In Italy or in Napa Valley, drinking the local wine is a given. But in Arizona, where the wine industry has waged an uphill battle to improve its image, local wines are still a novelty at most restaurants — so much so, in fact, that when FnB owner Pavle Milic…

The Chow Bella contributors do not make it easy on me.  I showed up at a recent meeting to discover a huge spread of beautiful, chocolatey desserts on the conference room table, each one of them with my name on it (metaphorically speaking). Everyone really hustled to create some new…

Seems almost predictable that someone from Scottsdale could head to Paris and fall completely in love with the City of Lights, leave friends and family behind, and make a Transatlantic move.But it also can happen in reverse.Last March, Richard and Isabelle Horvath visited Scottsdale from their native France, and took…

​Media peeps did not get invited to last night’s Chef’s Tribute Dinner at J&G, but Chow Bella reader Valerie Paxton ponied up for a ticket and sent us some more of her drool-worthy photos. ​The event, part of the Scottsdale Culinary Festival, welcomed culinary luminaries Charlene Badman and Pavle Milic…

Former Canal chef Justin Beckett has kept himself busy since the SouthBridge restaurant closed last summer — he’s been blogging about his home cooking escapades on Facebook (Beckett’s Kitchen Table), Tweeting about his research, and working on two new concepts, Beckett’s Food for the Neighborhood, and Scotty’s Original Po’Boy Shop…

​Nice, um, cucumber!A friend showed me his copy of the new In the Raw calendar, and what can I say? It’s pretty ballsy.Ken and Lee Singh are the charming couple who run the all-natural Singh Farms — a 20-acre wonderland where their composting efforts have created nutrient-rich soil for fresh…

The ink continues to flow. Following on the heels of our story about local chefs who are covered in tattoos, even more are stepping up to show off their skin art. Today, we have two guys from Scottsdale’s Culinary Dropout, executive chef Clint Woods, pictured on this page, and cook Matt Peshek,…

How can you not love Groupon? I sure do. It’s a daily deal delivered to your inbox, and some of the offers from local businesses are incredible. And it’s free to join.But have you ever actually read some of these descriptions? Somebody is getting really creative in writing their copy…

A friend who knows about my sweet tooth snagged me some of these quirky new Coconut M&M’s, which are a limited edition flavor. Rumor has it that Arizona is a test market for them. I’m not sure if I liked them . . . in theory, I like M&M’s and…

Just got this question: “Does it irk you when people mispronounce food items? Or, what food items do you still have trouble pronouncing?” Sure, it irks me a tiny bit, when I’m at a nice restaurant and the person botching the pronunciation is my waiter. But if it’s coming from a…

Hungry for schnitzel? Get ready to drive for it, or else make it yourself. German food wasn’t easy to come by in the first place, but now the word around town is that the Valley’s most centrally located German restaurant, Black Forest Mill, has closed, making schnitzel ever more elusive. From…

​Gourmet burger places continue to crop up like mushrooms across the Valley.The latest on my radar is called Lush Burger, scheduled to open by the end of April in at DC Ranch Crossing in North Scottsdale. (That’s the same plaza where Calistro Bistro and AJ’s are located.)Co-owner Josh Berk, who’s…

Diet Coke, don’t fail me now.A little caffeine boost is usually a good idea this time of day — especially after a lunchtime splurge like I had.Ever been to Rito’s Mexican Takeout? It’s one of those hidden downtown gems, the kind of place you learn about through word of mouth,…

Changes are afoot downtown.Nathan Crouser, chef de cuisine at District American Kitchen & Wine Bar since its debut, will be pursuing a career opportunity in California. Although the restaurant’s name isn’t currently available, I’m told that Crouser will stay with Starwood, the company that also owns the downtown Sheraton that…

Yes, you read that right. Iron Chef Cat Cora will be the star of our next Chow Bella event, on June 23 at 7 p.m. We’re thrilled to team up with our favorite local bookstore, Changing Hands, for a special night of cooking and chatting with Cora, who’ll give a food…

Vintner Eric Glomski’s Page Springs Cellars winery and tasting room, as well as winemaker/rock star Maynard Keenan’s Caduceus tasting room, are two great destinations for a Verde Valley road trip. Three is a better number though, so to complete the trifecta, Glomski and Keenan are unveiling a new tasting room for their shared…

I doubt the AZ BBQ Festival will be a one-off event. Those guys over at the EaterAZ blog, Rick Phillips and Dave Tyda, have done a bang-up job with organizing and promoting their brand-new culinary festival, which takes place this weekend at the Scottsdale Waterfront. I drove by the site yesterday and got a…

This is only just the beginning for Matt Kolacz, who’s the sous chef at The Vig in Arcadia. His new tat is a work in progress, but he graciously shared a shot of the first five hours of ink work.Are you a chef with a tattoos you think Chow Bella…

Have you been to Coronado Cafe lately? I’m loving how the new owners have made gradual improvements to the restaurant’s already-charming decor and menus, and I especially like their outdoor patios. There’s a small one in the front, and a larger one on the side. Both are a great place…

Another local restaurant has fallen by the wayside.Just got word that contemporary American spot Central Grille officially notified friends and associates by email that its last day in business was Easter Sunday. Unofficial word is that the closing had less to do with the business itself and more to do with the…