Sips & Bites: News from the Phoenix restaurant community

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

Hask Kitchen raising money for Habitat LA with new Has# Pancake Trio

February is National Pancake Month and all seven valley locations celebrate with a new trio of Red Velvet, Pineapple and S’mores stacks. $2 of every trio sold in February will be donated to Habitat for Humanity Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA) and its disaster relief efforts.

Chula Seafood celebrates 6 years in Uptown Phx

The local seafood monger & restaurant celebrates the anniversary of its 2nd Phoenix area restaurant on tomorrow, February 1st with specials at all 3 locations. All locations will have “Two Buck Shucks” and each location will offer specials as follow….

Uptown

  • Tuna Katsu Sando featuring a fried panko-crusted ground tuna patty on wondrous white with cabbage and tonkatsu sauce, $16.
  • Polenta Shrimp App featuring 13 to 15 shrimp, guajillo-marinated, sauteed and served on top of polenta cakes with a lime gastrique, $14.
  • Whole Fried Thai Snapper—Crispy fried snapper with Thai basil salsa verde, herb salad and coconut rice, MP.

Rosie

  • Coconut Shrimp with fries, choice of sauce and lemon, $17 for a 3-piece/$20 for a 6-piece
  • Fried Shrimp with fries, choice of sauce and lemon, $15 for a 3-piece/$18 for a 6-piece – Sauce choices include sweet chili, spicy Kewpie, masago ranch and cocktail sauce
  • French Fries, $8
  • Green Chile Cheese Fries with cheddar cheese sauce, green chilies and cilantro, $14
  • A la Carte Coconut Shrimp Taco—A flour tortilla filled with spicy Kewpie, coconut shrimp, purple cabbage, pineapple serrano salsa and avocado, $12

Grayhawk

  • Filet O Fish—White fish brandade patty breaded in panko then deep fried and served with American cheese, malt vinegar tartar sauce, shredded iceberg and house-made pickles on a Noble slider bun. Served with a side of chips, $15
  • Lobster Grilled Cheese— Butter-poached lobster with a white cheddar mornay on toasted Noble sourdough and served with a side of tomato soup, $25
  • Tuna Bulgogi Kimchi Fries—Crispy French fries topped off with seasoned ground yellowfin tuna, caramelized onions, kimchi, American cheese and sesame mayo, $15

Let’s do lunch at…….

Fire at Will starting Monday, February 3rd from 11 a.m. – 4p.m. The Scottsdale restaurant will offer a daily menu with more than 20 Small Plates, Burgers and Sandwiches, Salads, Big Plates, Sides and Desserts to choose from. Highlights such as French Onion Dip, Italian Chopped salad, Bacon BBQ Burger and Shrimp & Grits will impress the lunchtime crowd with its locally sourced ingredients like the way the dinner menu has since it opened.

Cider Corps offers new late night hours February 3rd

The downtown Mesa cidery will be staying open later as we get into the Phoenix area’s busy season arriving. The new taproom hours will begin 7 days a week from 11 a.m. -until 10 p.m. Monday – Friday, until 12 a.m. Friday & Saturday and 8 p.m. on Sundays. Myke’s Pizza will be serving NY-style slices of Cheese, Pepperoni and Vodka Sauce with Jalapenos Friday & Saturday nights from 8 – 10 p.m.

Bourbon & Bones reschedule Rickhouse event to March, 1st

With Parada Del Sol taking over Old Town Scottsdale tomorrow the scheduled Rickhouse Bourbon event will take the day off so those can attend the western celebration. The event returns the first Saturday in March.

 

Sips & Bites: News from the Phoenix restaurant community

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

Hot Dog Days returning to Joe’s Farm Grill next Friday

The popular month-long daily menu of unique hot dogs is back at the Gilbert restaurant & farm starting next Friday, August 30th – September 30th. All beef hot dogs and premium sausages from Phoenix’s Schreiner’s Fine Sausages set to be topped with ingredients from around the world. Daily dogs include…..

COUNTRY SAUSAGE GRAVY – Grilled dog piled with French fries and melty Wisconsin brick cheese, then smothered with Joe’s Farm Grill’s scratch-made sausage gravy and topped with one egg, any style
CRISPY BUFFALO – A split, breaded deep-fried hot dog dipped in Frank’s Original Red Hot Sauce, nestled on a bed of our crisp and creamy coleslaw and topped with homemade buttermilk ranch, blue cheese crumbles and chopped celery and carrot
REUBEN – Hand-sliced corned beef, melted fontina cheese and fresh sauerkraut piled on an all-beef hot dog, topped with Joe’s secret sauce
Hot dog days dogs are $14 each with a side or $21 for two dogs, one side.

$5 Gyros all day at Pita Jungle for National Gyro Day

All 23 Arizona locations celebrate the broiled beef & lamb Greek specialty all day on Sunday, September 1st. The offer is valid for dine-in only with a limit of 2 gyros at participating locations.

Labor Day dining deals

The “unofficial” end of summer is here despite the above normal temperatures we’re expecting this weekend. Several Phoenix area restaurants have some dining deals that may help keep you cool on Monday, September 2nd.

Roaring ForkThe Scottsdale restaurant offers their “Dinner on Us” promotion starting 4p.m. Buy one entree and get the 2nd for free with at least 8 wood-fired meals to choose from including the Big Ass Burger, Fish Tacos, Rainbow trout and more.

