James Porter

West of Western Feeds Downtown

New at Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar

Farmers, Ranchers, Foodies Party At Tapino Kitchen Wine Bar Shindig

Edible Phoenix Announces Local Hero Award Winners

I just got the word from Edible Phoenix publisher Pamela Hamilton that the quarterly mag has its official winners list for the annual Local Hero Awards, which recognizes people in the culinary community. Nominees and votes were collected online through mid-December. So congrats to the followi ... More >>

Local Celeb Chefs Bail On Their Own Restaurants for V-Day

All right, I'm having fun with headlines. But I couldn't help but notice how many local "celebrity" chefs are listed in the "all-star" lineup of a charity event that just so happens to take place on Valentine's night -- one of the busiest nights of the year for most restaurants. It's a night wh ... More >>

This Just In: Chef Line-Up for West of Western

Wasn't it just New Year's Eve? Weren't we just shivering in our sweaters and jackets? All of a sudden it's March, and it feels like summer's right around the corner. No complaints from me, buddy. I love this time of year, not only because of the balmy weather, but because there's so much to do ... More >>

Saturday: Lunch for a Buck at AZ Ag Day

One dollar for a full lunch? Consider it food for thought. A mere buck is the farmers' and ranchers' share of the cost of the ingredients that go into the meal served at the annual Arizona Agricultural Day, which takes place this Saturday, March 7, at Superstition Farm in Mesa. Get a look at t ... More >>

Petite Maison: New French Country Bistro in the Works

When it opens sometime in the next six months, what might you expect to eat at Tapino chef James Porter's upcoming bistro, Petite Maison? Roasted heritage chicken from Willcox. Braised shortribs. A nice Nicoise salad with grilled fish. Some cheese, some charcuterie, and maybe a hot li ... More >>

Embarrassment of Riches

Scottsdale 'hood gets another creative supper spot

Arty Girl: NU at the Heard Museum

Courtesy of Heard Museum.Your Friday night looks like this...Looking for something to do tonight? Okay, listen to me...I've got it all planned out.And I promise I won't just tell you to hit Third Friday.Not that you shouldn't! Yes, go to Third Friday. This is just something to do in addition to Roos ... More >>

Lots of New Local Eateries in the Works

AZCentral's list of 20 new restaurants scheduled to open by the end of the year has suddenly been changed to 15 since the story was posted yesterday. Not hard to figure out which five are now missing -- it's the restaurants on Jackson that Bernie Kantak is planning. Should we rea ... More >>

Friday: Chefs Tour Downtown Bars and Restaurants

What happens when you get a bunch of chefs from notable local restaurants, you put them on a trolley, and you take them bar-hopping downtown? I don't know, but there should be some sort of cheeky punchline here. Anyway, it sounds like a fun time, and it's happening tomorrow night. Chef Christopher G ... More >>

Christopher Gross' Chef's Tour: A Recap

Sloane BurwellJames Porter gets Aaron May's autograph. After this weekend, it's time to replace "party like a rockstar" with "drink like a chef." Friday night is a bit of a blur for most (if not all) of the participants in a Chef's Tour of central downtown Phoenix restaurants (yes, and bars) dreamed ... More >>

Chef James Porter Readies His Petite Maison

​Three months ago, when chef James Porter abruptly shuttered his restaurant Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar, he promised to return later this summer with a brand-new, more budget-friendly French country bistro in Scottsdale. Now, he's ready to deliver. Petite Maison is officially opening ... More >>

This Week In Chow Bella

Another week has come and gone leaving us to ponder the upcoming events that will shape our lives and, more importantly, our dinners out. But before we move on, let's have one last look at the blog posts from this week: Three Roots Cafe Returns to the Tempe Scene Chef James Porter Readies His Pet ... More >>

This Sunday: Petite Maison Grand Opening

Looking for something new this weekend? Chef James Porter's new French bistro, Petite Maison, opens its doors to the public this Sunday at 5 p.m. It will be dinner-only until September 5, when breakfast, brunch, and lunch service start up. Petite Maison is located at 7216 E. Shoeman Ln. in Scottsda ... More >>

Petite Maison Kick-Starts Brunch This Weekend

​Not quite two weeks old, Scottsdale's Petite Maison is adding brunch service to its repertoire this weekend. Until now, chef James Porter has been sticking to nightly dinner at his new French country bistro. For the Labor Day holiday, he'll be serving quiche, beignets, poached eggs with ... More >>

Dine Out with the Chefs Impresses Sophisticated Palates

Last night at the 4th annual Dine Out with the Chefs event at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, some of the Valley's hottest local chefs came out of their respective restaurant kitchens to cook, serve and wander among us mere mortals. Chef James Porter, whose newly-opened ... More >>

James Porter’s Petite Maison Brings Beautiful Bowls of French Onion Soup to Old Town Scottsdale

