Jackie Mercandetti

5 Unique Spots for Ethnic Cuisines in Greater Phoenix

Thanks to food television and the Internet, becoming educated on the cuisines of other countries is easier than ever. See also: - Café Ga Hyang: Fantastic Korean Food -- And It's Open Late - Old Town Sarajevo Is a Bread and Meat Lover's Dream But often, finding the restaurants that specialize in ... More >>

10 Best Things I Ate in March

March may already be in our rearview mirrors, but the 10 best dishes I ate last month are still very much on my mind. See also: 6 Phoenix Food Trucks, Rated and 10 Best Things I Ate in January From artisan pizza in North Scottsdale to a diner-style vegan breakfast in Phoenix to food truck fare on ... More >>

Chris Curtiss Leaves NoRTH Fattoria Italiana for Bourbon Steak

Chef Chris Curtiss, who has spent the past 19 months implementing a house-made pasta program for Sam Fox's NoRTH Fattoria Italiana, is leaving Fox's organization to work for James Beard Award-winner Michael Mina at Bourbon Steak in the Scottsdale Fairmont Princess. See also: -- Chris Curtiss Dishe ... More >>

Six Valley Food Trucks, Rated

The Phoenix food truck craze is over. Not that we still don't enjoy food trucks. Their offerings at lower commitment levels than those of their dine-in brethren make them the most accessible and cheapest culinary adventures in town. But gone is the hype of the new. With more than 30 food trucks cur ... More >>

Five 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: Street Eats Food Truck Festival Is Set for January 12 and 13 at Salt River Fields Artisan Bakery Mediterra Bakes Fantastic Bread, and We'll Tell You Where to Get It Street Eats ... More >>

10 (Okay, 11) Best First Tastes of 2012 in Greater Phoenix

Thanks to hundreds of new restaurants opening in the Valley this year -- including a cozy artisan pizza shop in Scottsdale, a vegan bakery downtown, and a trio of cuisines in East Phoenix -- there was plenty to chew on when it came to First Tastes, our column of initial impressions. See also: 9 Be ... More >>

Chow Bella's Top 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. It's kind of like those burgers at Old Town Whiskey; it just won't all fit in your mouth ... or in this ca ... More >>

8 Best Neighborhood Happy Hours: Best of Phoenix 2012

We've spent the last year in the laboratory putting Phoenix under the microscope to reveal hundreds of specimens of the best culture, outdoor adventures, shopping, dining, and nightlife the city has to offer. And we're finally ready to publish our results. Nerd alert! Now presenting Scientific Phoen ... More >>

8 Best Neighborhood Mexican Restaurants: Best of Phoenix 2012

We've spent the last year in the laboratory putting Phoenix under the microscope to reveal hundreds of specimens of the best culture, outdoor adventures, shopping, dining, and nightlife the city has to offer. And we're finally ready to publish our results. Nerd alert! Now presenting Scientific Phoen ... 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. It's kind of like those burgers at Old Town Whiskey; it just won't all fit in your mouth ... or in this ca ... More >>

Six Favorite Places to Take Cooking Classes in Metro Phoenix

There comes a time in everyone's life when they have to learn to cook more than scrambled eggs and frozen pizzas. For those of us who grew up in homes that relied on take-out and frozen foods, this can be a particularly hard transition. But fret not, there are plenty of places where you too can lear ... More >>

20 Best Ethnic Restaurants in Phoenix: Best of Phoenix 2012

We've spent the last year in the laboratory putting Phoenix under the microscope to reveal hundreds of specimens of the best culture, outdoor adventures, shopping, dining, and nightlife the city has to offer. And we're finally ready to publish our results. Nerd alert! Now presenting Scientific Phoen ... 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. It's kind of like those burgers at Old Town Whiskey; it just won't all fit in your mouth ... or in this ca ... More >>

