duet jammed as people moved through the wine pairings and watched cooking demos by Providence Restaurant Chef Michael Cimarusti, who taught guests how to perfectly sear fish and how to perfectly drink a beer while doing it. Champagne glasses clinked and guests were wowed left and right with incredible food coming out of the kitchen. Most of the crowd hit Jade Bar after, which is probably why Lunch & Learn mastermind Chef Beau MacMillan decided to end the series on a healthy note next week. (Making up for the caloric sins of this past Saturday?)

Chef Scott Uehlein, Corporate Executive Chef for Canyon Ranch Spas & Resorts, will be doing the lunchtime demo. After the cooking, guests will be treated to Roasted Willcox tomato gazpacho with crabmeat; crisp-skinned fish with brown butter vinaigrette, herbed quinoa salad and snap peas; and a dessert of blueberry cream tart.

Lunch, demos, and wine pairings cost $65. And don’t forget, you can pair a room at Sanctuary for $169. Call 480-607-2300 to make reservations.

The two winners from last week’s EATERAZ contest for Lunch & Learn tickets were actually in from Wichita, KS and staying at Sanctuary to celebrate their wedding anniversary! So if you’d like to enter for a pair of tickets to this week, simply visit this page for entry rules. But who are these people below?

Besides the creepy/stalkerish Beau Macmillan in the background, this is Lynne Beyer of Lynne Beyer Designs and her husband Richard Loope. On Saturday, Beyer was celebrating the two awards she’s holding here–a Best in Show and 1st Place Hospitality from the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) for her work designing Table XII–the private dining room at elements. You can see Beyer’s award-winning design for yourself during the Friday night preview dinner with Chefs Uehlein and MacMillan (or just read this month’s Phoenix Magazine). We think the design is sexy and dramatic, making a perfect backdrop for some of the best food you’re guaranteed to have there. To book a seat, visit this page. Meanwhile, watch Beau pump iron in the promo here:

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We won’t kid anyone into thinking that EATERAZ is a football-watching, player-following, sports-minded kind of organization. But if there’s one local football-related event we’d attend, it would be the Larry Fitzgerald & Friends Celebrity Servers Night on August 30.

Along with other players from the Arizona Cardinals, Fitzgerald will trade in the jersey for a waiter’s jacket and serve guests for dinner at Morton’s The Steakhouse in Phoenix. Expect to see Coach Ken Whisenhunt, Kurt Warner, Calais Campbell, Darnell Dockett, Bernie Wells, and others, all at your beck and call. During dinner, the players will take orders, serve food, help bus tables, and maybe even accept a tip or two.

The wide receiver has set up two beneficiaries for the dinner: one named after his mother, Carol Fitzgerald, who spent a career helping disease victims and urban youth, and the First Down Fund which supports underprivileged kids. Dinner costs $300; or $400 for an exclusive reception with the players.

Call 602-955-9577 to make a reservation.

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You can run into the craziest situations doing what we do over here. Some meetings take place in the office, some in coffee bars, some in big corporate conference rooms. So when a turf supplier and BBQ guy we’ve been after asked if we could meet him during a Wednesday “Gumba Night” at Scottsdale Cigar Club, we figured, hey, roll with it.

We weaved our way through the Scottsdale Airpark, and tucked in the corner between some no-name business and another no-name business is a little shopfront with a couple guys standing outside. One is trying his hand at the putting green. Another is showing off his new Maserati. And a couple others are sitting in Adirondack chairs. Open the doors and it’s like walkin’ into that final scene in Goodfellas. People we didn’t even know were sharing drinks, recommending cigars, and making introductions. There’s poker being played in the back, a slot machine tournament going on in one corner, and a closed-door meeting in the main office.

Since we can’t be the only two guys not smokin’ cigars, we jumped right in. Tyda ended up with some thin, girly thing, while Phillips puffed away on a fatty Macanudo. We had our meeting and all went well. So well, that we’ll definitely be back to Gumba Night. Looks like we might even make this a defacto meeting place for Taco Fest and BBQ biz … just like Scottsdale City Councilwoman Lisa Borowsky. (only she probably meets about city curfew and taxes not hot sauce and ribs like us.)

So whether or not you’re an avid smoker, we think you should check it out. If you can’t, at least give a listen to owner Brad Berko’s radio show, The Best Damn Cigar Show, at noon on Sundays, on AM 1510.

Scottsdale Cigar Club
14525 N. 79th Street, Ste. H
Scottsdale , AZ 85260
480-946-7833
http://wordpress.scottsdalecigarclub.com

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