Smokin Fins Grand Opening in Chandler March 6th

Ready to open on March 6th at 11am, Smokin Fins is bringing the Colorado-based restaurant which is part of an Idaho-based "Fins" restaurant group to Chandler at 900 N. 54th St. #1 Chandler, AZ, 85226.  Influenced by Asian, Mexican, and Pacific Northwest cuisine, Smokin Fins describes themselves this way:

"Smokin Fins is a regional restaurant concept featuring a unique menu that blends ocean fresh seafood, sushi and house smoked specialties such as baby back ribs, turkey and slow smoked pork"

Photo by: Smokin Fins

The extensive menu according to Smokin Fins makes them a "food and beverage destination with something for everyone!" Check it out here.  Some notables:

• Key Lime Calamari - Hand-cut calamari, lightly breaded, with Fins Signature key lime aioli
• Smoked Bison Meatballs - House made Bison meatballs blended with smoked gouda cheese and baked in a tomato ragout w/ fresh arugula and shaved parmesan
• Vegas - Lobster-crab salad, habanero cream cheese, and rice rolled in seaweed and tempura fried; topped with spicy tuna, wasabi soy sauce, eel sauce and spicy aioli
• Pulled Pork - Korabuta pork slow smoked for ten hours, topped with appleslaw, red onion, and Dr. Pepper bourbon BBQ sauce. Served with fries
• Argentinian Flank Steak - Sliced American Kobe flank steak marinated and grilled, served with house charred vegetables and mashed potatoes. Covered in red and yellow Peruvian street sauce
• Lemon Caper Halibut - Alaskan Halibut over Chef’s signature risotto with a lemon caper beurre blanc, fresh Roma tomato, basil, and parmesan cheese
• Smoked Salmon Chopped Salad - Arugula, Israeli couscous, tomato, roasted corn, pepitas, house smoked salmon, and parmesan cheese. Tossed together in bacon herb dressing.

Other menu items include burgers, soups, dessert, wine and beer, of which they have five local brews. Hours for Smokin Fins will be 11am to 10pm Monday - Saturday and 11am to 9pm Sunday.  

Even Stevens Opens 3rd Arizona Location

Just over a week ago, Even Stevens opened up their third Arizona sandwich shop.  This newest location is in Tempe near the ASU campus at 1015 S. Rural Rd. right by the soon to be opening restaurant, The Halal Guys, which was reported on here. 

Even Stevens is a restaurant which makes it a priority to give back to the community and every sandwich you buy helps with that mission.  For the Tempe location, the local non-profit partners are Tempe Community Action Partnership, Tumbleweed Center for Youth, UMOM, and Operation Care Food Bank.  As of this writing, they have donated over 1 million sandwiches to various groups since they first opened in Utah in 2014.  Here is how it works directly from their website:

1. You buy a sandwich.
2. At the end of every month, we tally sandwich sales. Funds for sandwich making ingredients - bread, meat, cheese and produce -are then placed into a Sysco food account.
3. Our non-profit partners access the account and order sandwich-making ingredients as they need. A few days later, a truck delivers the order to their doorstep. Free of charge.
4. Non-profit staff and volunteers build sandwiches.
5. Individuals in need are fed and our non-profit partners can put their money where their passion is.

In order for this to work, you need to know what's on the menu, which includes everything from sandwiches, salads, sides, and breakfast items.  Some notables: 

• Mihami Vice - Roast pork, ham, whole mustard, swiss, pickle spears, baguette.
• Sprang Chicken - Chicken, provolone, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, greens, honey mustard, multi-grain bread.
• JP Grilled Cheese - Melty white cheddar, poppin' cream cheese, garlic, roasted jalapeños, French bread.
• Jackfruit Torta - Jackfruit carnitas, pepitas, guacamole, salsa morita, radish, cilantro, lettuce, pickled onions, sweet bun.
• The Goathugger Salad - Roasted beets, spinach, arugula, candied pecans, goat cheese vinegar, rye toast.
• The Breakfast Sandwich - Two eggs scrambled or medium, choice of bacon, ham, sausage, avocado, or pork belly (add $1).  Tangy maple mustard, cheddar cheese, Hawaiian bun.
• The Undergrad Breakfast Burrito - Flour tortilla, two eggs, bacon or sausage, white cheddar, tater tots, house sauce, sriracha. 
• Party Tots - A hot heap of tots piled with cheese, bacon, and avocado slices.

Along with the above and craft beer, Even Stevens uses local companies and products in their restaurants.  At all three Arizona restaurants, these include Peixoto Coffee, Noble Bread, Cotton Country Jellies, and Santan Brewing.  

Is the Tempe location a little out of your way?  Want to know which non-profits the other two Arizona spots are working with?  Check out the Phoenix location (21 W. Van Buren St. Phoenix, AZ 85003) or the Gilbert location (384 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert, AZ 85234).

