Eating Out

13 Metro Phoenix Restaurants and Bars with Cinco de Mayo Celebrations

Okay, so maybe you don't know exactly why it's a tradition to eat, drink, and party on Cinco de Mayo (FYI, it's to commemorate the 150-year-old Battle of Puebla, a victory of the Mexican militia over the French army). But those pesky details shouldn't stop you from having a truly awesome modern Amer ... More >>

How Hard Is it to Hire and Keep Good Cooks?

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.One of the most common titles -- and most crucial positions -- in a restaur ... More >>

Mother's Day in Metro Phoenix: 7 Restaurants Perfect for Spoiling Mom

Mother's Day is on Sunday, May 12, this year -- that's about two weeks away -- and this is one occasion where you can't put off reserving a table (or special take-home dinner) until the last minute. Whether your mom prefers fine dining or a simple steak, a lavish outdoor brunch or a stay-at-home gou ... More >>

Chris Bianco on One of the Most Under-Rated Chefs in America and What's Great About Italian Cooking in Italy

This is part two of my interview with Chris Bianco, chef-owner of Pizzeria Bianco, Bar Bianco, Pane Bianco and Trattoria Bianco. If you missed part one, where Bianco dished about Jamie Oliver, the local chefs he most admires and awesome pizza, read it here. See also: - -- 11 Best Pizza Spots in Met ... More >>

CLOSED: Busters on the Lake in Scottsdale

A longstanding restaurant in Scottsdale is no more: After over 20 years, Buster's on the Lake has shuttered. See also: - Brix Wine Spot in Cave Creek Closed; Brix Wine & Bistro Opening Soon - CLOSED: J. Alexander's in Scottsdale In McCormick Ranch and with outdoor dining patios overlooking Lake Ma ... More >>

Bink's Midtown in Phoenix: Happy Hour Report Card

The Spot: Bink's Midtown 2320 East Osborn Road, Phoenix 602-388-4874 www.binksmidtown.com See Also: - Scratch in Downtown Phoenix: Happy Hour Report Card - Sam Pillsbury Spills on the Reason He Landed in Arizona, and Launches a Wine Column for Chow Bella - Bink's Midtown Is a Must (Especially When ... More >>

CLOSED: Cave & Ives Portico Grill in Arcadia After Today

Italian- and Mediterranean-inspired dishes served up in a cozy, second-story neighborhood bistro in Arcadia will be no more following tonight's service: Cave & Ives Portico Grill is shuttering. See also: - CLOSED: Busters on the Lake in Scottsdale - CLOSED: J. Alexander's in Scottsdale The restaur ... More >>

Chris Bianco on Jamie Oliver, the Local Chefs He Most Admires, and What Makes an Awesome Pizza Awesome

Chris Bianco Pizzeria Bianco, Bar Bianco 623 E. Adams Street, Phoenix, 602-258-8300; 609 E. Adams St., 602-528-3699 Pizzeria Bianco/ Trattoria Bianco 4743 N. 20th Street (Town & Country), Phoenix, 602-368-3273 Pane Bianco 4404 N.Central Avenue, Phoenix, 602-234-2100, pizzeriabianco.com See also: -- ... More >>

New Conveyor Belt Sushi Spot Opens in Gilbert

Since Chandler's Sushi Eye in Motion closed last fall, all's been quiet on the kaiten-zushi, or conveyor belt sushi, front -- at least until now. See also: - Postino Owners to Open Joyride Taco House in Gilbert in June - Hot Dogs & Pie: Mamma Toledo's to Open Space Inside New Short Leash Hot Dogs R ... More >>

Havana Cafe's Gilbert Hernandez Dies at 85

Gilbert Hernandez who, along with wife BJ (Betty-Jane), founded Havana Cafe in Phoenix and Havana Patio Cafe in Scottsdale, has died at age 85. See also: - Eddie Basha, Grocery Magnate, Dies at 75 Hernandez, who passed away on April 21, was born in Havana, Cuba, on July 24, 1927. He came to Americ ... 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.

