Michele Laudig is a writer, artist and editor eating up New York City’s deliciously diverse food scene. Currently senior editor at Zagat in Manhattan, she was the staff restaurant critic and food blogger at Phoenix New Times since 2006, where she wrote cover stories, a weekly column and daily blog posts. Michele co-authored 100 Years, 100 Chefs, 100 Recipes, an Arizona Centennial Legacy Project published in February 2012, and has also written for Phoenix Magazine, Edible Phoenix, The Arizona Republic, Sommelier Journal and Hemispheres.
In previous lives, she served as New Times’ music editor, styled fashion shoots, toured with a rock ‘n roll band and lived in Tokyo. She has a B.A. in East Asian Studies from Columbia.
Caffe Boa Bistro, the East Mesa offshoot of Tempe's popular Caffe Boa, has closed for business. Employees at D'Vine, the wine bar next door to the shuttered eatery, as well as at the original Boa location just off of Mill Avenue (which is still running at full steam), confirmed that the Mesa shop is no longer in business, but no further details are available. Owner Jay Wisniewski couldn't be reached ...
When the weather gets extreme, I start justifying more splurges. Cold oysters on the half-shell and a glass of champagne? Mexican seafood cocktail? A margarita, or an icy milk tea with boba? The heat has me thinking my survival depends on such treats. I headed over to Tempe for a random lunch (really, I just wanted an excuse to check out doodads and accessories at Urban Outfitters) and discovered that ...
The days of the edgy eatery tucked into a Scottsdale hair salon are nearly over. Crudo chef Cullen Campbell tells me that he's not renewing his lease, and that the restaurant's last day will be July 16. Since it opened in 2009, taking up the in-house cafe and front patio of the Steven Paul Salon, it amassed a cult following for Cullen's inventive dishes, from raw madai with Meyer lemon to polenta ...
There's a double dip of good news on Sweet Republic. Not only was the Scottsdale artisanal ice cream shop, owned by Jan Wichayanuparp (left) and Helen Yung, named one of the best ice cream spots in the U.S. by Food + Wine, but it was also featured among an elite group of shops for Ellen Brown's gorgeous, recipe-filled new book, Scoop: 125 Specialty Ice Creams from the Nation's Best Creameries. Just ...
FnB owner Pavle Milic always humbly referred to his Old Town Scottsdale restaurant as a “little gin joint,” but he had no idea it might be considered an illegal speakeasy. Milic and chef/co-owner Charleen Badman made the shocking discovery a week ago Friday night, when three representatives from the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control came into the restaurant to inquire about the status of their liquor license. ...
Big news! Noca executive chef Chris Curtiss, whose creative take on contemporary American cuisine earned the restaurant a James Beard Award nomination just months after its August 2008 debut, has left the restaurant to pursue other culinary options. A whiz with seafood and seasonal produce, Curtiss made skate wing a signature dish, dedicated tasting menus to such ingredients as McClendon tomatoes, and turned lobster from esteemed purveyor Ingrid Bengis into a ...
A little chunk of Old Town Scottsdale’s most desirable real estate is turning into the barrio. Silvana Salcido Esparza, award-winning chef-owner of Central Phoenix’s Barrio Cafe, is verging on a deal to take over the SouthBridge space that previously housed Metro Brasserie. She plans to divide the long, narrow restaurant into two different concepts, coming in November. At the north end of the space, adjacent to the patio, ...
Pork-and-shrimp wontons steeped in chili-soy sauce. Garlicky shrimp served sizzling. Wasabi soy marinated chicken breast. A $13 cocktail called "Life Savings." Ha! Chances are, I won't be going to The Mint for dinner. But that's really got nothing to do with the food ...
A shot of pickle juice to take the pain away. Griddled corn cakes with pulled pork. My jaw dropped when I realized it was a double burger. D'oh! Who can say no to fried dough? Call it the thrill of the unknown. ...