By Michele Laudig
Economy be damned, somebody's still got the confidence to open their doors! Now hopefully customers will keep coming out to spend some dough. (Me? I'd subsist on pretzels if it meant I could still eat foie gras.)
Anyway, I just got a call from the ever-charming Maurizio Benforte from Pizza A Metro, who finally opened Amarone, his swanky Italian spot up in North Scottsdale (9011 E. Via Linda; 480-391-2222). He's turning out the same fantastic pizzas, bread, and luscious homema
Regular Chow Bella readers should easily be able to rattle off names of Phoenix's elite chefs like Eddie Matney and Michael de Maria, but according to the O'Neil Associates/ASBA Arizona Economic Indicators Monitor, the average joe on the street has no idea.
Three thousand local businesses were asked to voice their pick for the Valley's top chef/restaurant owner to complete this report. So how did Phoenix's bastions of culinary experience rank?
According to the O'Neil Associations
Creme brulee at Vincent's
In a press release this morning, the James Beard Foundation announced its preliminary lists of nominees for various categories in the prestigious James Beard Awards.
There are 20 nominees in each category, and eight Arizona individuals and restaurants are among the elite group. Finalists will be announced on March 23, and the awards gala will be held in New York City on May 4.
In the running for Best Chef - Southwest, there's Kevin Binkley (Binkley's), Mark
Wah wah wah... Today's an anticlimactic day for some of the most talented people in the Arizona restaurant biz, as the James Beard Foundation announced its finalists for the 2009 awards. Nobody from this state was on the list.
But the eight semifinalists who'd been in the running for various categories since the announcement in February are still part of an incredibly elite group. So congratulations again to Kevin Binkley (Binkley's), Beau MacMillan (elements), Mark Ehrler (V
I hardly recognize Biltmore Fashion Park anymore.
Haagen-Dazs is gone. Now the windows are covered up and adorned with a big sign announcing that Zinburger -- a spinoff of restaurateur Sam Fox's Tucson eatery -- is "coming soon."
But the Republic reports that it's not opening until January of next year.
That's fine and all, but I'm sort of missing the Haagen-Dazs now that it's hovering around 100 outside. They just opened that Mojo Yogurt at the Biltmore, but fro-yo and ice crea
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 read between the lines and assume that the project's gotten pushed out to 2010? Let's hope not.
A bunch of new Scottsdale eateries are reportedly in the works: Yellow House, a bakery and breakfast p
Is Scottsdale so 2008?
It's a fair question, given all the Scottsdale-based restaurateurs who are eyeing central Phoenix for their newest ventures for 2010 and beyond.
Chef Aaron May, Sam Fox, and Kyle Shivers are the latest to sign on at CityScape, the ambitious 1.8 million square foot downtown development that's replaced Patriot's Square Park and is set to open next year.
According to the Republic, May is on board to add an Asian noodle joint and Mexican restaurant t
It's fun to shop 'til you drop, but even better to shop up an appetite.
Shopaholics are buzzing about the new Barneys New York opening at Fashion Square on October 15, but there's plenty for restaurant-goers to look forward to as well. Three new eateries are set to open along with the mall's 100,000-square-foot expansion.
After drooling over Martin Margiela jackets and Balenciaga boots, you'll be able to splurge on sandwiches, entree salads, pastas, pizza, and seafood at the Barneys in