Top Restaurants Where Cheating Spouses Like to Eat/Cheat in Greater Phoenix

Where do cheaters like to cheat when they want a meal with their extramarital rendezvous? See also: - 10 Best Food Art Masterpieces from Artist "Red" Hong Yi's Month-Long Series - 10 Best/Worst Pizza Tattoos According to a survey conducted by AshleyMadison.com, a hook-up site for married people lo ... More >>

5 Things to Eat and Drink This Weekend in Metro Phoenix

Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We've got you covered. Check out what's on our plate. See also: - Your Cheat Sheet to This Sunday's Check, Please! Arizona Festival at CityScape - 8 Great Guacamoles in Metro Phoenix 29th Annual My Nana's Best Tasting Salsa Challenge Great ... More >>

Kevin Binkley, Searsucker, and Short Leash Hot Dogs Among Winners of the 2013 Foodist Awards

Who's this year's master mixologist, top chef, and most outstanding restaurant concept? Last night, the Arizona Restaurant Association (ARA) put a name to them all -- as well as a few other categories -- at the first-ever Foodist Awards. See also: - Big Brain Awards 2013 At a ceremony and dinner a ... More >>

Cinco de Mayo 2013 Guide

Surprise's Amuse Bouche: Excellent French Cuisine, With a Few Downsides

Fast-Food Chains' Race to the Bottom: Del Taco to Introduce "Buck and Under" Menu

Because there aren't enough cheap fast-food options out there already, Del Taco will lower the bar, rumor has it, to compete with McDonald's Dollar Menu. It plans to introduce a "Buck and Under" menu with options as low as 50 cents because that's what people want, Del Taco says. See also: - Top Si ... More >>

Mother's Day in Phoenix: Moms Eat Gluten-Free at Tryst Café (with Bottomless Mimosas)

I can't decide what I'll have for my Mother's Day brunch, but I know where I'll be. See also: - Ted's Hot Dogs in Tempe Now Offers Gluten-Free Buns. Rejoice! I've already made my reservation for Tryst Café, which uses local, organic ingredients. They're having a promotion for Mother's Day for bot ... More >>

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 >>

20 Things No One Told You About Being a Chef in Phoenix

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.Most of us are familiar with the less-glorious aspects of being a chef: the ... More >>

Crudo and Noca Team Up for a One-Night-Only, 5-Course Cocktail Dinner Tour (Bus Included)

When it comes to one-of-a-kind culinary adventures, venerable East Phoenix restaurants Crudo and Noca serve them up regularly. But at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9, the two are teaming up to bring 32 lucky diners a taste of the both of them. See also: - Get Your Tickets Now for the Arcadia Edible Garde ... More >>

Michael Babcock and Jenn Robinson: 2013 Big Brain Awards Finalists, Culinary

You submitted nominations for awards given to the Valley's emerging creatives and the results are in. Introducing our Big Brain 2013 Finalists. Leading up to the Big Brain Award awards announcement and celebration on April 27, Chow Bella and Jackalope Ranch will introduce the finalists. Up today: ... More >>

Rick Phillips of EATERAZ to Open Casual Restaurant with BBQ Component Moonshine -- and Guess Who's Consulting for Him?

As the likable smart-ass behind the food scene blog EATERAZ and the guy who puts on both the Arizona Taco Festival and the Arizona BBQ Festival (all with considerable help from his equally likeable and possibly more smart-ass partner Dave Tyda), Rick Phillips is known for being a magazine publisher ... More >>

Khaana Khazana: Fun to Say, Fun to Eat Indian Cuisine in Chandler

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 have just opened, sampling a few item ... More >>

Lunch Under $10 at ZK Grill in Phoenix

Considering how many people think Phoenix is devoid of any culture, we sure have our fair share of kabob joints springing up. From Lebanese to Turkish to Greek, the kabob you get depends largely on where it comes from. We were excited to try out the Persian-style kabobs at ZK Grill. With three Valle ... More >>

Edward Farrow Leaves The Café at MIM, Chris Lenza Takes His Place

Edward Farrow has forsaken his executive chef-general manager position at The Café at MIM for a similar gig at SLAM -- the acronym for the St. Louis Art Museum. In fact, he's packing up his stuff and hitting the road for Missouri on Thursday. See also: -- Edward Farrow of The Café at MIM Dishes ... More >>

10 Cool Things at the 2013 Phoenix Gluten-Free Expo

Okay. The expo was crowded, the lines were long, and people always seem to lose their sense of dignity when there are free samples of anything. But there was a lot to be happy about at the 2013 Phoenix Gluten-Free Expo held over the weekend at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale. See also: - Ted' ... More >>

