ourchocolateshavings.blogspot.com Here’s a blog with a refreshing twist — no personal story to slog through, on your way to good recipes. Instead, Tastespotting is more of a virtual recipe file, inviting readers (even you!) to submit photos and recipes, and rate others. More than anything, it’s some serious food porn. Check…
Yesterday we sat down with Charles Stotts of Avalon in south Scottsdale. Lucky for you, there’s a part two! Want to hear about Stotts recent foodgasm? Read on … What’s the best tool in your kitchen drawer? A spoon. I am against tongs; they’re something else you won’t find in…
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…
Avalon can thank Sin City burn out for its new chef, Charles Stotts. The Minnesota native says his culinary career took off in Las Vegas; after a while, though, he wanted the first flight out.Stotts was Chef de Cuisine at Avalon and stepped up when Travis Watson left for Culinary…
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…
Let me guess: when you’re looking for comfort food, Asian cuisine doesn’t exactly pop to the top of the list. While yummy, sushi lacks the warm, tummy-nurturing sensation that comes with mac n’ cheese or Aunt Sally’s meatloaf. But there are a few Asian dishes that easily calm frazzled nerves after a hard…
Valentine’s Day has come and gone and you’ve whole heartedly abandoned your New Years diet by professing your undying love to a giant box of chocolates. Your jeans still don’t fit and those crafty Girl Scouts will be delivering their delicious little cookies starting this week. Soon, you’ll be plowing…
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…
A rock solid restaurant name should tell you something about the food, the location, or at the very least, the vibe you’ll experience when you walk in the door. It should also pass a basic spell check, which is why Kozy Cactus might want to reconsider its mess of a…
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…
$10 dollar lunch … sort of. Say you are in Scottsdale and you are looking for a place to have lunch. You see Stax Burger Bistro and you think burgers. Sure why not? But once you sit down, menu in hand, you fear you may have made a mistake. The…
Kevin Patterson The Empty Frames Experiment improv troupe member, writer and photographer performs at Firestage at The Firehouse Friday, February 19 at 8:30 p.m. What’d you eat for dinner last night? Spinach salad with sunflower seeds, cheese and olive oil. Favorite food: Roasted red peppers. You take a red pepper,…
How well do you know your favorite cookhouse contraptions? See if you can guess today’s gadget and check back next week for the answer. Here are a few shots at the answer, add yours to the comment box below: – Charlie Sheen identity bracelets – Colin Farrell identity bracelets -…
Happy Fat Tuesday, Chow Bella-ites! While other Mardi Gras revelers are thinking about beads, boobs and margaritas, we know those of you who are more food-centric are wondering what kind of crazy Mardi Gras concoctions you can get for the holiday. While searching the decadent blog archives at CakeSpy, this popped…
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…
In the end, we get what’s coming to us. Let’s hope it’s sweet. Now that the roses have wilted, the candy’s been picked over, and the smoochies exchanged, America has turned its attention from hot romance to ice cold snow with the start of the Winter Olympic Games. And what…
Looking for the latest in tasty television? Need to know the need-to-watch episodes of your favorite foodie shows? Chow Bella is here to help with reviews of the delectable and dreadful along with a handy, must-see schedule so you won’t miss a thing. Wow, men sure have it tough with…
