Spring Training

Damn, "48 Hours in Phoenix" from Forbes Travel Guide, You Confusing

Last Wednesday, the folks over at Forbes put together a 48-hour itinerary of places to eat, stay, and play in Phoenix. (Hey, suits need vacations, too!) See also: - Chou's Kitchen in Chandler Makes Travel Leisure's List of Best Chinese Restaurants in the U.S. - Chef Kevin Binkley a Finalist for J ... More >>

Changes Ahead for Arcadia's Milagro Grill: Most Notably the Price Points

Since it opened in October of last year, Arcadia's Milagro Grill has gone through its fair share of growing pains. See also: - New Restaurants in the Works for Arcadia's La Grande Orange - Owners of Citizen Public House Announce New Restaurant Planned for the Biltmore Area When I reviewed the re ... More >>

9 Great Places to Drink Outdoors in Metro Phoenix

It's March. The weather is as damn near perfect as it's ever going to get, and most of us want to be outside doing something -- or better yet, nothing -- every gloriously balmy minute. You've probably already run through a mental Rolodex of restaurants with great dining patios, but where do you go ... More >>

Five Things to Eat and Drink this Weekend in Metro Phoenix

Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We've got you covered. Check out what's on our plate. See Also: Announcing the Caramel Makers for Smeeks & Chow Bella's Caramelpalooza 2013! Owners of The Mint, RnR, and Axis/Radius to Open Hi-Fi Kitchen & Cocktails in Old Town Scottsdale S ... More >>

7 Diamondbacks Players Share Their Favorite Places for Eats and Drinks in Metro Phoenix

Spring training brings plenty of visitors to the Valley -- we're talking about baseball fanatics and players from around the league. Everyone wants a piece of the action (and the weather) and, of course, you can't participate in all the activity without also indulging in some of the Valley's restaur ... More >>

11 Best Pizza Spots in Metro Phoenix

As a restaurant town, Phoenix still gets a bum rap: too many chains, too few ethnic, no restaurant-rich urban core, and no famous equivalent to Philly's cheesesteak or Chicago's hot dog to call our own. But there's one thing we do have in abundance, and it's great pizza. Seriously, we are a first-ra ... More >>

Five Things to Eat and Drink this Weekend in Metro Phoenix

Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We've got you covered. Check out what's on our plate. See Also: 24 Food and Drink Festivals in Metro Phoenix Celebrity Chef Charity Dinner at Praying Monk in Scottsdale on March 10 Spring Training Menu at Roka Akor Now that spring training ... More >>

8 Favorite Fresh-Baked Bread Experiences at Metro Phoenix Restaurants

Bread is such an important part of a restaurant meal. It's the first solid thing to hit the table, the first impression made, the first clue as to what we might expect about all that's to follow. If it's stale or cold or dry or just plain lousy, we're not only disappointed but worried. Bad bread nev ... More >>

Charleen Badman: On Lori Hashimoto, Chris Bianco's Mom, and the Kitchen Phrase That Gets Under Her Skin

Charleen Badman FnB 7125 East Fifth Avenue, Suite 31, Scottsdale 480-284-4777, www.fnbrestaurant.com See also: -- Charleen Badman and Pavle Milic to Open FnB on Craftsman Court on Tuesday -- FnB's Charleen Badman Tells Food & Wine Her Favorite Places to Eat, Shop and Sleep in the Valley -- 15 Met ... More >>

Top Five Phoenix Food and Restaurant News Stories of the Week

Every week, there's a cornucopia of Phoenix food news, features, and reviews to report here at Chow Bella. If you're like most people, you probably just don't have the time to get to all of it. It's kind of like those burgers at Old Town Whiskey; it just won't all fit in your mouth ... or in this ca ... More >>

Quiche at Amuse Bouche in Surprise: Even Better Than Homemade

The Guilty Pleasure: Quiche Lorraine Where To Get It: Amuse Bouche, Bell Road and Cotton Lane, Surprise The Price: $9.99 What It Really Costs: Pick your favorite. A) This ain't diet food. B) In case you missed it the first time (unless you live in Glendale or Peoria): Bell Road and Cotton Lane. C) H ... More >>

15 Metro Phoenix Restaurants to Visit During Spring Training 2013

Spring Training is almost upon us, which means winter is officially over and it's time to break out the shorts. This right here is the weather we Phoenicians live for, the reason we endure five hellish months of summer and severe cases of cabin fever . . . just for the few all-too-brief months of ba ... More >>

Spring Break

24 Food and Drink Festivals in Metro Phoenix

Festival season's about to hit full tilt. Are you ready? Now you are. Here are some of our favorite local food & beverage events happening from now until the end of April: FEBRUARY 2/1 - Haute Chocolate Market & Festival Where: Heard Museum Price: $30 in advance, $35 day of the event and $45 for V ... More >>

Street Eats Food Truck Festival, Day One: Shorter Lines, Better Organized Than Last Year, and We Share Our Favorite (and Not So Favorite) Tastes

Last year's first-ever Street Eats festival did not exactly endear itself to many of our readers -- and we weren't so happy either, for that matter. Among the problems: long lines, terrible traffic, confusion about payment methods and trucks running out of food. To be fair, this is a challenge that' ... More >>

