Are You Missing 400 Gallons of Oil and Grease?

Some odd news from Kingman, someone dumped 400 gallons of oil and grease in 2 separate locations.  200 gallons were dumped out at a car wash and the other 200 gallons were dumped out at a restaurant.  The large amount of grease clogged up the drains at the car wash.  If you happen to know anybody who recently had a lot of grease and now, does not, the Kingman Police would be interested in that information. Check out the full story here.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers Opens 1 With More to Come

Freddy's already has 3 locations in the state, but recently a fourth spot opened up at 1340 Litchfield Rd. Goodyear, AZ 85395.  That's not all though, a look at Freddy's website shows plans for two more locations that are described as "coming soon."  One of the new restaurants is slated for Scottsdale, but no address is yet listed.  The other restaurant will be at 129 E. Williams Field Rd. Gilbert, AZ 85295.

Starbucks Brings Back Happy Hour

From Friday, May 6th to Sunday, May 15th, Starbucks will be offering half-price Frappuccino blended beverages between 3pm - 5pm.  From Starbucks:

"This year we really want you to mix it up! Customize your drink to be just the way you want it. You can flavor it up with an old favorite like caramel, enjoy a new dynamic duo like our Mocha Coconut Frappuccino blended beverage or make any combination of flavor offerings.  Mix up your milk with 2%, nonfat or soy. Coffee it up with an extra pump of coffee or a shot of espresso. And don't forget to top it off with a little bit of fun in the form of whipped cream, drizzles or sprinkles."

You can read the full article here.

Also, for those of you who just can't get enough: Search Amazon.com for Starbucks

Owner of Yuma Doughnut Store Indicted

The owner of Arizona Donuts Bakery & Cafe, Tong-Seng "Jerry" Luy, has been indicted for failing to pay his employees for their overtime hours.  From the Yuma Sun:

"According to the indictment, in September 2010, Luy agreed to pay over $27,000 in back wages to eight employees for the two-year period ending in July 2010. In October 2010, Luy falsely affirmed to the Department of Labor that all employees had been paid, and that he was in compliance with the FLSA. In reality, Luy allegedly continued to employ cook/cashier employees in excess of 40 hours per week without paying overtime wages.

In addition, in lieu of actually paying the back wages to which he had agreed, says the Labor Department, Luy prepared additional payroll checks, demanded that his employees endorse them, redeposited the checks back into his own account and then sent copies of the fronts of the checks to the department as proof of payment."

That's a lot of dough. Check the full article here.

First Tucson Area Firehouse Subs to Open in Marana

Firehouse Subs currently has 4 valley locations, but in August, the first location in the Tucson area will be opening in Marana.  According to the Arizona Daily Star:

"The sandwich shop, specializing in steamed subs, is set to open in August in a 2,150-square-foot space at Marana Marketplace, on the southeast corner of Orange Grove and River roads.

The chain’s menu includes specialty sandwiches such as the “fully involved” Engineer (turkey breast, melted Swiss and sautéed mushrooms);  the smokehouse beef and cheddar brisket with the brisket smoked 10 hours; and the Hook & Ladder (smoked turkey breast, Virginia honey ham and melted Monterey jack cheese)."

Check out the full article here.

A Few Cinco de Mayo Deals & Ideas

As I write this, Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow. Before you get to the list of some places to eat, the AZFoodDude felt like sharing with you what Cinco de Mayo is.  Cinco de Mayo, as commonly thought, is not the celebration of Mexico's independence, which is actually in September.  Rather, it is the celebration of the "Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862."

Now for some food, not a comprehensive list, but a few ideas:

Del Taco
69 Cent Chicken Soft Tacos
29 Cent Regular Tacos - 3pm to 8pm UNCONFIRMED - I am not sure of the reliability of the reports describing this promotion.  It is not a nationwide promotion but some reports indicate it is happening in Arizona. Please call ahead if you are going specifically for this. Check here for locations and numbers.

Macayo's
Beginning earlier this week and ending on the 5th, their 'Mex & Match' promotion is $5.55 for 1 entree and 2 sides. The entree choices include tacos, burros, tostadas, tamales, enchiladas and chile rellenos. Check here for locations.

