Subject: Culture and Lifestyle

• Poe

  October 15, 2009

• Battle of the Raspados

  Realeza Michoacana vs. La Reina MichoacanaRaspados are basically Mexican snow cones, but they're better than their US counterparts because real fruit juice is drizzled on top of the ice, instead of the sugary syrup most of us are used to. This gives you the feeling that what you're eating is vaguely healthy. In One Corner: Realeza Michoacana2520 N. 16th St.602-271-4527​

  October 15, 2009

• Now Open in Glendale: BiCE Bistro

  ​Founded in Milan in 1926, the first BiCE Bistro to hit the States opened in New York in 1987. Now the Italian restaurant has a new Arizona location in its lineup. BiCE Bistro's Glendale home debuted last week in the Westgate City Center (6751 N. Sunset Blvd.), with a modern, 80-seat dining room, a 24-seat bar area, a private dining room, and a patio that accomodates 50. There's plenty to choose from on the menu, including antipasti, half a dozen salads, Neapolita

  October 15, 2009

• Saturday: Roka Akor Launches All-You-Can-Eat Brunch

  ​Seafood and sushi fanatics, rejoice. Starting tomorrow, you'll be able to stuff yourself silly at Roka Akor's decadent new Saturday brunch buffet. For $35, take a deep breath and dig in to five kinds of sushi rolls, such as the salmon avocado roll, as well as salads and appetizers like the butterfish takaki with white asparagus and yuzu (pictured). Desserts will be part of the spread, too. Guests will also get to choose one item from the menu of robata grill entrees. And lest we forget

  October 16, 2009

• German Food Fest at Tonto Bar & Grill

  ​Guten tag, German food fanatics! If you haven't been getting your fix of schnitzel, sauerkraut, and strudel, head on over to Tonto Bar & Grill in Cave Creek for their Oktoberfest celebration.German chef Ernst Andreas was brought in from Tonto's sister restaurant, Stables Ranch Grille, to prepare authentic Deutschland cuisine. The menu includes potato pancakes with apple compote, sausage with sauerkraut, veal wiener schnitzel, and black forest cake. Tonto is also offering some hard-to-find

  October 19, 2009

• Digestif Closes in Wake of Payton Curry's Departure

  ​Chef Payton Curry had planned on staying with Digestif through this coming weekend (for the Crave culinary festival), but last night was his final turn in the kitchen there. Curry recently gave notice at the Old Town restaurant to make a move to Tempe's Caffe Boa. Spaghetti Western "buzz and schmooze" gal Mari Markogianis says the restaurant is now closed, although restaurateur Peter Kasperski wants to reopen it by the end of the year as a different restaurant. "We had a good run with

  October 19, 2009

• Mormon Church Uses T.V. Drag Queen in New Arizona Promotional Ad

  www.imdb.comThe Mormon Church's newest spokesman, "Man With Teats."​The Mormon Church has an interesting voice in a new television ad being aired in Arizona and Utah -- a seven-foot tall transvestite hooker.Well, he's not an actual transvestite hooker (as far as we know) but he played one on T.V. 

  October 19, 2009

• Petite Maison Adds Bouillabaise to the Mix

  I know there are some longtime Chow Bella readers who go crazy for bouillabaise, so this blog's for you. Petite Maison PR gal Wendy Goldman just dropped a line to tell me about the latest menu change-up at the bite-sized Scottsdale French restaurant. Although their whole fish for two (so tasty) and duck with sweet potato and lentils were popular dishes, for now, they're getting swapped out for bouillabaise for two ($39) and duck cassoulet ($18). The dishes will debut tomorrow night. "Chef James

  October 19, 2009

• Illegal Alien Costume Gets Yanked From Store Shelves for Being Offensive

  www.hamptonroads.com​It turns out illegal alien Halloween costumes aren't even welcome in Arizona -- or America for that matter.Two different "illegal alien" Halloween costumes have been yanked off the shelves of retail stores because consumers say they are offensive. As far as we know, the removal of the costumes wasn't the result of our wily sheriff and one of his infamous crime suppression sweeps and they haven't been deported or taken to tent city.

  October 20, 2009

• Meal Ticket: New Biltmore Restaurant Tiptoes into Town

  ​With Digestif being the latest in a line of popular Phoenix-area restaurants to close, we're not exactly holding our breaths as the ecomonic forecasters declare the recession over. But there are definitely a few good signs here in Phoenix, especially in the restaurant industry. New eateries are popping up all over town; some, so silently that you have to be "in the know" to know they're open. In this week's Meal Ticket dining newsletter, we've got the scoop on a new Biltmore r

  October 21, 2009

• Scare City: What To Do and Where To Go on Halloween

  October 22, 2009

• Is Chef Aaron Chamberlin’s St. Francis Holding Back?