Last night at the 4th annual Dine Out with the Chefs event at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, some of the Valley's hottest local chefs came out of their respective restaurant kitchens to cook, serve and wander among us mere mortals. Chef James Porter, whose newly-opened ... More >>

CRAVE Arizona is Perfectly Balanced Gluttony

​Celebrity chefs. Blind wine tasting contests. Food samples from dozens of Valley restaurants. Only two weeks after Scottsdale's Dine Out With the Chefs event, culinary afficianados from across the Valley loosened their belts for another huge epicurean event: CRAVE Arizona ... More >>

Old Town Farmers Market Is Back

​Scottsdale's Old Town Farmers Market is back and reportedly going to be bigger than ever. How big? Well, just about double the size of last season's.Big name local produce growers McClendon's Select, Seacat Gardens, and Maya's Farm will all be selling fresh fruits and veggies at the market, s ... More >>

Chefs Lead Farm Sessions at the Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market

Photo courtesy of Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau James Porter​Sometimes shopping at farmers markets can be overwhelming, and you end up packing 10 reusable bags full of fresh fruits and veggies but don't know where to start once you get to the kitchen. Learn just how to turn a ... More >>

Hung Dynasty

Be careful what you witch for at Salem: 1692

"Frog Legs Are the New Chicken Wings" at Petite Maison

​So said the ever-quotable chef James Porter at Petite Maison, who just unveiled the new spring menu. One of the new additions has suddenly become one of the most popular dishes at the restaurant: frog legs. Cuisses de grenouille Provencal -- sauteed with tomatoes in white wine, butter, ... More >>

Meat Up at This Weekend's AZ BBQ Festival

​I doubt the AZ BBQ Festival will be a one-off event. Those guys over at the EaterAZ blog, Rick Phillips and Dave Tyda, have done a bang-up job with organizing and promoting their brand-new culinary festival, which takes place this weekend at the Scottsdale Waterfront. I drove ... More >>

Challenge to the Chefs at the Scottsdale Culinary Fest is Bleeping Bawdy

Think you can whip this up in an hour? Good luck.​"You're going to hear a lot of interesting language today," announced Chef James Porter, host of today's Challenge to the Chefs at the Scottsdale Culinary Festival and owner of Petite Maison. The question is, was he referring to th ... More >>

Petite Maison Hosts Chef Matt Carter Tonight

​Petite Maison created plenty of buzz when it launched its late-night "Staff Meal" (offered from 10 p.m. to midnight, Thursday through Saturday) and now the cozy French country spot in Old Town is mixing things up by welcoming guest chefs into chef James Porter's kitchen. Tonight, chef M ... More >>

Petite Maison Welcomes Dairy Farm Club

​Buying local and eating farm-fresh food gets a little bit easier this week with the introduction of a Scottsdale pick-up point for Superstition Farm's Dairy Farm Club. Starting Thursday, cozy French joint Petite Maison will be the bi-monthly spot where members of this dairy CSA (that is, c ... More >>

The Cupcake Love-In Cupcake Eating Contest

​The average person's stomach can hold about a liter of food, or close to two pounds' worth. But who wants to be average? All over town, restaurants are offering up contests of confection, defying brave eaters to ingest more food than they should eat in a week -- daily recommended values be d ... More >>

Petite Maison Kicks Off Holiday Food Drive at Staff Meals

Petite Maison gets into the holiday spirit. ​Help keep St. Mary's Food Bank well stocked for the holidays, and Petite Maison will feed you as much as you can handle. That's right -- chef James Porter and his team at the cozy bistro will dedicate one night a week to collecting canned food fo ... More >>

Scottsdale Chefs Cook for Tailgate Party at the Bud Light Fiesta Next Week

Oregon or Auburn? We're still on the fence about which team we hope wins the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) next week. What we're really excited about is the Bud Light Fiesta going on at Scottsdale's SouthBridge January 3-7. As the name of the festival implies, there will be plenty of beer. To comp ... More >>

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 >>

Chef James Porter Planning New Scottsdale BBQ Spot

​The next few weeks will be crazy-busy for Petite Maison chef-owner James Porter as he prepares to open a new barbecue restaurant, Big Earl's BBQ, in the Old Town space that formerly housed Nello's, and later, Jac's Pizzeria. The goal is to open by February 1. Porter, who will be the chef a ... More >>

Desert Smoke BBQ Teams Up With Big Earl's BBQ

​It was under wraps at first, but now the word is official. Petite Maison chef-owner James Porter's new Old Town Scottsdale barbecue joint -- Big Earl's BBQ, opening later this month -- has a deal with Desert Smoke BBQ's Tony Morales to provide all of the restaurant's sauces and spice rubs."O ... More >>

A Witch in Time

​It was under wraps at first, but now the word is official. Petite Maison chef-owner James Porter's new Old Town Scottsdale barbecue joint -- Big Earl's BBQ, opening later this month -- has a deal with Desert Smoke BBQ's Tony Morales to provide all of the restaurant's sauces and spice rubs."O ... More >>

