After Basha’s Supermarkets’ bankruptcy proceedings led to AJ’s Fine Foods falling out the the CityScape lineup last year, locals have been wondering which retailer — if any — would step up to fill the void for a much-needed downtown grocery store at the 1.8 million square foot mixed-use project. Today,…
After a day chained to the computer, eating nothing but carbs — pretzels and cookies and candy, oh my! — my friend’s dinner invitation to Maizie’s sounded like exactly what I needed. As much as I enjoy the salads here, I was haunted by the recollection of my previous visit, when…
It cracks me up to think about it, but some people honestly do think I spend my days eating nothing but the most luxurious foods imaginable — foie gras, sashimi, prime steak . . . Um, no. I often eat on the company dime for professional purposes, but I’m certainly…
It is going to be one busy spring, people. Are you hungry yet? There’s something food-related practically every weekend from now until summer hits, and since it’s a lot to keep track of — I was updating my calendar when blog inspiration struck — I thought I’d share the rundown…
At some point in the future, it’s slated to become a Marriott Hotel, but for now, an empty lot in the middle of downtown Tempe is getting a new life as the Downtown Tempe Urban Garden, a community food source operated by more than 70 local volunteers. Called “the first…
We really, really wanted to play hooky. But even still, with a meeting to get back to, my colleagues and I got a nice middle-of-the-week respite with lunch at T. Cook’s at the Royal Palms. We sat on the back patio, where there was a burbling fountain, some shady spots to sit,…
Today’s news of the James Beard Awards semifinalists had barely been out an hour before readers and friends started messaging me by Twitter, text, and email. What did I think of the Arizona nominees, and how was that list created, anyway?A committee from the James Beard Foundation selects the semifinalists…
Change is in the air. The folks at LGO Hospitality announced today that they’ll be closing radioMILANO after dinner service this Saturday for a five-week-long renovation that will include an overhaul of its cook line and the installation of a larger draft beer system. When it reopens, it will be…
Congratulations are in order for an elite group of Arizona chefs and restaurants included in the list of 2010 James Beard Award semifinalists, which were just announced by the James Beard Foundation this morning. The nominees were chosen from among 21,000 entries from across the country. Five finalists in each category will…
Uh-oh, not again! I’ve found another restaurant that I’d love to keep a secret. As a critic, this happens to me pretty regularly, and every time, I force myself to spill the beans anyway. My friends have already given me plenty of gentle flack for giving glowing reviews to closely…
It’s the end of an era at Town & Country shopping center.After nearly six years serving shoppers at the retail cluster, Pie Zanos Gourmet Pizza Kitchen is closing its doors on February 26. The restaurant was not able to renew its lease at the current location. However, a second Pie Zanos…
Natalie Morris was a Slow Foodie by pure instinct. During culinary school at the Art Institute, the budding chef hadn’t heard about the global movement to eat seasonal, local food, but she immediately recognized a key issue: “‘Why do we have to keep ordering food from one big company? It’s not…
Yesterday one of the Chow Bella contributors asked me what I do if I see another food critic when I’m out at a restaurant I’m reviewing. Should there be some special protocol here? A secret code or handshake or something? I don’t do anything, except maybe spy on them from across…
Chinese New Year and a friend’s birthday were a good excuse to hit up Mesa’s Asian Cafe Express for an over-the-top seafood lunch. Some of my clever friends figured out that you can buy whatever you like from Mekong Plaza (right across the street — and the fish department is…
Here’s the follow-up, folks. Last month, I blogged about the imminent opening of Long Wong’s at the Firehouse, the new Tempe spot from some of the same folks who were involved with the old Long Wong’s on Mill. But as with so many new restaurant openings, it wasn’t quite “imminent” enough…
Tempe’s Yucca Tap Room has been a Tempe dive bar favorite for years, especially for its live music. (Photo by Benjamin Leatherman) But now there’s a whole lot more on tap. Earlier this month, owner Rodney Hu unveiled the Yucca’s expansion into the space next door, a craft beer and…
It’s purely coincidental that I ended up at Pizzeria Bianco the day after news leaked out about Every Day With Rachael Ray’s new March issue, which declares Chris Bianco’s pizzas the best in the U.S. of A. A bunch of us were out on our bikes, cruising downtown, doing a…
A lot of local restaurants have really stepped up to help out with the Haiti earthquake relief effort, but Sens Asian Tapas & Sake Bar is going all the way. Chef-owner Johnny Chu says that 100 percent of food proceeds from his charity event next Tuesday, February 23, will be donated to…
He just signed the lease today. After about three and a half months of negotiations with the City of Phoenix and the city’s Historical Preservation Office, chef Nobuo Fukuda is officially planning to open a new restaurant, Nobuo at Teeter House, this June or July. The location, across from Pizzeria…
Just got a hold of the menu for Urban 7, the new Scottsdale restaurant that I blogged about yesterday. Some readers wanted to know what exactly the “urban” dining experience will entail, and frankly, so did I. Read the whole thing after the jump:…
Is Tracy Dempsey the Valley’s most highly multitasking pastry chef? Seems like the busy gal is all over the place — last year, she consulted on local ice cream brand Udder Delights’ new flavors, and created a one-of-a-kind dessert for our Best of Phoenix issue. This year — so far…
I sometimes wake up around 2 or 3 in the morning, stressing out and wishing I could just fall back to sleep. But today, I opened my eyes at 6:15, squinting in the dark to see the clock, and happy to realize I could just get up and make an…
