It’s hard to believe I have been married a year. Time is fleeting and the holidays are upon us. But we weren’t going to let work issues and holidays and life stand in the way of celebrating, so J. came to town and we did indeed celebrate. However, we did take a chance on our [...]

One of the cuisines that always seems to get short shrift from me is Italian. I am not sure why because I love Italian food. There is something incredibly comforting and fulfilling about a big plate of pasta or a wonderful chicken dishes with sometimes subtle, sometimes robust sauces. I also always seem to think [...]

One of my favorite treats is Dim Sum. For those of you who have never enjoyed this decadence, the traditional Dim Sum operation goes something like this: 1. You are seated at a table and a card is placed on the table with various prices on it. 2. Workers pass by your table with carts [...]

Many years ago, Paradise Valley mall was a true jewel along Tatum Boulevard. The area around it sprang to life and had some great shopping. What always seemed to be lacking, though, were the dining options (unless the PV Mall food court was your thing). There were plenty of chains and fast food was aplenty. [...]

[Note from Seth: I apologize in advance for the quality of the photos on this review. We tried one photo with the flash and due to the mirrored walls at Noca, it was like a brilliant lightning strike, so we took the photos sans the flash and hoped for the best.] J. and I are [...]

One of the more interesting sides of the bad economy is that lots of construction in the Valley has ground to a halt. Much of the debate over the redevelopment of the heart of Arcadia at 44th Street and Camelback seems to have quelled a bit as people focus more on whether or not the [...]

When J. and I had a rather wonderful meal at Trente-Cinq 35 in Central Phoenix last year, we were curious as to the small converted house across the parking lot sporting the name “Lisa G.” Just who was this Lisa G and why does she have a wine bar? Unfortunately, the place was closed for [...]

One of the things that a lot of people haven’t figured out about Phoenix is that some of the best Mom and Pop restaurants are in dumpy strip malls and are often overshadowed by the mega-chains that have pulsating neon signs and large stand-alone buildings. Due to the cost of real estate, the little places [...]

Dad is a carpenter by vocation and he never misses a chance to hang out at Home Depot or Lowe’s looking for that gadget or gizmo that is going to revolutionize how he is going to do his work. As luck would have it, we were heading back from some excursion and stumbled across this [...]

At least twice a week, I get emails asking me to check out particular restaurants in the Valley. Most are just places that people tried and thought I might be interested, which I usually am. Some turn our great, some not so great and some end up closed before I even get a chance to [...]