Chris Bianco

Ehren Litzenberger of BLD in Chandler on Mario Batali and Why It's Hard to Be a Three-Squares Chef

This is part two of my interview with Ehren Litzenberger, executive chef at BLD in Chandler. If you missed part one, where Litzenberger dished about simplicity, chocolate-covered grasshoppers and his beef with "foodies," read it here. See also: -- 11 Great Cooking Supply Stores in Metro Phoenix -- ... More >>

Top Five Phoenix Food Stories of the Week

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. So, here's a recap of some of the top stories from the week that you may have missed.

Chris Bianco Opens Full-Blown Pizzeria Bianco at Town & Country; Italian Restaurant Moves to Back Dining Room and Morphs to Trattoria Bianco

It may have gotten off to a rocky start, but Chris Bianco's Italian Restaurant has been earning rave reviews from local foodists for many months now. Problem was: Only hardcore food folks made the connection between the generic name and the famous pizza guy behind it. See also: -- Chris Bianco To O ... More >>

Lamp's Wood-Fired Pizzas Shine in North Scottsdale

Lamp Wood Oven Pizzeria Shines in North Scottsdale

The most primitive attraction in North Scottsdale may be Lamp's pizza oven. See also: - Pig & Pickle in Scottsdale: Gourmet Food Without the Price Tag - Six Phoenix Food Trucks, Rated Covered in an armor of shiny red tiles, it transforms bolts of wood into flickering flames and blistering heat, fe ... More >>

Top Five Phoenix Food Stories of the Week: St. Patrick's Day Edition

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. So, here's a recap of some of the top stories from the week that you may have missed.

Matt Pool on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, His Last Meal on Earth, and What Most People Don't Know About Coffee

This is part two of my interview with Matt Pool, owner of Matt's Big Breakfast and Giant Coffee. If you missed part one, where Pool explains what he learned from Chris Bianco and defends Phoenix as a food town, read it here. See also: -- Chris Bianco's Italian Restaurant Gets a Facelift and We've G ... More >>

11 Best Pizza Spots in Metro Phoenix

As a restaurant town, Phoenix still gets a bum rap: too many chains, too few ethnic, no restaurant-rich urban core, and no famous equivalent to Philly's cheesesteak or Chicago's hot dog to call our own. But there's one thing we do have in abundance, and it's great pizza. Seriously, we are a first-ra ... More >>

15 Metro Phoenix Restaurants to Visit During Spring Training 2013

Spring Training is almost upon us, which means winter is officially over and it's time to break out the shorts. This right here is the weather we Phoenicians live for, the reason we endure five hellish months of summer and severe cases of cabin fever . . . just for the few all-too-brief months of ba ... More >>

"Celebrate Green" March 16 with Dinner at Double Check Ranch -- Buy Discounted Tickets Now

This St. Patrick's Day (yes, we're already talking about St. Patrick's Day -- rather, the day before), Double Check Ranch is going green, with a one-night-only event they're calling "Celebrating Green: A Beyond Organic Pasture Dinner." See Also: Chris Bianco's Italian Restaurant Gets a Facelift (A ... More >>

9 Best New Restaurants of 2012 in Greater Phoenix

This year, the variety of new restaurants in the Valley has more breadth and depth than ever before: comfort-food-meets-gourmet in Scottsdale; artisan pizzas by a legendary baker in Central Phoenix; and knockout Italian eats in east Mesa. When I made this list, I wanted a selection of restaurants ... More >>

Caprese Clash: Pane Bianco vs. Cibo

For this week's battle, we decided to take on the traditional, delicious, simple Caprese sandwich. The combination of tomato, basil, and fresh mozzarella all work so well together it's almost hard to imagine them not being together all the time. See Also: Chris Bianco: Behind the Design of Italian ... More >>

