If you saw our booth at Phoenix Cooks last weekend, you might have wanted to put some money in a tip jar to help us out, you know, financially. The place was built with stuff from Food City, the 99c store, and Party City. But hey, that’s the look we were going for. Why? Because we were promoting the Taco Festival and wanted to keep things crazy and fun. People were throwing chips in a sombrero to win tickets for cryin’ out loud. See below:

So to achieve balance, we’re classin’ it up this Friday night and getting the Taco Festival involved with a party at Neiman Marcus Scottsdale.

It’s called Fashion Night Out and it’s an annual event held at all Neiman Marcus’ across the country on the same night. This Friday, September 10th, from 5pm to 8pm, Neiman’s will be decked out in attractions from all kinds of local organizations. Check it:

Scorpius Dance Theatre will perform their funky version of a catwalk show; The Art Institute of Phoenix will display graduate portfolios that examine “The Future of Fashion;” Taco Fest sponsor Phoenix Art Museum will display an exhibit: “Extending the Runway: Tatiana Sorokko Style;” and there will also be table setting designs by Phoenix Home & Garden magazine editors, a photo booth provided by AZFoothills.com, and a reader’s poll activity from Frontdoors online magazine. This is all on top of trunk shows everywhere, a live band, and the upscale version of the Arizona Taco Festival.

We’ve put together a few of our event players to cater the gig from the Men’s Department. Event sponsor Blanco Tacos + Tequila will be dishing out some fresh-made guacamole and chicken tacos; Los Sombreros will serve up two types of their popular tacos; and the folks from Mi Salsa will put together a salsa tasting and ceviche bar. And tucked away in a hidden corner, one of our favorite tequila brands—Corrido Tequila—will pour samples for Neiman Marcus’ top clients. Don’t worry, they’ll pour for you, too. You just have to promise you’ll go to the Taco Fest.

It’s all free. We’d just like you to RSVP please.

Neiman Marcus: 6900 E. Camelback Road. Kindly RSVP to 480-425-1443 or RSVPScottsdale@NeimanMarcus.com

No responses yet

Who doesn’t love being catered to? Whether it’s a sommelier who really “gets you” or a waiter who actually communicates your special order, it just makes for a better night out. At Taste of the Nation, catering to your every need is the name of the game.

You pay your $150 (ALL of which goes to Share Our Strength). Then you head to Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa on September 26. You sit down at your table for 10. And then, you’re ensconced firmly in the hands of one of 11 chefs who each cook a specific 5-course meal for their paired 10-top. It’s like a private dinner for a group, if that makes any sense. And it’s all paired with wine. Here are some of the 11 chefs:

Beau “I’m a G-damn Food Network staahh” MacMillan, elements
Josh “My name rhymes with Posh!” Hebert, Posh
Sean “Are you really change-ordering the blue-plate special?” Currid, Café ZuZu
Aaron “Really, you want a Sasquatch Burger? At this dinner?” May, Iruna
Mel “I’m the fifth season of cuisine, damnit” Mecinas, Talavera
Marc “My favorite drink is” Hennessy, BLT Steak
Lee “The secret ingredient, Miss, is my bloody English accent” Hillson, T. Cook’s
Benjamin “I can do so much more than toss your salad” Brunson, Market Bistro

Take a look here for more info: strength.org. Can you believe tickets are only $150? Really, it sounds like a great deal. You can upgrade for a VIP cocktail hour with a bartender show for another $100. Dinner starts at 6pm. Cocktails about an hour or so before.

Tix: 888-424-4142, www.tasteofthenation.org/arizona

No responses yet

Picture this: It’s about August 15. Our column for 944′s September Fashion Issue is due. We’ve got nothin’. Snappy-dressed restaurateurs? Hottest hostesses? Fashionable cocktails? All been done. We joke about it, but are tacos really the hottest food category in the nation right now? We checked with the Magic 8 and it said “My Sources Say Yes,” so we stretched a story together about how Tacos are Fashionable. Editor dug it. Story done.

Although the issue is on newsstands now, you can check out our latest column for 944 by clicking the PDF above or reading some of the highlight below to our Most Fashionable Taco Picks. Enjoy!

Salmon Tacos at Macayo’s
Some call it corporate, we call it delicious. The Macayo’s menu is like a greatest hits of Mexican food—which also means that everything imaginable is on it. But one of the biggest surprises is a sneaky fish taco that isn’t filled with the usual white fish. These are the real pink tacos, done up with salmon and shredded cabbage in street-style corn tortillas. They’re served with black beans, pico de gallo, spicy salsa, and lime wedges for about $11.

Pork Shoulder Tacos for Two at The Mission (above)
One of the hottest restaurants on the scene right now, The Mission is packed nightly thanks to owner Brian Raab who’s working the floor pushing some of the best tequila in AZ, and Chef Matt Carter (also of Zinc Bistro) who’s created a bevy of mouthwatering dishes by fusing various Latin recipes with French techniques. The star of the show is Mission’s Pork Shoulder Tacos for two. A giant piece of pork slow roasts with pineapple for over 12 hours and is served up fork tender. Then you can make your own tacos with their handmade tortillas served on a warm salt block. Add your own cilantro and red onions and you’ve got street tacos like you’ve never had before, guaranteed.

Carne Asada at America’s Taco Shop
When the sign says “Best Carne Asada in the Valley,” you’ve got to take the place seriously (or at least try the tacos). We’ve got to admit, for a quick, inexpensive, street taco that’s served fast and by a fun staff—it really does win. Another attraction: America’s knocks the price down of their beloved Tacos al Pastor on most Tuesdays for a promo called Taco Tuesdays. These pork beauties are cooked the traditional way—slowly on a vertical rotisserie with other ingredients packed and marinating within. The meat is shaved off and placed in small tortillas. So although America’s is a quick stop for most, it’s a big luxury to anyone ordering al Pastor or the best Carne Asada in the Valley.

Mix & Match at Gallo Blanco
At $2 to $3 a pop for tacos, and with one of the coolest vibes in town, you really can’t beat Gallo Blanco. Located inside the Clarendon Hotel in downtown Phoenix, the space is funky and modern, with a design that nods to the building’s urban location (exposed ducts, concrete floors, exposed walls). Tacos are served in a metal zig-zag tray that’s perfect for your mix-and-match order. Do one pork taco, a fish (whatever is freshly caught), and veggie. Or two carne asada and a shrimp. Whatever combo you put together, you’re guaranteed to walk away feeling like you scored a fine dining experience for a quarter of the price.

Hard Shell Ground Beef at Papi Chulo’s
Unless you’re watching your calories and wussing out with veggie tacos in a lettuce wrap, you’ve got to go all out. Do it in the new Papi Chulo’s. Located right off Scottsdale and Camelback, Papi Chulo’s deep fries hard shell tacos packed with anything from ground beef to pork cooked in adobo sauce. You can also have the soft shell tacos fried, but we’re partial to hard shell when we can get ‘em. All tacos come simply with lettuce, pico de gallo, cotija cheese. You’ll surely be tempted to add other items to your taco order (May we suggest the Wings El Caliente in chipotle sauce?), and since calories are no matter to you, it’s okay to go ahead and add something else.

No responses yet

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

No responses yet

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.

No responses yet

…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.

No responses yet

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

No responses yet

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

No responses yet

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

One response so far

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.

No responses yet