Taking a Walk on the Royal Side at Hue Gourmet

For those who want to eat like a king, or in this case, an emperor, an imperial legacy of dishes can be found in one, rather strange place in the Valley. A counter-service stand in the Mekong Plaza food court in Mesa: Hue Gourmet. Distinctive to the rest of the country, the cuisine of the Vietname ... More >>

Top Five Things to Eat and Drink this Weekend

See also: New Times Calendar of Events Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We've got you covered. Check out what's on our plate. Friday Night Mussels @ House of Tricks On September 6th, 1987 Bob and Robin Trick opened the doors to their tiny 1920's house-turned-restaurant brin ... More >>

Seven Hate-Free Chicken Sandwiches in Metro Phoenix

See Also: Chick-fil-A "Kiss-In" Protest Today: Puckering Up for Gay Rights All this talk of chicken sandwiches lately has made us hungry for one thing -- a chicken sandwich. But not just any ol' chicken sandwich, we want a delicious, hate- free chicken sandwich that believes that everyone should ... More >>

Ten Favorite Romantic Restaurants in Greater Phoenix That Won't Break the Bank

According to some, love is a battlefield, the drug, and blindness. But when it comes to dining out, one thing it shouldn't be is all-the-time expensive. That's why we've come up with a list of 10 favorite casual romantic restaurants that go easy on the wallet (between around $15 and $40 a person), s ... More >>

10 Favorite Drive-Thrus in Metro Phoenix

See also: 15 Spots for Late-Night Eats in Greater Phoenix See also: 10 Favorite Cold (and Frozen!) Phoenix Foods Haven't you always wanted to have a list of awesome drive thrus that are locally owned and operated? Ya, we did, too. So we came up with our own list. Some require you to order ahead o ... More >>

Three Restaurants (Including One from the Scratch Pastries People!) and an Ice Cream Shop to Move into Roosevelt Row's CANVAS Building

The vacant building on the northeast corner of Third and Roosevelt streets has long been on our wish list for any kind of development, and this afternoon, we received some good (and tasty) news. According to Dr. Richard Gordan, who owns the building and lot at 1011 North Third Street, four leases ... More >>

Three Ways to Eat Your Way Through Arizona Restaurant Week

Sure, it may be called Arizona Spring Restaurant Week, but this nine-day sup-fest -- from Saturday, May 19, through Sunday, May 27 -- takes place when the Valley starts heating up and the restaurant business starts slowing down. In Phoenix and beyond, about 90 eateries are offering three-course di ... More >>

Bob Carey on Art, Photography, and “The Tutu Project”

Nobuo Will Offer Omakase-Style Bento Brunch!

Chef Nobuo Fukuda, the James Beard winning proprietor of Nobuo at Teeter House, is poised to serve what will probably be the classiest bento boxes the Valley has ever seen. An email sent last week promises a $50 Sunday brunch, starting April 15, featuring "Omakase-style bento boxes" and a compliment ... More >>

Five Favorite Thai Restaurants in Metro Phoenix

​The Valley is home to more than a few Thai restaurants. Grabbing a mediocre plate of pad thai is easy enough, but finding quality Thai is another matter entirely. Below are some of our favorites. They run the gamut from an upscale Scottsdale joint to a Mom and Pop eatery closing in on its third d ... More >>

10 Favorite Desserts in Phoenix

Oftentimes, a meal out of the house isn't complete without dessert - not just any dessert, but one that's so good you'll never forget it, one that will make guest appearances in your dreams for the rest of your life. To help satisfy your sweet tooth, we're offering up our 10 of our favorite desserts ... More >>

32 Shea: An Oasis of Cozy With a Cocktail Or Two

Jackie Mercandetti Simple yet satisfying, The OMG sandwich at 32 Shea invites guests to sit back and enjoy. ​Have you been to 32 Shea? It is a place you could easily spend a few hours. Unpretentious and as welcoming as its small menu of simple staples, the feeling upon entering, even to first- ... More >>