22: Claudio Urciuoli

From now 'til we publish the 2012 edition of Best of Phoenix, New Times and Chow Bella present 100 Tastemakers -- Valley residents who make the cut in our culinary scene. Some you'll know; for others, it'll be a first introduction (but likely not the last). While you're here, check out our 100 Creat ... More >>

24: Jeff Zimmerman

From now 'til we publish the 2012 edition of Best of Phoenix, New Times and Chow Bella present 100 Tastemakers -- Valley residents who make the cut in our culinary scene. Some you'll know; for others, it'll be a first introduction (but likely not the last). While you're here, check out our 100 Creat ... More >>

45: Marco Bianco

From now 'til we publish the 2012 edition of Best of Phoenix, New Times and Chow Bella present 100 Tastemakers -- Valley residents who make the cut in our culinary scene. Some you'll know; for others, it'll be a first introduction (but likely not the last). While you're here, check out our 100 Creat ... More >>

Laurie Notaro's Army of Foodies, the Amuse Douchers of the Culinary World

Every army has a pecking order, and the Amuse Douchers are no different. To rise in foodie rank, you have to be bold, you have to be fearless, and you have to...basically not have any other interests, hobbies, or loved ones that check in on a regular basis. We ALL suffer for our art, but unfortunat ... More >>

This Week's Tastiest Links!

Message to co-workers: get your damn birthday cakes and homemade goodies out of my dieting face. - The Wall Street Journal To foie gras or not foie gras? Valley chefs, restaurateurs, and readers weigh in on the controversial issue. - Chow Bella Gene Simmons of KISS is going to open up a chain of r ... More >>

Whole Foods to Open New Location in Town & Country Shopping Center

A new Whole Foods Market, the world's largest retailer of natural and organic foods, is being built at The Shops at Town & Country, the shopping center (and home of Chris Bianco's newest venture, Italian Restaurant) on the corner of Camelback Road and 20th Street in Central Phoenix. Set to open in ... More >>

Blood, Bones and Butter Author Gabrielle Hamilton Chats with Chow Bella Book Club

We got a chance this weekend to chat by phone with chef and author Blood, Bones and Butter. She'd just touched down in Louisville, Kentucky, in the middle of both the country and her book tour for the recently released paperback version of the book. This Thursday she'll be in Tempe at Changing Han ... More >>

When the Sun Goes Down, Valley Nightlife Lights Up

Chris Bianco's New Italian Restaurant (Called Italian Restaurant) Opens Today

Last October, rumors were flying, then confirmed, that legendary pizza master Chris Bianco was planning to open a up a trattoria in CenPho. Now, it appears the launch date is set -- TODAY. Monday, January 16, Bianco is opening his much-buzzed about new restaurant, called Italian Restaurant, in the ... More >>

Laura Hahnefeld's Year in Food: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

​In addition to food trucks making the scene in a big way in 2011 (see the article here), the year in food for the Valley was chock-full of other newsworthy goodies as well -- even chef Payton Curry managed to slip in a last-minute announcement. Here are a few of Laura's favorites:10. Chefs o ... More >>

Laura Hahnefeld Looks at the Year of the Food Truck

Serious Eats Gives Some Serious Shout-Outs to Valley Favorites in New Book

Ed Levine and the Serious Eats team.​This week, Serious Eats, the website and blog created by food critic and author Ed Levine and winner of two James Beard awards, released its first publication entitled, "Serious Eats: A Comprehensive Guide to Making and Eating Delicious Food Wherever You Ar ... More >>

Maria Taylor Playing for Free at Crescent Ballroom Tonight

​Okay, so Crescent Ballroom has been open two full weeks, which is long enough for us to review five shows there, eat one of Chris Bianco's burritos, and listen as all the "cool kids" started calling the place "Crescent."Stateside and Crescent owner Charlie Levy has enjoyed the past two weeks, too ... More >>

