If Chanpen seems like the only Thai restaurant in South Phoenix, it’s probably because it is. Of course, that’s assuming you find it first. The small beige building, which sits on a barren stretch of East Broadway Road between 24th and 32nd streets, is easy to miss. Even Alan Ramonaitis,…

When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out and let you know our initial impressions. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that have just opened, sampling a few items, and satisfying curiosities (yours…

Even if you consider yourself a good cook, turn on nearly any TV food show these days and chances are someone will be showing you something new, turning you on to a different cooking technique, or flatly declaring you “don’t belong in the kitchen” unless you know how to perform…

What the hell’s a “music-centric retro haunt?” If it’s the building currently going up in Old Town Scottsdale’s entertainment district, it’s Hi Fi Kitchen and Cocktails. See also: – Gallo Blanco’s Doug Robson Opens New Mexican Restaurant in Phoenix – Everyone Knows About This 24-Hour Doughnut Shop in Tempe, Right?…

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…

When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out and let you know our initial impressions. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that have just opened, sampling a few items, and satisfying curiosities (yours…

Looks like Chick has lost what was left of its pluck — permanently. See also: – Jose Garces’ Old Town Whiskey in Scottsdale Shutters to Become Hotel Event Space – Distrito Gets Neutered: From Colorful and Lively to Brown and Boring, This Makeover Ain’t Makin’ Sense The second concept from…

Two weeks ago, Old Town Whiskey, Jose Garces’ upscale saloon inside The Saguaro hotel in Old Town, shuttered to be used as event space. But unbeknownst to Garces’ fans, his modern Mexican restaurant just down the hall was undergoing an arguably worse fate: getting its cojones cut off. See also:…

For four years, Doug Robson, chef-owner of Gallo Blanco Café, the restaurant inside the Clarendon Hotel, has been quietly kicking out top-notch Mexico City-style eats in Central Phoenix. But his new restaurant, now open for lunch with dinner to follow on Monday, March 11, most likely won’t enjoy such an…

Is bigger truly better? If you’re talking about La Merced in Mesa, then the answer is yes. And the locals know this to be true. See also: – Federal Pizza: Empire-Building on Central Avenue – Suds (Mostly) Trump the Grub at Scottsdale’s Brat Haus The six-year-old restaurant takes its name…

Doughnuts sold during regular hours are community doughnuts. (Kids, step right up.) Doughnuts sold in the off-hours are strictly adult-only eats. (Drunk girl, third-shift guy, creature of the night, step right up.) This post is dedicated to the latter. See also: – Everyone Knows About This Late-Night Doughnut Shop in…

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. It’s happened to all of us at one time or another: an incident with food…

To understand La Merced, a Mexico City-style restaurant in Mesa, you could start with its flautas, a dish that challenges the notion that good things have to come in small packages. Nearly double the size of those you might find elsewhere in the Valley, the flour tortillas, full of moist…

When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out and let you know our initial impressions. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that have just opened, sampling a few items, and satisfying curiosities (yours…

What’s going on in East Phoenix these days? A better question might be: What isn’t? See also: – Sam Fox Wants Us to Start Preparing for a “Life-Changing Food Experience” – New Restaurants in the Works for Arcadia’s La Grande Orange From sushi to two new La Grande Orange concepts…

Hey, how’s your day going so far? Are you talking about last night’s Oscars? (We all are!) Getting another cup of coffee? Planning where to go for lunch today? See also: – New Restaurants in the Works for Arcadia’s La Grande Orange – 2013 James Beard Award Semifinalists Announced: 4…

Since notable sweets maker Tammie Coe pulled her pastries out of La Grande Orange (LGO) last August, news of the popular grocery and pizzeria in Arcadia (which since has expanded its in-house pastry department) has been whisper-quiet. Perhaps because it has a couple of secrets under way. See also: -…

Guy Villavaso and Larry Foles, owners of Roaring Fork and founders of Eddie V’s and Wildfish restaurants, are bringing home the bacon (and several other pork-centric dishes) to Phoenix early next month in the form of their Austin-based restaurant Salty Sow. See also: – Sushi Brokers in Arcadia Now Open…

Bourbon and bar bites for bridal and baby showers? (Sigh.) It’s true. See also: – CLOSED: Blue Wasabi Sushi & Martini Bar in North Scottsdale – Opening Weekend at Morning Squeeze in Old Town Old Town Whiskey, celebrity chef Jose Garces’ upscale saloon inside The Saguaro hotel in Old Town…

And then there was one. The second of a onetime trio of locations, Blue Wasabi Sushi & Martini Bar in North Scottsdale has closed. See also: – Opening Weekend at Morning Squeeze in Old Town – CLOSED: Bueno Burger in Scottsdale Located on Scottsdale Road (between McDonald Road and Lincoln…