Tag: Chris Bianco

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.

The Ostrich brings in new talent for new craft cocktails

The downtown Chandler speakeasy starts a new era in announcing 5 new hires. They welcomed Craft Operations Manager Tyler Zhorne, Craft Bar Manager Jared Ammon, lead bartender Samantha Dengler, bartender Adam Slaton and server Tyler Yenkala to the team. With the new hires comes a new reverse happy hour to accommodate hospitality employees and collaborations with other local bars and restaurants for events & specials.

Society by EVO opens for dinner tonight in Tempe

Announced in January, Society by EVO opens tonight night at 4p.m. according to co-founder Nick Neuman’s Facebook page. The hip & high energy restaurant in Tempe will serve top notch cocktails and food until 1:30 a.m. every night. The menu will feature popular dishes from Neuman’s Scottsdale restaurant EVO along with new Mediterranean influenced dishes. A grand opening is scheduled for next Friday, March 25th.

Mother Road Brewing & Rombauer Vineyards battle it out at Zuzu

It’s beer vs. wine at the Hotel Valley Ho’s Versus Series Dinner next Thursday, March 24th. Seats are still available for when the Flagstaff brewer meets the popular Napa Valley winery paired with Chef Russell LaCasce’s has special four course menu. Seats are $159 ++ per person and you can make a reservation by calling 480-421-7997

Mesquite Fresh Street Mex opens new location in Gilbert

The newest location opens Saturday March 19th is the first that is walk-up and drive-thru only for the locally owned fast casual concept. During the grand opening a “Golden Ticket” promotion will give free burritos for a year to several winners. The new location is at 4875 S. Val Vista Dr.

The James Beard Foundation narrows down list of Award finalist.

The list of 15 Arizona nominees was whittled down to 4 finalists for the June 13th awards ceremony.

Outstanding Restaurateur– Chris Bianco, Tratto, Pane Bianco, and Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix

Best New Restaurant- Bacanora, Phoenix

Outstanding Baker- Don Guerra, Barrio Bread, Tucson, AZ

Best Chef: Southwest- Giovanni Scorzo, Andreoli Italian Grocer, Scottsdale, AZ

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.

James Beard Foundation nominees named & Arizona is well represented

The Arizona restaurant scene is a buzz with pride as 15 chefs and restaurants from Flagstaff to Tucson have been nominated for a prestigious James Beard award. The James Beard Foundation announced the nominees last week in several categories in recognition of exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industry. Winners will be announced at the annual James Beard Foundation awards ceremony on Monday June 13th 2022 in Chicago.

Several Arizona nominees have been nominated in previous years and/or have won the coveted award. Those representing Arizona in 2022 are…….

Outstanding Restaurateur- Chris Bianco, Tratto, Pane Bianco, and Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix

Outstanding Chef- Christopher Gross, Christopher’s, Phoenix & Stephen Jones, The Larder + The Delta, Phoenix

Outstanding Restaurant- ShinBay, Scottsdale, AZ

Emerging Chef- Rochelle Daniel, Atria, Flagstaff, AZ & Donald Hawk, Valentine, Phoenix

Best New Restaurant- Bacanora, Phoenix

Outstanding Pastry Chef- Mark Chacón, Chacónne Patisserie, Phoenix

Outstanding Baker- Don Guerra, Barrio Bread, Tucson, AZ

Outstanding Hospitality- Binkley’s, Phoenix

Outstanding Wine Program- Kai, Phoenix

Best Chef: Southwest- Lori Hashimoto, Hana Japanese Eatery; Phoenix, John Martinez, Tito & Pep, Tucson; Maria Mazon, BOCA Tacos y Tequila, Tuscon; Giovanni Scorzo, Andreoli Italian Grocer, Scottsdale

 

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.

Root for the Cardinals with a team inspired beer, shake & cookie

With the NFL playoffs starting tomorrow and the Cardinals making the playoffs for the first time since 2015 you can show your support with team inspired food & beverages. PHX Beer Co. just released the limited edition Bird Gang Beer. The lager can be purchased in a 32 oz. crowler at their Phoenix taproom or Scottsdale restaurant.

Miracle Mile Deli is selling the Cardinals Caramel Strawberry Shake ($5) and Black and Red Cookies ($4) just in time for Monday night’s game versus their rival L.A. Rams. They will be available throughout the Cardinal playoff run.

