New Italian eatery ‘La Zozzona’ opening in Scottsdale this week
A new Italian eatery from award-winning Chef Richard Blais is arriving in Scottsdale this week. La Zozzona, which is Italian for “messy, rich or substantial,” is Blais’ first Arizona-based restaurant and is opening on Wednesday at The Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort. Blais, a James Beard Award-nominated cookbook author, is known for finishing as the...
Film collaboration to take Ferrari to the Maximus for Las Vegas GP
Ferrari will be hoping its fans will be entertained by a new collaboration with Paramount Pictures ahead of the release of Gladiator II. A sequel to the 2000 smash hit starring Russell Crowe, Gladiator II is due for release this Friday (15 November) and the film is set to temporarily swap the Amphitheatre of Rome for the Las Vegas Strip. Ferrari dr...
Per Noi Trattoria: Classic Italian Dining and Family Tradition on Highland Drive
For me, walking into Per Noi Trattoria on Highland Drive is a bit like stepping back in time. I first wrote about Per Noi in 2012 when it opened on Stratford Avenue. It was a small space – seating a mere 28 guests – and the owners were smart in 2018 to relocate Per Noi to the sprawling location that was formerly Michelangelo on Highland. But when I...
North Italia Opens in Peoria
North Italia, a popular modern Italian restaurant known for its scratch-made dishes, has expanded in Arizona with the opening of a new location in Peoria. North Italia Peoria will be the fifth in the state. Newly opened North Italia Peoria is located in the Peoria Eighty Three entertainment district, part of the Peoria Sports Complex. This area is...
Family-owned Italian restaurant offers Phoenix’s longest pizza
October is National Pizza Month, and one locally-owned restaurant is serving the longest pizza in Phoenix! Pizza A Metro opened 16 years ago near 23rd Avenue and Thomas Road. The small, family-owned restaurant offers authentic, delicious, made-from-scratch dishes like pizza, pasta and salads. “We have a lot of dishes which are made from scratch, ha...
SIFF to Hold 16th Annual Cinema Italian Style Film Festival
Cinema Italian Style returns to SIFF Cinema Uptown November 7-14 to celebrate the best in Italian cinema with a broad selection of 15 films to celebrate its 16th year. Tickets for the festival, a celebration of the best Italian films of the year, are on sale now. “Cinema Italian Style is one of SIFF’s most beloved annual events, and we’re so gratef...
This West Valley restaurant serves the best lasagna in Phoenix
"Brick-shaped" may not be a term typically applied to food. At least, not lovingly. That is, unless you are talking about lasagna. For anyone who shares Garfield's passion, it's disappointing when ordering lasagna results in a plate of flat pasta with just a few layers swimming in sauce. On the other hand, when a server drops off a brick of the lay...
At Oregon’s oldest pizzeria, 91-year-old owner Elsie McFarland still works weekends
For many Oregon kids, pizza is less a dietary staple than a fact of life. But that wasn’t always the case. Even after World War II, newspaper references to “pizza” were still put in quotations, with recipes typically calling for ”4 English muffins” or “2 cans Maine sardines.” That was before 1949, the year Caro Amico opened on Southwest Barbur Boul...
Luna by Giada
Luna by Giada (as in De Laurentiis, the queen of Italian cuisine) offers a sophisticated spot for wining and dining on the first floor of the newly opened Caesars Republic Scottsdale. The elegant menu showcases the celebrated chef’s Roman heritage, paired with California influences. Emmy Award winner Giada De Laurentiis has been a longtime favorite...
Tucson set to rename Christopher Columbus Park after celebrated Tohono O'odham elder Danny Lopez
Officials in Tucson are asking members of the public to weigh in on a proposal to rename the city’s Christopher Columbus Park. Tucsonans head to Christopher Columbus Park to bird watch and fish in Silverbell Lake. It was called Silverbell Park up until the 1990s, when it was renamed by the local Knights of Columbus chapter. Now locals want to renam...
Celebrate Italian Heritage with dinner and dancing at Casa Italiana on Saturday night, Oct. 26
Casa Italiana invites the community to celebrate Italian Heritage Month with a special evening of food, music, and dancing on Saturday night, Oct. 26, 2024. The event will feature a traditional Italian dinner, entertainment, and dancing to a mix of Italian and American favorites. The celebration will kick off at 5 p.m. when doors open. Dinner will...
Washington State's Complicated Christopher Columbus Relationship
Since I can remember, the recognition of Columbus Day has been been a contentious topic. It's certainly had it's fair share of debate in Washington State. Before we dive into some of the controversy let's look back at the history of celebrating the explorer who did, then didn't, discover America. The first recorded celebration of Christopher Colu...