We didn’t know salad could be so melodramatic, but the chain Salad and Go’s return has us feeling like we’re in the middle of our very own Valley reality TV show—and we’re here for it.
This week, we’re also looking forward to Halloween and Thanksgiving shenanigans, a celebrity dinner, the RARE Steak Championship, and a trio of James Beard-recognized chefs teaming up for charity. Have a tip? Send us a note via Instagram or by emailing info@diningout.com.
Hook N’ Cleaver Premium Market Opens in North Scottsdale
North Scottsdale’s new butcher shop and lunch destination is Hook N’ Cleaver Premium Market. This one’s all about whole ingredients and a seed oil-free kitchen. At the butcher counter you’ll find New York strips, filets, ribeyes, organic chicken, duck, fresh fish, and shrimp. So next time you’re in the mood for some quality protein, check it out.
Tap N Taco Opens Downtown Chandler Restaurant with $2 Tacos
Tap N Taco, a New Mexico restaurant serving up street tacos and beer, opened its first Arizona location in downtown Chandler, taking over the former Serrano’s Mexican Food Restaurant. Right now you can score $2 street tacos with fillings such as asada, al pastor, barbacoa, chicken, sausage, potato, and beer-battered shrimp or cod. You can also get the same fillings in quesadillas, loaded fries, nachos, and baked potatoes.
Salad and Go Plans Arizona Comeback After Bankruptcy
Ladies and gents, we have a comeback kid! A mere two months after abruptly closing its remaining restaurants, Salad and Go is returning to the Valley under new ownership. The two former locations in Gilbert (3299 E. Williams Field Rd.) and Mesa (1040 W. Southern Ave.) were acquired as part of the bankruptcy sale. Reopening dates have not been announced.
Craft 64 Celebrates a Decade of Brewing With a Fall-Forward Oktoberfest Menu
Located in the oldest remaining adobe home in Scottsdale, and with a Chandler location, Craft 64 has been a neighborhood staple for 10 years. Congrats on that milestone! Come try the house-crafted beer and award-winning pizza and see what the fuss is all about.
Plus, the Valley venue just launched an Oktoberfest menu featuring the Shotsy, a plate of house-smoked sausage and onions with a little sauerkraut and aged parmesan. For dessert, don’t miss the cannolis filled with fresh Black Forest cream and topped with Luxardo cherries.
Serbfest Phoenix
Serbfest Phoenix returns November 7 and 8 for two days of live music, folk dancing, and cultural experiences, including authentic Serbian cuisine. This two-day event promises traditional grilled meats, homemade specialties, and baked goods for anyone who loves this food or wants to try it for the first time. General admission is $10.
Phoenix’s RARE Steak Championship
Something this tasty rarely comes along. On November 12, join 25 restaurants at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale for unlimited steak tastings, craft cocktails, and a little sizzling (but friendly) competition among some of our Valley’s top chefs at Arizona’s first RARE Steak Championship. Doors open at 6 p.m. for First Taste and VIP, 7 p.m. for general admission, which starts at $145.36. Need more convincing? Here’s a sneak peek at four of the restaurants participating.
Phoenix’s Oldest Chinese Restaurant to Close After 84 Years
As one of the few remaining reminders of the historic Chinatown that once occupied the area south of downtown, New Garden Restaurant’s impending closure is a tough Valley loss. No official closing date yet, and some have speculated that a chef or brand might want to step in and save it. Fingers crossed and stay tuned.
Westside Concepts Raised $1,000 for St. Mary’s Food Bank
We always like when good food supports a good cause. Westside Concepts ran a National Cheeseburger Day fundraiser that raised $1,000 for the Arizona-based nonprofit St. Mary’s Food Bank.
Quiriego Brings Sonoran Cuisine From Hermosillo to Scottsdale
Did you know that Hermosillo, Mexico, is Phoenix’s sister city? No better way to celebrate our familiarity than by bringing in a Hermosillo restaurant to the Valley. Quiriego, focused on Sonoran ingredients and live-fire cooking, just opened in Scottsdale. We’re also keeping an eye on the bakery, which offers conchas, kouign-amann, and tres leches cake.
SugarJam The Southern Kitchen Welcomes Comfort Food Season
Cooler temperatures are here to stay, and Scottsdale’s SugarJam The Southern Kitchen is celebrating the return of comfort food season. Founder Dana Dumas says fall weather brings renewed interest in Southern favorites, including her crispy fried chicken, shrimp and grits, waffles, and homemade desserts. Weekends feature a live DJ and also showcase specials like fried shrimp in a house-made sauce with grits.
