Voodoo Doughnut – Tempe, Arizona

As peurile punks at Peñasco junior high, many of us acquired our first exposure to “VD,” (no, not the way you’re thinking) the corporeal corruptor of unprotected men and women of all ages.  Being immature teens, the boys guffawed at the dramatic instructional filmstrips that relied heavily on fear tactics, clinical diagrams, and stern warnings about morality and hygiene.  Plotlines (if you can call them that) tended to emphasize worst-case scenarios such as permanent physical disfigurement, blindness, or sterility to deter sexual activity.  Being young and indestructible, we didn’t think VD could ever happen to us. Valerie, the most gorgeous…

Andreoli Italian Grocer – Scottsdale, Arizona

Mangia e stai zitto.” That’s what you’ll read on the back of staff shirts at Andreoli Italian Grocer along with the restaurant logo on the sleeve. From Italian it translates to “Eat and Shut Up!” One server told us that phrase is common in the Italian home where discussing the day’s happenings is secondary to enjoying the meal. We also heard that the saying matches the signature no-nonsense, authentic Italian attitude of Chef Giovanni Scorzo. Sure enough, Chef Scorzo’s debut book “Shut Up and Eat!: A Journey to a Symphonic Culinary Masterpiece” even features that phrase. When Food Network gliteratti…

Texaz Grill – Phoenix, Arizona

My travels throughout the fruited plain have taught me that there are attitudinal differences between residents of different states. Most people have significant pride in their homestate and don’t necessarily think that highly of neighboring states. More than any state, the Lone Star state will broach no claims of superiority by any other state. The saying that “everything is bigger in Texas” actually means “everything is better in Texas.” Barbecue is better, football is better, country music is better and Tex-Mex is the only acceptable derivative of Mexican food.  Don’t ask me.  Ask anyone from Texas. Some forty years ago…

Il Forno Bello Pizzeria – Mesa, Arizona

Culinary history is rich with examples of proteges who surpassed their mentors.   Gordon Ramsay, for example, has become a restaurant impresario with nearly 100 restaurants bearing his brand. He was mentored by legendary English Chef Marco Pierre White, an intense and volatile personality who helped shape Ramsay’s approach to leading a kitchen. Chef Grant Achatz, perhaps more well-known for playing himself during a guest cameo in the season three finale of The Bear, led Alinea in Chicago to three Michelin stars. He was mentored by demanding culinary visionary Charlie Trotter. Chef Horacio “Lacho” Hernandez earned his stripes under the tutelege…

Maisen Katsu – Mesa, Arizona

Humanity has long had an fondness for breaded meats.  As far back as the 12th Century, breaded meat cuts appear in Milanese archives.  Recipes bespeak of medieval innovations in coating meat to “seal in juices or mimic gilded dishes.”  By the 19th Century, Austrian and Italian kitchens–utilizing flour, eggs, and white breadcrumbs before frying in butter or lard-began propagating techniques and ingredients.  Among the foundational breaded dishes were Austrian Wiener Schnitzel. Today, whether it’s German schnitzel, Mexican milanesa, or Italian parmigiana, many of the world’s culinary traditions incorporate a dish made of thinly cut meat that is breaded and then…

El Pollo Correteado – Mesa, Arizona

“El Pollo Correteado” translates literally to “the chased chicken” or “the run-after chicken” in English.  It’s been my experience that anyone can chase a chicken, but chasing a rooster is an entirely different story.  Roosters can be very aggressive, even mean.  An aggressive rooster can be dangerous to humans, pets, and other chickens.  Roosters are the “wife beaters” of the animal kingdom. Rooster pecking can be normal courting or a sign of aggression. During courtship, a rooster will gently peck a hen’s head or neck to signal her to squat for mating. However, targeted pecking that causes injuries, bald patches,…

Kofu Dumpling House – Mesa, Arizona

In 1993, The New York Times named Din Tai Fung one of the top ten restaurants in the world, turning a local favorite into an international destination. Since then, it’s been wildly popular around the country and globe.  Known for their upscale-casual restaurants serving up delicious Chinese food, with a particular emphasis on the Xiao Long Bao (steamed soup dumplings) it’s a global phenom. On 20 April 2026, the Taiwanese chain opened in Scottsdale’s Fashion Square Mall. The Scottsdale store occupies 10,000 square feet, features a dumpling expo viewing kitchen, 340 seats and has a full bar. According to the…

Sexy Roman – Scottsdale, Arizona

The Sexy Roman restaurant inside the W Scottsdale (a vibrant, luxury lifestyle hotel) was christened to reflect its identity as a “mischievous,” sultry, and high-energy take on Roman and Mediterranean dining. Created by the Alliance Hospitality Group, the name signals a playful, glamorous nightlife vibe rather than a traditional, quiet trattoria.  Uh oh, as a culinary historian, those terms conjure images of “dining” taken to extreme.  At its immoderate peak, the Roman dining lifestyle hearkens back to the days of baccanalian excess, wild and rowdy celebrations dedicated to Bacchus, the god of wine. A bacchanalian feast involved  massive wine-drinking, chaotic…

Tacos Chiwas – Phoenix, Arizona

The city of Phoenix has a population of approximately 1.66 million residents, making it the fifth most populous city in the United States.  As anchor for the broader Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler-Scottsdale-Tempe, etc., etc.  metropolitan area, more than 4.8 million people call the Valley Of The Sun home.  So no, it’s not glutted with designer taco shops competing with modest mom-and-pop taco joints.  As in Austin, Texas, there can’t be nearly enough taco shops to appease denizens and visitors who believe tacos should be on the USDA food pyramid–maybe at the top right above pizza and burgers. At the risk of delving (or…

Huarachis Taqueria – Phoenix, Arizona

There are a number of restaurants across the globe for which reservations are notoriously difficult to get. Securing a table at The Lost Kitchen in Freedom, Maine, for example, is widely considered the hardest reservation in the world. Instead of going online or calling, hopefuls must mail a physical postcard to the restaurant just to enter a lottery. From a mountain of mail, only a lucky few are drawn for a chance to dine at the 40-seat restaurant.  Then there’s Rao’s in New York City, an old-school Italian spot where tables are privately “owned” by regulars and newcomers can only…

The Wild Thaiger – Phoenix, Arizona

Wild Thaiger, burning bright In the Phoenix desert night, What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fiery beef Panang curry? I’m no William Blake, but my inaugural visit to Wild Thaiger in Phoenix, Arizona inspired me to wax poetic.  It would be peurile of me to pen an unctuous description of Chef-Owner Olashawn Hasadinratana-Weaver (Ola for short) that might have included the terms “cougar” or “tigress.”   Chef Ola is a serious, self-taught chef who learned the art of cooking from her family’s rich Thai culinary traditions and honed her skills hands-on in the restaurant industry.  To view her as…