‘Flights of Fancy’ Beer Samping Party with Ska Brewing Saturday, January 11 Cruise on over to Mill Avenue’s bike-friendly brew spot Handlebar Tempe to enjoy a beer-sampling party with Ska Brewing from 2 to 4 p.m. For $10 in advance or $12 at the door, you’ll get a flight of…
But what about your mom’s famous queso dip? Well, she might have to use — gasp — actual cheese this year because Kraft Foods has warned that it may run short of its famous Velveeta processed cheese product. The possible shortage comes at a time when the cheese product tends…
Corvettes, carousels, and life-size Hotwheels cars. That just about sums up the reasons why thousands of shoppers (and gawkers) will head to the 2014 Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction.The traveling auction will be a weeklong display of opulence, as car collectors drop more money than we’ll make all year on valuable,…
They say dance is the universal language of the world. So it makes sense to celebrate the New Year by bringing together some of Arizona’s best emerging and professional dance companies. Representing a diversity of dance genres, artists and companies will perform works from their current repertoires at Desert Dance…
If you’re looking for fun ways to get moving in the New Year, you’ll have a chance to test run your dancing shoes this weekend when Ballet Arizona opens the doors to its state-of-the-art studios for a day of free classes. On Sunday, January 12, the professional dance company will…
We’ve followed Phoenix photographer and trained chef Heather Gill on Twitter for years and recently her Farmers Market Series of photographers caught our eye on her Etsy shop…
This is part two of our interview with chef James Porter of Petite Maison in Scottsdale. The restaurant underwent substantial changes two months ago, when Porter and his wife, Wendy, announced they’d be switching up the menu and décor to reflect more modern French sensibilities. On Monday, we chatted with…
Hold onto your stomach because you’re likely to get more than a little upset about the sources of some common food additives. We’ll start with red food coloring, much of which derives its hue from the female Dactylopius coccus, an insect that’s been used as a source of red dye…
Pizza People Pub Today through Sunday, January 12 This week, the Pizza People Pub will celebrating its official grand opening with seven days of events and food and drink specials. Today through Sunday, you can head to the midtown restaurant, located in the space formerly occupied by Cheuvront wine bar,…
James Porter Chef/Owner Petite Maison 480-991-6887 www.petitemaisonaz.com This is part one of our interview with chef James Porter of Petite Maison in Scottsdale. See part two here. In November, the restaurant underwent a reboot, changing its look, menu, and name to transition the restaurant into a “modern French” eatery. At…
When a small brewery outside St. Louis received a cease and desist letter from corporate coffee magnate Starbucks for naming its beer “Frappicino” (a slightly different spelling of the trademarked Starbucks drink), owner Jeff Britton decided to respond in possibly the best way ever. His genius reply starts with his…
Whether you like to admit it or not, you’re probably thinking about making some changes in the New Year. We know we are, starting with cracking open the oven more and the freezer less. Oh, and actually using that gym membership we fork out for every month . . …
Cave Creek Balloon Festival Saturday, January 4 The fifth-annual Cave Creek Balloon Festival will bring glowing hot air balloons to the Rancho Mañana Golf Course. The event, organized in part by Tonto Bar and Grill, will include live music, food, cocktails, beer, and wine. Food vendors will include The Buffalo…
This weekend, the audition process begins for the 2014 Arizona Sidewinders, the cheerleading and dance team for Phoenix’s arena football team, the Arizona Rattlers. Dancers and cheerleaders interested in joining the squad are invited to attend preliminary auditions this Sunday, January 5, at US Airways Center. The final auditions will…
If you were just thinking to yourself how fast the past year flew by, wait until you check out our list of the year’s restaurant openings and closings. Can you believe it’s been 10 months since we welcomed Doug Robson’s Otro Cafe onto the scene? And a whole year since…
With another year officially over and gone, it means another opportunity to appreciate how many changes we didn’t make to our eating habits in 2013. Last January, we swore we were going to work out more and eat better. But we’ll be honest: That kick lasted all of about five…
Though the holiday season is over, there still are plenty of reasons to get excited. The New Year promises quite a few new and exciting dining spots in the Valley, including several new concepts from some of our favorite chefs and restauranteurs and second locations of popular local spots. Here’s…
Did you pop a bottle of champagne to ring in the New Year? Or did you indulge in a finger or two (or three) of Maker’s Mark? Either way, what you drink supposedly says a lot about how you’re likely to vote. According to consumer data supplied by GFK MRI,…
Based on the 1980 musical fantasy film of the same name — which starred Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly but somehow still managed to barely break even in the box office — Xanadu brings together roller-skating, disco-dancing, and Greek mythology. The Broadway hit tells the story of Kira, a Greek…
There’s something about a glowing light — be it neon, flame, or an electric flicker — that makes us feel particularly connected to the holidays. Perhaps it’s because the bright glow is a symbol of hope, or maybe we just like the idea of illuminating the unknown future.“Lighthouse” at the…
What were we doing a year ago? We were waiting on news about that second restaurant from Citizen Public House owners Bernie Kantak, Andrew Fritz, and mixologist Richie Moe. And we didn’t know it yet, but were headed for a cold snap that would cost local farmers and restaurants thousands…
What? You don’t follow us on Instagram already? Well you should fix that by finding our Chow Bella Instagram account: @chowbellaphx. We posted hundred of photos from our food adventures last year, generating thousands of likes and hundreds of comments. Thanks to all our followers for your interaction. And in…
