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. Miss a question? Go here. Many restaurants throughout the Valley are offering special meals for…
While a jumbo tub of hot buttered popcorn is one of our favorite snacks, 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 the comments…
As a kid I used to dread Thanksgiving leftovers. My parents, however, seemed to love them and would make us all feed off what seemed like an empty carcass for almost a week. Leftovers need not be so grim with Pinterest in your life. In fact, after taking a look…
Beer cocktails are nothing new. Remember the Boilermaker — a shot glass of whisky dumped in a beer? It was a blue collar, let’s-get-down-to-business kind of drink, a little déclassé compared to the la-ti-da beer cocktails made today. But then, why wouldn’t beer cocktails become more artisanal and interesting, given…
AndyTalk: Apples mean Autumn AndyTalk: The Winning Combo of Cauliflower and Mayonnaise Every year I ask myself why persimmons aren’t more popular. They’re usually in the smallest bin in the produce aisle (although they’ve been at Costco and Sam’s this year). The Fuyu varitey, which is what I’ve seen so…
The Guilty Pleasure: Smoked Sweet Potato Where To Get It: Joe’s Real BBQ Price: $5.49 ($8.49 with meat on top) What It Really Costs: It’s practically health food, until the magic words: Cinnamon butter. Food-loving folk everywhere adore the change to cold weather for one big reason: Seasonal food. As…
This is part two of my interview with Steven “Chops” Smith, executive chef at Searsucker. If you missed part one, where Smith dishes about the weirdest thing he ever ate and why he loves Japanese cuisine, read it here. See also: — Bernie Kantak Explains What’s Good About Food Network…
Pushing, shoving, possible lethal trampling. There’s no time like Black Friday, the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season, to see humanity at its very best. See also: At Crepe Bar, a New King of Crepes Is Crowned Best Crepes 2012 – Crepe Bar Which may be why Jeff Kraus…
If you regularly eat lunch in central Phoenix, you’ve probably stopped by That’s a Wrap. With 12 varieties of wraps to choose from, along with salads and rice bowls, there’s something on the menu for everyone. Favorites include the Buffalo ’66 with grilled chicken, hot wing sauce, ranch dressing, and…
Once you’ve led a fine dining venue to become the only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond Restaurant in Arizona, is there anything left to accomplish? Apparently there is. And in the case of chef Michael O’Dowd, just what it might be is a bit of head scratcher. See also: Frank…
Ling and Louie, meet Randy and Michael. Oh, and Jason. Him, too. More specifically, Randy Schoch, Michael McDermott, and Jason Merritt. They’re the restaurateurs bringing a new kind of Ling & Louie’s, the Asian bar and grill with locations in Chandler and Scottsdale (and five other cities in the U.S.)…
Steven “Chops” Smith Searsucker 6900 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale 480-664-3777 www.searsucker.com/scottsdale/ See also: Top Chef Brian Malarkey Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Searsucker’s Grand Opening This is part one of my interview with Steven “Chops” Smith, executive chef of Searsucker. Come back Tuesday when Smith dishes about Chris Curtiss,…
VegCo Market, the would-be first 100% plant-based supermarket we mentioned in October has since experienced some ups and downs. And it might not wind up in Phoenix, as originally planned. While the creators have secured $150,000 toward the project, initial negotiations with a local capital acquisition firm to secure the…
Our Twinkies might be gone forever, but the makers of Cracker Jack aren’t afraid to change with the times. And these are the times of Starbucks on every corner, caffeine-related deaths and general ridiculousness — all of which means Cracker Jack snacks plus caffeine? What the hell, why not. That’s…
Every week, there’s a cornucopia of Phoenix food news, features, and reviews to report here at Chow Bella. If you’re like most people, you probably just don’t have the time to get to all of it. It’s kind of like those burgers at Old Town Whiskey; it just won’t all…
Prime Provisions, we hardly knew ye. Opened in May, the locavore-loving deli, on the southwestern corner of Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard and Scottsdale Road, is shuttering on Sunday afternoon. Owned by Rick Fredrickson (and his first restaurant), Prime Provisions featured a breakfast and lunch menu of salads, sandwiches (including a…
On the heels of yesterday’s news that James Beard Award finalist Kevin Binkley, chef and owner of Binkley’s Restaurant and Café Bink, is opening a new restaurant in the spot currently occupied by Sophie’s Bistro, comes the news that Sophie’s will be closing its doors after dinner service this Saturday…
The holidays mean parties. Parties mean hors d’oeuvres. And if you’re throwing one of your own (a party, not an hors d’oeuvre), why not think tiny? And adorablz. Must think adorablz. See also: The 10 Best Cocktails for Your Holiday Party In their new book, Tiny Food Party! Bite-Size Recipes…
Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Check out what’s on our plate. See also: – 10 Metro Phoenix Desserts to Pre-Order for Thanksgiving – Happy Hour Report Card: Davanti Enoteca NovemBEER at World of Beer This month World of Beer in Tempe…
Editor’s Note: This post has been edited from its original version. It’s been a fun three-year run, but Charleen Badman and Pavle Milic are pulling up stakes on Stetson Drive. They’re moving the tiny restaurant that’s won countless local awards, a nod for their dreamy leeks dish in Food &…
See Also: AndyTalk: Sugar Plumps Cellulose I conducted a parsnip poll. I asked a group of 18-year olds in a recent cooking class how many of them had ever eaten a parsnip. When the response was a sea of blank faces I backed up and asked how many of them…
Kevin Binkley, chef owner of Binkley’s Restaurant and Café Bink, has been planning to open an in-town restaurant for some time now. He’d found what he thought was the perfect location last summer, only to have the deal fall through. Now he’s found another one — in Central Phoenix –…
