Michele Laudig

The Garage Is In Need of a Tune-Up

Free Screening of Lunch Line Presented by ASU & Slow Food Phoenix

Catch a free screening of the documentary Lunch Line at the downtown ASU campus February 28. It's a regular smorgasbord. Seems like everyone is trying to improve school lunches these days. Of course there's Michelle Obama. And our Michele Laudig blogged about a recent event in Scottsd ... More >>

Brownie Showdown: Joy of Baking

When we heard about the 26-page Pentagon brownie recipe published recently, we couldn't resist trying to bake them. Emphasis on trying. What better time for the next Chow Bella Showdown? We gathered the staff and got them baked -- er, baking. Whose cuisine will reign supreme? Tune in all week to se ... More >>

Michele Laudig on Shirley Temples, Mom's Rumaki and Chocolate Cupcakes

​Our own Michele Laudig needs no introduction. What is the best dish your mother ever made? I'm obsessed with her lasagna and always use her recipe, which has sweet Italian sausage in the sauce. She also makes the best filled chocolate cupcakes from scratch. They're labor-intensive -- you have t ... More >>

What's Cookin'? Apparently, a Board Game for Foodies

While shopping for nerdy gifts at a local Game Daze shop, I stumbled on What's Cookin', a party game created specifically for foodies. Yes, you can now impress your chef friends or foodie Meetup groups with a board game that is based on your love of a good meal. Sigh. Unfortunately, it doe ... More >>

Stuffing Showdown: Weight Watchers Stuffing with Sage and Chives

Jonathan McNamaraSometimes stuffing can be delicious and good for you.​From now 'til Thanksgiving, we'll be sharing various stuffing recipes -- all tested and taste-tested first-hand by Chow Bella contributors. On Thanksgiving Day, our "celebrity judge," New Times food critic Michele Laudig, will ... More >>

Stuffing Showdown: Hot Italian Sausage Stuffing With Thyme

Jonathan McNamara Where is my fork!?​From now 'til Thanksgiving, we'll be sharing various stuffing recipes -- all tested and taste-tested first-hand by Chow Bella contributors. On Thanksgiving Day, our "celebrity judge," New Times food critic Michele Laudig, will weigh in with her favorite ... More >>

June 24 In Blogs: Randi Rhodes, Phx Bux, Twitter, and Kirk Adams

In the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Feathered Bastard: Randi Rhodes Returns to Phoenix Airwaves as 1480 AM Reverts Back to Progressive Radio Up on the ... More >>

Groove Candy Lands at Doc's Place

Less than a week after getting booted from the now-extinct Lyte Lounge & Bistro, Wednesday night hip-hop throwdown Groove Candy will take up residence at CenPho restaurant/jazz spot Doc's Place starting on April 8. Power 98.3 mid-day jock Karlie Hustle, who hosts the weekly event, made the ... More >>

Cafe: Daily Dose in Scottsdale

This week's Cafe column ventures into the food Mecca that is Scottsdale and discovers an eatery that is as delicious as it is economical: Daily Dose. Food critic Michele Laudig on Daily Dose: Sometimes good food is all the reason I need to get excited about a restaurant. At Daily Dose in Old To ... More >>

Monday Night Martha: Digestif's "They Make Pie"

Even Martha deserves a night off, so this week we're offering you the option to ditch the kitchen for the bar. It's hard to find a decent restaurant open Mondays in this metropolis (particularly in Phoenix, but other 'hoods, as well), which is why we're delighted to remind you that Digest ... More >>

Bantu Bistro Brings West African Cuisine to Central Phoenix

It's only been open for two weeks, but Bantu Bistro has already gained some repeat customers in Central Phoenix. Located in the 7th Avenue spot that formerly housed Melrose Cafe (4447 N. 7th Ave., at Campbell; 602-604-2489), the eatery brings something new to the local dining scene: West A ... More >>

Coming in January: New Irish Pub Downtown

What the heck is a turf accountant? I had to Google that one. The American Heritage Dictionary says it's a British term for a bookmaker licensed to take bets on horses. Huh. In downtown, though, Turf Accountant is the name of the new Irish pub set to open at 705 N. 1st Street at the end of next ... More >>

Light Rail Cream Ale, Anyone?

