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The genius company that continually finds a way to seemingly come out each month with a new product based on the same five ingredients (meat, cheese, rice, beans and tortilla,) has decided to give away one of its new Black Jack Tacos after dark on Halloween.

Taco Bell‘s giveaway is in honor of game three of the World Series between the Yanks and other team is slated to fall on Halloween.

According to Taco Bell spokesperson Will Bortz, this will be the first year Taco Bell has done a Halloween-themed Major League Baseball promotion, and the third consecutive year it has tied in a free taco giveaway with baseball. “What’s different this year is that Halloween for us is kind of a fun holiday that ironically falls on game three of the World Series. There actually is a nice connection with both of those things,” he said.

This offer is available any time between 6pm & the midnight hour Saturday while supplies last, so hurry.

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Click on this link to a story on Modern Steak by Republic staffer Megan Finnerty and the comments at the end of the article may take a while to load. No, it’s not your Internet connection. In under 48 hours after the story had appeared online, there were 20-plus pages of comments that pretty much centered on one thing—demonizing Modern Steak’s $78 HeartBrand Akaushi filet as an emblem of excess while the country still struggles to dredge itself out of financial crisis. Even though the restaurant had been open for about as long as the article appeared (which is essentially about one minute), no one stopped in to truthfully critique Finnerty’s comments, try the food, assess the service, or really, offer backup for why they hate this honest, hormone-free, source-verified piece of meat. EATERAZ has a dream: that people will talk about food because it’s food, not a signifier of the current zeitgeist.

“$78 steaks offered when most of my neighbors are losing their homes because they lost their jobs. I guess the recession hasn’t bitten all of us,” says one reader. “Seems a little excessive in the middle of a depression,” says another. “OMG!!! Really? This is the goofiest thing yet. Will they feed and house the homeless? The people that have lost their jobs and everything else in life?”

If you, like us, are wondering how the two things are connected—people losing their homes and Fox Restaurants serving a delicious steak—stop trying to figure it out. Because we’ve spent about a day trying to, and can’t. So meanwhile, read this:

“Just more Snotsdale people with more money than brains trying to impress the unwashed.” Who are the unwashed and why are people trying to impress them? “Only in Snobbsdale would anyone be dumb enough—in this economy—to buy a $78 steak. No wonder places like this are closing all over the country!! I have a better idea. Why doesn’t the city of Snobbsdale take the money and build a community rec center or a shelter for abused kids or something that people actually need?” Someone said: “I bet it closes in less then 1,000 days.” Kind of an odd number, no? The guy gives Modern 2.5 years…

For some reason, Natter67 tells us that “My clothes brand is ‘Clearance’ at Kmart.” And another reader thinks, “those lazy Rwandans should take responsibility for themselves.”

Another one would prefer to stay home because Modern Steak must lack ambiance: “My wife and I create our own ambiance in our house. We invite our kids and grand kids over and have a blast … [the] focus is on good food and not on ensuring that everyone can see how much borrowed money you can spend …”

mama8789 would prefer customers redirect the money while making a totally unsubstantiated comment: “And you know the beef is full of hormones and steroids. Go buy a steak at the store and donate the $70 savings to a good cause.” But then lovesEmma comes to defense of those with money to burn: “Why is it people like you think that people that can afford a little extra should always do without and donate it to someone else. They work hard for their money just like you…

And Peaches123 comes to Modern’s rescue: “Everyone seems to be upset about ONE $78 steak … I’m not sure if you people are aware of this but you DON’T have to buy it.” And Chazzy seems to offer perspective: “Sam Fox is a proven success and I wouldn’t bet against him …If Modern Steak doesn’t produce good results, I am sure they will find something that does.”

We just hope there’s a $77 steak on that menu. Because $78 is just kooky.

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Barrio Cafe wants you to see the big picture … Well, be in it at least. Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza and her hip crew at the downtown restaurant are having local artist el Moises (pictured below) paint one side wall outside for a little urban flair. If you stop by Barrio this Sunday, Nov. 1, and take your picture with it, you’re in for a tasty surprise–show the pic to your server and you’ll get a free order of tableside guacamole! Offer is good this Sunday only.

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Barrio Cafe
2814 N. 16th St.
Phoenix, AZ 85006
(602) 636-0240
www.barriocafe.com

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Finally. Valentine’s Day is going to step aside, just once, for something really really important—the reopening of El Chorro Lodge. The landmark restaurant recently shut its doors after a 72-year run, but Campbell Soup matriarch Jacquie Dorrance swooped in to purchase the place and give it a little TLC.

