Districts
Wire | Renaissance Hosts Global Day of Discovery
Posted on 6/18/13 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
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The Global Day of Discovery is a multifaceted activation event that happens throughout the hotel featuring beverage and food from the Renaissance, a live mural on the outside of the hotel, live artists painting throughout the lobby, coffee demonstrations and education, cooking demo with our Executive Chef featuring local ingredients, all day drink specials at ICON Lounge, local celebrity DJ William Reed, and separate live musical performances from Parker Morden.
114 properties participating, 18 countries, 5 continents
The main attraction of the day will be the mural that is being painted on the hotel itself by Hugo Medina which will take place in the alley between Adams and Monroe that is nestled between 1st Street and Central. The mural itself will be an image of weathered hands cupping the planet Earth. The concept behind the image reflects the core values of the Renaissance Brand as a whole, the idea that the world is in each of our hands as well as the notion that we are bringing the world to you by provoking discovery and encouraging each of our Ambassadors and every single Discoverer to explore the different communities and cultures that each of us help to make up. What better way to encourage enlightenment, than by bringing you the world?
When:
The Global Day of Discovery takes place on Wednesday, June 19th from 5am to Midnight along-side the other 114 participating properties around the world.
Where:
Renaissance Phoenix Downtown
50 East Adams Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
T 602.333.0000 F 602.333.5181 Facebook
Why:
To highlight what it is we do every day, provoke discovery. To bring people together in order to showcase the talented gems of downtown Phoenix in one place at one time and build relationships that if not for the Global Day of Discovery, may never have existed.
Becoming a part of the, “Mural Movement” is an opportunity to show the world that the Renaissance is living up to its name and values. The Mural Movement is a world-wide, underground phenomenon that is promoting the health and wellness of the communities it is active in. Murals give rising artists opportunities just as much as established artists are given, all the while bringing color and creativity to surfaces of the city which stand as constant reminders to its residents that it is okay to follow your dreams and open yourself to discovery.
How:
With the passion, determination and creativity of the downtown community and the individuals who give of themselves every day, to ensure the city we live is a positive and progressive one that will continue to catch the gazes of our partners, neighbors and worldly community.
Video | Feast on the Street Mini Doc
Posted on 5/24/13 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
If you didn’t hear, see or volunteer you surely went and experienced the Feast on the Street event in person. Now you can view the mini documentary, recorded for posterity by director/producer Wayne Rainey.
As Matt Moore says in the video’s opening seconds, “In April 2013, Clare Patey and I gathered a group of artists together to invite the City of Phoenix to dinner.”
The rest is history.
Feast On The Street 2013 a mini doc by Wayne Rainey, a Rainey Studios Production VF H264 – Broadband from Wayne Rainey on Vimeo.
Feast on the Street was supported in part by ArtPlace, the National Endowment for the Arts, Roosevelt Row CDC and The Steele Foundation.
Wire | Weekend D-Backs Games Free for Kids
Posted on 5/24/13 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
DPJ’s Wire series delivers news and information straight from the source without translation.
Photo by Jon Willey courtesy of Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) are offering free tickets to kids 12 and under with the purchase of a full-price adult ticket. The offer is valid for games May 25-26 for any section in the ballpark, excluding the All-You-Can-Eat section.
Every D-backs game offers tons of fun for kids, including the Sandlot, an area dedicated just for kids. The Sandlot is open for every D-backs home game and includes age-specific playground areas, Futures Field and a batting cage. D-backs Baseball Academy coaches offer free clinics at Futures Field in the Sandlot one hour before first pitch and at the end of the fourth inning. In addition, kids can sign up to be a part of the free Kids Club program in the Sandlot to earn prizes for every game they attend.
On Sundays, kids take over the game with several promotions including delivering the lineup card, taking the field with D- backs players, serving as the Chevy “Play Ball” kid and can run the bases after the game. Kids are also encouraged to arrive early on the last Sunday home game each month to catch the Sunday Sluggers Show, presented by Delta Dental, at Baxter’s Den in the Sandlot starting at 11:45 a.m. and features an appearance by a D-backs player.
The D-backs also offer Value Item pricing on six food items ranging from $1.50-$4 at various concession locations making every game affordable for families, including seven merchandise items available in the Team Shop priced below $10.
The D- backs continue to provide the most affordable fun for families and for the seventh consecutive year, the team has the lowest Fan Cost Index for a family of four, named by Team Marketing Report in April. In addition, the team’s official game program, D- backs Insider, is also distributed free to all fans in the ballpark during each homestand and offers a section just for kids.
Adult tickets for the weekend games start at just $12 and are available at the Chase Field Box Office, by calling 602.514.8400 or online at dbacks.com/kids.
Featured photo by Jordan Megenhardt courtesy of Arizona Diamondbacks.