Saturday afternoon. The light rail trains are packed. It's a good time for a pint. So some friends and I wound up at Sonora Brewhouse, just a few blocks' walk from the train. And look at what was there to tempt us before we even got in the door -- a cute handpainted sign advertising Light Rail Crea ... More >>

Barrio Cafe Moving to Paradise Valley?

In short, the answer is a definite no. That's according to Barrio Cafe's own website, which currently has a can't-miss-it notice to Barrio friends: "After many phone calls from our customers and friends, we just wanted to set the record straight.  WE ARE NOT MOVING TO PARADISE VALLEY!We are st ... More >>

Beer, Cheese, and Chocolate

On Christmas Eve, after drinking half a bottle of Amy Silverman's fantastic limoncello and spending several hours cooking up a storm in my tiny kitchen (the windows were fogged up when I was finally done!), I settled in front of the TV to watch The Darjeeling Limited and relax for a couple ... More >>

Get Your Kids Cooking at Sur La Table

One of my friends had her hands full today with her two kids on winter break, which reminded me of some kids' cooking classes I heard about recently. Next week, there's a three-day class going on at Sur La Table at Kierland Commons, where kids age 8 and up will learn how to make all kinds of dishes, ... More >>

New Cajun Restaurant Opens in Avondale

A new Cajun restaurant in town? Now that's something you don't hear about very often. Cajun food is far too elusive in the Valley. Jennifer Landry Goff and Calvin Goff thought so, too. The couple moved to Arizona with their family in 1990, and after many years of dreaming about it, they finally open ... More >>

Two New Eateries Debut on Mill Avenue

In the last week, two brand-new Tempe restaurants have opened in the spaces where restaurants shut their doors last month. Upstairs at 414 S. Mill, in the spot that formerly housed the Coconut Club, there's a new upscale lounge called Vintage Bar & Grill (480-297-2195), where they feat ... More >>

Heirloom Seeds for Your Favorite Locavore

One of the most compelling articles I've read in the past year was the indepth Vanity Fair piece about Monsanto's genetically modified plant seeds. Scary stuff, indeed. Around the same time, I read Barbara Kingsolver's fascinating book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, about her family's year-long commit ... More >>

Update on New Pho Place

Quel coincidence! A friend just stopped by for lunch at that new Mill Avenue pho joint I blogged about earlier today, Pho Thang Long. Apparently it's run by the same people who own Pho Mesa, another fine spot for Vietnamese noodles (502 S. Dobson). Good to know. On a related note, it appears that th ... More >>

Odell Brewing Company Breaks into AZ Market

  Here's something for beer drinkers to look forward to in 2009: the debut of Odell Brewing Company's beers in the Grand Canyon State. Starting in January, you'll be able to find four different beers from this green, sustainable microbrewery out of Fort Collins, Colorado. There's an Eng ... More >>

Top Ten Food Trends for 2009

Ever since I heard of Faith Popcorn and trend forecasting, I have been fascinated with the notion of predicting the next big thing. Well The Food Channel has a crystal ball, too. Check out the new list of predicted food trends for 2009: 1.) Home on the Range -- Downsized economy breeds new generati ... More >>

Fogo de Chao Opens Tomorrow

Who's hungry for some hot meat? You know you want it, and the folks at Scottsdale's brand-new Fogo de Chao (6300 N. Scottsdale Rd.) are happy to serve it up just the way the gauchos like it in Brazil. At this traditional churrascaria, servers bring around 15 different sizzling c ... More >>

Sassi Showcases New Winter Menu

A big Italian feast sounds good any time of year, but somehow the chilly weather this time of year makes it so much easier to splurge on platters of prosciutto, luscious homemade pastas, and meats dressed up with pancetta or wild mushrooms or heady sauces. On that note, Sassi's executive ... More >>

Humble Pie Opens Second Location Today

There's no such thing as too much pizza. Good pizza, that is. And in this instance, I'm thinking of the crispy-chewy pies they turn out at Humble Pie, at Scottsdale's Hilton Village. You can't find toppings like shrimp and burrata with basil and lemon zest just anywhere. But now you lucky folks ... More >>

