Category: bar and grill

Sips & Bites: News from the Phoenix restaurant community

Events & news about what’s going on around the Phoenix restaurant community, breweries and wineries.

Free bowl of menudo on New Year’s Day

All 35 Food City locations in Arizona celebrate National Menudo Month and National Hangover Day January 1st 2023 with a free bowl of menudo. The popular hangover remedy is available from 9-11 a.m. in the deli for dine-in only.

Famous 48 now serving lunch & weekend brunch

The standalone restaurant in the Shops at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale is now serving lunch 7 days a week starting at 11 a.m. Saturday & Sunday brunch starts at 10:30 a.m. until 3:00p.m.

Sunday Funday taco specials at Urban Margarita

Every Sunday from 1:30 p.m. til closing the Glendale restaurant has street tacos for only $2 each. Choose from grilled steak, chicken or carnitas and don’t forget the margarita to wash them down.

Batch Cookie Shop coming to Queen Creek in 2023

The family owned cookie shop in Gilbert announced its second location will be coming to Queen Creek this summer. It will be in front of the new Costco at Rittenhouse and Ellsworth Rds. More details will be available as they get closer to opening day.

OpenTable names local restaurants Top 100 Restaurants in America in 2022

Steak 44, Ocean 44 and Dominick’s Steakhouse in Phoenix and Scottsdale have been named to the prestigious list. All 3 restaurants are owned by father and sons Dennis, Michael & Jeff Mastro and partner Scott Trolio. The list is curated from over 13 million customer reviews on the website from October 31st 2021- September 30th 2022. Also making the list from Arizona is Mariposa in Sedona and The Henry in Phoenix.

Check out my podcast Pulling Corks & Forks: The Podcast with Sandy Wasserman to hear from those in our community. Please subscribe, like & comment.

Celebrate the Lunar New Year for two weeks at Ling & Louie’s

Not long after we hop into 2023 the traditional Lunar New Year starts celebrating the Year of the Rabbit. Local Asian fusion restaurant Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill celebrates with classic Chinese New Year dishes and specially created cocktails from January 21st – February 5th. A traditional Lion Dance performed by 9 Dragons Lion Dance Phoenix kicks of the celebration on the 21st.

In Chinese culture the rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace and prosperity and 2023 is predicted to be the year of hope. Throughout Asia the Lunar New Year is steep with symbolism and you’ll see it throughout the 5 dishes on the special menu. Dumplings and spring rolls signify wealth, fish and shrimp represent an increase in prosperity and happiness while Longevity Noodles symbolize a wish for a long life.

Lunar New Year dishes and cocktails

Lunar New Year Dim Sum Bar – featuring your choice of different dim sum including Ginger-Pork Dumplings, Pork + Shrimp Dumplings, Spicy Chicken Wontons, and Vegetable Spring Rolls.

Dim Sum Tower – can’t decide on which dim sum to enjoy? Choose three of the above dim sum for a decadent New Year’s treat both.

Szechuan Sea Bass – crispy sea bass wok’d with asparagus, green beans and dried chilies in spicy citrus-soy, topped with pineapple salsa.

Char Siu Pork Tenderloin – specially marinated pork tenderloin served with wasabi mashed potatoes and wok’d asparagus, drizzled with sweet chili sauce.

Longevity Noodles – grass-fed New York strip stir-fried with egg noodles, green onions, mushrooms and carrots in traditional stir-fry sauce.

Tables that order off the special menu will receive a Lucky Red Envelope with offers to use on future visits at Ling & Louie’s and its sister restaurant Ling’s Wok Shop.

Toast to the New Year with these unique craft cocktails.

Spicy Peach Margarita – ghost chili-infused tequila shaken with premium orange liqueur, fresh lime juice, peach puree and Thai basil.

Apples to Apples – rye whiskey shaken with apple puree, house-made ginger-lime syrup and fresh lemon.

Pineapple Punch – gin, Suze, pineapple, five spice and fresh citrus topped with sparkling wine.

New Wave Pina Colada – Jamaican rum, Amarula cream liqueur, five spice, cream of coconut and pineapple, shaken hard and served on the rocks.

For more information visit their website.

Check out my podcast Pulling Corks & Forks: The Podcast with Sandy Wasserman to hear from those in our community. Please subscribe, like & comment.

Sid’s Garage bringing high energy vibe to Desert Ridge Marketplace

Phoenix is getting a new burger restaurant when Sid’s Garage starts serving high intensity burgers, cocktails with an attitude on May 15th. With 2 locations in Idaho, owners Nicole and Will Primavera bring their industrial vibe to The District next to AMC theatres where guests will also enjoy adult games, an outdoor patio and a private dining room for group events.

Get ready to chow down on burgers, award-winning cocktails and boozy shakes not for the faint of heart. Burgers include the Boss Hog Burger – half-pound Wagyu and Black Angus Snake River Farm beef patty, 48-hour roasted pork belly, onion rings with scratch-made Sriracha-bourbon sauce or Sid’s version of Bacon and Eggs – four pieces of candied bacon suspended above two flash-fried deviled eggs with a honey mustard dipping reduction.

Enjoy favorite cocktails and shakes such as the Velvet Revolver made with vodka, tyku, lime, muddled cucumber and sriracha; the 420 shake has crumbled Oreo, vanilla ice cream with a buttercream rimmed glass and a huge dark chocolate ice cream sandwich; the Fat Elvis shake includes a peanut butter rim, raspberry jam, vanilla bean ice cream, crunch berries and a full size strawberry short cake bar.

