The Guilty Pleasure: Mass-market holiday novelties Where to Get Them: Your favorite grocery store, mostly Price: A few bucks. Easy impulse buy if you see them in the store. What They Really Cost: Like you needed another excuse to eat more this time of year. Now that it’s almost December…
There’s nothing better than a pizza after days of stuffing yourself with Thanksgiving dinner and leftovers. You’re in luck, because Chow Bella spent the past year scouring the Valley to find the best pizzerias. Here’s a list worth saving for when you need a great pizza, no matter where you…
During the holidays, pumpkin- and gingerbread-flavored items tend to be everywhere, particularly in seasonal beverages. Mountainview Coffee in Fountain Hills has those two covered but also offers a Candy Cane Frappe that makes peppermint a strong contender in the season’s flavor throwdown…
From time to time here at Chow Bella, we challenge one another to a showdown. This fall’s theme, naturally, was pumpkin. Damn you, pumpkin-infused Kahlua and pumpkin-flavored Pringles — you’re ruining it for the rest of the pumpkin goodness out there, like the dishes our colleagues prepared for us a…
If you garden in the Phoenix area this time of year, you likely have a bed or two full of basil, sage, oregano, and other herbs. Of course, herbs are delicious, but you may be surprised that some plants and herbs in your own yard, or nearby, can help you…
Are you the kind of diner who enjoys dishes that dole out the heat? Not from a blistering fury of chile peppers, but from a complex harmony of Indian spices that punish and delight in equal measure? Then the cuisine of Chettinad, a dry, remote region of the state of…
Welcome to Chow Bella’s Bites & Dishes, where Valley chefs and restaurateurs respond to a question New Times food critic Laura Hahnefeld has on her mind. Have a question you’d like to ask? E-mail laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. Nearly as anticipated as the feast, the post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwich has a place in our…
In Chow Bella’s new comic, Wait or Die, we tell the stories of waiters and waitstaff from restaurants around the Valley. Submit your stories here: waitordie@newtimes.com — and be sure to let us know if you wish to remain anonymous…
Tracy Dempsey Pop-up Holiday Boutique Friday, November 29 Since Tracy Dempsey left her gig as pastry chef of Cowboy Ciao in 2009, she’s been focusing her energy on her line of packaged boutique confections, Tracy Dempsey Originals. They’re available locally at Smeeks, in addition to being sold throughout the southwest…
From time to time, Chow Bella’s contributors challenge one another to a showdown: Make the best dish you can, using one common ingredient. This time (naturally), it was pumpkin. For the past few weeks, we’ve been sharing the results, and tomorrow, we’ll let you know who won. Today: New Times…
The Valley food community lost a dear friend this past weekend when Lisa Giungo, more commonly known as “Lisa G.,” passed away after a battle with lung cancer. Following years spent working at Scottsdale’s Arcadia Farms, Giungo opened her own place, Lisa G’s, in a 1930s bungalow in Central Phoenix…
Welcome to “Schaefer,” in which Eric Schaefer — a local guy with a big (but discerning) appetite and a sense of humor to match — takes on the Phoenix food scene. In case you hadn’t figured it out by now, I’m Jewish. What that really means is that in between…
When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out — and let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that…
What? Not done with your holiday shopping? Yeah, neither are we. But we’ve been making lists — and checking them twice — and we’ve got some suggestions for the nice people on your list. Today, Chow Bella’s Gift Guide for the home gardener…
This week the Valley welcomed its first Snooze, an A.M. Eatery. The Colorado-based breakfast restaurant chain specializes in creative takes on breakfast classics with seasonal menu changes and an ever-changing Pancake of the Day. Today, we’re sharing the second half of our chat with Joe Strelnik and Tyson Holzheimer, co-executive…
Mutton chukka is a dish that gives little in the way of apologies. Uncompromisingly brash, it refuses to be coddled. Its rough-looking appearance, a haphazard array of braised then fried hunks of lamb, bay and curry leaves, and red onion slices, shuns any ideals of culinary charm. Pitiless in the…
Scratch Pastries owners Duc and Noelle Liao are looking forward to the New Year, especially in light of what happened in this one. In June, following problems with investors concerning their second location (Scratch French Cafe, located in the former Canvas space on Roosevelt Row), the husband-and-wife team declared bankruptcy…
Tyson Holzheimer and Joe Strelnik Co-Executive Chefs Snooze, an A.M. Eatery www.snoozeeatery.com If the food at Snooze, an A.M. Eatery is as fun, thoughtful, and well-balanced as its two executive chefs, then Phoenix certainly is in for a treat. Tyson Holzheimer, the quieter (though no less zealous when it comes…
Good news: Week two (my week three) of the 21-(now 28)day cleanse was confidence-building and filling. After repeating the first week of the Fresh Start, 21-day cleanse from SimpleGreenSmoothies.com, moving to the second-week menu and getting some more variety was rewarding. In week two, the plan adds oats. (Make sure…
After nine years, a dispute with the landlord caused Carefree Station, located in Carefree’s Spanish Village, to shutter in October. But as of next week, Carefree Station’s owners Robert and Linda Gabrick (who also own Prescott Station) will start anew with Scottsdale Station, their restaurant of globally inspired cuisine located…
Get ready, because there are going to a lot of hot new places to park yourself these next few days. Earlier this week, Gilbert’s newest Mexican restaurant Isabel’s Amor opened its doors. The restaurant comes courtesy of the owners of Poncho’s and Someburrosand features cocktails from none other than the…
After four years, Petite Maison is upping its game — French Modern-style. The charming French restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale from chef James Porter and his wife, Wendy, is relaunching as Petite Maison Modern French, a transition that will include an updated logo, a redesign of the restaurant, and a…
