Latest news with #Southwestern
CTV News
23-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Measles outbreak posing challenges: SWPH
Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) officials say they're dealing with a measles outbreak posing significant challenges.
Eater
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
A Tale of Three Dallas Tasting Menus at Michelin-Recognized Restaurants in DFW
A trio of Michelin-recommended Dallas restaurants — the Heritage Table in Frisco, Monarch, and Quarter Acre — launched tasting menus in 2025. Coincidence? Maybe not. Tasting menus have long been a staple at Michelin-starred restaurants, signifying a higher level of service, food curation, and creativity that seems to appeal to the secret Michelin inspectors who award its coveted stars. Fitting into the fine dining category is not a requirement, however. Michelin, the tire company and international dining guide publisher, remains notoriously mum about its rating process and contends that its awards are based only on food and not on service or decor. In Dallas, tasting menus have long been the playground of a certain kind of restaurant — an expensive one. Dean Fearing has served one at Fearing's in the Ritz-Carlton since it opened in 2007. The Mansion Restaurant, with its parade of well-known chefs, has long offered a tasting menu experience as well. Local in Deep Ellum was, for years, the only smaller, less pedigreed restaurant in town offering a tasting. But in the past few years, that has changed. A vegan tasting menu popped up at Maiden in Fort Worth, of all places. El Carlo Elegante created what it calls an 'experience menu' to highlight its best dishes. Rye in Lower Greenville launched an experimental tasting menu on which it somehow put kangaroo, buckle, and Trinidadian green curry together in one meal. Monarch, Quarter Acre, and the Heritage Table also threw their hats into the tasting menu ring. As D magazine dining critic Brian Reinhart wrote in a March 2025 column, tasting menus in DFW seem more popular than ever, and all wildly different. Diners and people in the restaurant industry were stunned, then, when Michelin only awarded a star to one restaurant in Dallas, Fort Worth, and the entire North Texas region: the omakase restaurant Tatsu. It led many commenters to examine why more places didn't measure up to its standards. The uptick in tasting menus now could be the Michelin boomerang effect, which has inspired some goal-driven chefs to go for a star. It could be an omakase effect, where owners are seeing seasonally shifting, chef-driven menus as their chance to take the reins and get diners to try things outside of their comfort zones. Or it could be a sign of changing appetites in Dallas diners, who may feel that a flat fee for a meal that says everything you need to know about the restaurant sounds just right. The last time a chef created a new genre of food in North Texas was probably in the 1980s, when Dean Fearing and Stephan Pyles became driving forces behind Southwestern cuisine. Chef Rich Vana at the Heritage Table in Frisco, Texas, decided to give coining a new genre of food a go when he curated a tasting menu around what he calls 'Blackland Prairie' cuisine — food from the Blackland Prairie of Texas, a strip that stretches down from North to Central Texas and is full of cropland and grazing land for animals. On Heritage's winter tasting menu from February 2025, Vana featured sourdough crackers and bread alongside butter infused with the extremely long green stems of the Greer Farms carrots and roasted garlic. (Two other butters feature beef tallow and salted sorghum with caramel.) Nearly every ingredient on the menu has a farm or ranch designation next to it: Diners know the red kuri squash in the soup served with Texas redfish comes from Comeback Creek Farm, the greens in another course come from Jubilant Fields, and the beets are from Stout Creek. The only things Vana doesn't source locally are onions and garlic, which do not grow abundantly in this region. 'What I want to do is take these nearby ingredients and apply some fundamental tenets,' Vana says. 'What are my farmers bringing me? How can I make it delicious now? And how do I make it delicious later?' Chef Rich Vana at the Heritage Table decided to give coining a new genre of food a go when he curated a tasting menu around what he calls 'Blackland Prairie' cuisine. For Vana, adding a tasting menu at the Heritage Table wasn't about appealing to Michelin, although it certainly couldn't hurt, he says. It was about sharpening his focus and further honing the type of food his restaurant has always served. 