In 2019, Wexford Developments of Calgary, whose U.S. division is based in West Palm Beach, Florida, bought the Andre Building. Wexford is landlord to several other Mill Avenue businesses, including P.F. Chang s and Charlie Trumbull s.
Following the purchase of the building, Rula Bula s founder, Steve Goumas, says he requested a long-term lease from the Wexford folks real long, like 30 or 100 years. The pub previously had a 10-year lease from 2000 to 2010, which it then extended in two five-year chunks.
Wexford said no dice on the long-term lease, offering Rula Bula in 2019 a ten-year option at a price that Goumas says was much more than it had been paying.
Lauren Cusimano
Park Café 44 North Old Litchfield Road, Litchfield Park Having breakfast at Park Café, especially on its dog-friendly patio along the main stretch of Old Litchfield Park, will set a merry tone for the rest of the day. Breakfast items (served all day) use Hickman’s Family Farm eggs and come with a choice of toast multigrain, sourdough, rye, white, or Hawaiian style. (We like the chorizo and poblano chili omelet.) There’s also a full espresso bar, and all coffee drinks can be made iced or hot.
Times Square Neighborhood Italian Restaurant 13760 West Camelback Road, #70, Litchfield Park An Italian restaurant might not scream breakfast spot to you, but Times Square Neighborhood Italian Restaurant begs to differ. Breakfast items here (served till 11 a.m. weekdays and 1 p.m. weekends) include pork chips and eggs, a classic Benedict, and the Italian omelet (Italian sausage and red peppers topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella).
Welcome to Table Scraps, a monthly series on food-related waste and sustainability, and what some eateries, farms, institutes, and households are doing right. This isn’t a guilt trip, just a way to unpack initiatives attempting to reduce food waste, maybe address climate change. We explore backyard composting to city programs, restaurant tips to technology, and anything related to this global issue. Heat up those leftovers, and settle in.
United Food Bank in Mesa does the opposite of wasting food: It rescues about 8 million pounds of food from grocery stores every year. It then collaborates with more than 200 partner agencies that oversee more than 260 separate programs to feed those in need. Still, its CEO Dave Richins says the organization recently began thinking about how it could waste less food.
Lauren Cusimano
The April Thunderbird Lounge Market Is This Weekend
This weekend offers yet another Thunderbird Lounge Market (710 West Montecito Avenue), happening from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, April 11. There will be shopping and DJs, food trucks and pop-ups. So far, Sabor a Mi, MozzArepas, My Comadres Kitchen, and Roasted Roots have signed on to attend. For more information, see the Facebook event. For more dining options in the Melrose District, see this dining guide or our recent review of Valentine.
Time for round two.
The AZ Women in Food Are Back, Babes
Order buttons are now live for another run of tasting menus from the James Beard Foundation Women of Arizona. The second collaborative series (the first was in January) of takeout dinners will run three weekends: April 16 and 17, April 23 and 24, and April 30 to May 1. Course offerings are coming from The Joy Bus Diner, Maya s Cajun Kitchen, The Coronado, Worth Takeaway, The Breadfruit & Rum Bar, and lots more. Particip
This week you can explore a drive-thru museum, sip cocktails while you talk about saving the planet, offer ideas for a new creative space, or watch a Greek tragedy play out in modern life. Here’s a look at the best things to do in metro Phoenix, including a couple that won’t cost you a thing. (All require masks and social distancing, by the way.)
A Sip of Science
It’ll be happy hour meets science from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6, as ASU presents a virtual gathering to explore sustainability over drinks. Settle in as a local mixologist or chef joins the discussion headed by Tim Long, director for a new biodesign center focused on sustainability at the macromolecular level. Basically, he’ll be talking about plastic, and ways to move beyond merely recycling as a way to keep both people and the planet safe. The event is free, but online registration is required.