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. Thanks to social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, it’s now easier than ever…
Bicycle-themed décor from local artists, an all-day happy hour for cyclists, and dishes like green chili chicken wraps, short rib poutine, and a cocktail called “The Drunk Biker” are just some of the offerings at Spoke & Wheel, the new cyclist-centric restaurant coming to Sunnyslope on Monday, February 25. See…
Thanks to Craig DeMarco’s neighborhood, there may not be a time more fortuitous in Valley history than the present to be a diner (or an old building) in north Central Phoenix. Over the past few years, the restaurateur and his Upward Projects team have gobbled up once-forgotten structures clustered along…
The James Beard Foundation Awards, also known as the Oscars of the culinary world, announced today its annual restaurant and chef semifinalists for 2013. As in years past, the list is gigantic, but come mid-March it will feature just a short selection of nominees. See also: Crudo Chef Cullen Campbell…
The Guilty Pleasure: Quiche Lorraine Where To Get It: Amuse Bouche, Bell Road and Cotton Lane, Surprise The Price: $9.99 What It Really Costs: Pick your favorite. A) This ain’t diet food. B) In case you missed it the first time (unless you live in Glendale or Peoria): Bell Road…
Chow Bella has a valentine for you. For the rest of February, we’re handing out Candy Hearts — stories of food and love from some of our favorite writers. Enjoy. In the 1940s, my father and his parents spent two long years imprisoned in concentration camps in Holland and Germany,…
For a few set times during the week, Hey Joe! and other mobile kitchens won’t be parking as much as they’ll be popping up. See also: – Paradise Melts Food Truck Is Back With New Owners and a New Menu – Luncha Libre Partnering with Downtown Phoenix’s Squash Blossom –…
Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, char-grilled Maxwell Street-style Polish sausages, cake shakes — it can only be Portillo’s, the Illinois-based restaurant chain in business since 1963 and beloved by Chicago transplants throughout the Valley. See also: – Opening Weekend at Morning Squeeze in Old Town: – New Late-Night Salad…
Chef Salad takes a detour this week to interview some of the leading beverage industry experts in the country — all of whom have been participating in the second annual AZ Cocktail Week. Seminars were held at the Hotel Valley Ho. If you missed yesterday’s interviews with Tony Abou-Ganim and…
Chef Salad takes a detour this week, interviewing three more of the country’s leading beverage industry experts, all of whom are participants in the second annual AZ Cocktail Week, which started this past weekend and runs through February 22. Seminars are held in the Sands Room at the Hotel Valley…
Chow Bella has a valentine for you. For the rest of February, we’re handing out Candy Hearts — stories of food and love from some of our favorite writers. Enjoy. I know a 12-year-old who eats nothing but peanut butter and chicken fingers. Three meals a day. No kidding. She…
With the current overabundance of boutique coffee shops in the Valley serving small-batch. single-source coffee — each high-end bag listing the name of the farmer, roaster, packager, graphic designer, delivery driver, etc. — poured steaming hot or cold in a variety of creative and highly decorated coffee drinks, it comes…
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…
With the Oscars right around the corner, it seems fitting that chef Cullen Campbell of Crudo, his home of expertly crafted modern Italian fare in Phoenix, would be called upon by a foundation whose awards are known as the Oscars of the food world. See also: – Best Move 2012…
Spring Training is almost upon us, which means winter is officially over and it’s time to break out the shorts. This right here is the weather we Phoenicians live for, the reason we endure five hellish months of summer and severe cases of cabin fever . . . just for…
Chow Bella has a valentine for you. For the rest of February, we’re handing out Candy Hearts — stories of food and love from some of our favorite writers. Enjoy. “It smells good, right?” I ladled a small portion of the chicken fettuccine alfredo out of the pan and handed…
After making Mexican food in the Valley for more than 26 years, the Chandler-based Mexican restaurant chain Someburros has decided to expand north. Specifically, to Flagstaff. See also: – Fast-Casual Chain Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill Expanding to Arizona – Bombay Spice Grill & Wine Makes a Quick-Service Baby Across the Street…
They’re convenient, simple, and everything we love about pie in a size we don’t have to share. They’re hand pies. And a new bakery in Chandler is serving them up by the sweet and savory handful — even for breakfast. See also: – Here’s a Sneak Peek at the Menu…
Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Check out what’s on our plate. See Also: 17 Don’t-Miss Events During Arizona Beer Week, Feb. 16-23 6 Don’t-Miss Events During AZ Cocktail Week: Feb 16-22 13th Annual Arizona Strong Beer Festival Hold on to your…
While a jumbo tub of hot buttered popcorn is one of our most frequently indulged guilty pleasures, we think a good movie deserves a little better company than junk food. Try out our movie and meal pairings for yourself or feel free to suggest one of your own favorites in…
An abundance of lemons is one of my favorite things about living in Phoenix. I go through at least one whole lemon a day and I’m always a little distraught about tossing the peel away – even if it’s going into the compost pile. Recently I read about a chef…
If you’ve been to the chain-infested corner of Seventh Avenue and McDowell in Central Phoenix, chances are you’ve seen or experienced How Do You Roll?, the fast-casual eatery that lets customers build their own sushi rolls, a la Subway, from an array of traditional and non-traditional ingredients. See also: -…
