It’s a good thing my editor just got back from lunch with a few freshly baked cookies to unload on me, because I need something sweet to nibble on as I look at the menu for Shelley’s Specialty Desserts, a month-old bakery in downtown Glendale (5845 W. Palmaire). Owner/pastry chef Shelley…
Talk about short-lived. Amid various retail changes at Scottsdale’s Promenade in the past year, Bad to the Bone BBQ replaced Redfish Cajun Grill in May and hosted a grand opening celebration in November — and now, there’s word that the restaurant has already been shuttered by the landlord. Bad to the Bone’s phone…
If you’re restaurant-obsessed and living in the Phoenix metro area, it’s time to update your bookmarks. Chowhound, the popular foodie message board, reorganized its regional coverage in January and created a new Phoenix board — which also includes food and restaurants in Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Glendale, and elsewhere in the…
Did you see the Sunday New York Times’ travel section yesterday? In an article about how the arts community on Roosevelt Row has revitalized the area, a couple of local eateries got some love as well — Sens and the Urban Grocery & Wine Bar. That was just a tiny…
It’s official. Cielo, the brand-new Italian restaurant at Mondrian Scottsdale, opens tonight at 6 p.m. It replaces three-year-old Asia de Cuba, which served its last dinner there on Saturday. Executive chef Donald Lemperle remains in charge in the kitchen, and as it turns out, Italian food is his forte. At…
Phoenix has lost a hidden gem, at least in part. The restaurant at Backstreet Wine Salon — a classy little spot behind Gaslight Square on Indian School — served its last dinner this past Saturday night. However, Backstreet’s wine shop remains open for retail sales. Owner Jock Wulffson got the word out in…
Back in August, I got word from a reliable source that Asia de Cuba, the three-year-old Mondrian Scottsdale outpost of restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow’s upscale fusion hotspot, would soon become an Italian restaurant. It was an interesting twist for the hotel, since the restaurant space used to house Italian eatery Fiamma back when it…
Sure, Matt and Ernie Pool’s newest enterprise, Giant Coffee, has been “coming soon” for months now. Back in October, I even got a First Friday sneak peek for Chow Bella readers. Last time I had a chance to chat up Ernie, who was busy serving the late lunch crowd at Matt’s Big…
There’s been a boom in Central Phoenix coffee shops lately, but so far, there’s certainly room for more — especially one serving locally roasted java, sandwiches, and homemade pastries. Something else that two-month-old Dolce Espresso (1025 E. Camelback) offers is even more novel: live video DJs. Brothers Cesar and Leo…
Over the past two years, chef Matt McLinn has done menu consulting and worked at a couple of resort restaurants, Pointe in Tyme at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs, and BLT Steak at Camelback Inn, but he hasn’t been nearly as high profile as when he was chef-proprietor of Scottdale’s now-defunct Methode Bistro. …
Chef Beau MacMillan must be high on life right now. Between his new Food Network show, Worst Cooks in America, becoming a sudden success, and his restaurant, elements, getting a big-budget makeover, the one-time Iron Chef America winner has more star power than ever. But he’s still been busy in the…
This just in from blogger David Bickford (a.k.a. PHX Rail Food), who Tweeted a Twitpic of the empty storefront this morning: Mill’s End, the long-running cafe located on the northern end of Mill Avenue, has closed. It was never a culinary destination, just a cozy hangout for students and urbanites…
A giant latte was all I thought I needed when I stopped by Urban Beans today, but then I walked up to the counter. Hello, toffee! Having been one of those weird kids who always craved the strangely adult-sounding Heath bars when everyone else was stocking up on Nerds and…
If you haven’t heard much about two-month-old Mid City Kitchen, don’t hold it against the restaurant. It’s likely that it’s under the radar because the place is tucked amid those three high-rise towers at Thomas Road and Central, invisible from the street. Geared to time-pressed businesspeople who need a bite…
A story posted on AZCentral this afternoon appears to have drastically slowed the newspaper’s website (numerous attempts to log on stated that the link was broken) — all because of two magic words: Chris Bianco. If you can manage to get through to the article, it details how the James…
With its eclectic mix of independent retail shops, the stretch of 7th Avenue between Indian School and Camelback known as Melrose on 7th seems a prime location for a cheerful, locally owned restaurant like America’s Taco Shop. Owners Terry and America Bortin opened their original location in the Coronado District (2041…
No photos to share right now, dear readers, just a little rant. The other night I ended up eating dinner at Tutto, the Italian restaurant that Joseph Gutierrez opened in the space that used to be Digestif. I didn’t have an agenda, per se — just was curious to try…
16th Street might as well be called Taco Row, for all the Mexican restaurants lining the street between Washington and Indian School, but hey, there’s always room for me. The newest one in the neighborhood looks appealing because it’s not the typical Sonoran spot. Open since last Friday, La Condesa…
The James Bond theme song is playing in my head as I type this.I just got a look at the complete menu for Stealthy Table’s inaugural covert dining event — “My Bloody Valentine,” scheduled for V-Day, of course — and it’s looking mighty fine. Pork belly? Cocoa nib-crusted short rib?…
I’m a fan and regular reader of Sunset Magazine, with its timely mix of food, travel, and living articles, as well as it good-looking layout. Flipping through its pages and spotting region-specific gardening advice and profiles of beloved local restaurants and entrepreneurs always gives me a tiny jolt of Arizona pride…
As it is, Cuban food isn’t easy to come by in the Valley, and now a local Cuban favorite has scaled back due to the tough economy. Havana Cafe closed its five-year-old Ahwatukee location a week ago Saturday. Chef-owner BJ Hernandez continues to operate the flagship Havana Cafe on Camelback (4225 E…
In the mood for Cajun food? You’re in luck. With Mardi Gras right around the corner, the timing is spot on for the opening of Beauregard Food Co., which debuted last Friday at DC Ranch in North Scottsdale. Owner Dan Brinton also is a franchise owner of Krispy Kreme Arizona,…