Should you go here? Is it worth it?  Let this fellow who knows a little something about "Even Stevens" (though he is in no way affiliated with the restaurant) answer your question:

2nd Annual Big Red Rib & Music Festival Kicks Off Today (4/26)

From Thursday, 4/26 to Sunday, 4/29 the Big Red Rib & Music Festival will take place on the Great Lawn at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.  While the big draw on Thursday might be the Cardinals Draft Party, let's start with the AZFoodDude's main concern, the food.  The eight rib cooking teams from around the country, who may or may not also be cooking pulled pork and beef brisket, that are scheduled to participate include:

• The Barbecue Company - (Arizona)
• Chicago BBQ Company - (Illinois)
• Cowboys Barbecue & Rib Company - (Texas)
• Coyote Roadhouse BBQ - (Illinois)
• Johnson's BBQ - (Virginia)
• Porky Chicks BBQ - (Arkansas)
• Texas Thunder BBQ - (Texas)
• Uncle Bub's BBQ - (Illinois)

Gates open at 4pm on Thursday & Friday, 11am on Saturday and 12pm on Sunday.  General admission tickets for Friday and Saturday are $5.  If you are a senior (60 & over) or active or retired military, tickets are $1 and children 12 and under are free.

The musical acts performing are as follows:

• Second Shift - 7:30pm (Thursday)
• Carvin Jones Band - 6pm (Friday)
• K.C. & The Sunshine Band - 8:30pm (Friday) - Reserved Seats Available
• Daisy Train - 1pm (Saturday)
• Elvis Before Noon - 3:15pm (Saturday)
• The Chris Parker Project - 6pm (Saturday)
• Kenny Loggins - 8:30pm (Saturday) - Reserved Seats Available
• Whiskey's Quicker - 1pm (Sunday)
• Beatlemania Live! - 3pm (Sunday) - Reserved Seats Available

For more information, detailed parking, maps and directions, check out the event website.

Detours Tavern Opening in Scottsdale (Exclusive Sample Menu)

Looking to open in early April, Detours Tavern will be located at 2922 N. Hayden Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85251.  Detours will offer organic, all-natural meat selections and hopes to promote healthy food choices.  The newest restaurant and bar in South Scottsdale will have televisions, a patio, and a family friendly atmosphere.

Having seen a preliminary menu, the AZFoodDude can once again provide you with an exclusive look at a sample list which includes appetizers, salads, soups, sandwiches & burgers, entrees, pizza, and dessert:

Appetizers

• Crisp Tender Calamari ($8)
• Artichoke Dip w/Flatbread ($8)
• Homemade Hummus w/Pita Chips ($7)
• Beer Battered Onion Rings ($7)

Salads

• Field Greens w/Feta Cheese & Pecans ($9) - Add Grilled Chicken ($2)
• Grilled Salmon Over Field Greens ($11)

Sandwiches/Burgers

• 1/3lb Detour Burger ($8) - Detour to a Bison Burger ($2.50) - Ground Turkey ($2) - Add Bacon ($1)
• Green Chili Burger ($8) - Detour to a Bison Burger ($3) - Ground Turkey ($2)
• California Burger on Grilled Parmesan Bread ($9) - Detour to a Bison Burger ($3) - Ground Turkey ($2)
• Chicken Salad Pita w/Sprouts ($8)
• Grilled Chicken on Sourdough ($9)
• Portobello Burger w/Roasted Red Pepper ($10)

Entrees

• Pork Loin Medallions w/Shallots & Apples ($12)
• Grilled Chicken Breast Marinated in Tequila Lime ($12)
• Sirloin Steak ($13)
• Fish of the Day ($14)

Wood Fired Pizza/Flatbread

• Roma Tomatoes, Basil, Roasted Red & Green Peppers ($7) - Add Shrimp ($2) - Chicken ($1)
• Sausage, Pepperoni, & Country Bacon ($9)
• Chicken & Artichoke Hearts ($10)
• Build Your Own ($8) - Additional toppings are ($1)

Desserts

• Assorted Pies, Cakes, & Muffins ($6-$8) 

More information can be found on the Detours Tavern Facebook page.

Firehouse Subs Opening New Locations, Testing New Sandwich in Phoenix

Firehouse Subs recently began selling a new sandwich that will be available until March 4 in the Phoenix market as part of a four city test.  The new Hawaiian Pork Slaw Sandwich is priced at $5.99 here and is made of, "hardwood smoked pulled pork, pepper Jack cheese and cole slaw on a sweet Hawaiian sandwich bun."

In addition, two new Firehouse Subs Restaurants are opening soon in the Phoenix metro area.  No opening dates are yet listed, but the two locations are 1616 S. Stapley Dr. #101 Mesa, AZ 85204 and 20851 E. Rittenhouse Rd. #101 Queen Creek, AZ 85142.  This will bring the total of Firehouse Subs locations in Arizona to seven.

Stacy's Smokehouse BBQ in Scottsdale

Photo of Phoenix location

As of today, Stacy's Smokehouse BBQ has been open at 7055 E. Shea Blvd. Scottsdale, AZ 85254 for exactly one month. Since July 4th, Stacy Phipps's has been serving up his critically acclaimed BBQ out of the location that used to house KFC.

