Nikki Buchanan

The Bird tsks at Phoenix Magazine, revisits Guadalupe’s recalls and takes one more swipe at Russell “White Pride” Pearce

Better Luc's Next Time?

Nope. Luc's is no more. In a little more than a year in business, the swanky El Pedregal restaurant went through four chefs and a couple of concept switcheroos, from Asian fusion to contemporary American. Why did it close? Was it because nobody could get "Luc's sucks" out of their head after N ... More >>

Who is Eater AZ?

Inquiring minds want to know. I'm one of those people who pays attention to bylines and actually reads those goofy contributor bio pages in the front of magazines. So when I came across a local food blog called Eater AZ -- where there are no bylines -- the first thing I checked out was the "Abo ... More >>

Food Fighter

Time and again, Valley restaurant legend Nick Ligidakis has cooked his own goose. Will Cafe Niko be another overtrimmed turkey?

Nikki Buchanan Blogs on The Wild Lavender

Congrats to "food philosopher" Nikki Buchanan on her two-day-old baby, The Wild Lavender. The longtime local restaurant critic, who freelances for The Arizona Republic's "Everyday Dining" beat and spent the better part of her career with Phoenix Magazine, just launched her own blog, where she'll be ... More >>

Ask the Critic: What's the Etiquette if You See Another Food Critic?

​Yesterday one of the Chow Bella contributors asked me what I do if I see another food critic when I'm out at a restaurant I'm reviewing. Should there be some special protocol here? A secret code or handshake or something?  I don't do anything, except maybe spy on them from across t ... More >>

Food Critic Nikki Buchanan Says Farewell to the Republic

"Food philosopher" Nikki Buchanan has been a pet subject on Chow Bella over the past few years, not only because I've enjoyed reading her work, but also because she's had some interesting career twists. Earlier today, the news was leaked on EaterAZ that Buchanan just resigned from The Repu ... More >>

Nikki Buchanan Joins New Marketing/PR Agency

After keeping Phoenix guessing about his strategy to take over the universe (or at least the Valley), local food marketing/PR whiz, blogger (a.k.a. JuxtaPalate) and man-about-town Ty Largo announced his new agency today, and former Arizona Republic food critic Nikki Buchanan has officially come out ... More >>

Phoenix Eaterati Dish on Their Fave Foods of 2010

Joe Johnston Restaurateur Joe Johnston's perfect sandwich of 2010.​ What was the best thing you ate in 2010? I asked around with a handful of Phoenix food lovers, and they were split down the middle. For some, the answer was easy and obvious, a singular work of gastronomic perfec ... More >>

Nikki Buchanan Leaves Up Agency for Aaron May

PhoenixBites.com The new loaded dogs at Chase Field ​A round-up of tasty morsels from Valley food blogs. Nikki Buchanan blogged on The Wild Lavender that she has left her spot at Up Agency for a job as Aaron May's new in-house publicist.

Killer Garlic Balls, Binkley's Staff Meal, A Fashionista Who Really Cooks, and Heirloom Tomatoes

A round-up of tasty morsels from Valley food blogs. Les Petite Gourmettes Garlic Knots​The Killer Garlic Balls on Linda Hopkins' Les Petite Gourmettes caught our attention this week. We know that garlic is in season right now and this sounds like the perfect way to savor it.

For the Culinary Historian: A Cookbook Celebrating Arizona's Centennial

Here at Chow Bella, we understand how important it is to give (and receive) the perfect foodie gift. So this season, we're helping out by offering 21 food- and drink-focused gift suggestions, one each work day until Christmas, from a local business or provider. You get scads of rock-star ideas, the ... More >>