Chris Bianco's New Custom Aprons from The Willows Now for Sale

The WillowsChris Bianco is one of our favorite tastemakers in town -- and we're not just talking about his pizzas and sandwiches. His aesthetic is spot-on -- or, at the very least, he's got good taste in the folks he surrounds himself with. Either way, just peek inside Pizzeria Bianco, Bar Bia ... More >>

Seven Places We're Dining At Before The Rapture

Benjamin LeathermanDurant's is where we'll be once Jesus comes calling.Not to be gloomy or gauche, but it might be time to start thinking about your last meal.  As those obnoxious billboards scattered around town are warning, The Rapture is prophesized to be happening two days from now. Mu ... More >>

Pane Bianco Delves Into Dinner With New Chef

Final Meditations on the Phoenix Food Scene from Michele Laudig

2010 Redux: Culinary Happenings

Crudo dished up beautiful plates of fish at the Devoured culinary fest.​In the spirit of tying up loose ends, we're recapping some of our favorite food-related finds of the year. We've already looked back on the Best Books, Battle of the Dishes, Just Offal, the Best R ... More >>

Wigwam Resort to Host Sunday Farmer's Market

​This weekend kicks off a new farmers' market that will take place on the front lawn of the Wigwam Golf Resort and Spa every Sunday. The market will emphasize on producer-only farm products and will have 15 vendors set up, offering goods ranging from preserves (Cotton Country Jams) and honey ... More >>

Rito's Mexican Food: Celebrating Over 30 Years of Super-Secret Success, But Why?

​Nothing. No flashing "open" neon sign, no guideposts, no outdoor banners screaming, "Curt Schilling Loves Our Green Chile Burro!" or "Guy Fieri Got the Brush-Off Here!" For over 30 years, Rito's Mexican Food has been hidden in an off-the-beaten-path neighborhood in Central Phoenix, with only in-t ... More >>

Summer Break's Almost Over for Voltaire and Other Spots

​Restaurant owners Martin and David Antonelli are getting ready to reopen Voltaire next week, on September 10, after their annual summer break. The traditional French restaurant, located in Scottsdale, is one of a handful of local eateries that close down for extended vacations during the ... More >>

Big Feature on Chris Bianco in Martha Stewart Living

Got a craving for Pizzeria Bianco lately? Better get yourself down there asap -- like, probably tonight -- before too many people start cracking open their brand-new copies of Martha Stewart Living. The place is notorious for its wait, but I'm betting it will soon be even longer. Phoenix's cele ... More >>

April 14 In Blogs: Bright Eyes, Chris Bianco, Red Hot Robots and More

We understand that in the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. Worry not! We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Valley Fever:Violent Fugitive on the Loose in West Valley, Says DPS Angry Bus Dri ... More >>

Calexico Classy at Heritage Square Concert

Luke HolwerdaCalexico's Joey Burns sings at the band's show Saturday at Heritage Square. See more shots in our Calexico slide show.There's one word that describes the Calexico concert at Heritage Square last night: Classy. From the tastefully-appointed stage, to the home-made tamales and high-end be ... More >>

Calexico Plug Into a Community of Sound and Style to Produce a Mutty Mix

Miniature Tigers Yucca Gig a Nice Send-Off for Big Tour

With their star swiftly rising thanks to a slate of dates opening for Ben Folds and a showcase at SxSW, a lot of us showing up at Miniature Tigers' show at Yucca Tap Room last night kind of thought this could be one the last times we'd see the band for free. If that's the case, we got a great show t ... More >>

Phoenix Phoodies: Rancho Pinot's Chrysa Makes Mozzarella

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Food PHX

Matt's Big Hassle

Three years ago, Mayor-elect Phil Gordon promised to make it easier for small businesses to renovate old buildings. But the problems faced by one indie restaurateur show that, if anything, it's harder than ever

Morning Ritual

BEST SANDWICHES

Pane Bianco

Later, My Check

Where do hospitality employees go for good food when they'redone with work?

Field of Greens

Second Helpings

Second Helpings

Menu for a Small Planet

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