'What we wanted to do was figure out what it means to be 'Blackland Prairie cuisine,' and that name wasn't there when we started,' Vana says. The idea goes back to the restaurant's opening in 2017, when Vana wanted to create parameters around his menu. Sustainability is a priority for the restaurant, in which processes like pickling, fermenting, and using every part of the vegetable are vital. Sourcing local food was another hallmark. The fourth course — Windy Meadows duck pot pie served atop sweet potato mash with marinated chestnut mushrooms — represents what Vana wants to achieve: a dish that combines simple ingredients from a specific Texas region to add up to a complex, satisfying whole. The menu ends with some substantial proteins, including a pork chop from Knob Hill and a small wagyu strip from River Creek. Monarch, meanwhile, rolled out its new winter tasting menu in January 2025. Maple Hospitality Group's managing partner and chef Danny Grant and Monarch's executive chef Jason Rohan had their eye on a Michelin star this time around. 'Getting recommended last year gave us something to push toward,' Rohan says. Of the three tasting menus, Monarch subscribes to a more classical school of thought about food and service — and to that of chef Grant, the youngest chef to run a restaurant awarded two Michelin stars (at Chicago's now-closed French restaurant Ria, which was awarded stars in 2011 and 2012). Monarch's spring tasting menu follows a similar ethos, staying within traditional fine dining expectations, except for a few dishes that Rohan and the kitchen developed that color outside the lines. The first selection of bites feel emblematic of Grant's approach. Bruschetta gets topped with fava bean hummus and whipped feta that has a hint of Meyer lemon juice and zest. The idea originated when Monarch's pastry chef, Mariella Bueza, suggested making mini-briochettes with truffles baked inside. After Rohan tried to simplify the process, Bueza suggested baking the one-bite-sized toast with garlic butter. Rohan thought a single grilled lamb chop, which accompanies the bread, would pair well with fava beans as a Mediterranean-style combination. 'We make it with basil and olive oil, to keep in mind that we are an Italian restaurant, and add spinach to brighten it up, plus a little avocado to make it creamier,' Rohan says. The rest of the six-course meal veers toward classic choices — steak, branzino, scallops, foie gras, an on-menu rigatoni that Monarch diners know and love. Dishes are executed with precision and service is immaculate; its decor and sweeping views of Dallas from high in a Downtown skyscraper are predictably breathtaking. Other than a playful dessert called the Pearl (a Madagascar vanilla mousse, raspberry puree, and hazelnut sponge cake served atop a foam cloud that the diner cracks open), the food itself feels somewhat prescriptive. This is a tasting menu informed by an old-school set of rules that dictate what fine dining is, and it doesn't quite fit the mold-breaking format that many chefs in DFW are playing into. Down at Quarter Acre, chef Toby Archibald uses his new tasting menu to explore his personal history, touching on Texas favorites while showcasing family recipes and ingredients he grew up eating in New Zealand and the Asian influences on the cuisines there. According to Archibald, the team had already planned to launch a tasting menu in 2025, well before the restaurant landed a Michelin guide designation, but it took longer than he expected. 'Year one, opening the restaurant, was manic,' he says. 'Year two was solidifying and making sure we came up for a breather, to be honest. The goal for year three was to get better... This gives longtime guests something to be excited about. It is the next evolution.' The Quarter Acre tasting is a mix of long-running menu items, dishes Archibald is developing to serve as daily specials, and dishes that let him be himself on the plate, even when that means being a little maximalist. From the diner's point of view, there is no 'set' menu, and no two nights are guaranteed to be the same. Interestingly, there is no printed menu for the tasting, either. Instead, staff ask diners to trust the chef. 'It's taking things and perhaps pushing the boundaries a little on what guests are used to. Saying, 'Hey, you might not have ordered this on the a la carte menu, but try it for us,'' Archibald says. Diners won't leave this meal overfilled. It features appetizer-sized dishes like oysters with a passionfruit foam, smoked beef tartare that has been on the menu since opening day, cabbage served three ways (one is liquified), the debut of a carrot dish with scallops, and wagyu beef served alongside sweet potato and charred lemon. 'If we get to the end of the year and we don't win a Michelin star, I'm not going to say [the tasting menu] was a waste of time. It wasn't,' Archibald says. 'We already think we're really good, and we like the level we're at.' 'But if it leads to Michelin, awesome,' he adds. Sign up for our newsletter.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure Announces Expansion of Its Metro Phoenix Data Center Market to Over 450 MW