Wire | Phoenix Chosen for Launch of PBS ‘Latino Americans’
Posted on 5/23/13 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
DPJ’s Wire series delivers news and information straight from the source without translation.
PHOENIX CHOSEN FOR MAY 23 LAUNCH OF NATIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN FOR LANDMARK PBS DOCUMENTARY LATINO AMERICANS
Public screening and discussion tour for PBS special celebrating Latino American history opens with arts and culture event in downtown Phoenix
Eight, Arizona PBS in partnership with the City of Phoenix Latino Institute, will host two events on May 23 to launch the new three-part, six-hour PBS documentary series Latino Americans. The first is a daytime event for teens at 11:30 a.m., followed by an evening arts and cultural event from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Both events will be held in the historic A.E. England Building in downtown Phoenix (424 N. Central Ave., Phoenix 85004), and will feature a highlight screening from Latino Americans, scheduled to premiere Fall 2013 on Eight, Arizona PBS, and other PBS stations nationwide. Adriana Bosch, series producer for Latino Americans, and others from the documentary will participate in discussions at both the daytime and evening viewing events.
Latino Americans narrates the history, growth and experiences of Latinos in the United States from the 16th century to present day. The six-hour film special combines interviews with nearly 100 Latinos from the worlds of politics, business and pop culture. Emmy Award-winning producer Adriana Bosch will participate in a panel following the screening to discuss this first-of-its-kind film chronicle of the lives of Latino Americans, and the importance of this history in understating the Latino identity.
“It is time the Latino American history be told,” says Bosch, a Cuban-born filmmaker whose previous PBS projects include Latin Music U.S.A. and documentaries for the series American Experience on Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Cuban leader Fidel Castro. “Latinos are an integral part of the U.S., and this series shares the stories of a rich collection of people coming from so many different countries and backgrounds. It is the story of Latinos, and it is the story of America.”
The City of Phoenix Latino Institute is presenting the Latino Americans film event as part of its Evening Community Connections Series, which takes place every Thursday at the A.E. England Building.
Actor Benjamin Bratt, narrator
Credit: Matt Carr/Getty Images
Courtesy Eight, Arizona PBS
The film, narrated by actor Benjamin Bratt, will air nationally on PBS on three consecutive Tuesdays, premiering on September 17, September 24 and October 1.
WHO: Panelists include Emmy-award-winning producer of the PBS Latino Americans series Adriana Bosch, Latino labor rights pioneer Dolores Huerta, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Gonzalo de la Melena, and DREAMer youth. This event is a partnership between Eight, Arizona PBS and the City of Phoenix Latino Institute.
WHERE: The historic A.E. England Building in downtown Phoenix (424 N. Central Ave., Phoenix 85004), adjacent to Civic Space Park.
WHEN: Thursday, May 23 – daytime event for youth from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and evening arts and cultural event from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Register here.
In addition to the broadcast of Latino Americans in Fall 2013, a companion book by Ray Suarez, Senior Correspondent for PBS NEWSHOUR, will be released to coincide with the series. It will be published by Celebra, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), and will be available in both English and Spanish. It may be pre-ordered now, and will go on-sale September 3. The project will also be accompanied by major bilingual digital engagement and public education campaigns, including the development of a school-based curriculum, which will be available in late summer 2013.
Latino Americans is a production of WETA Washington, DC; Bosch and Co., Inc.; and Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB); in association with Independent Television Service (ITVS). The series executive producers are Jeff Bieber and Dalton Delan for WETA, Sandie Viquez Pedlow for LPB, and Sally Jo Fifer for ITVS. The series producer is Adriana Bosch. The supervising producer is Salme Lopez. The producers are Nina Alvarez, Dan McCabe, Ray Telles and John Valadez. The associate producers are Sabrina Avilés, Yvan Iturriaga and Monika Navarro. For the re-enactment sequences, the producer is Cathleen O’Connell and the directors are David Belton and Sonia Fritz. Major funding for Latino Americans is provided by Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Ford Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations and The Summerlee Foundation. Funding for outreach is supported by a grant from The New York Community Trust.
Eight, Arizona PBS is a trusted community resource. For over 50 years, the PBS station has focused on educating children, reporting in-depth on public affairs, fostering lifelong learning and celebrating arts and culture. Eight achieves its mission through the power of noncommercial television, the Internet, educational outreach and community-based initiatives. Its signal reaches 86 percent of homes in Arizona. With more than 1 million viewers weekly, Eight consistently ranks among the most-viewed public television stations per capita in the country. For more information, visit azpbs.org. Eight is a member-supported service and the public media enterprise of Arizona State University.
Food for Thought
Posted on 5/23/13 by Catrina Kahler » No Comments
Executive Chef Stephen Jones, with hound.