On top of being featured on the "Best Food Ever" on TLC, Bon Appetit Magazine called Stacy's BBQ one of the top 10 New Barbecue Restaurants back in 2009:

Stacy Phipps's no-frills smokehouse is a breath of fresh (or is it smoky?) air. The decor, in true barbecue-joint tradition, is nonexistent, but the beef ribs and chicken are outstanding.

The Scottsdale location is the second location for Stacy's, as the original is located at 1650 E. Indian School Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85016.

The menu is pretty straightforward with pork, beef, chicken, ribs and catfish to name a few and even smoked whole turkeys, which must be ordered at least 2 days in advance.

Subway's New BBQ Pulled Pork Sub

Have you had it yet? The new BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich is made of:

Tender, succulent slow-cooked pork with sweet and smoky barbecue sauce, all on freshly baked bread.

The sandwich just came out a few days ago and will only be around for a limited time. Early reviews point to Subway having another hit sandwich on their hands, which begs the age old question, how can restaurants only sell these items that people like so much for a limited time?

In the event you're wondering, the sandwich comes in at 570 calories, 17 grams of fat and 56 grams of protein.

New Sandwiches and Salads at Quiznos

Among the new items at Quiznos are two new sandwiches and two new salads. The first new item is a Southern BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich composed of pulled pork, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, pickles, yellow mustard and smoky BBQ sauce. Depending on the size you choose, the sandwich ranges from 520 to 1090 calories and 22 to 44 grams of fat.

Next, we have the Pork Cuban Sandwich. Made up of pulled pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, yellow mustard and mayonnaise. The Pork Cuban has between 22 and 53 grams of fat and between 450 and 1070 calories depending on what size you choose.

Thirdly, we have a new Harvest Chicken Salad, which has Honey-Dijon chicken, grapes, apples, dried cranberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds and Acai Vinaigrette Dressing. A small will have 110 calories and 3 grams of fat and a regular will have 220 calories with 6 grams of fat. The Acai Vinaigrette adds 130 calories and 10 grams of fat for the small and 230 calories and 17 grams of fat for the regular.

Finally, there is the new Caprese Chicken Salad with chicken, fresh mozzarella, basil pesto, tomatoes, and an Italian cheese blend. The small size will run you 130 calories and 9 grams of fat, while the regular has 260 calories and 17 grams of fat. The recommended Fat-free Balsamic Vinaigrette adds 80 calories and 130 calories for the small and large sizes.

Find your nearest Quiznos here and complete nutritional information here.

Exploding Watermelons and Glowing Pork in China Spark Organic Craze

After a number of food scandals in China, an organic craze seems to be catching on where many Chinese are starting to grow their own crops on patios and balconies so they can be sure they have safe food to eat. The article by the UK Telegraph reports the 2008 baby formula contamination in which six babies died and around 300,000 became ill after ingesting formula contaminated with an industrial chemical known as Melamine. In April of this year, 40 tons of bean sprouts were found to have been treated with dangerous hormones and growth accelerating chemicals. Among the more odd contaminations:

"...watermelons started exploding in the fields because they had been treated with too much accelerant" and "In March health officials discovered pork that glowed and iridescent blue in the dark because it had been contaminated by a bacteria."

Just imagine being in the field and watermelons start exploding all around you. Scary, right? Naaaah, not with the pork glowing and lighting up the way to safety.

USDA: Pink Pork is Cool, AZFoodDude: Pink Pork is Terrifying

So I came across this story earlier today and my first instinct was to be skeptical. Perhaps I am too safe when it comes to food, but if there is one thing that I don't want, it's some sort of foodborne illness that keeps me up all night, waiting in dread as an inevitable hurl stalks me. Nonetheless, from NPR:

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture released new recommendations for cooking pork today: The Department now recommends that like beef, veal and lamb, whole cuts of pork should be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, then allowed to sit for three minutes." 

According to the article, this means the pork might still have some pink in it. Evidently, chefs are very happy about this. NPR quotes from an AP article where a chef states that he has been doing this for years because he and other chefs knew it was safe. According to the USDA, that's now true. But from all the sources I've been able to find online, it's only likely to be safe when pink, if the pigs haven't managed to eat things like undercooked meat and animal carcasses, such as rats. In this country where this stuff is supposed to be monitored and inspected, one can make a reasonable argument that there really is nothing to worry about and those chefs are all correct. Yet, if something does go wrong, you could be introduced to Trichinosis. The cysts associated with Trichinosis burst open in the digestive system, grow into roundworms and invade muscle tissues, including the heart and diaphragm. (NIH)

According to the National Institutes of Health, only about 40 people in the U.S. come down with Trichinosis every year. A very low number for sure, that said, here is what the NIH website still says, even with the new USDA guidelines coming out:

"Pork and meat from wild animals should be cooked until well done (no traces of pink)."

Call me a contrarian if you want, but for now, you better cook my pork until there's no pink. What do you think?