Tag: Uptown Plaza

Sips & Bites: News from the Phoenix restaurant community

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

Chula Seafood celebrates National Oyster Day early

Tomorrow, Saturday, August 2nd is the 3rd anniversary of the seafood cafe’s Grayhawk location and they’re celebrating with oysters. All 3 locations are shell-ebrating along with an early start to National Oyster Day (August 5th) with two-buck shuck raw oysters all day and exclusive one-day specials.

Pumpkin season starts today at 32 Shea

You know the summer is coming to an end when you start seeing and hearing the words “pumpkin season” so we’re almost done with Summer 2025 as 32 Shea starts serving a new line-up of dishes and drinks today, Friday, August 1st. The North Phoenix coffee shop and restaurant will be making their new Pumpkin infused cold brew daily with only 30 made each day, they’re sure to sell out.

The food menu includes house-made Pumpkin Hummus with chili crisp, pumpkin seeds and toasted flatbread ($10) and the Pumpkin Pasta a multicolor cheese tortellini tossed with Italian sausage, kale, roasted squash and a drizzle of chili honey ($17). For dessert, the Pumpkin Cheesecake is finished with a bruléed top, pumpkin caramel and vanilla whipped cream ($8).

Limited-time specials will be run throughout August and new Fall pumpkin coffees and beverages will be introduced each month through November 30th. August specials include Pumpkin-Infused Cold Brew coffee, Pumpkin Cinnamon Caramel Latte and Blueberry Pie Latte. Each drink is topped with cinnamon bun sweet cream and a dusting of blueberry crumbles for the pie latte.

Fall cocktails debut on September 1st and include The Pumpkin Espresso Martini is made with vanilla vodka, house-made pumpkin pie syrup, fresh espresso and a pumpkin caramel chew garnish ($14). The Fall Fashioned offers a spiced take on the classic Old Fashioned with toasted almond bitters and a pumpkin wafer ($14).

National Sandwich Month at Miracle Mile Deli

The popular Phoenix deli is celebrating with a $19.49 special on its award-winning sandwiches this month. For that price you get the “sandwich of the week”, a side, a pickle spear and a slice of pie. The “Sandwich of the week” are …

8/4-8/9 – New Yorker Sandwich 8/11-8/16 – Brisket Sandwich 8/18-8/23 – Combo Sandwich 8/25-8/30 – The Straw

New “morning happy hour” at Hash Kitchen

Early risers get rewarded with some new specials from 7 a.m. -9 a.m.  and save $5 on well cocktails and $4 off any signature breakfast dishes at all 6 Phoenix area locations including……

  • Chilaquiles – corn tortilla chips / simmered in salsa verde or salsa roja / queso fresco / cilantro / crema / fried eggs
  • Basic AF – two eggs any style / applewood-smoked bacon / two Has# Hash browns / silver dollar buttermilk pancakes
  • Breakfast Burrito – chorizo / bacon / pepper jack cheese / Has# Hash brown / onions / peppers / black beans / eggs
  • Biscuits and Gravy – three buttermilk biscuits / country sausage gravy / fried eggs
  • Carnitas Hash – Coca-Cola braised pork / queso fresco / roasted corn / avocado / cilantro / fried onions / salsa verde / crema / fried eggs
  • Melina’s Benedict – toasted English muffin / Canadian bacon / hollandaise
  • Mexicana Scrambler – chorizo / jalapeños / tomatoes / avocado / pepper jack cheese
  • Classic pancake or waffle

El Bandido Bingo Night at Cien Agaves

Reserve your seats for Thursday, August 14th at 7 p.m. for a first come, first serve night of fun. It’s free to play and players will enjoy complimentary tequila tastings from El Bandido and prizes can be won and this communal table event. RSVP is required and you can do that here.

 

 

Seafood specials for happy hour at Chula Seafood

Chula Seafood, the popular fish monger and restaurant has announced happy hour specials at their Uptown, North Scottsdale and South Scottsdale locations. You will have to visit each location on Monday-Saturday from 3 – 5 p.m. and all day on Sundays to experience each location’s unique seafood specials that are updated often.

