Get a taste of Arizona and connect with local food entrepreneurs, leaders and businesses at Local First Arizona’s Good Food Forum + Expo. Taking place on Aug. 29 at the Mesa Convention Center, the event is the combination of two Local First Arizona signature events — Arizona’s Food and Farm Forum and the Good Food Expo. […]
Arizona native Matt Carter has been a leader in the local culinary scene for more than two decades as executive chef and partner in some of the Valley’s most popular eateries. After high school, Carter spent a summer working at a breakfast restaurant in San Diego, which inspired him to go to Scottsdale Culinary Institute. […]
2023 started with some impressive milestones for Shift Kitchen + Bar in Flagstaff, including the restaurant celebrating its seventh anniversary and executive chef Christian Lowe being named a James Beard Award semifinalist in the Emerging Chef category. “It is a recognition both for Chef Christian and for Shift. We are so honored to have what […]
In 2017, Kimberly Guimarin founded Pop’s Coffee, named for her father. “Coffee brings people together and makes people happy,” she said. Guimarin was born and raised in Southern Illinois. After college, she lived in Denver and worked as a paralegal and then became a stay-at-home mom. Guimarin and her family moved to Arizona in 2014 […]
Italian native Stefano Fabbri has been bringing authentic Italian cuisine to the Phoenix area for more than a decade as the founder of POMO Restaurant Group. The group includes three POMO Pizzeria locations, two Luna Gelateria locations and Rosso Italian, which opened in downtown Phoenix in February 2023. Fabbri is from the Emilia-Romagna region, which […]
Speakeasies were popular in the U.S. during Prohibition in the 1920s and 1930s, when alcohol was illegal and people had to sneak into secret places to access it. In modern times, speakeasies offer a fun, mysterious environment to enjoy unique and interesting cocktails. “A modern speakeasy should be a hard-to-find place — but not too […]
The Phoenix chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International, a philanthropic organization of professional women in the food, beverage and hospitality industries, is launching the “Cook Like a Dame” virtual cooking class series from May through August. Classes will be taught by award-winning chefs Tamara Stanger and Candy Lesher. A passionate forager, Stanger is the executive chef of Hell’s […]
Valley high school student Dylan Capshaw has a passion for flowers, coffee and entrepreneurship. Capshaw recently celebrated the opening of the second location of Stemistry, a coffee shop he created where customers can enjoy a variety of beverages and pastries and create their own flower bouquets. “Since I was young, I’ve started various businesses and […]
A vast array of experiences have shaped Nik Fields’ culinary businesses. She had a successful career in finance, is a private chef to athletes and celebrities, and has her own line of spice blends, olive oils and other gourmet foods, as well as kitchenware. To further expand her culinary empire, Fields was inspired by her […]
In August 2022, Jennifer Sinconis and her neighbor Laura Hernandez opened Turquoise Wine Cellar & Tasting Room in Glendale. “When I moved to Arizona from Washington state three years ago, I realized there was an opportunity in the West Valley to create a place to enjoy wine tasting with a community vibe,” Sinconis said. The name Turquoise pays […]