Disclosure: I am not a food writer. I only like to eat.
So, when my favorite dining companion and I had the fortunate opportunity to experience Chef Stephen Jones’ new menu at Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails this weekend it came as a pretty big surprise when I started writing my thoughts on the wonderful evening.
While “wonderful”may seem too general a characterization for the food readers (and writers) out there, the statement wouldn’t stand up if the food, service and ambiance didn’t each deliver to their fullest potential. Wonderment doesn’t come if the food is just OK, or if the service is inefficient, or worse, indifferent.
Mind you, this visit was not wrapped in incognito subterfuge. There were no wigs worn to disguise our appearance. They knew we were coming.
We know many people who own or work in restaurants in downtown Phoenix. Knowing the proprietor or the chef doesn’t guarantee a good experience. We’ve had plenty of awkward moments when we visit a place we love, only to have the too-casual service fall short…resulting in a feeling resembling a slightly broken heart. Sigh. Our fondness of the establishment or the people behind it bar us from expressing this “fail” out loud. Everyone has a bad night.
On this evening at Blue Hound, we cruised through the menu, the Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned limbering up our taste buds while we perused.
The new menu is described as “spring” and “simple.” One of those adjectives is more honest than the other, but more on that later.
[We purposely skipped most of the snacks section of the menu. We are *ahem* well-acquainted with these offerings. (The corner booth in the lounge has many tales to tell.) We also skipped the flat bread. This isn’t why we go to Blue Hound. There are too many stellar pizza and bread options in this town.]
The Farm cheese plate delighted (featuring a white French cheese whose name I must chase down, as I was immediately taken by its sophisticated swiss-like flavor). The asparagus salad was a chilled refresher, and the roasted cauliflower, a favorite veggie, made me wish I had ordered it a couple months ago, as it seemed a bit out of place in this spring tableau.
Three dishes became instant favorites. First, the gazpacho. Simply the best I’ve ever tasted. The chilled soup is so perfectly suited to Phoenix’s climate, it makes you wonder why every restaurant doesn’t offer it, although, they would be challenged to match this flavor.
The Crow’s Dairy Goats Milk Yelllow Corn Cake was nothing short of fantastic. Not a cornbread, this is truly a moist cake. Delicious.
Then came the arrival of the Jerk Cured Scottish Salmon. You know those dishes that seem to make time stand still? With that first bite, the world fades to the background and your soul is exposed. Served with shaved celery, apple and fennel salad, with a potato puree, this dish is the taste of spring.
Jerk Cured Scottish Salmon
Given that, the Bay Scallop Ceviche had a tough act to follow. While the tangerine, fennel, heart of palm and dried lime delivered on the ceviche preparation, not to mention the dish was probably the most aesthetically pleasing of the night, the sweet/spicy tang of the drizzled sauce (interestingly not listed on the menu but described by our waiter) added a twist that didn’t quite work for my ceviche-loving taste buds.
Bay Scallop Ceviche
The lamb meatballs were delicious. All you gyro lovers out there, this is your mecca. The perfectly cooked meatballs were matched with a tangy red onion yogurt and accompanied by dandelion greens.
Lamb Meatballs
The bone-in pork belly, a far cry from its cured bacon cousin, melts in your mouth upon arrival. The richness is cut here by a “peanut ghost chile gremolata.” The mix of textures was purposeful but the nuts took me away from the melting action. My companion however loved the contrast, as I suspect most would.
Bone-in Pork Belly
On to desserts (yes, we were there a while…don’t judge). The Carmelized Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, is a welcome carry-over from the old menu. If you haven’t yet experienced this caramelized decadence with medjool date ice cream, you’re missing out.
But we had to try a whimsical addition: the Willy Wonka. Imagine a swirl of pulled chocolate accompanied by truffles, beet “soil” and avocado ice cream. Preferring my avocados in a good guacamole, my favorite ingredient happened to be pop rocks. Yep, those fun pops you enjoyed as a kid mix and mingle with this psychedelic dessert that leaves you wondering if a crew of Oompa Loompas are working in the kitchen.
The Willy Wonka
A take on the so-called simplicity of this spring menu.
This is a thinking-man’s menu. Oftentimes, you go to a restaurant to order a taste you’re looking for. This menu delivers tastes you didn’t know existed.
It made me think about the man behind the journey. Artists share something of themselves in unexpected ways, and Chef Stephen Jones exposes his thought process in his approach to this menu.
Like that proverbial hound, Chef Stephen guides you on a culinary path that only he has sniffed out. He provides little entry points along the way for those who love a good salmon or lamb, but then leads you to his discovered destination.
I don’t typically think about a menu following a dinner as much as I have following our evening at Blue Hound. Simple? Try cerebral.
Photo of Stephen Jones courtesy of J. Lauren PR & Marketing.