8 Foods to Fry Up for Hanukkah

From left: Jackie Mercandetti,loloschickenandwaffles.com, epicurious.com, foodnetwork.com​The first night of Hanukkah is history, meaning that by now you've probably fried up your fair share of latkes -- or, if you're like me, narrowly avoided a fist fight at Trader Joe's yesterday afternoo ... More >>

Sleazy? Clubby? Outrageous? Cutting Through the Rumors at Pearl Sushi Lounge

Jackie Mercandetti​I may be, perhaps, the last person to hear of the rumors regarding Pearl Sushi Lounge & Bomber Bar in Scottsdale. The images of naked women, the sex-fueled names of its signature rolls, the magic show. Here's a taste: "Given Pearl's penchant for style over substance, it's ... More >>

The Story of El Hefe Super Macho Taqueria and The Tabletop Taps

Jackie Mercandetti​A cantina-gone-Scottsdale? It's true. And at El Hefe Super Macho Taqueria, they've got something more unique than their surrounding providers of party-packed good times -- tabletop taps. Here's a taste: "An ingenious invention that, like Eden's apple, simply must be sample ... More >>

The Return of Mr. Pholtosa and His Northeastern Thai Cuisine

Jackie Mercandetti​If you have been to Siam in Glendale or, more recently, Thai E-San in Central Phoenix, then chances are, you have tasted Pete (or, in Thai, Tossapis) Pholtosa's offerings of classic Thai cuisine as well as specific dishes from his home in northeastern Thailand. Now, Pholtos ... More >>

Perk Eatery Means Serious Breakfast Business (and Pancakes!)

Jackie Mercandetti​Rise and shine, breakfast lovers! If the first meal of the day is as important to you as it is to me, you'll need to check out my review of Perk Eatery in Scottsdale. These folks know breakfast -- lunch, too -- and they've got some of the best pancakes around. Here's a tast ... More >>

Cafe: El New Yorican

Jackie Mercandetti​In my latest column, owner Alberto Rivera provides the hospitality, the food, and the explanation behind El New Yorican (pronounced Yor-ee-can), his west side restaurant of casual Puerto Rican cuisine. Prepared in the style of Créole cooking, or what the locals call cocina ... More >>

The Hole Story on Gourmet Doughnuts

Jackie Mercandetti​Eliot Wexler, owner of the award-winning restaurant Noca in Central Phoenix, has a theory about why we're obsessed with doughnuts. "The great thing about doughnuts, in general, is that whatever culture you're from, across the world, there is a doughnut. A variation, a permu ... More >>

Cafe: Bonfire Grill and Bar

Jackie Mercandetti​Are you a meat lover? If you are, you can thank chef Matt Carter for the wood-fired cuisine at Bonfire Grill in Scottsdale. Carter consulted on Bonfire's menu, creating a selection of American dishes with hints of the extravagant, heavy on the skewers, and approachable eno ... More >>

Noca Celebrates Third Anniversary With Special Offer on Sunday and a Favorite Dishes Menu

Jackie Mercandetti ​In addition to hiring new executive chef Matt Taylor, Noca, the force of modern American cuisine in Central Phoenix, now has another reason to celebrate: their third anniversary. This Sunday, July 31st, the Noca team will be serving the menu from their first-ever fried chi ... More >>

Lee's Cream Liqueur Celebrates One Year Anniversary With Free Booze-Infused Ice Cream

Jackie Mercandetti ​Free booze-infused ice cream treats? You had us at free. Wait, you had us at booze. Wait, you had us at free and booze. Lee's Cream Liqueur, the Old Town Scottsdale made-from-scratch, alcohol-infused ice cream parlor, is celebrating its one year anniversary by offering gu ... More >>

