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.

Pretzel Fest every Wednesday at Pedal Haus Brewery

The local brew pub with locations in downtown Phoenix, downtown Chandler and downtown Tempe couldn’t wait til Oktoberfest to feature their new Bavarian Board. Each board includes charcuterie meats, olives, a large Bavarian pretzel, beer cheese, maple butter, haus mustard and 2 beers for $16. Upgrade the beers to a Stein for $20 or a bottle of Haus wine for $25.

Hearth ’61 now offers a vegan tasting menu

Chef de Cuisine Alfred Muro has created a 4-course vegetable focused menu at the Mountain Shadows Resort’s signature restaurant. The menu consists of Celeriac Salad, Parsnip Confit with curry chickpea stew, a Roasted Portobello Mushroom with eggplant cous cous and a Strawberry Lemon Tart with ginger meringue. The menu is available all year long and is $89 plus tax & gratuity.

Society by EVO opening in Tempe

A new restaurant from Nick Neuman and his partners is coming to Tempe in February. The late night upscale dining experience restaurant is looking to hire 50 people and is having a hiring fair today, Friday January 28th from 12 noon til 4 p.m. at EVO on Goldwater Blvd. in Scottsdale. Interested applicants can also send Nick a resume to nickneuman@evoscottsdale.com. The restaurant will be in The Cornerstone at Rural and University and will be open from 4 p.m. – 2 a.m.

The Mexicano now serving lunch

The new restaurant from Joey Maggiore is now serving lunch 7 days a week starting at 11 a.m. The made from scratch Mexican cuisine restaurant in northeast Phoenix offers a build your own Michelada bar along with agave based cocktails to go along with your Guacamole and Salsa Ferris Wheel, tacos made with blue corn tortillas, lava rock fajitas and a three foot long quesadilla. On weekends rotating DJs play Latin music to enhance the vibrant atmosphere.

The Crepe Club celebrates National Crepe Day

Next Wednesday February 2nd get a free Nutella or Parisian (butter & sugar) crepe at the Scottsdale Fashion Square (in the food court) location from 9 – 11 a.m.

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.

Holy Cannoli! Maggiore’s to open The Sicilian Baker Cannoli Bar & Market

Maggiore’s family restaurants dates back to the late 1970’s in Phoenix. Tomaso led the way with his iconic restaurant Tomaso’s Italian Restaurant at Camelback and 32nd St. and his son Joey has learned how to open successful restaurants. In mid February, Joey & Christina Maggiore and partner Flora Tersigni introduce their newest concept The Sicilian Baker Cannoli Bar & Market.

All photos courtesy of Liz Lastra & Evolve Public Relations

The Sicilian Baker joins the groups Hash Kitchen and The Sicilian Butcher, favorites among Phoenix restaurants. The Sicilian Baker Cannoli Bar & Market will be located next door to The Sicilian Butcher in Phoenix.

Build-your-own- cannoli -bar

Sign me up for the build-your-own cannoli bar along with fresh pasta, meats and cheeses from the market. Master pastry chef Giovanni La Rosa, a cousin of Maggiore is working with them from Sicily to create specialized desserts and pastries.

The signature cannoli bar will feature 10 flavored creams for customers to choose from. Mix and match and choose your cannoli shell dipped or not we can have fun here. Small to foot long shells will be available.The Sicilan Baker

“This is definitely something one-of-a-kind in the United States,” said Maggiore. “We’re bringing Sicily to the footsteps of Phoenix with what we’re building next to the Tatum and Greenway location.”

The spacious restaurant designed by Cristina features black porcelain tile, sliding barn doors and colorful food cases. Smell and taste fresh cassattas, sfinci (Italian treats) from pastry chefs as you linger between the 2 concepts.

Expanding the Sicilian Baker

The Maggiore’s have their eyes on 2 additional locations for the Sicilian Baker. The will open next door to the Sicilian Butcher in Chandler and have eyes on the west valley.

The new bakeries are planning for a 2019 opening with more to follow throughout Arizona.

The Maggiore’s should open The Sicilian Butcher in Chandler(3151 W. Frye Rd.) in March 2019 with the bakery to follow.