Five Things to Eat if You're in Phoenix for the NCAA West Regionals

Welcome to Phoenix, basketball fans. We hope you're hungry. Whether your team wins or loses, you'll want to break some bread. So we're here with suggestions of our favorite places to do it. For this list, we've narrowed things to central and downtown Phoenix -- but you'll still likely need a car (o ... More >>

Willie Nelson, Comerica Theatre, 3/12/12

Willie Nelson and Family Comerica Theatre Monday, March 12 See the full Willie Nelson slideshow here. It was a quarter after eight when the Red-Headed Stranger took the stage at Comerica Theatre last night. He hadn't even played a note, but he crowd of retirees stood in applause beside younger adm ... More >>

Fair Weather Trend

Three Four Things to Eat, Drink, and Bake This Weekend

​Caramelpalooza is tonight in the Smeeks parking lot at 7 p.m. sharp. Again, that's TONIGHT! Yours truly will be there judging all 18 (hopefully) delicious treats and you should probably show up, too, because there is going to be a ton of caramel and it's free. And that's all I have to say about t ... More >>

Spring Training 2012 Dining Guide: Take Me Out to (Eat Near) the Ball Game

​ All week long here at Chow Bella, we've shared our suggestions for where to eat and drink during Spring Training. In case you missed any, here are all 10 of our mini-guides, divided geographically by ballpark. Remember, this is a car town -- you'll have to drive (or be driven) to just about eve ... More >>

Oscar Eats Out: Restaurants Best-Suited for This Year's Best Picture Nominees

Bakerella.com​Hang in there, motion picture fans, the wait is nearly over. Hollywood's orgy of self-congratulation and promotion, otherwise known as the Academy Awards, is this Sunday, February 26. And what better way to celebrate than with a Valley dining experience or two best-suited to the ... More >>

Three Things to Eat, Drink and Bake This Weekend

​Are you guys ready to end the week? I sure am, especially since it's a three day weekend which means I might be able to slip a beer or three in on Friday and be able to fully recover by Tuesday morning. 1. Eat Lobster Grilled CheeseAside from partaking in a few a cocktails of the craft beer ... More >>

Joe Saunders Continues Rough Start To Season In Baffling Effort Against Philadelphia Phillies

Yahoo! SportsA familiar scene during Joe Saunders starts.​Joe Saunders is fast becoming a problem for the Arizona Diamondbacks after failing, once again, to give his team a chance to win in a baffling 8-4 loss against the Philadelphia Phillies last night. Facing the Phillies with a chance to ... More >>

Major League Pitcher Brian Wilson: A Cross Between A Pirate And Bret Michaels?

DeadspinIs that Captain Jack Sparrow or a washed up 80s rocker?​San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson is coming to town this weekend for a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. But maybe he'll take time between games to visit The Venue in Scottsdale. Judging by recently released ... More >>

Meat Puppets at SXSW, Great White, Baseball Project, Lady Gaga and More in This Week's Print Edition

​This week's main music feature is a column I wrote in Austin, Texas after a week of South By Southwest craziness. It was a rough week for Arizona -- the most attention anything related to our state got was a panel hosted by boycotters -- but Meat Puppets frontman Curt Kirkwood managed to put ever ... More >>

From Left Field

Jarrod Parker Not Quite "Done With Being a Prospect," Even If Arizona Republic Thinks He's Diamondbacks' "Great Pitching Hope"

MLB.comNobody's perfect, no matter what their clips say.​Highly-touted pitching prospect Jarrod Parker walked three Rockies hitters in a row yesterday, before getting Troy Tulowitzki to fly out in a meaningless Spring Training game. And the Arizona Republic covered that series of events by callin ... More >>

March 1 In Blogs: 5&6 Gallery, Long Wong's, Spring Training, and Miserable Cities

​​​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:

Chicago Cubs to Remain in Mesa. World Series Trophy Continues to Remain Elsewhere

www.cubsnet.com​Mesa voters essentially gave the Chicago Cubs a blank check on Tuesday, approving a measure that gives the team a boat-load of cash to build a new spring training facility.Yesterday, voters approved Proposition 420 (we know what you're probably thinking, but the medical weed propos ... More >>

Dan Haren Says He Wants To Stay In Arizona As More Teams Show Interest In Diamondbacks Ace

doin-work.comWill Dan Haren be a D-Back on August 1?​ As the days pass, it seems there are more and more rumors surrounding D-Backs pitcher Dan Haren. As the July 31 trade deadline inches closer and closer, the word around baseball is that Haren is probably going to get traded - sorry D-Backs fan ... 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: A Sweet Ending for the Devoured Culinary Festival Phallic Foods and Other Tas ... More >>

Spring Training Eats, In and Around The Stadiums

Spring Training is well underway, and so far our home team is kicking butt down in Tucson. After yesterday's Arizona Diamondbacks 13-5 mega-victory over the Mariners, hopefully you're stoked for this week's Cactus League games in Phoenix. Today, the Rangers take on the Cubs at HoHoKam Park. ... More >>

Chef Beau MacMillan Hosts WestSide Throwdown Cooking Competition

Ever notice how the best culinary events are all in the East Valley or downtown Phoenix? Scottsdale Culinary Festival, Devoured, Taste...I could go on and on. For years, foodies on the forgotten side of town have been wondering when they'll finally get their turn.  www.int ... More >>

Kevin Reichard