Big Earl's BBQ Fills Opening Left by Morales with Ex-Mission Chef

Jackie Mercandetti​Looks like Big Earl's BBQ, chef James Porter's home of "old school 'Q" in Old Town Scottsdale has found a replacement for Tony Morales, their pitmaster since January who left last week to focus on Desert Smoke BBQ, his business of signature sauces and spice rubs. Chef James ... More >>

Noca's New Chef Is 27 Years Old, Has Worked with Four James Beard Award Winners, and "Killed" the Tasting, Says Owner Eliot Wexler

Jackie Mercandetti ​Usually, phone calls at 2 a.m. in the morning bring no good, but for Noca owner Eliot Wexler, this one was a welcome wake-up. Chef Matt Taylor​The call came from 27-year-old chef Matt Taylor. Taylor, currently working at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas wit ... More >>

Tina's Ethiopian Cafe to Re-Open in New Location

MaryLou D.​Tina's coming back, and I can't wait to see her again. Tina Tamrat Hildebrand, owner and chef of Tina's Ethiopian Cafe, unexpectedly shut down her cozy little Chandler eatery in 2008 after four years in the business. Tina acted as chef and server to many devoted patrons hungry for ... More >>

Chef Bernie Kantak of Citizen Public House Joins Chef Jon Spahr of Amaro Pizzeria for Five-Course Wine Dinner

Jackie MercandettiAmaro Pizzeria and Vino Lounge​Chef Bernie Kantak of Citizen Public House, the new restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale serving up standard American favorites with a delicious kick in the ass, will be heading North to Cave Creek to join Jon Spahr, chef and owner of Amaro Pizzeri ... More >>

Amy Martin's Perfect Food Day

Amy Martin​Amy Martin edits the local food blog Phoenix Bites. She has food on the brain at all times and considers eating and finding favorite dishes in Phoenix her favorite sport. She loves a tidy pantry for easy cooking, her cookbooks, and pulling out her invisible microphone to rock out ... More >>

Cafe: Rock Springs Cafe and Rolling Out the Perfect Pie Crust

Jackie MercandettiVarious pies from Rock Springs Cafe.​ Over the weekend, ABC's Nightline ran a segment on pie, which if you haven't been paying attention is the hyped "next cupcake." The usual suspects were included; Martha, pop ups, and pretty, young pastry chefs. Following the segment, we rece ... More >>

Bob Carey Ballerina Photographs at Bokeh Gallery Perfectly On Point

Bob Carey"Fame," just one of the 14 images from Bob Carey's "Ballerina Series" at Bokeh Gallery​ The starring ballerina is the same in all fourteen of the mysterious color photographs hanging in Bokeh Gallery, Wayne Rainey's newest downtown Phoenix gallery venture dedicated solely to photogra ... More >>

Buckeye Bearcat Vehicle Purchase Lastest Example of Federal Waste; Town of 40,000 to Buy $250,000 Armored Vehicle

The Town of Buckeye needs a $250,000 armored vehicle like it needs another foreclosure sign -- but that's what it's getting thanks to federal largess. The federal Homeland Security department gave Buckeye a grant for the 8.5-ton Lenco Bearcat vehicle. It's supposed to arrive by May of next year, rep ... More >>

10 Reasons to Hit Happy Hour in the Valley

Hit print on this one, people. Or at least cut and paste. Here's your guide to good happy hour deals across the Valley, with food and drink from around the world, at all levels of sophistication. Happy Monday. 1.Rosie McCaffrey's 906 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix 602-241-1916 Good Irish pubs are famo ... More >>

Cafe: PastaBAR in Phoenix

Jackie Mercandetti Hungry for Italian eats? Look no further than this week's Cafe column. New Times shines some light on the corner of First and Pierce and more specifically on Chef Wade Moises' PastaBAR. Food Critic Michele Laudig on PastaBAR: The menu is streamlined, nothing tops out over $17, ... More >>

Unhairy Carey

His body shaven and painted silver, photographer Bob Carey explores upside-down syndrome