And Speaking of Breakfast, Matt's Gets Props from Bon Appetit

Before I forget, I wanted to remind you to flip through that new issue of Bon Appetit that just landed in your mailbox the other day. I finally sat down to read mine, and guess what? The sidebar to the "A Chef's Breakfast" feature lists Matt's Big Breakfast as the very first spot under "More Breakfa ... More >>

Head to Chatham's Fine Chocolates While You Still Can

This news is bad enough to make any chocoholic ache with disappointment: Chatham Kitz, owner of Chatham's Fine Chocolates, says he'll be permanently closing the doors of his wonderful Camelback Road chocolate boutique by the end of this month. "We'll be open 'til we sell all of our invento ... More >>

New All-Day Breakfast Spot Opens in Scottsdale

They had me at "country-fried" steak. A friend tipped me off to The Breakfast Joynt, a new, independently owned restaurant that just opened two weeks ago in north Scottsdale, and the menu of made-from-scratch fare looks tasty. Along with country-fried steak and eggs, there's biscuits and gravy, stuf ... More >>

Canal Unveils New Dinner Menu

Don't worry, Canal still has its 30 Dollar Sandwich, comically priced at 29.99. The SouthBridge restaurant continues to dish up crispy parmesan fries, and you dirty-minded people can still have ahi three ways, too. But there are plenty of new dishes to check out on executive chef Justin Beckett's ne ... More >>

Citybakery closes Bentley Projects location

Don't worry, Canal still has its 30 Dollar Sandwich, comically priced at 29.99. The SouthBridge restaurant continues to dish up crispy parmesan fries, and you dirty-minded people can still have ahi three ways, too. But there are plenty of new dishes to check out on executive chef Justin Beckett's ne ... More >>

SHWEET!: Tapioca Pearl Drink at Pho Avina

Don't worry, Canal still has its 30 Dollar Sandwich, comically priced at 29.99. The SouthBridge restaurant continues to dish up crispy parmesan fries, and you dirty-minded people can still have ahi three ways, too. But there are plenty of new dishes to check out on executive chef Justin Beckett's ne ... More >>

What the Fork?: Cho cho at The Breadfruit

Don't worry, Canal still has its 30 Dollar Sandwich, comically priced at 29.99. The SouthBridge restaurant continues to dish up crispy parmesan fries, and you dirty-minded people can still have ahi three ways, too. But there are plenty of new dishes to check out on executive chef Justin Beckett's ne ... More >>

This just in: Chef Matt McLinn heads to Pointe in Tyme

Don't worry, Canal still has its 30 Dollar Sandwich, comically priced at 29.99. The SouthBridge restaurant continues to dish up crispy parmesan fries, and you dirty-minded people can still have ahi three ways, too. But there are plenty of new dishes to check out on executive chef Justin Beckett's ne ... More >>

Letters From the Issue of Thursday, September 7, 2006

Don't worry, Canal still has its 30 Dollar Sandwich, comically priced at 29.99. The SouthBridge restaurant continues to dish up crispy parmesan fries, and you dirty-minded people can still have ahi three ways, too. But there are plenty of new dishes to check out on executive chef Justin Beckett's ne ... More >>

Let Go

Let Go
(The Militia Group)

diverCITY at the Clubhouse

Let Go
(The Militia Group)

Camera Obscura

Geek when you're spoken to

A Man of Letters

MLK drama gets personal

The Best of Times, The First of Times

Christmas at First brings Dickens to the desert

To Ehre Is Human

Artist does a body good

Foul Factor

Rogan brings dirty act to the Improv

Veggie Tale

Desert Stages reimagines Princess and the Pea

Going for Baroque

ASU displays rare works

Going Mad

Mad Props humors Tempe

Horton Hears a Coup

The Reverend marks Lucky 7

Tough Love

Drinkers get strong-armed at Iguana Mack's

Bright Ideas

New Urban Art shows its true colors

Kid Rocks

Stone cold fun at Rock Art Expo

Wee Oui

Passport leads kids through French doors