The North Scottsdale (Grayhawk) location at Hayden & Thompson Peak Pkwy offers $1 off grilled & raw oysters, $6 grilled street tacos and a $15 soft shell crab sandwich. Drink specials include $8 Chula Ritas and Chula cocktails, wine by the glass for $3 off and $5 draft beers.

The Uptown Plaza location offers Chef’s Ceviche for $9 and $5 beers and $3 off wines by the glass including 6 oz., 9 oz. and 1/2 bottles.

Get Spam Musabi & confit tuna with kimchi onigiri for $6, shrimp cocktail for $4 each and raw oysters for $3 at their original location at Hayden & Roosevelt location in South Scottsdale.

Stay up to date with their fresh fish list and changing specials at their website.

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

What’s going on in the Phoenix food & beverage scene?

Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers celebrates 10 years with $10 burger & beer deal

Every Monday – Friday from 3 p.m. –  6p.m. in November the locally owned burger & beer joint is celebrating a milestone anniversary with a deal hard to pass up. All 12 Phoenix area locations are ready to welcome customers with this deal which includes an All-American Burger, chips & domestic draft beer.

Pedal Haus Brewery opens 3rd location in Phoenix

Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix is where Julian Wright decided to open the third location of his popular taproom. The award-winning beers will be delivered daily from the Tempe brewery and guests can expect signature dishes including Haus smoked wings, a giant Bavarian pretzel and more like that found at the Tempe & Chandler locations. An extensive vegan and gluten-free menu offered in Tempe will be rolled out in coming months in Phoenix.

Pork on a Fork awaiting new restaurant opening with Food Truck Friday

Every Friday from 5- 8 p.m., or until they sell out, the food truck will hit the brakes in the parking lot of its future brick & mortar location in Chandler. $200 worth of gift cards will be given away and future food truck events will be announced. The new restaurant will be at 1972 N. Alma School Rd. Chandler 85224.

Chompie’s offering to-go Hanukkah meals

Just when you’re tired of turkey Hanukah starts Sunday, November 28th and Chompie’s Deli locations in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tempe & Chandler are offering deli platters and dinners for curbside pick-up. A minimum 24 hours’ notice is required and all pre-orders can be made by calling 480-348-2287, online or in person.

Dapper & Stout Coffee Company now open in Uptown Phoenix

The third location of has opened in at Uptown Plaza offering everything from coffee to food to cocktails. They open bright and early at 6 a.m. seven days a week and stay open til 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Friday & Saturday. Happy hour is daily from 3 – 6 p.m. with special on cocktails, wine & beer and $2.00 of Small Bites.

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.

Husstoberfest with authentic German fare and fun at Uptown Plaza

Oktoberfest becomes Husstoberfest when Huss Brewing Company celebrates the traditional German eating and drinking festival at their Taphouse at Uptown Plaza. Saturday October 19th guests will enjoy locally made bratwurst and other authentic German fare from Schreiner’s and the untapping of Huss’s Bavarian style Marzen beer. The full bodied dry beer is copper red in color and has slightly malty sweet taste.

Other award-winning Huss beers will be poured in traditional German steins.  Gourmet caramel dipped apples will be available from Not Your Granny’s Apples food truck.

Husstoberfest takes place from 12- 6 p.m. at 102 E. Camelback Rd. Suite 160 Phoenix 85012.

Scoopwell’s Dough Bar’s grand opening offers FREE dough for a year

After finding loyal fans for their cookie dough Scoopwell’s Dough Bar is opening Saturday January 12th at Phoenix’s Uptown Plaza. Kendra and John Scheer started Scoopwell’s Dough Bar in early 2018 as a pop-up at Tempe Public Market Cafe. The pop-up was a success selling out and the husband and wife team decided to open a permanent store front.

All photos courtesy of Awe Collective

“We can’t wait to open in Uptown Plaza,” said Kendra Scheer. “Whether you checked us out earlier this year, or you’ve never tried edible cookie dough before, we promise to save you something sweet.”

Scoopwells’ offer 11 different dough flavors and even more sweet toppings. Gourmet flavors include Lemon Poppyseed, Brownie Batter and Rainbow Sprinkle are made from scratch. Delicious seasonal flavors and other year round favorites will be served. Mix-in Twix bars, peanut butter chips, pretzels and others for even more enjoyment.

