Ever dreamed of being the chef at a fine dining restaurant? If so, you oughta be schmoozing with Posh chef Joshua Hebert right now.He’s decided to let amateurs take the reins, to some extent, by inviting a different local food fanatic to play chef every other Monday. The “Chef for a…

The name is not quite set in stone, but owner Cheryl Vitale feels pretty confident that her new Ahwautukee restaurant will be called Los Dos Cocina y Cantina. She’s currently in lease negotiations to move into the old Va Bene space at 4025 E. Chandler Blvd. “It’s been 30 years in…

You wine drinkers know what pearly purples are. So what if I just made up the term? Purple teeth syndrome comes with the territory when you’re busy drinking Merlot and Amarone. A friend of mine who’s big into wine invited me over for an impromptu tasting recently, and we hung out…

I’ve been one of those lucky night owls who’ve enjoyed FnB’s late-night specials too many times to count. Starting at 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, the happening Old Town restaurant does wallet-friendly specials for industry peeps and foodniks who get the urge to eat chef Charleen Badman’s chilaquiles or pho or…

Situated a block off Mill Avenue, (21 E. 6th St., Ste. 114, behind the Brickyard building), the restaurant still has an organic, local focus, and a light, healthful menu of sandwiches and salads. Original owner Austin Vickers has new partners now — Dee Dee Maza and Nick Buchholz. Founding chef Damon Brasch is…

We waited and waited, and although Samurai Cowboy hung its sign on Scottsdale road, it never unsheathed its katana. Now, there’s word that the Japanese robatayaki and sushi joint, in the works from the folks who own Drift, Stingray, and Geisha A Go-Go, is turning Chinese. At new Jimmy Woo’s,…

Let’s face it: The Valley is pretty TV-friendly, when it comes to food topics. Top Chef’s Stephanie Izard has become a downright regular at local culinary events over the last couple of years. TLC recently highlighted a bunch of eateries around town. The Food Network has sent Guy Fieri to…

After closing down at its longtime home on 7th Street, fave CenPho lunch spot That’s a Wrap has just reopened in new digs, at the former Lola Tapas building on Camelback (800 E. Camelback). Previous owner Damon Brasch sold the biz to long time staffer Erik Hansen, who now shares…

You know you’ve seen them. Heck, maybe you’re one of them (like me): People who obsessively document their meals, whipping out camera phones or even serious, professional quality photog equipment to get shots of food to share online, whether for a blog or for social media. Sure, they’re hungry, but…

It’s been more than a year since Belgian restaurant Trente-Cinq 35 closed in a prime location at Sheridan Square, the corner of 7th Street and Sheridan that’s also home to ale house The Main Ingredient and Sutra Yoga. But by the end of this month, that very same space will be home…

Several months ago, foodie-about-town and marketing/PR agency owner Ty Largo (shown at left) challenged his friend and fellow food geek/blogger Joel LaTondress (shown below, at right, he’s also known as the Yelper who incited ABC Baking Co. owner Amy Bouzaglo’s epic tangent, which got Chow Bella more than 40K hits)…

​A decade ago, when I first started working downtown, The Arizona Center was a pretty bustling place to grab a bite — there was a food court and a handful of busy sit-down restaurants — but it’s since had its ups and downs. Is it on an upswing again? I’d like to think…

How could I say no to mermaids and tasty margaritas? An email from hangout Salty Senorita just showed up in my inbox a little while ago, asking for help. “We need your help today!,” it reads. “The Peoria City Council is voting in a matter of days to give Salty Senorita a…

Haven’t been to new Nobuo at Teeter House yet? Don’t wait. My review on chef Nobuo Fukuda’s Heritage Square restaurant will be in this week’s issue (which goes online later today), but here’s a new tidbit that didn’t come in before press time: They’ve just started a happy hour. From…