Joe Johnston

The Future Is Now

Joe's Real BBQ in Gilbert Celebrates Free Barbecue Day on May 1

The only thing we like more than barbecue from Joe's Real BBQ is free barbecue from Joe's Real BBQ. And just our luck, it's once again time to celebrate the restaurants Customer Appreciation Day on Wednesday, May 1. See also: - Ten Favorite Places in Metro Phoenix to Dine After You've Worked Up a ... More >>

Is it Rude to Take Photos of Your Food in a Restaurant?

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.Thanks to social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, it' ... More >>

Where Do You Side on the Tasting Menu Debate?

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.Vanity Fair food writer Corby Kummer likened them to a form of culinary dic ... More >>

What National Chain Restaurants Do You Secretly Like?

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.As much as they may deny it, chefs and restaurateurs secretly enjoy nationa ... More >>

Is Yelp Fair to Restaurants?

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.Last December, when Bizarre Foods host Andrew Zimmern called Yelp a "forum ... More >>

Which Celebrity Should Be the Next to Open a Restaurant 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.Movie stars and musicians opening their own restaurants is nothing new -- e ... More >>

What's Your Biggest Holiday Cooking Screw-Up (And How Did You Fix It)?

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. Miss a question? Go here.Holiday cooking catastrophes are nothing new, but ... More >>

Ten Instagram-ers for the Phoenix Food Lover to Follow

When we're not blogging you can usually find our face buried in our iPhone screen posting photos and checking out the daily scene on Instagram. Try to get our attention while we 'gramming. We dare you. The filters, the snapshots.... It's an intoxicating combination that's got more than a few Phoenix ... More >>

What's Your Cold Remedy?

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. Miss a question? Go here.The arrival of cold season (See: bleh) means sugg ... More >>

Chow Bella's Gift Guide for the Meat Lover

What? Not done with your holiday shopping? Yeah, neither are we. But we've been making lists -- and checking them twice -- and we've got some suggestions for the nice people on your list. Today, Chow Bella's Gift Guide for the Meat Lover. We all know that person. The person whose love affair with ... More >>

8 Best Neighborhood Breakfast Spots: 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 >>

12 Favorite Places to Eat Outdoors in Greater Phoenix

At last! Blissfully cool mornings, evenings with a hint of chill and daytime temps that mean we can lunch on a shaded patio without swimming in sweat. This right here, this seasonal slice of heaven is why we endure traffic, tourists and summer. See also: 10 Favorite Places for Pozole in Greater Ph ... More >>

What's the Best Way to Send Food Back at a Restaurant?

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. Miss a question? Go here.We've all been there: hungrily taking the first b ... More >>

Should Restaurants Host Political Functions?

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. Miss a question? Go here. Dave Andrea, Owner of Brat Haus Political fun ... 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 >>

Is Organic Food Better For You Than Non-Organic Food?

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. Miss a question? Go here.The organic food industry continues to grow, and ... More >>

When Is a Recipe Truly Yours?

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. Miss a question? Go here.For many of us, we couldn't care less if Mom's ap ... More >>

What's the Most Overrated Food of 2012 So Far?

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. Miss a question? Go here.This year, it seems like we've seen more Angus be ... More >>

What's On Your Cooking/Baking Bucket List?

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. Miss a question? Go here.Go shark-cage diving, get on a JumboTron, sleep w ... More >>

What's Your Favorite and Least Favorite Cooking Show?

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. Miss a question? Go here.Whether it's for education, entertainment, or a d ... More >>

10 Favorite Breakfast Spots in Greater Phoenix (Plus a Bonus, Rise-From-the-Ashes Entry)

American writer and journalist John Gunther said, "All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast." And for those of us who wake up dreaming of griddled goodness like crispy strips of bacon or a perfectly poached egg, we couldn't agree more. That's why we've put together a list of our top ten spots ... More >>

Do You Have Any Cooking Superstitions?

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. Miss a question? Go here.Black cats, the evil eye, knocking on wood -- mos ... More >>

What's the Best Cooking Advice You Got from Your Mom?

