Times flies when you’re eating great food, and that was definitely the case last month, which means it’s time to look back on the very best things I ate in February. The list includes everything from a sweet treat at one of Chow Bella’s new favorite bakeries to indulgent dishes…
Follow Chow Bella on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest…
Virtù Honest Craft — one of the latest restaurants to join the crowded fine-dining scene in Old Town Scottsdale — is topping national magazines’ must-visit lists, and last month, it snagged a semifinalist spot for a James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in the Southwest. The reason is simple…
Here’s something else to keep your eye out for this weekend at the Devoured Food + Wine Classic: the first print edition of Bite magazine. Bite launched in February 2013 as an online-only publication. But now publishers Michelle Jacoby and Mark Lipczynski have brought the magazine off the screen and…
Horchata is nothing new. It helps us take down those spicy dishes and top off a wet burrito. Made of milk, rice, cinnamon and sometimes almonds, horchata is a staple ion Mexican beverage menus, but can sometimes be too watery, too cinnamon-y, or too milky. But when it’s executed perfectly,…
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 old favorites opening up new locations and many beer and wine focused concepts popping up, there was a lot to check out in the restaurant scene in February. Unfortunately, not all restaurants felt the love around Valentine’s Day, though, with some area institutions shuttering permanently…
The annual Devoured Food and Wine Classic is one of our favorite culinary events of the year. Between the limited number of tickets and consistently impressive line up of restaurants and chefs, it’s always an event to remember. But this year’s event seems poised to deliver more than food and…
Since 2003 chef Kelly Fletcher has been heading up the kitchen at Tempe’s House of Tricks, the romantic restaurant located just off Mill Avenue. He took the reins after Cullen Campbell, now of Crudo, left the restaurant years ago — but as of Monday, Fletcher’s time at the iconic establishment…
Devoured Phoenix Culinary Classic Saturday, March 1 and Sunday, March 2 The culinary event of the year is finally here, which means this weekend dozens of the Valley’s best chefs will gather at the Phoenix Art Museum for the annual Devoured Culinary Classic. Catch restaurants including Clever Koi, FnB, Roka…
Just in time to kick off the Spring Training season, a new bar and restaurant called Draft House Eatery and Lounge is ready to open its doors. The brewpub will hold its grand opening Friday, February 28, at 15814 North 83rd Avenue, across the street from the Peoria Sports Complex,…
As we told you earlier this week, Portland’s in downtown Phoenix closed its doors for good last Thursday. The restaurant’s closure — the result of a landlord dispute — brought more than a decade of service to an abrupt end. But Portland’s owners, Michelle and Dylan Bethge, already have their…
The Guilty Pleasure: Ciabatta Bacon Cheeseburger Where to Get It: Wendy’s, locations Valleywide Price: $4.79 solo, $6.79 combo (your mileage may vary) What it Really Costs: Could be better, could be worse, clocking in at 670 calories. It’s long been said that if you want to get better bang for…
Like some other local business owners, CheddaTruck’s Nick Watts isn’t happy with Senate Bill 1062, the controversial legislation that would allow Arizona business owners to deny service to gay and lesbian consumers on religious grounds. So tonight, Watts is taking his food truck to the state Capitol to show support…
With just a few weeks to go of acceptable soup weather, we’ve had a hankering for wor wonton. Both China Village and China Chili serve commendable wor wonton soup, so we decided to put them to the test and see whose bowl is best…
This is part two of our interview with Press Coffee owner Steve Kraus. Today, he’s taking us through our first coffee “cupping,” a process similar to a wine tasting — except with a lot more slurping. On Monday, we chatted about coffee as an agricultural product and found out why…
Follow Chow Bella on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest…
We’ve written a fair share about tips here on Chow Bella — everything from tipping etiquette to auto gratuities and, of course, a few crazy stories of tipping gone wrong . . . and tipping gone totally right. This weekend, Scottsdale’s Taco Haus chimed in on the tipping debate, posting…
We know how much you were looking forward to seeing Crazy Amy meow her way back into the limelight this Friday on the season six premiere of Kitchen Nightmares. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait. The episode, a follow-up to the shitshow season five finale featuring celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay walking…
There’s something inherently enjoyable about brunch. Maybe it’s because most of us can fit it in only once a week. Maybe it’s because the hybrid meal allows the freedom to eat pretty much whatever you want. Most likely, it’s because it’s an acceptable excuse to drink well before 5 o’clock…
Portland’s Restaurant, the eatery and wine bar in downtown Phoenix that was a mainstay for more than a decade, closed its doors for good on Thursday, February 20. But there’s good news for fans of the restaurant and its food and drinks. The owners already are working on a project…
Chances are, over the weekend, you saw a photo from Rocco’s Little Chicago Pizzeria pop up in your Facebook news feed, along with more than one deprecating article or Jon Stewart video. Arizona’s House Bill 2153 and Senate Bill 1062 have been causing a stir since its passage last week…
