Copper Star Coffee barista Emma Truitt is partial to the shop’s lavender cappuccino — but it isn’t because she has hair the same color as the gently fragrant herb. It is because she is aware of how its flavor lends itself in a good way to the popular frothy espresso…
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 next few weeks, we’ll be sharing the results, and at the end, we’ll let you know who won. Today:…
Talk to chef-owner Jordan Murray about his new food truck, Rock A Belly, and it isn’t hard to figure out what he’s passionate about. With a love of rockabilly (Murray’s a member of the Phoenix-based psychobilly band Stitch Hopeless and the Sea Legs), cooking, his Pittsburgh roots, and Arizona, Murray…
Have an image of a cozy Thai cafe? It probably looks a lot like Krua. The little eatery on the city’s north side is a pleasant space, small and tidy, with a handful of tables and booths frequently occupied by guests who tuck into bowls of steaming, fragrant curries, spicy…
It’s a busy weekend for Valley food lovers. With a two-day food truck festival and plenty of Halloween-themed dining and drinking in the works, we’re planning on hitting it hard. Here are the best things to put in your mouth this weekend. A Taste of the Trucks Saturday, October 26…
Whether you think offal is awful or awesome, there’s a good chance you’ll at least be intrigued by chef James Porter’s Fourth Annual Halloween Offal Dinner. If you’re unfamiliar with this kind of food, offal (pronounced just like “awful”) means the bits of animals that usually are cast aside —…
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 next few weeks, we’ll be sharing the results, and at the end, we’ll let you know who won. Today,…
When 30-year-old Brandon Bennett was deciding on the name for his food truck, he landed on the nickname his friends in Arizona called him when he moved to the Valley from Eugene, Oregon, in 1994: Yeti. “I was a tall, lanky hippie kid with an Afro,” he says. “I didn’t…
Grassroots Kitchen & Tap, the Scottsdale restaurant from fourth-generation restaurateur Christopher Collins (whose father is Wally Collins of Wally’s American Pub N’ Grille) is bringing its American standards with a Southern twist to a second location in Phoenix…
Persimmons are the “hot” fruit. You can look for them this time of year at a few farmers markets, including the Old Town Farmers Market in Scottsdale. That’s great because they’re pretty to look at and in season, but, um, what do you do with them? Don’t worry. We’re here…
There’s one reason and one reason only for making flour tortillas at home: lard, my favorite four-letter word. Why else bother with all the rolling and flour dusting if it were not for the melt in your mouth delicious flavor of lard? It’s a sad reality, but commercially produced lard-based…
Krua, on the city’s north side, pretty much embodies the idea of a cozy Thai café. It’s a pleasant space, small and tidy, with a handful of tables and booths frequently occupied by guests who tuck into bowls of steaming, fragrant curries, spicy salads kissed with lemon, and stir-fried dishes…
In what may be the Valley’s most anticipated new restaurant, The Clever Koi, a modern Asian food and drink establishment, has announced a tentative opening date of Tuesday, November 19. From former Parlor Pizzeria chefs Jared Porter and Joseph Absolor, along with co-owners Joshua James (beverage director) and Nicholas Campisano…
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. Who do you believe when you’re reading about food? If you’re like me, the answer would be “not many…
I had a lot of fun last week covering wacky food at the Arizona State Fair. However, there were a few things I missed out on for one reason or another. Some things weren’t yet ready to serve on opening day. On other dishes, my grease quota for the day…
The Mac & Cheese Throwdown is less than a month away, and that means it’s time to buy your ticket. Seriously, this event has been known to sell out early. So if you’re tired of powdered cheese packets from the boring blue box, you’d better lay down your $22 ASAP…
Since Coconut’s Fish Cafe opened in Maui in April 2009, it’s been featured on CNN.com’s list of “Top 10 Places to Eat Like a Local” as well as the restaurant review website Zagat for having “the perfect fish taco.” This April, the healthy “island style” fast-casual eatery made its first…
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 next few weeks, we’ll be sharing the results, and at the end, we’ll let you know who won. Today,…
Scramble, the four-year-old fast casual breakfast spot in Sunnyslope, is expanding to Scottsdale. And although the cheery theme, size, and breakfast and lunch menu of familiar American dishes will remain pretty much the same as the original, the Scottsdale Scramble will offer something the Sunnyslope spot doesn’t: a.m. cocktails…
In February, when most of us were still reeling over a giant-ass meteor in Russia, the lights going out at Super Bowl XLVII, and the awfulness of Seth MacFarlane hosting the Oscars, restaurateur Sam Fox threw another bombshell into the mix: a “life-changing food experience.” The promise came in the…
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…
Quiche, it isn’t just for breakfast anymore. Truth is, quiche can be eaten for just about any meal. Eggs, milk, perhaps a bit of sour cream, veggies, bacon or sausage, flaky pie crust. What’s not to love? Everyone has their own style and concoction for the perfect quiche, our two…
