With the science fiction action-drama film The Hunger Games opening in theaters this Friday, March 23, fans of the book by Suzanne Collins are keyed-up like Katniss in hopes that director Gary Ross doesn’t screw the whole thing up. (Effie’s clothes had better be wild enough, dammit.) And what better…
It isn’t easy running a Valley landmark — especially when it’s a restaurant. The task of preserving a building’s heritage while making updates for a new generation of diners — whether the changes regard the restaurant’s atmosphere, menu, or otherwise — is akin to a taste-making (or -breaking) tightrope walk…
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…
An interview with MICHAEL MONTI, owner of Monti’s La Casa Vieja (See accompanying feature story.) In the ’70s we had the market cornered, and people would wait two hours or more to get in. That was a different time, before the saturation of restaurants began. Focaccia bread was too hip…
An interview with TIM SMITH, owner of The Pink Pony (See accompanying feature story.) The day I made my first communion, my parents brought me to the Pony to celebrate and I thought, “Wow, this place is so cool.” Buying the Pink Pony was a sentimental thing. We couldn’t help…
An interview with PAOLA EMBRY, CEO of The Wrigley Mansion (See accompanying feature story.) When I was asked to run the Wrigley by Jamie Hormel, I was flattered and thought it was a great opportunity, but it’s a team effort, and I have a great team. The story goes that…
It isn’t easy running a Valley landmark — especially when it’s a restaurant. The task of preserving a building’s heritage while making updates for a new generation of diners — whether the changes regard the restaurant’s atmosphere, menu, or otherwise — is akin to a taste-making (or -breaking) tightrope walk…
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. Miss a question? Go here. In his book, Keep the Change: A Clueless Tipper’s Quest…
With Phoenix New Times’ Big Brain Awards just around the corner (finalists will be revealed soon with winners announced in April), it seems fitting that The Daily Meal, the website of all things food and drink, has recently released their first annual list of who’s the coolest in the industry…
The commands “sit” and “stay” may be most associated with man (and woman’s) best friend, but when it comes to having a meal, Brad and Kat Moore of Short Leash Hot Dogs are applying them to their patrons. The owners of the popular food truck featuring gourmet hot dogs topped…
“One of the great things that we heard,” says Chris Lee, customer relationship management (CRM) consultant, foodie, and a principal organizer of the first Ignite Food event, “is that a past participant that has been to every Ignite said he thought it was the most raw passion he’s seen on…
Sure, breakfast starts the day off right. But what about a little of that a.m. mojo in the evening hours? Liberty Market, the hip little bistro in Gilbert courtesy of restaurateur Joe Johnston, aims to do just that with a “Breakfast for Dinner” five-course meal served at 6:30 p.m., Monday,…
Well that was worth the wait. Ever since Richardson’s burned down at its former location on the corner of Bethany Home Road and 16th Street over two years ago, I’ve had to get my New Mexican cuisine on at its pint-sized sister restaurant, Dick’s Hideaway — until now. Last month,…
Jose Garces is an Iron Chef, but then, if you’re a fan of Food Network’s Iron Chef America, the popular culinary game show based upon the Japanese cult sensation, you already knew that. And now, his new modern Mexican restaurant in Scottsdale, Distrito, located in the newly rehabbed Saguaro hotel…
Wait, what’s that noise? If you’re Burger King, it’s the sound of your throned ass hitting the ground while a red-headed pigtailed girl moves into your number two spot as the country’s second biggest hamburger chain. That’s right, Whopper fans: according to the Detroit Free Press citing a report by…
Last month, the James Beard Foundation announced its semifinalists for the 2012 JBF Restaurant and Chefs Awards — and the Valley got loved on — hard. Silvana Salcido Esparza, owner and chef of Barrio Cafe and Barrio Queen, and chef Kevin Binkley of Binkley’s Restaurant and Café Bink were both…
Nearly every meat-eating American speaks the language of barbecue. From the backyard to the upscale restaurant to the hole-in-the-wall ‘cue house, cooking meat with smoke and heat has become somewhat of an art form — taking on various styles, techniques, and rituals around the globe. Which is why it would…
Message to co-workers: get your damn birthday cakes and homemade goodies out of my dieting face. – The Wall Street Journal To foie gras or not foie gras? Valley chefs, restaurateurs, and readers weigh in on the controversial issue. – Chow Bella Gene Simmons of KISS is going to open…
For fans of Jamaican food, the Jerk Hut Jamaican Grille in Phoenix delivers on the island’s rich and highly seasoned flavors from a small selection of traditional, street-side dishes — including, quite possibly, some of the best jerk chicken in the Valley. And with its plentiful portions and wallet-friendly fare,…
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…
If you have been to Jamaica or know something about its cuisine, then you are undoubtedly familiar with its most popular dish: jerk. Dating back to the island’s earliest days, Christopher Columbus got an eyeful of Jamaica’s beginnings at the end of the 15th century, when he watched its indigenous…
A fire on Monday has closed the Matador Restaurant in downtown Phoenix. The Phoenix Business Journal reports that the fire at the over 30-year-old Mexican eatery owned by Mike and Alexandra Anagnopoulos happened around 2:45 p.m. Monday afternoon, when the restaurant was closed, and was put out within minutes by…
