Keifer Gilbert Award-winning bartender Keifer Gilbert known for his work at Counter Intuitive, Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour, Toca Madera and more has temporarily come out of bartending retirement to develop the cocktail program at Tell Your Friends – a cocktail bar and live music lounge opening under The Americano in North Scottsdale early this summer. The luxe, 52-seat venue will feature nightly performances as well as small bites curated by Chef Beau MacMillan. We sat down with Gilbert to chat about mixology, the Valley’s cocktail cognoscenti and what to expect from his new gig ..read more

The Larder & The Delta Sit down for minute; I have two astounding things to tell you. First, Stephen Jones, the talented chef and James Beard Award finalist who closed The Larder + The Delta in October 2023 over leasing issues, has found a wonderful space to move into, and he plans to open a more sophisticated iteration of his much-lauded Southern restaurant on September 12 of this year. This go-round, he’s changing the punctuation, so The Larder + The Delta will morph to The Larder & The Delta — ditching the “+” sign for an ampersand, which Jones jokingly contends proves he has grow ..read more

Photo courtesy Barrio Brewing Co. Opening A Ma’s Kitchen & PhoA Ma’s promises authentic Vietnamese comfort food using family recipes for pho, vermicelli bowls, egg rolls and other dishes. 1900 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler, amasphokitchen.com BackyardThe shuttered Sandbar at Desert Ridge location has been transformed into 8,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor bar and restaurant, featuring a dog-friendly patio, games, TVs and live music. Brought to you by Scottsdale-based Evening Entertainment Group. 21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix, backyardusa.com Barrio Brewing Co.This Tucson-based brewery wit ..read more

The Phoenix Melrose District is more than just a bonanza of gay bars and adorbs vintage stores – it’s also one of the Valley’s most dynamic dining biomes, with new restaurants constantly popping up along Seventh Avenue. Wanwaan One of more than a dozen takeout- and delivery-only eateries in the new Highland Food Hub, this Yelp five-star ghost kitchen specializes in kai kra ti (sausage with egg) and other Northern Thailand street delicacies. Other HFH options include Rite Yah Suh Jamaican Vibez and El Rey’s Tacos and Cars, the latter spinning out primo Baja-style fish tacos with a toasted ..read more

Postino When: Open-5 p.m. daily (HH); 8 p.m.-close M-T (Board & Bottle) The Valley’s OG “WineCafé” offers two separate happy hours. If you can swing an early HH, get $6 wines by the glass and pitchers of beer until 5 p.m. every day. Or go late on Mondays and Tuesdays for a bruschetta board and bottle of wine for $25 starting at 8 p.m. Multiple locations, postinowinecafe.com Don’t Miss Board & Bottle $25 Best Deal Wine by the Glass $6 Wine Girl When: Open-close, Monday-Wednesday Come early in the week for this ultra-femme hangout’s signature happy hour discount: half off select bo ..read more

Thank you to all our guests for attending PHOENIX magazine’s 3rd annual Dish Fest on March 17 at The Clayton House in Scottsdale. You helped make this year’s festival bigger and better than ever and we can’t wait to do it again in 2025! Until then, please enjoy this photo gallery of you — and the other folks who ate the best dishes in the Valley. Photography by Stella Subasic, PHOENIX magazine ..read more

PHOENIX magazine’s 3rd annual Dish Fest unleashed an expanded feature in 2024: the chef demonstration! Throughout the food festival — held on Sunday, March 17 at The Clayton House in Scottsdale — five of the best chefs in the Valley took turns showing off their culinary skills and food knowledge on a Wolf, SubZero, Cove outdoor cooking stage set up by Ferguson Showroom. Chefs pictured below include Karan Mittal from Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine, Derek Christensen from Wren House Sudhalle & Bacanora, Jennifer Caraway from The Joy Bus, Sam DeMarco from Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen a ..read more

Silvana Salcido Esparza in front of Barrio Café Gran Reserva before its closing in 2020 | Photo by Mirelle Inglefield Barrio Café — the legendary 16th Street Mexican restaurant that transformed our preconceived notions about Mexican food — is closing its doors on May 31. The sad news has been disseminated by various media and social outlets over the past 20 hours, including chef-owner Silvana Salcido Esparza’s own emotional Instagram post about her reasons for shuttering the 22-year-old restaurant. In her usual no-BS style, she says, “It’s true. I did get a little old and I am very sick. Wit ..read more

On this episode: PHOENIX magazine editor in chief Craig Outhier, managing editor Leah LeMoine, associate editor Madison Rutherford, art director Mirelle Inglefield, managing art director Angelina Aragon and events/marketing manager Amanda Heisler join director of digital content Matthew Johnson. Topics include our reaction to Dish Fest and our favorite bites from that event; insight into the new Top Docs issue and the featured stories inside. The new March/April issue of PHOENIX is on newsstands now. Watch on Youtube: And listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts ..read more

Octopus taco | Photo courtesy instagram.com/salttacoss In the weeks leading up to Dish Fest, we’re presenting our readers with exclusive chef interviews so they can learn the stories behind the Best Dishes being served at the third annual food festival. Former corporate banker Enrique Uresti opened S.A.L.T (Sea and Land Tacos) in 2021. Uresti incorporates chicken and pork as well as a wide array of seafood such as fresh fish, shrimp and octopus, which he will be showcasing at Dish Fest on Sunday, March 17. What is the origin story of your Best Dish?I’ve always had a love for seafood tacos, e ..read more