Vincent Guerithault on Wolfgang Puck and Kevin Binkley

This is part two of my interview with Vincent Guerithault, chef-owner of Vincent on Camelback and Vincent's Market Bistro. If you missed part one, where Guerithault talks about being an apprentice, famous people he's cooked for and where he buys his macarons, read it here. Disclosure: I dated Vince ... More >>

Mealmatch: Local Organization Helping Fight World Hunger with Social Media App

Though no one can know the exact number of people who go hungry every day, one statistic estimates that 925 million people were hungry throughout the world in 2010, according to the the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. See also: - Kickstarter Campaign Asks for Money to Start "Freegan" Cafe ... More >>

Postino Owners to Open Joyride Taco House in Gilbert in June

Restaurateurs Craig DeMarco and Lauren Bailey are at it again. The duo behind Upward Projects, the restaurant group responsible for all three Postino locations, as well as Windsor, Churn, and Federal Pizza, have announced that their latest concept, Joyride Taco House, will open inside downtown Gilbe ... More >>

Bonjour Vietnam in Downtown Phoenix: Happy Hour Report Card

The Spot: Bonjour Vietnam 202 North Central Avenue 602-252-1223 www.hotelsancarlos.com/dining See Also: - La Condesa in Phoenix: Happy Hour Report Card - Pallets, a Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese Restaurant, Opens on Roosevelt Row - 10 Favorite Vietnamese Restaurants in Greater Phoenix The Hou ... More >>

Chris Bianco to Open Pizzeria Bianco in Tucson This Fall

Tucson's downtown restaurant scene is on fire, and it's about to get even better. James Beard Award-winner Chris Bianco plans to open a second Pizzeria Bianco on East Congress Street, right next to HUB Restaurant and Ice Creamery. See also: -- Popular Flagstaff Restaurateurs Expand to Tucson (Not ... More >>

10 Favorite Bakeries In Metro Phoenix

If you're one of those people who bakes a pie to cheer up a friend, makes your specialty carrot/red velvet/whatever cake for everyone's birthday, and routinely pulls together all manner of adorable goodies for your children's school programs and bake sales . . . well, bully for you (and the rest of ... More >>

Scottsdale Culinary Festival's Wine Country Brunch: We Ate, We Drank, We Bid, We Judged

The Wine Country Brunch has been a super-popular event at the Scottsdale Culinary Festival for 25 years, and by the looks of things, Sunday's elaborate affair at the Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center was no exception. See also: -- Eat, Drink (and Drink and Drink) and Be Pretty at Last Night's ... More >>

Here's Everything You Wanted to Know About Steak 44, the New Arcadia Restaurant in the Old Cork & Cleaver Building

Last month, rumors were swirling as to the fate of Cork 'N Cleaver, the beloved Arcadia chophouse established in 1978 and damaged by a fire in 2010. This month, many of those rumors have been confirmed. See also: - Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill to Open New Phoenix Location on April 22 - "Arizona's Hot ... More >>

Vincent Guerithault on Who He's Cooked For and Where He Gets His Macarons

Vincent Guerithault Vincent on Camelback, Vincent's Market Bistro 3930 East Camelback Road 602-224-0225, www.vincentsoncamelback.com See also: -- Taste Maker #53: Vincent Guerithault -- James Beard Award-Winning Celebrity Chef Teams Up with Phoenix's Justin Beckett for Special Dinner (Spoiler Ale ... More >>

Downtown's Cibo Now Making Its Awesome Pizzas Available Pretty Much Anytime

Snagging a stellar pie from Cibo's, the too-cute wine cafe and pizzeria in downtown Phoenix, used to be a dinner-only affair. Not anymore. See also: - Lamp's Wood-Fired Pizzas Shine in North Scottsdale - Giant 20-Inch Artisan Pizzas Coming to North Scottsdale Last week, chef, owner, and Italian p ... More >>

"Flash Garden" Hits Pomegranate Café, Installs Garden in Three Minutes

Part flash mob, part guerrilla gardening, part hula-hoop jam -- that's what swept through Pomegranate Café on Saturday, April 6. In the middle of a busy weekend lunch service, a group of volunteers organized by gardenfly, a SEED SPOT venture that brings together gardeners, spontaneously installed a ... More >>