High-density design makes EdgeCore's Mesa, Arizona data centers a near-term solution for hyperscale AI and cloud applications DENVER, CO / / May 20, 2025 / EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure, a wholesale data center developer, owner and operator, announced the acquisition of an additional 43.87 acres of land in Mesa, Arizona and expanded data center capacity designed to deliver 450 MW+ to its hyperscale customers. This new parcel of land more than doubles the buildable acreage EdgeCore controls in Mesa. "Today's expansion announcement of EdgeCore's operations in Mesa, Arizona is an exciting milestone in our company's evolution," said Lee Kestler, CEO, EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure. "Since establishing our first Mesa campus in April 2023, we have worked quickly to construct and commission 206 MW at the site. This new tranche of land enables us to deliver another 250+ MW of data center space in Mesa to fulfill our hyperscale customers' urgent need for AI and cloud-ready capacity." Affordable power via Salt River Project (SRP) is already available at EdgeCore's first Mesa campus for its operational data center and is slated for delivery to the two buildings currently under construction upon their completion in 2025 and 2026. "SRP is proud of its work with EdgeCore and looks forward to serving their growing operations in Mesa," said Jim Pratt, SRP General Manager and Chief Executive Officer. "We congratulate them on their expansion and applaud their commitment to water conservation in their operations." Understanding that water scarcity is a serious issue in Arizona, EdgeCore has implemented an air-cooled design in its Mesa data centers, including an ultra-efficient closed-loop chilled water system, which requires nearly no water to recharge its effectiveness. Additionally, EdgeCore's Mesa campus: Was designed to meet LEED BD+C v4 Silver standards Utilizes a waste management program that aligns with the Zero Waste International Alliance's zero waste hierarchy and is intended to reduce waste disposed of in landfills Incorporates native Southwestern landscaping and a pollinator garden with nesting habitats to support local bee and pollinator populations, while promoting water conservation Due to these sustainable building and operational initiatives, EdgeCore's first data center in Mesa (PH01) received Green Globes for Existing Buildings certification in 2023, and the second (PH02) and third (PH03) data centers currently under construction have been awarded Designed to Earn ENERGY STAR certifications. Since breaking ground on its first data center in Mesa, EdgeCore has committed financially, philanthropically and through the personal efforts of its employees to support the community's growth strategy and make a positive difference in the lives of its neighbors. This additional development will enable EdgeCore to continue providing jobs, supporting local businesses and donating to the local Mesa community. About EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure serves the world's largest cloud and internet companies with both ready-for-occupancy and build-to-suit data center campuses that are designed for density. Privately held and backed by committed equity, EdgeCore enables hyperscale customer requirements by proactively investing in regions that provide the land and power necessary to support and scale AI and cloud technology. While working thoughtfully with the communities in which we do business, our data center campuses are built at scale to meet key performance specifications, safety metrics and sustainability objectives. EdgeCore has data center campuses in five North American markets with plans to continue regional expansion in 2025 and beyond. For more information, please visit Media ContactCourtney GaudetEdgeCore Digital SOURCE: EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure Announces Expansion of Its Metro Phoenix Data Center Market to Over 450 MW
High-density design makes EdgeCore's Mesa, Arizona data centers a near-term solution for hyperscale AI and cloud applications DENVER, CO / ACCESS Newswire / May 20, 2025 / EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure, a wholesale data center developer, owner and operator, announced the acquisition of an additional 43.87 acres of land in Mesa, Arizona and expanded data center capacity designed to deliver 450 MW+ to its hyperscale customers. This new parcel of land more than doubles the buildable acreage EdgeCore controls in Mesa. "Today's expansion announcement of EdgeCore's operations in Mesa, Arizona is an exciting milestone in our company's evolution," said Lee Kestler, CEO, EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure. "Since establishing our first Mesa campus in April 2023, we have worked quickly to construct and commission 206 MW at the site. This new tranche of land enables us to deliver another 250+ MW of data center space in Mesa to fulfill our hyperscale customers' urgent need for AI and cloud-ready capacity." Affordable power via Salt River Project (SRP) is already available at EdgeCore's first Mesa campus for its operational data center and is slated for delivery to the two buildings currently under construction upon their completion in 2025 and 2026. "SRP is proud of its work with EdgeCore and looks forward to serving their growing operations in Mesa," said Jim Pratt, SRP General Manager and Chief Executive Officer. "We congratulate them on their expansion and applaud their commitment to