When the doors open at 10:00 a.m. sharp the first 50 people in line will get Free Dough For A Year. The punch card they receive will be good for 1 small cup of dough a month. If you’re not one of the first 50, you’ll receive a free collectible gift and entered to win an Uptown Plaza gift bag.

For an even sweeter deal Scoopwell’s will be handing out gifts and giveaways all weekend long.

Find Scoopwell’s at 100 E. Camelback Rd #164 Phoenix 85012.

 

Huss Brewing’s CenPho Citrus IPA brewed with locally donated fruit

Huss Brewing Co. is accepting locally grown citrus for their up-coming seasonal bottling, CenPho Citrus IPA. Central Phoenix (CenPho) residents are invited to drop off citrus from their trees in exchange for two pints of the new beer when released. Drop off your citrus by January 14th 2019 at Huss’s Taproom in Uptown Plaza.

Huss employees will be accepting donations and giving certificates until enough citrus is collected for brewing.

CenPho Citrus IPA

The beer will make it’s debut on Feb. 9th at the Arizona Strong Beer Festival then around central Phoenix. Those that donated citrus and received a certificate can cash in for 2 pints on Feb. 16th at Huss’s Citrus Festival at the Uptown Taproom.

The craft beer will be poured at local hangouts and community events around central Phoenix including.

2/9 – AZ Strong Beer Festival

2/10 – Willo Neighborhood Home Tour Beer Garden

2/11 – AZ Beer Week (variety of CenPho bars, restaurants and neighborhood stores)

2/16 – Citrus Fest at Huss Brewing Co. Taproom at Uptown Plaza

2/24 – Coronado Neighborhood Home Tour Beer Garden

3/2 – Melrose Neighborhood M7 Street Festival (inside the Huss Brewing Co. Beer Garden)

Central Phoenix citrus

The beer is celebrating Huss Brewing and central Phoenix State Rep. Laura Pastor helping to create Arizona’s first experimental citrus trees. Imported from California the trees are planted on the Orangewood estate of William J. Murphy at 7514 N. Central Ave. Murphy built the Arizona Canal and founded numerous Phoenix and Glendale neighborhoods.

“We love to incorporate as many local ingredients as possible, and citrus is such a great flavor for a fresh seasonal beer,” says Leah Huss, who owns Huss Brewing Co. with her husband Jeff. “So as soon as we met Councilwoman Pastor and heard about the deep citrus roots in the historic neighborhoods surrounding our Uptown Taproom, we knew this was the perfect way to, literally, share a beer with our neighbors.”

Visit their website for more information and drop off citrus at 100 E. Camelback Rd.

 

 

 

 

Zookz celebrates National Sandwich Month with featured sandwiches

Zookz Sandwiches honors the millions of sandwiches eaten everyday in the United States with featured sandwich every week in August. Both locations of the locally owned sandwich shop will be taking 25% off each of the featured sandwiches during National Sandwich Month.

Each pressed and closed sandwich is filled with meats, cheeses, eggs and fruits for one of a kind sandwich. Zookz is open for breakfast and lunch with the sandwiches coming from owner Carole Meyer that are inspired by her grandmother’s recipes.

Featured sandwiches

You have a couple of days left to get this weeks featured sandwich with the new sandwich starting on Monday.

Week of Aug 6th-12th: Cheddar, crispy bacon, tomatoes and thinly sliced turkey topped with Chipotle and green onion scallop potatoes

Week of Aug 13th – 19th: Parmesan cheese &  turkey topped with a kale slaw, pineapple, shredded coconut and roasted almonds in Zookz Voodoo Dressing.

Week of Aug 20th – 26th: Brie, ham, apricot preserves and roasted almonds

Week of Aug 27th – 31st:  Cheddar, Monterey Jack cheeses and thinly sliced ham topped with a Creamy Sriracha and green onion Mac and Cheese 

Zookz are at 100 E. Camelback Rd. (Uptown Plaza) Phoenix 85012 and One N. 1st St. (Downtown & closed weekends.) Phoenix 85004. For more information go to http://zookzsandwiches.com

Fresh fish market Chula Seafood coming to central Phoenix

With the resurgence of the neighborhood butcher, fish monger and doughnut maker popular local fish market Chula Seafood announced it will open a 2nd location at Uptown Plaza in central Phoenix in the fall.