At a recent industry wine tasting, EATERAZ caught up with El Chorro’s new operating partners, Kristy and Tim Moore. The former owners of Continental Catering are working closely with the new chef, Charles Kassels, formerly with The Boulders and Westin Kierland, to update the menu but make sure history (meaning that sticky bun recipe) is preserved.

Kristy had all the news you need to know at this point in the renovation—namely, what your plans are going to be on Valenti… er, El Chorro Lodge Day. But she’s also just fun as hell to hang out with – watch the video below to see what we mean.

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Watch the video below

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Who did we spot sitting down the counter at TrueFood Kitchen last week? Chef Michael DeMaria of Trattoria M. He ordered the Turkey Bolognese with a buncha modifications we couldn’t quite make out.

But one thing that was quite clear–this east coast-blooded Italian seemed suspicious once we went for the safety shot #2. All in good fun. All in good fun. Still, we think getting a guy like DeMaria in your place for bolognese is a pretty big friggin’ compliment to the chef, no matter what he changes in the dish.

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Wine-&-Sake

Monday is becoming the new Saturday, which makes Sunday the new Friday. Which means that although you might be confused as to which day it is now, you’re saving a little coin. Folks have been packing bars like Postino for special Monday night deals for a while now, but now Sushi Roku at the W Scottsdale is jumping into the mix with half-priced bottles of wine and sake on both Sundays and Mondays, all day. And they’re not slingin’ the cheap stuff.

Cakebread chardonnay gets chopped from $110 to $55.
Silver Oak’s ’04 goes from $175 to $87.50.
And Moet Chandon’s White Star Champagne will cost you only $38.

Make it in between 5-7pm, and enjoy $5 Happy Hour sushi rolls and appetizers as well.

Sushi Roku at the W Scottsdale
7277 E. Camelback Rd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 970-2121
www.sushiroku.com

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Have cereal today because tomorrow starts a month-long game of chicken. A handful of local restaurants are going to top a few of their dishes with a Hickman’s Family Farm egg, and every egg-topped dish will generate funds for St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance. The annual “Egg on Top” promo asks chefs to donate $1 for every participating dish that’s ordered. Then Hickman’s matches that dollar with another. So pop into one of the restaurants below before November 22 and ask them which dishes are part of the Hickman’s deal. Plus, every customer who orders one of the dishes gets a coupon for a free dozen eggs.

Eddie’s House
Barrio Café
The Lodge
Scottsdale Culinary Institute
Petite Maison
Tarbell’s
Humble Pie (both locations)
Christopher’s

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You know what you know about a lot of Champagne brands:  Dom Perignon in celebration. Freixenet in mimosas. Veuve Clicquot in the hotel room. But what do you know about Ruinart and Dom Ruinart? You know the bottle has a unique, low-slung shape. You know the price point is high but not unthinkable. And you know the bottle isn’t on your regular rotation. But the joy of Ruinart, as least for now, is all that you don’t know, and all that’s waiting to be discovered.

Chef de Caves (yep, that’s a fancy French word for our blue-collar sounding “winemaker”) Frédéric Panaïotis recently came through Phoenix to chat with distributor reps and big fish clients about the last harvest and how some of Ruinart’s key vintages are progressing. Sure, he ‘s always reminding people that Ruinart is the oldest Champagne house in the world (1729), that for a short period after the war, Ruinart was only distributed in one restaurant and one brothel, and that the brand has made a legendary comeback with legendary wines – key to almost all of them are Chardonnay grapes from two distinct regions of France.

Click below to watch our interview with Panaïotis after one of his seminars at the Westin Kierland. During the segment, he chats about the delicacy of cellared Champagne and how Ruinart has a style/vintage meant for any occasion, whether that’s a celebratory toast or late night, but never, ever, in a mimosa. He thinks the people who drink Ruinart are quality-seekers, sure, but they don’t succumb to household names, drinking only what that ad in Wine Spectator tells them to.

Besides shopping for Ruinart at BevMo!, Sportsman’s, or AJ’s Fine Foods, subscribe to our Twitter feed @eateraz for a list of local restaurants we were surprised to hear carry this perfect Champagne. See, it’s good to not know things, and then, well, know them.

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Sometimes you want a hamburger. Sometimes you want a hot dog. Sometimes you want both. From people a lot like the people who brought you the spork, may we present to you, the HAM DOGGER.

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It does exactly what you think it might do. This nifty item allows you to make a 1/4 lb hamburger in the shape of a hot dog. It also let’s you fill it with cheese. But it doesn’t let you regain your normalcy after eating one.

But it’s only $7.98!

Click here for more info

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Here’s the rub: click here

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