Friday at Devoured: Palette to Palate

Roasted Corn Cocktail and Shrimp Ceviche from the Barrio Cafe​To kick off this year's Devoured PHX Culinary Classic the Phoenix Art Musuem hosted Palette to Palate, a pairing of chefs, artists, and spirits, in the great hall of the museum for a crowd willing to spring for the $45 (plus fees) ... More >>

Hackett House Cooking Class and E.D. Goes Green for St. Patrick's Day in Today's Eater's Digest

www.foodmayhem.com​Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Cooking at the Hackett House Did you know that the Hackett House in Tempe hosts cooking classes most Monday nights? We didn't either till today. Each Monday night the Hackett House host cookin ... More >>

Final Meditations on the Phoenix Food Scene from Michele Laudig

www.foodmayhem.com​Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Cooking at the Hackett House Did you know that the Hackett House in Tempe hosts cooking classes most Monday nights? We didn't either till today. Each Monday night the Hackett House host cookin ... More >>

Big Earl's "Fancy Barbecue" Is One Missed 'Cue After Another

www.foodmayhem.com​Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Cooking at the Hackett House Did you know that the Hackett House in Tempe hosts cooking classes most Monday nights? We didn't either till today. Each Monday night the Hackett House host cookin ... More >>

Big Earl's "Fancy Barbecue" Is One Missed 'Cue After Another

www.foodmayhem.com​Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Cooking at the Hackett House Did you know that the Hackett House in Tempe hosts cooking classes most Monday nights? We didn't either till today. Each Monday night the Hackett House host cookin ... 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 >>

Wahsun: EaterAZ in on "Chinatown-Style Secret," Wendy Porter Gets a Scare

EaterAZ​Oh dear, it seems I may have let a big secret out of the bag. Wahsun, the tasty, no-frills, quirky Chinese restaurant I reviewed a couple of weeks ago calling it, "one of the Valley's Chinatown-style secrets," appears to also be a hidden favorite of a couple of other Chow Bella frien ... More >>

Egg Rolls From Wahsun

​Last year we marked the hundred day countdown to Best of Phoenix by sharing our 100 Favorite Dishes with you. Now we're back - with the 2011 edition. Have a suggestion for a dish you'd like us to try? Leave it in the comments section or email laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. 31: Egg Rolls from ... More >>

Chef James Fox of Big Earl's BBQ

Lauren Saria ​Chef Talk this week takes us to Old Town Scottsdale where we'll be chatting with James Fox from Big Earl's BBQ. If you don't already know, Big Earl's BBQ is Chef James Porter's way of satisfying ourneed for down-home cooking. Fox joined Big Earl's team just a few months ago af ... More >>

Man v. Food Nation Visits Big Earl's BBQ in Scottsdale: Chef James Porter Says Adam Richman Is "Juilliard School Meets Rachael Ray Meets Anthony Bourdain"

Chef James Porter with Man v. Food Nation's Adam Richman​Big Earl's BBQ got some mad TV love this weekend when Adam Richman and his 16-person crew of Travel Channel's Man v. Food Nation, (the evolution of Man v. Food, in which Richman recruits locals to take on food challenges instead of doing ... More >>

Petite Maison Brings Back Offal Dinner for Halloween Weekend

​For fans of offal (pronounced awful), those delicious odds and ends of animals, or for those curious enough to want to take a taste or two, Petite Maison, the charming little French eatery in Scottsdale, is serving up something special this Halloween weekend -- and if it's as popular as it wa ... More >>

Should Tipping Be Mandatory?

Welcome to Chow Bella's Bites & Dishes, where each week Valley chefs and restaurateurs respond to a question or topic New Times food critic Laura Hahnefeld has on her mind. Have a question you'd like to ask? E-mail laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. ​Last week, the Internet food community nearly po ... More >>

Valley Chefs Demonstrate How Not to Saber a Champagne Bottle

Chefs Matt Carter, Aaron May, James Porter, Christopher Gross, and Beau MacMillan give it their best sabers.​Looks as if a few notable Valley chefs may have benefited from our post last week on sabrage, the name given to the practice of opening a champagne bottle with a sword. The aftermath.& ... More >>

Big Earl's BBQ Fans Pay the Ultimate Homage: Permanent Tattoos

​In what may be a Valley first, two fans of Big Earl's BBQ, chef James Porter's home of "old school 'Q" in Old Town Scottsdale, have paid the ultimate tribute to the restaurant by having themselves tattooed with the restaurant's logo. Kyle Ohland and Ike Conrsolle, both visiting from Minnesot ... More >>

Bloody Good Time

​In what may be a Valley first, two fans of Big Earl's BBQ, chef James Porter's home of "old school 'Q" in Old Town Scottsdale, have paid the ultimate tribute to the restaurant by having themselves tattooed with the restaurant's logo. Kyle Ohland and Ike Conrsolle, both visiting from Minnesot ... More >>