  October 22, 2009

• How Sweet It Is! Smeeks

  Sloane BurwellBoo! It's Halloween candy!​There's nothing like candy to release your inner 5 year old. From all day suckers to wickedly sour candies strong enough to make a grown-up wince, there's a sticky sweet treat to satisfy every taste bud. Nowadays, it seems like nostalgia reigns supreme as quirky candy from the good old days lines the shelves of local candy stores. Tune in for a trip around sugar lane as we visit three confectionary playgrounds. Yesterday we looked at Sweets and Be

  October 21, 2009

• Chef Talk: Shin Toyoda, Sushi Roku

  Heather Hoch Sushi Chef Shin Toyoda tending his sushi bar at Sushi Roku.​Armed with a super sharp sushi knife and some of the freshest fish to be found in a desert, sushi chef Shin Toyoda takes Arizona tastebuds to Tokyo, one happy customer at a time.Toyoda got his first job in a restaurant when he was 16 as a busboy and has been in restaurants ever since. His upbringing and his 30-year career -- 11 of which have been with the Sushi Roku company -- has made Toyoda very particular a

  October 22, 2009

• Two Chances for Eating Well While Doing Good

  ​Organizers for two separate events are donating their proceeds this week to St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance, a non-profit organization that serves 300,000 meals to the hungry every day.Hickman's Family Farms has challenged local restaurants and culinary students to create a tasty "Egg on Top" dish; one dollar of each dish sold will go to St. Mary's. Hickman's will then match the one dollar donation and give each "Egg on Top" customer a coupon for a dozen free eggs. ​Some restaura

  October 22, 2009

• Recipe: Rhythm & Blues From Rhythm Room

  Benjamin LeathermanThe Rhythm and Blues, as created by Mona Watkins.​The Rhythm Room has built a reputation over the past two decades as the Valley's premier destination to hear the best in rootsy, down-home music like the blues, Americana, and rockabilly. But what about its drinks? Not so much. That's not to say that bartender Mona Watkins doesn'has never gotten some kudos for her skills at mixing drinks. Living legends Willie "Big Eye" Smith and Leon Blue are particular fans of one creatio

  October 23, 2009

• Farrelli's Cinema Supper Club brings Julia Childs-inspired cuisine to moviegoers

  We can't help but get hungry whenever superstar chef Julia Childs is mentioned, so why not eat her food while watching a movie about her?

  October 26, 2009

• Colorado City Schools Set to be Returned to Local Control; AG's Office Sits on Fraud Investigation

  Texas authorities last year released pictures of former FLDS leader Warren Jeffs making out with underage girls. ​ The Arizona Board of Education is set to return the Colorado City Unified School District to local control -- that control being by a bunch of polygamist inbreds. The corruption and financial mismanagement of the school district was unearthed six years ago by the tenacious reporting of former New Times reporter John Dougherty and resulted in a state audit and investigat

  October 26, 2009

• No-bake Spiderweb Cheesecake

  ​ Halloween is nigh and we are busy getting ready. For this week's Monday Night Martha we decided to spin a web of artery clogging goodness and make Martha Stewart's No-bake Spiderweb Cheesecake. This recipe is not for the faint of heart as it calls for 32 oz. of cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream to make the filling. Not to mention the stick and a half of butter in the crust. If you are trying to bulk up to fill out your Chewbacca costume, eating several servings of this cake co

  October 26, 2009

• Homemade Candy Corn Easier Than It Sounds -- If You Follow the Recipe

  Amy SilvermanHomemade Candy Corn.​You didn't expect to read the terms "cognitive dissonance" and "homemade candy corn" in the same sentence, but there they are.And so apt -- as soon as we got the idea to make our own candy corn (not knowing if it was even possible or had ever been attempted) we began seeing recipes for and homemade mentions of the usually over-processed, mass produced treat. Lucky us. All of the recipes seem to be about the same (save for a debate over salted versus unsalted

  October 27, 2009

• You Pick It: Apple Annie's

  Apple Annie's​One of the best parts of autumn is the pick-it-yourself patches and orchards opening for public fun. Despite the 90-degree October and desert landscape, Arizona boasts some lovely farms for picking. However, most places close for the season on or around Halloween, so here's a few farms to hit up this week before all the goods are gone.Apple Annie's in Wilcox is our first stop on the orchard tour. Of course there's some "family fun" opportunities, but there really is a lot m