- The Arizona Republic has listed 18 restaurants they recommend for Cinco de Mayo, some of which have specials and others which do not seem to, according to the descriptions by the Republic.  Some notables include:

Gallo Blanco Cafe & Bar - 401 W. Clarendon Phoenix. 602-274-4774 - This Southwestern restaurant inside the Clarendon Hotel celebrates Cinco de Mayo on May 2-6. Events include happy hour all week on the Skydeck; Taco Tuesday - buy two tacos and get a third one free; $1 discounts on tacos in the hotel's new lounge; a variety of live entertainment including flamenco dancers; and introduction of the new tamarind margarita, the Agua Mexicana, poolside

La Hacienda - 7575 E. Princess Drive, Scottsdale. 480-585-4848 - The Scottsdale Fairmont's Southwestern dining room puts the "fun" in fundido with its queso fundido, a melting pot of Oaxaca, Chihuahua and Gouda cheeses, with salsa and flour tortillas ($12). On Cinco de Mayo, enjoy a pig roast on the patio ($40 per person) and red, white and green margaritas. 5:30-10 p.m.

Rancho de Tia Rosa - Multiple Locations - On May 5, this longtime Mesa spot will offer $1 Tijuana tacos in chicken, beef and pork. If you want more than a taco, try Tia's Plato de Carne Asada, 12-spice-marinated beef or pork that's been slow-cooked for 12 hours and lightly charbroiled. It's served with rice, beans, grilled vegetables and flour tortillas. Other best bets are the seafood tacos: a sauteed shrimp taco with a pineapple salsa and grilled salmon taco with an orange mango salsa.

Serrano's Mexican Restaurants - Multiple Locations - The family-owned business will celebrate Cinco de Mayo from Monday to Thursday, May 2-5. On Monday, tacos are $2.75 each, Tuesday enchiladas are $3.75 each, Wednesday burros are $4.75. On Thursday there will be two specials: the Serrano special combination ($5.95) includes a beef taco, a cheese enchilada and a bean tostada. The Southwest broiled chicken ($8.95) is topped with a fundido sauce and served with rice, beans and tortillas.

The AZFoodDude hopes this is a helpful list.  Please be safe!

A Filiberto's Update and Another Store

Updating from the AZFoodDude's previous story here, the Filiberto's at Talking Stick at the Scottsdale Pavilions will be opening in mid-May. This comes from the "Valley Values" advertisement in Sunday's Arizona Republic seen to the right.

Also in an Arizona Republic article here, we find that Filiberto's is taking over the location at 32nd St. and Greenway at the former Arby's spot. A quick check on the Filiberto's website, however, does not yet show a restaurant there.

Update (5-14-2011): Filiberto's to open Memorial Day weekend
Update (5-27-2011): Filiberto's is now open

232 Pounds in 20 Months

From CNN via AZFamily, if anybody out there is looking to lose weight or if you just want to read a great story, check this article out.  A slight bit of editorializing on my part, but personally, I think tips 2 and 4 are the most important.

Are These the Next Fad Foods?

Ever heard of Skyr, Teff, Cupuaçu, Black Garlic or Chia Seeds?  I hadn't either. Shape Magazine via Yahoo has an interesting article on these five, what they deem "superfoods." Check it out here.

Free Meal on 5/4 at Joe's Real BBQ in Gilbert

This Wednesday, May 4th, head over to Joe's Real BBQ for their Customer Appreciation Day at 301 N. Gilbert Rd. Gilbert, AZ 85234 in order to get a free sandwich, two sides and a drink between the hours of 11am - 3pm and 4pm - 8pm.  There is no catch in order to get the free meal, however the BBQ will be holding a book drive that day for the Loving Through Literacy organization. Again, it is not necessary for you to donate a book in order to get the free meal.

Recall: Some Simply Asia Foods, LLC Products Have Unlabeled Ingredient

Simply Asia Foods, LLC has recalled 4 products due to an unlabeled milk ingredient.  From the press release:

"Thai Kitchen^® Noodle Carts (Sweet Citrus Ginger, Thai Peanut, and Spicy Thai Basil) and Simply Asia^® Noodle Bowl (Roasted Peanut). These products contain an undeclared milk ingredient. People who have an allergy to milk run the risk of serious or life threatening allergic reactions if they consume this product...The recall was initiated after the discovery of an ingredient being used containing low levels of sodium caseinate (a milk derivative) in coconut powder. The ingredient statements on the packages do not list milk as an ingredient."

At the time of the recall, there had been no reports of allergic reactions or illnesses.