For those who fantasize about real-deal ramen and Asian teas, T.Spot, the new space inside Tien Wong, the casual hot pot restaurant in Chandler, might be the place of your dreams. Courtesy of chef Johnny Chu and wife, partner, and general manager Linda Q (the couple also owns SoChu House…
For those who have seen calzones jotted on the bottom corner of your local pizza shop’s menu without ever trying one — what are you waiting for? A calzone is basically a pizza ready to devour on the go. Not to be confused with its cousin the stromboli, a calzone’s…
Steak ‘n Shake, the diner-style restaurant chain located primarily in the Midwest and South and known for its Original Steakburger and hand-dipped milkshakes, is making its first foray into Arizona — by way of Tempe’s Mill Avenue…
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. Last month, Squid Ink, the food blog of our sister paper LA Weekly, pondered the…
We love growing things to eat, and there are lots of great growers here in Phoenix. But you might not know Monika Woolsey. She’s a dietitian and head of Hip Veggies, an educational collaboration between artists and food professionals that aims to promote locally grown produce, support local artists, and…
All over the country, healthy eating is on the rise. And in the realm of fast-casual dining, that means replacing the iceberg lettuce and “lite” mayonnaise with roasted vegetables and well-seasoned sauces served up fast, fresh, and with a nod to all kinds of diets — from vegan to gluten-free…
Mambo’s, the family-owned restaurant serving traditional comida dominicana in Queen Creek, has shuttered. Courtesy of former New Yorker Eddie Taveras and his family, Mambo’s, which opened under a year ago, brought the food and flavors of the Dominican Republic to a former pizza joint in Queen Creek. “We wanted to…
The Guilty Pleasure: Mighty Wings Where to Find It: McDonald’s; limited availability now, soon available everywhere Price: About a buck per piece. What it Really Costs: For most of metro Phoenix, time. For a few weeks (possibly months) now, I’ve heard that McDonald’s has a new product on the way:…
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. Whatever happened to fine dining? Sure, you can have a James Beard-worthy meal at a number of Valley restaurants,…
This is part two of our interview with chef Aurore de Beauduy of Vogue Bistro in Surprise. Having traveled and worked all over the world, you can imagine de Beauduy is a woman with a quite a lot of stories to tell. Today she shares our favorite of those adventures…
In just a handful of days, Arizona Restaurant Week, the twice-a-year event put on by the Arizona Restaurant Association, will be in full swing. And this year, the nine-day fall celebration, which runs from Saturday, September 21, to Sunday, September 29, is expected to include over 150 restaurants offering discounted…
Described as the “fifth and final piece to Craig DeMarco and Lauren Bailey’s nucleus of restaurants,” a second location of Joyride Taco House will join Postino Central, Windsor, Churn, and Federal Pizza on Central Avenue in Central Phoenix this December. DeMarco and Bailey, the Upward Projects restaurateurs who opened the…
The countdown to Best of Phoenix is on. Mark your calendar: This year’s issue will be on newsstands September 26. What better way to warm up than by asking some local “experts” to list their own personal bests? This week, Greg Esser — director of the International Artist Residency program…
Aurore de Beauduy Chef Vogue Bistro www.voguebistro.com Phoenix is a long way from the quaint cafes and white-linen world-class dining destinations of Paris — and you can be sure it was neither a short nor a particularly direct route that led Aurore de Beauduy from the City of Lights to…
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…
Heads up, Gilbert doughnut hounds: There’s a new spot in town to get your fix of fried dough. Courtesy of a Californian with a few doughnut stores under his belt, Good Donuts, his first in Arizona, opened in a strip mall at 865 North Gilbert Road (Gilbert and Guadalupe Roads)…
Grab a gourmet snack and a comfy seat on the couch because the fall tv season is just around the corner. And while we can watch re-runs of Good Eats and No Reservations until the cows come home, we’re pretty excited for some new fodder on which we can feast…
In February, the restaurant gods smiled upon Arizona by gracing Scottsdale with its first Portillo’s, the Illinois restaurant chain beloved by Chicago transplants throughout the Valley who craved its Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef, hamburgers, and cake shakes. So eagerly awaited was its arrival by fans old and new, in…
While we sit in rush-hour traffic to commute, Blue House Coffee Goods co-founder Sam Beger pedals his work — a 300- to 500-pound bike — to the corner of East University Drive and South College Avenue in Tempe. It takes about seven minutes. Beger and co-founder Nick DiPastena take turns…
So, first let me say that I can’t remember ever eating at P.F. Chang’s China Bistro. Until this week. Which is a bit weird since the chain’s very first restaurant opened a few miles from my house, and now it has hundreds of restaurants around the world and is a…
The Guilty Pleasure: Twilly Dog Where to Get It: Pittsburgh Willy’s, Chandler Price: $3 What It Really Costs: Your friends’ horrified stares are icing on the cake. I’ve eaten a lot of weird things in the name of the Guilty Pleasures column. This week’s offering takes the cake, both figuratively…
Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? Here are a few things we have on our plate including a fundraiser for food community member Lisa Guingo, who recently was diagnosed with lung cancer, and a Greek cooking class with Denise Clayton of Denise Is Cooking. Don’t forget…