  October 27, 2009

• Battle of the Pad Thai

  Yupha's Thai Kitchen vs. Wild Thaiger Visit even a semi-authentic ethnic restaurant -- Thai, Indian, Vietnamese -- and you'll generally find two types of dishes on the menu: traditional specialties with unpronounceable names and flavors that pay homage to the homeland, and bastardized versions more suited to the average American palate. Though Pad Thai is a national dish of Thailand, here in the States it almost always falls into the latter category. In this Battle of the Dishes,

  October 28, 2009

• Haute All Hallows

  October 29, 2009

• Ooky Dokey

  October 29, 2009

• Phoenix Public Information Director David J. Ramirez May Have Been a Victim of His Own "Friend"; Plus, Councilman Sal DiCiccio May Be Gagging the City Attorney

  October 29, 2009

• Seven Nights of DJs & Dancing

  October 29, 2009

• Paranormal Activity: Arizona Ghostbusters Go to Extremes for Good Causes

  October 29, 2009

• Calistro Bistro Left Out “Tasty” When Building Its Seasonal, Local, Organic Menu

  October 29, 2009

• Forking: Simple German Bread Dumpling Soup

  ​This week's Forking column gets down to the dirty truth about what your surroundings say about you. For the sake of making a good impression on your would-be significant other, make damn sure to clean your bathroom. As for your kitchen, have a pot of this German bread dumpling soup bubbling away on your stove and call it good.  The recipe is after the jump. 

  October 28, 2009

• 10 Things Under $10 This Halloweekend: Midgets, Death Racing, Vampires, and More

  You can find Chuey the Rock 'n' Roll Midget hanging out at Giligin's Halloween Block Party in Scottsdale this weekend.​Halloween Block Party at Giligin's (Friday) If the Ghost Ball proves too crowded or too douchey for your tastes, Cap'n Mike and his kooky crew have a more unpretentious option for your All Hallows Eve. A big chunk of Winfield Scott Plaza will be fenced off for a two-day indoor/outdoor extravaganza of live bands, drunken distractions, and bizarre behavior. A costume contest wil

  October 30, 2009

• Celebrate World Vegan Day With a Light Rail Potluck

  Sometimes being a vegan in Phoenix can get pretty lonely, but on November 1, animal product-free Phoenicians will gather at the Spectrum Mall light rail station to celebrate World Vegan Day with a potluck full of vegan goodies.

  October 30, 2009

• Chocolate Alert! Eleanor Joseph Truffles Land in your Grocery

  Dark chocolate contains antioxidants that help fight free radicals and stave off aging, and a glass of wine a day can reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. So that fistful of dark chocolate medallions and glass of Cabernet you'll be downing tonight are totally healthy!

  October 30, 2009

• Phish Live 8: Photos From Day 1

  ​Phish Halloween Indio, California = Pumpkin carving contest. ​Phish takes the stage playing "Party Time" in Indio, California for their Live 8 Festival. The reunited Vermont jam band is combining two of their biggest traditions, a massive festival and a Halloween concert that features the band playing another artist's album in its entirety. What does all this mean? Lots and lots of hippies sleeping in tents on the lush grass of Empire Polo Club.

  October 31, 2009

• Caffiend: Jolt Orange Blast

  E. Groves​Since it was introduced in 1985, Jolt Cola's had a well-deserved reputation as one of the world's most caffeinated sodas, proudly standing by its motto of "All the sugar and twice the caffeine" -- at least until the cane sugar in the original recipe was replaced with high fructose corn syrup. Now the tag line is "All the flavor and twice the caffeine."And oh, how many flavors Jolt has added to its line since its birth 24 years ago. There's Cherry Bomb, Citrus Climax, White Lightning,

  November 2, 2009

• Halloween, Shake!, Sadisco*, Phish and Zombies Over the Weekend

  ​The Final Shake! at the Rogue After five long years of indie/rock/electro/etc. dance tunes, celebrity guest DJs and stylish drunks gyrating on the dance floor, Shake! finally let out its death rattle. Fortunately the old dame went out with a bang and not a whimper Saturday night, yielding an army of creatively-costumed partygoers intent on drinking, dancing and making out one last time...see photos ​Sadisco* at Chaser's You think your Halloween was scary? You should have been at S

  November 2, 2009

• Coronado Cafe Under New Ownership

  Flight attendants-turned-restaurateurs Robert McCarville, Tom Vigil, and Randy Betnar sold Coronado Cafe two weeks ago, and the new owners of the charming eatery, tucked into an historic 1915 bungalow on 7th Street, have a few changes in store. Co-owner Diane Stackwick has lived in Arizona for a decade, but she hails from Baltimore, and owned a successful Maryland restaurant for several years. Her son and his wife are also co-owners; Christian Holt is the new chef and Misti Jones brings her wine

  November 2, 2009

• Amy Donohue, What Are You Eating?