Quiessence Hosts Halloween Smoke & Savor at The Farm at South Mountain
Something wicked is coming off the smoker at The Farm at South Mountain. On Wednesday, October 28, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., Quiessence will host Smoke & Savor: Halloween Edition, featuring melt-in-your-mouth barbecue, lawn games, outdoor cinema, and Halloween decorations.
The $65 smokehouse meal kit serves one or two people and includes: Graveyard Brisket, Hollow’s Eve Pulled Pork, and seasonal sides such as Crypt Wedge Salad, Witch’s Fingers (pickled cucumbers), Dirty Little Secret Rice, and Jack-o’-Lantern Cornbread. Costumes are encouraged. Looking for more Halloween fun in the Valley? We got you covered.
Ways to Celebrate National Cookie Month
October is National Cookie Month. Why not celebrate by ordering from Georgie’s Cookies? This local, woman-owned home baking brand in Queen Creek specializes in gourmet olive oil cookie baking mixes and other handcrafted cookies. Don’t forget that Bad Honey just opened in Gilbert, too. Want even more ideas? We rounded up the top bake shops for you.
Lisa Vanderpump Hosts a Cookbook Dinner October 20
British restaurateur, author, and television personality Lisa Vanderpump herself is coming to Scottsdale on Tuesday, October 20, for a special dinner celebrating her new cookbook, Home at Villa Rosa: Cooking and Living the Vanderpump Way.
The event takes place at the sexy, Vegas-inspired Wolf by Vanderpump, located on the seventh floor of Caesars Republic Scottsdale.Two seatings are available at 5:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. Tickets cost $225 per person, including tax, fees, and gratuity. Guests may be seated at shared tables, and reservations are required.
LON’s Last Drop Introduces Weekly Stampede Food and Cocktail Pairings
LON’s Last Drop at The Hermosa Inn in Paradise Valley has a new rotating menu of food and cocktail pairings called The Weekly Stampede. The specials include four off-menu dishes and four accompanying cocktails every Monday, available daily from 5 p.m. until closing.
Recent creative stampedes included a Sonoran dog topped with chorizo beans, cotija, and avocado, paired with a pickle-inspired whiskey cocktail. There was also a blue cheese and date flatbread with prosciutto paired with a honey highball.
Esplanade Community Table Brings Phoenix Chefs Together for St. Mary’s Food Bank
What’s better than one James Beard-recognized chef? Three of them! At the inaugural Esplanade Community Table, three chefs Roberto Centeno of Espíritu, and Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin of Tacos Chiwas and Cocina Chiwas (all partners in Main Burger) are collaborating on a four-course, family-style dinner for more than 150 guests.
Get ready for live-fire cooking, handmade tortillas, floral installations, and good old-fashioned entertainment. Esplanade restaurants FLINT by Baltaire, Camello, The Mercer, and Hearsay will also provide cocktail pairings.
Bonus, this event benefits St. Mary’s Food Bank and takes place on Saturday, November 7, in Phoenix’s Biltmore neighborhood. Tickets cost $500 per person.
LON’s at the Hermosa Announces an In-Person Thanksgiving Feast
Oh, you want more Thanksgiving news? We have you covered. LON’s at the Hermosa in Paradise Valley is set to host a three-course Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, November 26, from noon to 8 p.m.
The menu befits a holiday of gratitude, featuring truffled cream of mushroom and leek soup, roasted turkey, Wagyu short rib, and pecan pie tart, among other offerings. Dinner costs $135 per adult and $35 for children ages 4 to 12, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations required.
Miracle Mile Deli Opens Thanksgiving Preorders
We know it’s not even Halloween yet, but yes, it’s already time to think about Thanksgiving and Miracle Mile Deli in Phoenix has a nice little deal to make any host’s life easier. For $245 you can get the Thanksgiving Family Feast, which serves six to eight people and includes: three pounds of oven-roasted, white-meat turkey breast, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, baked macaroni and cheese, six Kaiser rolls, and a whole pie.
Don’t need to feed a whole circus? An individual turkey dinner is $25, with a choice of white or dark meat. You can order additional sides, meats, rolls, and whole pies separately. Just make sure to place your orders by Saturday, November 21.