Sid’s Garage will be open daily at 11 a.m. until  9 p.m. Sunday – Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information visit their website.

Don’t forget to check out my podcast Pulling Corks & Forks: The Podcast with Sandy Wasserman to hear from those in our community. Please subscribe, like & comment.

Sips & Bites: News you can use from the Phoenix restaurant community

Quick sips & bites of news about what’s going on around the Phoenix restaurant community, breweries and wineries.

Over Easy and Hickman Family Farms raising money for United Food bank in April

Starting today and all month long, the 11 locations are matching customer donations dollar for dollar and the farm will donate a dozen eggs for each donation. The two local businesses have a goal of donating $20,000 and 10,000 dozen eggs. Customers will see a prompt when paying their bill asking if they want to make a donation to United Food Bank.

March Madness at Koibito Poke this weekend

College basketball fan or not score $4 off your order when ordering online or on their app. Use promo code FINAL4 this Saturday and Sunday for this Final Four deal.

Rusty’s Beer Fest is this Sunday

Enjoy cold beers on the patio overlooking The Short Course and Camelback Mountain at Mountain Shadows Resort’s bar & grill. All the details and how to get tickets are here.

Raise a glass of rosé at Match Market & Bar

The downtown Phoenix restaurant in the Found:RE Hotel hosts its Monthly Guide to Wine featuring the perfect wine for Spring and Summer. Join the fun tasting and discussion about rosé Wednesday, April 6th from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Admission is $25 and includes light fare with tickets available here.

Leila’s Empanadas celebrates National Empanada day with 2 events

Next Friday, April 8th the locally owned artisan maker of the Latin American hand held food celebrates from 4-6 p.m. at Sam’s Frozen Yogurt located at 3434 W Anthem Way, Suite 140, Anthem, AZ 85086. On Saturday Leila will be serving them up from 10 AM – Noon at Lil Miss Butcher 4705 E Carefree Hwy. Cave Creek, AZ 85331.

Don’t forget to check out my podcast Pulling Corks & Forks: The Podcast with Sandy Wasserman to hear from those in our community. Please subscribe, like & comment.

“Arizona Pizza” added to new Fall menu at Famous 48 Local Kitchen & Bar

The Shops at Gainey Ranch’s Famous 48 Local Kitchen & Bar has announced several changes to its operation including adding Arizona Pizza to the menu. One of the new changes is that the restaurant will open at 10 a.m. on Saturdays and Sunday’s so football fans can catch all the action.

The 4 new Arizona Pizzas are 12 inch thin and crispy crusts and use a mozzarella and provolone cheese blend. A cauliflower crust is also available with the 4 pizzas being…..

·         Margherita. Grilled tomato, basil, extra virgin olive oil

·         The Famous 48. Pepperoni, sausage, onion

·         Nacho Mama. Ground beef, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, taco sauce, blend of cheddar-jack cheese, crumbled Nacho Cheese Doritos®

·         BBQ Chicken Pizza. BBQ Sauce, provolone, chicken, red onion, cilantro

“We like to keep our menus fresh and we’ll always offer Arizona favorites.  That’s the inspiration for the four pizzas on this new menu at Famous 48,” said Robert Wagner, executive chef, of Famous 48 and sister restaurant, Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers. “We aim to please and we’re happy the neighborhood enjoys our great food.”

With the new pizza’s come a special happy hour deal every Monday -Friday from 3 – 6 p.m. Guests can enjoy a Arizona Pizza and bottle of red or white house wine for only $25. To end your meal, they’ve also added a new option to a favorite dessert. The skillet cookie option of white chocolate macadamia, caramel sauce with vanilla bean ice cream joins a classic chocolate chip cookie skillet with vanilla ice cream.

Famous 48 is at 8989 N Scottsdale Rd #608, Scottsdale, AZ 85253. 480-941-0101. Check out their website for the full menu and more.

Copper Mule Kitchen & Bar opens in north Scottsdale

Regional cuisine is served up at a restaurant that recently opened in north Scottsdale. Copper Mule Kitchen & Bar is owned R Squared Restaurant Concepts’ Christi & James Rice and James’s brother and sister in-law John & Erin Rucker. Their New American menu is full of dishes from states that the 4 have previously lived of New York, Texas, Mississippi, New Mexico & Arizona.

“Through the places we have lived before Scottsdale, we’ve grabbed flavors from our life experiences,” says co-owner Christi Rice. “Our menu and our specialty cocktails express all the culinary adventures we’ve had and what we’ve learned about food in other areas of the country. We also have fun infusing spirits into our culinary creations.”

All photos courtesy of Christi Rice

Copper Mule Kitchen & Bar serves lunch and dinner daily with happy hour in between from 3-6 p.m. Guests can expect dishes such as the Cay Shrimp Salad, Lemon Dill Grilled Salmon, Midwest Angus Beef Burger and AZ Ale Fish & Chips along with pitas, sandwiches salads and more. $2 off all appetizers during happy hour includes favorites Montauk Fried Olives, Delta Deviled Eggs and chicken wings.

With a name like Copper Mule it comes as no surprise the cocktail menu offers 9 mule cocktails. Irish and Kentucky Mule’s join signature cocktails from around the country including The Georgia Peach, The Tipsy Texan and more.

The family friendly, reasonably priced restaurant has a dog friendly patio. The Copper Mule Kitchen & bar is at 23335 N. Scottsdale Rd. Scottsdale 85255. For more information and to see the menu check pout their website.