Claudio Urciuoli

11 Favorite Salads in Metro Phoenix

Summer is just weeks away, which means it's panic time for those of us who packed on the lbs. over the winter. Yes, of course, we should've seen this coming, and what the hell happened to that exercise regimen we felt so enthusiastic about back in January? Now there's no place to run and certainly n ... More >>

Chris Bianco's Italian Restaurant Gets a Facelift (And We've Got the Photos)

Since it opened early last year, James Beard Award winner Chris Bianco's Italian Restaurant in Central Phoenix has had its fair share of troubles. There were complaints about portion sizes, uppity staff, uncomfortable seating -- and then, as if things couldn't get any worse, Bianco parted ways last ... More >>

Chris Bianco Finds New Chef (Who Shares His Philosophy) for Italian Restaurant

Word on the street was that Chris Bianco had installed somebody new in the kitchen at Italian Restaurant, but nobody was quite sure who. So I called the pizza maestro and soon-to-be cookbook author (No, it won't be entitled The Life of Pie), who confirms that he's brought in some new talent -- namel ... More >>

7: Snir and Kierstin Mor

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 >>

15 Favorite Spots for Late-Night Eats in Greater Phoenix

It wasn't until a few years ago that getting late-night eats in the Valley meant hitting up a 24-hour chain restaurant (Oh, boy, another Belgian Waffle Slam) or picking through the contents of your refrigerator. Thankfully, things have changed a bit as more independent restaurants are keeping later ... More >>

Chow Bella's Top Phoenix Food Stories of the Week

Every week, there's a cornucopia of new 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 fit in your mouth . . . or in t ... 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

Chef Peter DeRuvo Leaves Prado

​After less than nine months at Prado, the Andalusian-inspired fine-dining spot at Paradise Valley's InterContinental Montelucia, chef de cuisine Peter DeRuvo has left. DeRuvo, who started at Prado in January a few months after leaving Sassi, the award-winning Italian restaurant at the foot o ... More >>

Pane Bianco Opens for Dinner Service

Pane Bianco, the Italian sandwich take-out shop owned by James Beard Award-winning pizzaiolo Chris Bianco, now serves a full dinner menu from 4 to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.  "We wanted to expand the experience at Pane, with iconic dishes from my childhood," Bianco says. The rest ... More >>

Peter DeRuvo Hired as Chef at Prado

Chef Peter DeRuvo was invited to cook at New York's James Beard House while he was chef at Sassi. ​The off-the-record buzz about chef Peter DeRuvo taking over the chef de cuisine position at Prado is now confirmed news. He officially starts the job on Monday. DeRuvo seems lik ... More >>

More on Vatra/Kitchen 56 Changes

Kitchen 56 is the new name for a completely overhauled Vatra Grillhouse.​Bill DeGroot, the industry pro who was brought in to help revamp Arcadia's Vatra Grillhouse this past fall, confirms that he's still in the picture as a consultant for the new Kitchen 56, and that chef Peter DeRuvo has i ... More >>

Chris Bianco Buys Out Business Partner in Pizzeria Bianco

Pizzeria Bianco co-owner Susan Pool has parted ways with the restaurant.​After a 16-year business partnership, James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Bianco is parting ways with Susan Pool, who's been a front-of-the-house fixture at the popular downtown eatery. "I'm taking over the ownership ... More >>

Payton Curry Plays Reindeer Games

Digestif: Pavle Departs, Payton Gets on Camera

Digestif's chef Payton Curry (left) and GM Pavle Milic hug it out over some fresh mozz at last year's Eats3 Pavle Milic, general manager at Scottsdale's groovy Digestif, was a man with a plan. But in the words of John Lennon, "Life is what happens while you're busy making plans." So al ... More >>

Is cuisine an artform?