Sanctuary Camelback Mountain promotes 2 on their culinary team

Former catering chef Landon Post has been promoted to Executive Chef and Chef de Cuisine Samantha Sanz has become the new face of the resort’s signature restaurant, Elements. Executive Chef Beau Macmillan has been the face of Elements for over 23 years and is staying on board in reduced role as Culinary Advisor spearheading culinary events at the resort including Nirvana Food and Wine Festival.

Valley chefs feeding the homeless on MLK Day

4 of the valley’s top chefs have partnered with St. Vincent de Paul to serve over 500 steak dinners to the valley’s homeless on Monday January 17th. Chris Bianco (Pizzeria Bianco), Mark Tarbell (Tarbell’s), Chef Vincent (Vincent’s on Camelback) and Mark Lupino (Steak 44, Ocean 44 & Dominick’s Steakhouse) will be joined music composer and celebrities David Foster and Katherine McPhee Foster. The 17th would of also been Muhammad Ali’s 80th birthday.  Steaks are only part of the meal organized by philanthropist & Ali friend Jimmy Walker as part of the “Never Give Up” program.

Santé to start serving lunch and happy hour on Monday

The healthy food restaurant that opened last month in north Scottsdale will start serving lunch and happy hour on Monday January 17th. Lunch will be from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. and happy hour from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Myke’s Pizza now open for lunch

The popular downtown Mesa pizzeria is now open for lunch Tuesday – Sunday starting at 11 a.m. Owner and pizza maker Myke Olsen serves 10 hand crafted pizzas, a house salads and a chocolate chip cookie. Seasonal pizzas will also be offered and on weekend rotating desserts.

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.

Pizzeria Bianco to donate profits on World Food Day

Critically acclaimed Pizzeria Bianco will be donating a part of its profits to Food for the Hungry on World Food Day, Wednesday October 16th. Guests can dine at either location at Heritage Square in downtown Phoenix and at Town & Country Center at 16th St. & Camelback Rd. to help raise money for the non-profit.

The Phoenix-based non-profit is an international relief and development organization is trying to establish a zero-hunger world and eliminate all forms of poverty.

“Currently, 821 million people suffer from chronic hunger and almost 15,000 children under the age of five die of malnutrition-related causes every day,” said Beth Allen, Senior Communications Manager of Food for the Hungry. “To combat this statistic, people around the world come together on World Food Day to promote awareness and action to eradicate hunger in our lifetime. We are so grateful to Pizzeria Bianco for joining us in our efforts to end hunger in some of the hardest areas of the world.”

Pizzeria Bianco’s two Phoenix locations at 623 E. Adams Street and 4743 N. 20th Street.

 

Chris Bianco to headline table to the farm dinner at RhibaFarms

James Beard award-winning chef Chris Bianco leads a line-up with five other local chefs as they bring the table to the farm for an exclusive fundraising dinner. The “Spring Fling” farmraiser will benefit San Tan Valley’s RhibaFarms, a 3.3 acre farm, local restaurants source for produce, mushrooms, microgreens, eggs and other ingredients.

The Saturday May 19th dinner will also include local chefs Jason McGrath of J’s Kaiyo, David Traina of Liberty Market, Craig Plevak of Fire & Foraged, Sasha Raj of 24 Carrots and Micah Wyzlic  of Phoenix City Grille.

Beers will be paired with each course have been selected by The Shop Beer Co. as well as beers created that will be incorporated into the dishes. The Shop Beer Co. uses RhibaFarms ingredients for its beers and gives the farm their spent grains to use as compost.

The farms Food Rescue program helps to fuel the soil that grows the ingredients that are not always associated with being grown in the desert.

Dining at RhibaFarms

Guest will enjoy the unique experience dining at the farm and will see first hand how much urban farms can grow and contribute to the local community.

The vegetarian dinner will include chef Bianco’s all Arizona sourced risotto entrée using Sonoran White Wheat with Blue Oyster mushrooms and smoke tri-color beets with pickled RhibaFarm vegetables from chef Wyzlic.

For  a true farm experience diners will be eating in the fields among the crops and are asked to bring a flashlight and dinner plate. The working farm has no paved paths.

Blind auction

There will be a blind auction fundraiser with private dinners from the chefs and other goodies up for auction.

Dinner will be from 5p.m. – 8p.m. with limited seating. Tickets are $150 per person and can be purchased here.

RhibaFarms is at 40792 N. Rattlesnake Rd. San Tan Valley 85140.