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. Miss a question? Go here.Maybe they gave us some great recipes, showed us ... More >>

What's Your Guilty Pleasure Food?

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. Miss a question? Go here.When it comes to food, everyone has their vices. ... More >>

The Seven Oddest Restaurant Bathrooms in Greater Phoenix

Our little band of Chow Bella writers is a diverse group, but we do have a few things in common. We all put our pants on one leg at a time, and we all gotta go. And we've all been to a lot of bathrooms in a lot of restaurants. Some, to put it mildy, offer a better experience than others. We don't wa ... More >>

What's the Most Expensive Ingredient You've Used?

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. Miss a question? Go here.It's no secret that top-notch chefs and restauran ... More >>

11 Favorite Barbecue Joints in Greater Phoenix

Nearly every meat-eating American speaks the language of barbecue. From the backyard to the upscale restaurant to the hole-in-the-wall 'cue house, cooking meat with smoke and heat has become somewhat of an art form -- taking on various styles, techniques, and rituals around the globe. Which is why ... More >>

Postino Winecafé Set to Open in Gilbert -- Yes, Gilbert

Seriously ... Gilbert? That was my first thought when I learned Postino was extending its reach out there to the far East Valley (yeah, I'm a Central Phoenix guy). Despite my apprehension, I got outta the bubble and ventured way past the strip malls and tract homes of varying shades of beige to ch ... More >>

Top Ten Hot Dogs in Greater Phoenix

​The connection between hot dogs and dogs, the lovable tongue-wagging pets, is thought to have come from newspaper cartoons by T.A. Dorgan around the 1900's, which portrayed talking frankfurters, also known as "dachshund sausages," because of their shape. No matter the origin of the name, hot ... More >>

Corbin Chamberlin's Perfect Food Day

​Corbin Chamberlin is a fashion writer for Financial Times, Business of Fashion, Avenue Magazine, New York Magazine and UsWeekly. He splits his time between midtown Manhattan and Phoenix and was recently appointed fashion editor at the Downtown Phoenix Journal. You might have seen him around town ... More >>

Sundaes and an Unfortunate "Cheesecake" Experience at Joe's Farm Grill

Joe's Farm Grill is known for doing food right. But, are they worthy of being on our list of places to order dessert first? We'll just come right out and say it: their dessert is generic and gets none of the TLC that Joe's is known for.

Summer Guide: Movies

Snag a FREE Meal at Joe's Real BBQ Next Wednesday

​The word "FREE" is the Holy Grail of any culinary giveaway. Of course, "FREE" usually comes with some caveat like "buy one, get one free" or "free dessert with entree purchase." Not so with Joe's Real BBQ, the award-winning barbecue joint in the heart of downtown Gilbert. Next Wednes ... More >>

Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza Plans Barrio Cafe in Gilbert

Silvana Salcido Esparza is taking Barrio Cafe to the 'burbs. ​One of the most highly acclaimed chefs in Arizona is about to open a second restaurant -- and the location is the burbs, not the barrio.   Silvana Salcido Esparza -- chef-owner of Barrio Cafe and current nominee-in ... More >>

Chef Talk: David Traina, Liberty Market

Heather Hoch Chef David Traina in front of his big wood-burning pizza oven.​Chef David Traina seems very relaxed in his restaurant Liberty Market, which is surprising because the Gilbert hotspot opened just over a year ago. It's safe to say that his hospitable nature is the key to his succe ... More >>

Home, Tweet Home: Jeff Moriarty Is Trying to Create a Cultural Identity for Phoenix, 140 Characters at a Time

Will Joe's Real BBQ Appear on Regis and Kelly?

Although the French Open preempted this morning's episode of Live! with Regis and Kelly on the local TV affiliate, Joe Johnston's Gilbert restaurant, Joe's Real BBQ, still got national airtime for the TV show's Ultimate Hometown Grill-Off. The good news? Joe's made it to the next round in th ... More >>

Castro Overthrown

Cuban cuisine on Camelback

In a Slather

Second Helpings