All photos courtesy of Chula Seafood

Catching the fish

Jim Heflin founded Chula Seafood in 2009 and captains the San Diego based 68 foot F/V Chula which catches fresh fish in the cold waters of the Pacific. Chula uses a harpoon and hooks to catch fish as nets drag up anything in their path off the bottom of the ocean. The use of hooks and harpoon offers sustainability and is environmentally friendly.

Several times a week fresh fish is shipped to Phoenix in a refrigerated truck to Jim’s son Jon and Hogan Jamison who run the Scottsdale market and restaurant. The Scottsdale location opened to rave reviews for its quality and sustainable fishing methods in 2015.

If they don’t catch it they have fresh fish flown in weekly from sustainable sources. Chula Seafood is a favorite among local restaurateurs who purchase their fish for their menus from Chula Seafood.

Chula Seafood Uptown

When it opens, the new location will offer a fresh fish market and sit down restaurant like its first location in Scottsdale. The Phoenix location will be larger with 60 seats including a 6-seat bar. A larger menu overseen by executive chef Juan Zamora and implemented by Kyle Kent, formerly of Artizen at The Camby will be created.

Fried, sautéed, grilled fish are a few of the ways the fresh fish will be prepared and will also include raw shellfish, sashimi, salads and poke. The new location will also offer beer and wine and grab-n-go selections will also be available.

The Scottsdale location is at 8015 E. Roosevelt St. 85257. 480-621-5121. Check out their website for updates and information.

 

Huss Brewing Co. celebrates Taproom’s 1 year anniversary

A lot can happen in a year and a lot has happened for Huss Brewing Co. since they opened their Taproom in central Phoenix’s Uptown Plaza last April.

Continued growth, a pop-up location at Desoto Central Market and new beers have busy owners Leah & Mike Huss celebrating its 1 year anniversary by throwing a party on Saturday April 21st from 12:00 -5:00 p.m.

Photo courtesy of MMPR Marketing

The family friendly afternoon party will have live music from Hayley Green, games, exclusive beers in the Huss Brewing’s casual atmosphere the indoor/outdoor the Taproom provides.

Leah Huss says the first anniversary celebrates Huss’ loyal customer base. “We want to truly emphasize the importance of the Uptown community,” Huss says. “Our customers are what make us who we are and opening in the heart of Phoenix has given us the opportunity to be a part of the revitalization efforts in this wonderful neighborhood. We look forward to being a valued member of the community for a long time.”

Huss Brewing Co. is at 100 E. Camelback Rd. Ste. 160 Phoenix 85012. For more information checkout their website.

 

 

Seasonal Ice Cream Pies at Creamistry

With cool weather and football in full swing we put the bathing suits away and break out the long sleeve shirts and sweaters as we focus our attention to the Fall and holiday season. Foods are seasonal too and for a limited time Creamistry, where ice cream meets science, is introducing Ice Cream Pies with a seasonal twist at their 4 locations in Scottsdale and Phoenix.

The Earl Grey tea Ice Cream Pie is infused with Earl Grey tea, topped with whipped cream and chocolate curls then sprinkled with dark cocoa powder.

The Caramel Apple Pie Ice Cream Pie tastes like its been home-baked and is made fresh when you order it. The flaky pie crust is filled with apple ice cream, cinnamon apple compote then finished sweet caramel and topped with a crispy streusel topping. Hard to go wrong with these delicious ingredients.

To get these Ice Cream Pies in the Phoenix area these are the locations you can find them at.

Phoenix                                                                                                                             4325 E. Indian School Rd.  (Arcadia)                                                                           100 E. Camelback Rd (Uptown Plaza)

Scottsdale                                                                                                                                  7135 E. Camelback Rd. (Scottsdale Waterfront)                                                15345 N. Scottsdale Rd. (Scottsdale Quarter)

For other locations around the country visit their website