Fire at WillGet their popular Hush Burger 1/2 off regular price at the Tatum & Shea restaurant. The legendary behemoth burger features American cheese, caramelized onion, pickles and fancy sauce on a soft Noble brioche bun.

STK Steakhouse & Kona GrillThe downtown Scottsdale steakhouse offers teachers, first responders & military personnel 50% off their meal. Additionally, Friends with Benefits members get a 50% dining credit and Konovore Rewards members get a $25 dining credit.

Marino’s Italian KitchenThe North Phoenix restaurant is offering a bottle of house red or white wine & a choice of 4 crostinis for $28 all day long.

Organ Stop Pizza anniversary specials in September

All month long the Mesa restaurant celebrates its 52nd anniversary and has daily specials Sunday – Thursday. The specials are…..

Sunday: Sunday Funday – All Ice Cream Sundaes ordered on Sunday are 50% off

Monday: BOGO 50% Pizza offer – Buy one pizza at regular price, get a second one for 50% off.  The second pizza must be of equal or lesser value.

Tuesday: 50% off all appetizers

Wednesday: 50% off all salad bars

Thursday: BOGO 50% Pizza offer – Buy one pizza at regular price, get a second one for 50% off.  The second pizza must be of equal or lesser value.

Also until the end of September is the $60 Meal Deal that includes Two large pizzas with unlimited toppings (not including extra cheese), two appetizers (combo basket excluded), and two pitchers of soft drinks.  Please mention this deal when ordering.

Sips & Bites: News from the Phoenix restaurant community

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

It’s pumpkin season at 32 Shea

When local restaurants start putting pumpkin dishes and drinks on the menu you know the cooler temperatures aren’t far behind. For a limited time the Phoenix cafe has added coffee, cocktail and food specials including…..

-Pumpkin mascarpone bruschetta with crispy prosciutto and toasted pumpkin seeds

-Pumpkin Alfredo pasta with chicken and andouille sausage

-Pumpkin sweet cream cold coffee

-Pumpkin cookie latte with cookie butter syrup

-Pumpkintini with vanilla vodka and pumpkin sauce

Fall 2024 Arizona Restaurant Week dates announced

The Arizona Restaurant Association’s twice annual 10-day event returns from Friday, September 20th through Sunday the 29th. The popular events has over 200 restaurants from around the state creating special 3-course menus to showcase their offerings. The prix-fixe menus are priced at $33, $44 or $55 depending on the restaurant. On Sunday, September 1st a list of participating restaurants and their menus will be available on the website.

Back to school BOGO pizza special at Vicinos

The Scottsdale Italian restaurant has a hard to pass up special through the end of September. Buy 1 12″ cheese pizza and get another for free when you call in your order for take-out. Toppings are extra and a limit of 1 free pizza per day.

2 for 1 Tuesdays at Aridus Wine Company

Every Tuesday until September 21st stop into their Scottsdale and Wilcox tasting rooms and get 2 bottles of wine for the price of 1. In store purchase and pick up only while supplies last and other restrictions apply.

Fire at Will adds new dishes to the menu

Chef & owner Dom Ruggerio’s restaurant on Shea Blvd. at Tatum Blvd. has added a few new dishes to its menu. Guests can enjoy their favorite dishes along with the new….

Italian Chopped Salad featuring sun-dried tomato, cucumber, chickpeas, olives, salami, pistachio, parmesan and red wine vinaigrette, $16 (with option to add protein such as grilled chicken or salmon or ¼ lobster for an additional charge)
Korean Short Ribs with house-made kimchi pickles and sushi rice, $38
 
Panko-crusted Branzino with cherry tomato, Nicoise olives, capers, fresh herbs and cauliflower puree, $36
Chicken Marsala — Pan-roasted half-chicken with Swiss, chard, wild mushrooms, pomme puree and marsala pan sauce, $32.

The Vanilla Gorilla to close so Hush Public House can expand

Chef and Owner Dom Ruggerio has announced that his popular Scottsdale restaurant Hush Public House will be expanding and adding a new cocktail lounge within the restaurant that he hopes to open later this summer. To make room for the expansion and yet to be named lounge he has to close Hush’s sister concept The Vanilla Gorilla Tap Room & Bottle Shop next door. The Vanilla Gorilla is set to close on June 30th with renovations to begin shortly after.

“We are a chef-driven company and we want to offer our guests what we most excel at — seasonal plates and craft cocktails,” says Ruggiero. “We’re excited to get back to our roots and offer valley residents another elevated neighborhood drinking and dining establishment.”

This would be Hush’s second expansion since opening in February in 2019 to accommodate customer demand. When opened it opened Hush was just 1,200 square feet before its first expansion in 2020. Once completed Hush and the new cocktail lounge will be over 5,000 square feet with the lounge serving craft cocktails and chef driven small plates.

Ruggierio is working with Libby Lingua and Mitch Lyons of Two Hands Consulting LLC for the bar program in the lounge. He’s worked with them to conceptualize both Hush and his Phoenix restaurant, Fire at Will that opened earlier this year. Ruggerio will curate the small plates menu that will emphasize seasonal ingredients. The Vanilla Gorilla staff will be stay on at Hush and Fire at Will until the expansion is complete.

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