water conservation in their operations." Understanding that water scarcity is a serious issue in Arizona, EdgeCore has implemented an air-cooled design in its Mesa data centers, including an ultra-efficient closed-loop chilled water system, which requires nearly no water to recharge its effectiveness. Additionally, EdgeCore's Mesa campus: Was designed to meet LEED BD+C v4 Silver standardsUtilizes a waste management program that aligns with the Zero Waste International Alliance's zero waste hierarchy and is intended to reduce waste disposed of in landfillsIncorporates native Southwestern landscaping and a pollinator garden with nesting habitats to support local bee and pollinator populations, while promoting water conservation Due to these sustainable building and operational initiatives, EdgeCore's first data center in Mesa (PH01) received Green Globes for Existing Buildings certification in 2023, and the second (PH02) and third (PH03) data centers currently under construction have been awarded Designed to Earn ENERGY STAR certifications. Since breaking ground on its first data center in Mesa, EdgeCore has committed financially, philanthropically and through the personal efforts of its employees to support the community's growth strategy and make a positive difference in the lives of its neighbors. This additional development will enable EdgeCore to continue providing jobs, supporting local businesses and donating to the local Mesa community. About EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure serves the world's largest cloud and internet companies with both ready-for-occupancy and build-to-suit data center campuses that are designed for density. Privately held and backed by committed equity, EdgeCore enables hyperscale customer requirements by proactively investing in regions that provide the land and power necessary to support and scale AI and cloud technology. While working thoughtfully with the communities in which we do business, our data center campuses are built at scale to meet key performance specifications, safety metrics and sustainability objectives. EdgeCore has data center campuses in five North American markets with plans to continue regional expansion in 2025 and beyond. For more information, please visit Media ContactCourtney GaudetEdgeCore Digital SOURCE: EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure
Axios
19-05-2025
- Science
- Axios
Scorching saguaros: Climate extremes are killing cactuses
The combination of extreme heat and sustained drought in the Sonoran Desert is taking a toll on our iconic saguaro cactuses, researchers found in a newly published study. Why it matters: If the plant's population declines at the same rate seen recently, the saguaro cactus will not be able to sustain itself, according to the report. The big picture: The researchers looked at how the especially intense weather seen across the Sonoran Desert in 2020 and 2021 — the hottest and driest spell on record to that point — impacted giant cactus species (namely organ pipes and saguaros) in metro Phoenix and Baja California Sur. They found a direct link between diminished plant health and extreme weather. Zoom in: In Phoenix, the researchers evaluated 1,000 saguaros at the Desert Botanical Garden and found they had elevated stress and mortality rates after 2021. The garden, which has been tracking saguaro health for a decade, saw saguaro death rates hover between 1-2% from 2015 to 2020. That jumped to 7% in 2023. About half of the garden's saguaros receive irrigation, and those cactuses fared better. Older cactuses saw higher stress and mortality rates, whereas juvenile ones proved more resilient. The intrigue: Cactuses are often thought to be among the heartiest of Southwestern plants, but some of their desert adaptations might put them at a disadvantage to survive particularly hot and dry summers, Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers director and the report's lead author Benjamin Wilder told Axios. For instance, saguaros have adapted to have an extremely shallow root system so they can quickly soak up ground-level rainwater that would otherwise evaporate before sinking into the dirt. But when there is no rain, their roots aren't deep enough to reach stored water. Additionally, cactuses' lack of leaves puts them at risk for "sunburns," or what researchers termed "scorching," which permanently impairs the plant's photosynthesis system. What we're watching: Phoenix and the Sonoran Desert region at large have continued to see abnormally hot and dry summers since the 2020-21 period scientists evaluated. What's next: Wilder told us that even though the research revealed some painful truths, there's power in knowing how climate change is affecting our local environment. He said he's hopeful that further research will show cactuses developing adaptations to survive the more intense weather. He said he was encouraged by the higher survival rates among younger saguaros. Arizonans can help scientists further their research by participating in the Desert Botanical Garden's annual saguaro census iNaturalist app throughout May.
