The Herb Box opened its new SouthBridge location over the weekend, just in time for the live ESPN college football broadcasts taking place right outside its door this week. The upstairs restaurant takes over the former Estate House space (which has been completely renovated), while the downstairs market occupies a former retail…
Will the third time be the charm for the restaurant at the southeast corner of Indian School and 56th Street? The recently renovated building, which used to be a garage, opened in August as Vatra Grillhouse, and, after getting a lukewarm response from the public, relaunched a month ago with new…
DevouredBy all accounts, this extravagant two-day culinary festival that replaced West of Western at the Phoenix Art Museum was a success — the mid-March weather was perfect, there was a lot of amazing food to be had (seems like more people preferred the lineup on the second day of the festival, though),…
For college football fans, it’s a chance to tailgate, celebrate, and socialize. And for anybody else, it’s a chance to chow down on two-buck nibbles from local restaurants, take in some live music, and enjoy the glory of January in Arizona. While the rest of the country is digging itself…
Reflecting over the last year, I’m mulling over a handful of wonderful food memories: sinking my teeth into a perfectly cooked cheeseburger, its hot, meaty juices soaked up by a soft, sweet-smelling bun; enjoying the brightness of ripe vegetables in a refreshing seasonal salad; taking a giant bite of creamy,…
A cold, rainy day like this one is perfect for the news that Johnny Chu, chef-owner of hip Asian tapas and sake spot Sens, just opened his new hot pot restaurant. Week-old Tien Wong (2330 N. Alma School Rd., #118) takes over the Chandler space that used to house Citrus Cafe. The interior looks…
Just in time for a big New Year’s Eve party with a live musical performance by Obadiah Parker, new Peoria restaurant Blu Agave Arizona Kitchen is set to open its doors tomorrow.The brainchild of chef-owner Charles Schwerd — who also owns Arrowhead Grill in Glendale and honed his reputation as co-founder of…
The early bird gets the worm, but at Posh, early New Year’s Eve customers might get kangaroo or lamb or foie gras.Chef-owner Joshua Hebert tells me that folks who make reservations for seatings between 5 and 5:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve will get a 30 percent discount on their…
I was at dinner at Nobuo at Teeter House with a friend who’ll get very, very sick if she eats gluten. As she was telling me about her dietary restrictions, our waitress overheard us and brought over a copy of a menu that she customized. Nice! I predict that more restaurants…
Two-pound, quadruple decker burgers and scantily clad babes weren’t enough to keep Heart Attack Grill on life-support at the corner of 44th Street and Thomas, and apparently that formula didn’t work for its watered-down successor, either. The Grill Next Door is now an empty shell, and there are “For Lease” signs…
There’s nothing wrong with pouring a little extra rum in your eggnog. But apparently the festivities of Christmas have left us all with fuzzy memories about what to do for New Year’s Eve. There’s a lot going on at Valley restaurants, and thankfully, Chow Bella contributor Shannon Armour has already…
Downtowners have been whispering for a while now about the fate of Sapna Cafe, the sunny eatery in the Bragg’s Pie Factory building on Grand Avenue that’s served a light, vegetarian-friendly menu of soups, salads, sandwiches, and stirfries since it opened in early 2009. Chef-owner Ana Borrajo has been back…
If you like to give out sugary treats — whether they’re homemade or store-bought — hitting up the Zelda’s Sweet Shoppe sale this week should be on your to-do list. The Chicago-based gourmet candy store is offering deals on tins, baskets, and other gift-worthy items, as well as half-off holiday cookies (who…
Looking for a place to eat where there’s a nice patio wouldn’t usually be on my agenda this time of year, but the weather these past few weeks has put me into early springtime mode. Honestly, if we skipped winter altogether, I wouldn’t be heartbroken. A recent lunch at Relish…
Do I really need another diversion? Yes, I do. Smartphone apps have kept me happily entertained or informed while waiting for a table or dining alone. I don’t mind killing time these days. My favorite app of the moment is Wine Ph.D., which I didn’t expect to love so much. Yeah,…
Visiting the House of Rice in Scottsdale is a pleasure any time of year — the place is packed to the rafters with Japanese knick knacks — but it’s especially fun right about now, when every mall starts to look the same and your Christmas shopping budget is starting to…
Who could conceive of butchering poor Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? Payton Curry. And he’s come up with fancy ways to show off the gastronomic possibilities of feasting on Santa’s adorable sidekick. A couple of weeks ago, when the cheeky, curly-haired executive chef of Tempe’s chic Caffe Boa announced he’d be…
A friend just told me about a pleasant surprise she got when she stopped by St. Francis to pick up a few gift cards to give out as Christmas presents. (Who wouldn’t want one of those? It’s a pretty easy way to check a bunch of people off your shopping…
Three months ago, the board of directors for the Crave AZ Culinary Festival announced that they were postponing the Scottsdale event lineup from late October to late January 2011. At that time, the date change was attributed to some “new, large sponsors” who were about to get involved, as well…
You’re out of luck on Sunday and Monday, but there’s now a stretch of five consecutive nights where hip local restaurants roll out specials for the late-night crowd. Noca is the newest of the bunch, with a Wednesday night shindig from 10 p.m. to midnight that debuts tomorrow. The special…
The Chow Bella team came out in force for our latest food showdown, this time a battle of holiday cookie recipes. Thank goodness somebody showed up with a gallon of milk! I had an entire plate filled with all kinds of baked treats, and somehow I had to taste through them…
It’s all about the lard, baby.”Fat is your friend,” said Barrio Cafe chef Silvana Salcido Esparza at her recent tamale making class (read about it here). “Once a year, go for a walk!”Well, there’s also salt, liquid, and ground corn that’s been dried and boiled in lye, but making the…