Taquitos Jalisco: Easy Familiarity and Robust Flavor in Mesa

Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill to Open New Phoenix Location on April 22

It's been about a year and a half since Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill announced it would build its newest Valley location on the southwest corner of 16th Street and Bethany Home Road. See also: - Chef Justin Beckett Opening Restaurant in Old Beef Eaters Building - "Arizona's Hottest New Patio" Opens ... More >>

Want to Work at St. Francis or Aaron Chamberlin's New Restaurant? Job Fair at the Phoenix Public Market This Saturday, April 13

We've been staring at the empty windows of the former Phoenix Public Market for quite a while now and the pain is only that much more acute since we're also impatiently waiting for Aaron Chamberlin to open his next restaurant in the space. He announced his plans to take over the downtown Phoenix bui ... More >>

Scottsdale Culinary Festival Kicks Off with "Shaken and Stirred" Last Night in Scottsdale

Foodistas of Valley are likely to be wining and dining -- and cocktailing -- themselves crazy this week with the impressive lineup of events in store for the 2013 Scottsdale Culinary Festival. See also: - Top 5 Favorite Events at the 2013 Scottsdale Culinary Festival - Searsucker Scottsdale: Nig ... More >>

Sunnyslope Mexican Restaurant Makes CNN's List of "Best Eats in U.S. Airports"

For travelers, getting decent eats at the airport has come a long way since candy bars and cheeseburgers were choked down with some duty-free Jack Daniel's. See also: - Two Scottsdale Restaurants Make OpenTable's List of Top 100 Hot Spots - Chou's Kitchen in Chandler Makes Travel Leisure's List ... More >>

Dishcrawl Phoenix: A Walking Tour of Downtown Phoenix Restaurants on April 17

The last time we dabbled in downtown Phoenix food tours, it didn't go so well. Since then, the number of locally owned restaurants lining the streets of downtown has increased. We're crossing our fingers that the coordinators of the newest walking tour will really know how to share some of downtown' ... More >>

5 Things to Eat and Drink This Weekend in Metro Phoenix

Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? Be sure to start the night off with a big dose of sugar, in the form of the fourth annual Caramelpalooza, tonight (Friday) at 7 at Biltmore Fashion Park. And after that, we've still got you covered. Check out what's on our plate. See also: - ... More >>

Top 5 Favorite Events at the 2013 Scottsdale Culinary Festival

Over 100 restaurants, dozens of chefs, 20 events, countless wine and spirit selections, and 35,000 hungry guests? It must be the Scottsdale Culinary Festival. See also: - Caramelpalooza 2013: An Illustrated Field Guide for April 5 - Friendly House Hosts 78th Annual Tamale Dinner This Friday at City ... More >>

Green Chile Mac and Cheese Smackdown: The Main Ingredient vs. Roaring Fork

In Arizona, we want things done a certain way. We like our hot dogs Sonoran, our margaritas prickly peared, and our mac and cheese chock-full of green chiles. A classic dish of Americana delivered with a Southwestern spin is the comfort dish of many locals. So whose kitchen should you head to when y ... More >>

Vegan Couple Brings Own Pasta to Restaurant, Gets Charged Double for Order, and Refuses to Pay

According to an article on a New Jersey news site, a vegan couple dining out at a local Italian restaurant says the restaurant's owner charged them twice as much as they should have been charged for two pasta dinners. The owner justified the price by the fact that the couple had brought their own wh ... More >>

Cuban Foods Bakery & Restaurant: Sandwich Cubanos and More on the City's West Side

Cuban Foods Bakery & Restaurant on the city's west side makes a formidable Cuban sandwich. See also: - Lamp's Wood-Fired Pizzas Shine in North Scottsdale - Pig & Pickle in Scottsdale: Gourmet Food Without the Price Tag Larger than those you may have had elsewhere, the plate-size sandwich is juicy ... More >>

Lunch Under $10 at The Rose & Crown Pub

We've always liked the look and feel of downtown Phoenix's cutest little Brit pub, the Rose & Crown. Located in a converted historic house in Heritage Square (across from Pizzeria Bianco), the bar caters to a relaxed crowd of people usually just chatting and sipping pints. Rose & Crown offers your c ... More >>