May 2014
After returning from a trip to Thailand, serendipity awaited me—I’d be visiting four Thai restaurants, all located on San Francisco Street or Bangkok Street, as locals might come to call it. As on our trip, this nourishing task involved colorful stir fries and fragrant curries, eaten in friendly company. Each restaurant is owned by a Thai, whose culture makes meals a social occasion.
In Thailand, dishes are ordered and enjoyed family style—the more, the merrier. The meal doesn’t contain courses, but choices from many categories served together. These include a variety of meat and fish dishes, served with rice and noodles, plus soup and a simple fruit, such as pineapple or mango, for dessert. Within these dishes, a mix of sweet, salty, sour and spicy elements creates a satisfying meal. Continue reading “Fit to be Thai”
The incredible, edible egg is all it’s cracked up to be. The nutrient-packed ovum delivers dense protein for a measly 70 calories. And while it’s high in nutrition, it’s low in cost. Each year in the U.S., 75 billion eggs are laid, and well over half are used by consumers. The egg is a versatile food, and it’s been said that the many pleats of a chef’s toque represent the many ways an egg can be prepared. Scrambled, fried, poached, baked and soft or hard boiled. For Easter, they are dyed every shade of spring, and those hard-boiled pretties become egg salad, deviled eggs and more. 
When it comes to lifting a Guinness on Saint Paddy’s Day, everyone flirts with being Irish. And according to the Census, 34.5 million Americans actually call themselves Irish. That’s seven times the population of Ireland. So, Americans are right at home in a pub. The term pub is short for Britain’s public houses, which the working class frequented. These neighborhood watering holes also served meat pies and fish and chips to mop up the beer. It wasn’t fancy, but it was filling. Now with food the star of its own television channel, bar snacks, pub grub and game munchies have received an upgrade. It is still based on traditional eats, yet these reinvented classics boast high quality, inspired ingredients. 
On a recent trip to New England, our gang’s urgent first stop was at an oyster bar. Briny, tangy, creamy, large or small—the many varieties of mollusks have characteristics as unique as their origination. Yet they all reflect the fresh taste of the sea. If you’ve tried an oyster before and didn’t fall in love, you simply haven’t met your perfect match.
In 1938, Arizona Snowbowl took form. Although it was in the middle of the Great Depression, a helping hand from the Civilian Conservation Corps helped establish what has become the longest continually running ski area in the country. Seventy-five years later, we take a look back at Flagstaff came to embrace alpine skiing and sustain it through the decades.
“Tuna drives a sushi bar. Without it, you’ve got nothing,” said Steve Scully, owner of Karma Sushi Bar Grill. He would know. Scully logged 15 years in the food business before opening Karma seven years ago. While Scully was schooled in finer European cuisine, he is a Jersey guy. He also headed north to work in restaurants in Cape Cod, which he explained means he knows good flavors and good seafood. And when Scully aimed to position his sushi spot, he worked with Tokyo chefs. He said, “Their training has more guts to it.” 
Location, location, location. Is it a hackneyed phrase or premium advice for a business? If Cuveé 928 Wine Bar is the example, its strategic setting on Heritage Square has garnered some serious foot traffic, but it’s their business strategy that has garnered them ongoing success. Seven years ago, owners Jennifer Shafer and Taryn Beveridge enjoyed socializing in town, “but there was nowhere to go for wine that was kept at a proper temperature and also offered a menu of light food,” Shafer said. “Surely there were more people like us—we saw a niche opportunity.” 
When good people work together, great things can happen. This is the overriding mantra of Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort on I-40, about 20 miles east of Flagstaff. In the 1950’s, the exit—with its iconic two arrows piercing the ground—served as a popular rest stop. Now, like a turnaround story, the casino and hotel complex sits on the opposite side of the interstate, with its logo arrow duo pointing skyward. 
While Richard Fernandez was in a farmers market, he had an epiphany about where food comes from and how it is prepared. He wanted to share it with others. Concerned with the way society accepts food processing and technology, he said, “I want to get people to think differently about the world they live in.” The owner-chef of Pizza Furiosa calls it a conscientious agenda and extends this to the next generation, teaching kids about nutrition and cooking. 
When Tom and Amanda Wilson bought Pasto Cucina Italiana in 2007, they employed a vision of “Old World flavors with a modern flourish.” They achieved that goal in the urban, glass-fronted store on Aspen as wells as with their crossover cuisine. Architectural amenities, like the copper ceiling, exposed brick, hardwood floors and wrought iron, give an Italian feel to a meal eaten at a window table within view of our own historic piazza—Heritage Square. And Pasto boosted the palate presentation with traditional fare that channels a contemporary vibe.