  Find out what comedian Amy Donohue loves to eat.

  November 3, 2009

• Tweet n' Eat: Five Foodies to Follow

  ​Before the Internet, restaurants had to rely on TV and newspaper ads and word of mouth (OMG, how totally prehistoric!) to pimp their daily specials. While these archaic delivery methods are still around, now diners can find daily food specials with the click of a mouse on sites like Facebook and Twitter -- that is, if they know which Valley restaurants/chefs/etc. are reliable Twits, er, Twitterers.   Here are five of our faves: District's Ha

  November 3, 2009

• Your Ticket to Wine on Tap and Chicago-style Eats

  ​Phoenix is known as a home of transplants, with much of its population having relocated from elsewhere in the country (or in the world). But if you're a Chicago native or an East Coaster, you'll feel right at home in a Glendale restaurant that specializes in Philly cheese steaks and Chicago-style dogs. Which one? You'll have to read this week's Meal Ticket dining newsletter to find out. We'll also have info on a Phoenix restaurant that's the first in Arizona to pilot a new "wine on tap"

  November 4, 2009

• Battle of the Cuban Sandwiches

  Babaloos Cuban Cafe vs. Havana Cafe Created by immigrant laborers at the turn of the 20th century, the Cuban Sandwich is a tasty alternative to Plain Jane ham and cheese. Some versions have salami, some have lettuce and tomato, but the basics are the same: pork, spiced ham, cheese and pickles on toasted bread. We headed to two authentic Cuban cafes in SoPo/Ahwatukee to test out their versions of this popular 'wich.  In one corner: Babaloos Cuban Cafe  1241 E. Chandler Blvd. in&nbs

  November 4, 2009

• Pop Couture

  November 5, 2009

• Go Phish: Hippie Music Is on the Downswing — and That Sucks

  November 5, 2009

• Eat

  November 5, 2009

• Woodlands Vegetarian and Café Krishna Pack Chandler With Ethnic Vegetarian Specialties

  November 5, 2009

• Recipe: Apricot Glazed Chicken from Liberty Market

  Heather Hoch This tasty dish is a dinner menu-only item, so here's the recipe to try it anytime.​Running a restaurant is a lot like entertaining guests at home for chef David Traina, our Chef Talk subject for this week. He keeps the dishes on the menu simple with ingredients he knows and loves.Several of the dishes at Liberty Market are things Traina would serve right out of his home kitchen. But one dish has more sentimentality than the rest. The apricot glazed chicken has ties to how

  November 4, 2009

• Free Boating on Town Lake

  November 5, 2009

• Are Grocery Stores Going Nutty?

  We're noticing a trend in grocery stores lately -- they're all going totally nuts! Literally, that is. More and more local grocery stores are expanding their nut selections, venturing beyond stock bags of pistachios and cans of mixed nuts to bulk nuts, grind your own peanut butter stations and nut counters where customers can sample nuts and take them home by the pound. Make your own nut butter at the Chandler Whole Foods store.Whole Foods in Chandler, for example, has six grind

  November 5, 2009

• Chef Michael Rusconi is Leaving LON's

  Earlier this week, LON's at the Hermosa announced that acclaimed executive chef Michael Rusconi is leaving the fine dining restaurant at the Hermosa Inn. Where is Rusconi headed? Will the restaurant continue with Rusconi's emphasis on seasonal cuisine that emphasizes sustainable ingredients? Will the next chef at LON's be recruited from elsewhere or from the local talent pool?Unfortunately, no information is currently available on Rusconi's future plans or who will replace hi

  November 5, 2009

• 10 Things to Know If You're Dining Out

  ​As a server at several restaurants over the course of 5 years, you learn a lot about the business. It may just seem like a casual dining restaurant, but oftentimes the hospitality business is one of the most dramatic out there and has a lot of nuances diners might not even know about. Here are 10 things to keep in mind if you're going to eat at a restaurant. 10. Give your feedback on the restaurant's website While it's obvious you can always tell a manger in-person what you think, s

  November 6, 2009

• Welcome Diner Open Tonight for First Friday

  ​Just a quick reminder that Welcome Diner has special hours for First Friday. They'll be serving food from 6 p.m. to midnight. Specials on the menu include watermelon from Crooked Sky Farms and eggplant from Maya's Farm. If you're down wandering around Roosevelt Row, hit up Rusty Spoke bike co-op on 5th Street for the lowdown on how to get a pedicab to the diner.

  November 6, 2009