Welcome to Chow Bella’s Bites & Dishes, where Valley chefs and restaurateurs respond to a question New Times food critic Laura Hahnefeld has on her mind. Have a question you’d like to ask? E-mail laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. With today being April Fools’ Day, there’s a good chance many of us will either…

When you’re hot you’re hot. And when you’re the hottest restaurant in town, people take notice. See also: – Chou’s Kitchen Makes Travel + Leisure’s List of Best Chinese Restaurants in the U.S. – Chef Kevin Binkley a Finalist for James Beard Award At least, that’s what OpenTable did. The…

Looks like the vacant Beef Eaters building at 300 West Camelback Road will be getting a little Beckett in the future: Chef Justin Beckett, that is. See also: The Newton: Changing Hands Bookstore and Lively Hood Co-Working Space Part of Beef Eaters Reuse Project in Phoenix The 37-year-old chef-owner of…

The most primitive attraction in North Scottsdale may be Lamp’s pizza oven. See also: – Pig & Pickle in Scottsdale: Gourmet Food Without the Price Tag – Six Phoenix Food Trucks, Rated Covered in an armor of shiny red tiles, it transforms bolts of wood into flickering flames and blistering…

In North Scottsdale, in an area most known for its luxury condos, well-tended golf courses, and boutique shops, Lamp’s pizza oven may be the neighborhood’s most primitive attraction. Covered in an armor of shiny red tiles, it transforms bolts of wood into flickering flames and blistering heat, fervently churning out…

Heavy Southern comfort food? Not in Bobby Deen’s kitchen. See also: – Second Location of Essence Bakery Coming to Phoenix This Summer – 13 Best/Worst Jesus Cakes for Easter The son of Paula Deen, America’s favorite butter enthusiast, Bobby Deen has a new show on the Cooking Channel called Not…

When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out — and let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that…

Spotting the words “service included,” “servizio incluso,” and “service compris” on restaurant checks in most European countries means tipping isn’t necessary (instead, a V.A.T. tax of 20 percent is added). But more and more restaurants in America are adopting this policy, causing the often distressful subject of tipping to become…

Eddie Basha, chairman of the Bashas’ Family of Stores who regularly made appearances in the company’s TV and newspaper ads for years, has died at age 75. Basha passed away Tuesday afternoon. The Chandler-born Basha took over his family’s business, founded in 1910, in 1968, when he was 31 years…

Last Wednesday, the folks over at Forbes put together a 48-hour itinerary of places to eat, stay, and play in Phoenix. (Hey, suits need vacations, too!) See also: – Chou’s Kitchen in Chandler Makes Travel + Leisure’s List of Best Chinese Restaurants in the U.S. – Chef Kevin Binkley a…

For over 20 years, the Scottsdale Culinary Festival and the Scottsdale League for the Arts have been presenting the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame awards, where the best chefs, restaurateurs, and beverage masters in the state have secured a place in culinary history. See also: – Chef Kevin Binkley a…

Good-bye Coal Burger, hello Chloe. See also: – Pallets, a Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese Restaurant, Opens on Roosevelt Row – Squid Ink Sushi Opening Second Location at Downtown’s CityScape As of December, Coal Burger, the “burgeria with a conscience” from the folks at Grimaldi’s Pizza, is no more. The restaurant,…

It’s the latest edition of “As the Resort Restaurant World Turns,” folks. And this time, it’s the pastry chefs doing the moving. See also: – Todd Sicolo Leaves Royal Palms; New Menu Stays in Place – Lee Hillson Leaves T. Cook’s for The Phoenician “Completely revamping the dessert menu.” That’s…

Poblano, the casual Mexican eatery in Central Phoenix, has shuttered. See also: – Cafe Posada in Gilbert Closing This Month – Hao Bao Food Truck Hitting the Brakes — For Now Owned by Isamary Diaz and daughter Vanessa, who also operate three Armando’s fast-food Mexican spots in the Valley, Poblano…

Cheeky rock ‘n’ roll-themed Chinese restaurants don’t die, they just wait two years before resurrecting themselves in a nearby location. See also: – Pallets, a Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese Restaurant, Opens on Roosevelt Row – Squid Ink Sushi Opening Second Location at Downtown’s CityScape At least that’s the case for…

Pig & Pickle, the months-old casual dinner-only place in south Scottsdale is a kind of culinary power to the people. Here, comfort food meets chef finesse, where servers do not give lengthy explanations of seasonal fare and locally sourced ingredients as much as simply serve them with confidence, and dishes…

Pig & Pickle is a kind of culinary power to the people. It’s a casual, dinner-only place (brunch is coming this summer) where comfort food meets chef finesse. The servers here do not give lengthy explanations of seasonal fare and locally sourced ingredients as much as simply serve them with…

When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out — and let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that…

Over a century old, the Michelin Guide, the star-ratings restaurant guide paid for by the French tire company, is arguably the best-known on the planet. See also: – What Are the Pros and Cons of Food Festivals? – What Are Three Cooking Skills Everyone Should Know? But recently, the guide…

Minus one Mexican restaurant from the city of Gilbert after this month. Cafe Posada is shuttering. See also: – Hao Bao Food Truck Hitting the Brakes – CLOSED: Chick Rotisserie & Wine Bar in Arcadia The casual Mexican eatery on Ray Road owned by Oscar and Susan Lee first opened…