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 feature a tapas-style menu along…
Chef Michael DeMaria’s been a busy guy lately, but you wouldn’t know it from the looks of the Phoenix restaurant scene. Ever since he closed his restaurant Michael’s at the Citadel last year, he’s been conspicuously absent, working on a new joint called Trattoria M that was originally supposed to…
I have a dirty little secret: I never really liked Christmas ham! Which is why this “Seven Fishes” Christmas Eve seafood splurge at Quiessence sounds so delicious. (Here’s the menu.) It was inspired by a coastal Italian holiday tradition, where people would celebrate Christmas with a whole dinner of fish. And…
It’s better to receive than to give, if we’re talking about the incredible macarons at Essence Bakery Cafe. But if you’re in need of a surefire gift that’ll impress — or if you want to serve something besides cookies at your holiday get-together — these confections are the thing. Have…
It’s not far, but it’s still a move. The Cove Trattoria has left its old digs at the Scottsdale Seville, and after a short hiatus over the past few days, opens its doors tomorrow, December 20, at a bigger space in the same plaza (Indian Bend and Scottsdale Road). Also…
There’s no snow for a sleigh ride, but how about a carriage ride and some Christmas carols? The shops and restaurants along Stetson Drive will do their best to get visitors in the holiday spirit at a free event tonight, the first-annual Holiday Stroll at SouthBridge. For the kids, there will…
Here’s another good question from a pal: What’s open on Christmas? A few minutes after I got that email, I heard from PR whiz/gourmet cook/blogger Kirsten Shaefer from InterContinental Montelucia. Turns out, chef Claudio Urciuoli is going to be cooking up a special dinner menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: Prado Christmas.doc …
Last month a dear friend was distraught when she missed out on NOCA’s fried chicken night. So this blog post is for her, in the hopes that her holidays are a little happier after getting her chix fix. Here’s the latest Sunday Supper schedule: Noca Sundays Dec – Jan.doc — Michele…
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 English-style ale called the…
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…
Recently, I was struck by some pleasant surprises at District, a downtown eatery that didn’t exactly give me high hopes from the get-go. And this week, I find myself considering the exact opposite kind of place: a restaurant where I couldn’t help but have inflated expectations. In business since late…
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 cuts of meat and serve…
After posting about Luc’s sudden shutdown yesterday, I heard a rumor that Luc’s won’t change its concept to Bistro G after all. Apparently the landlords at El Pedregal wouldn’t approve the new concept unless the restaurant owners committed to keeping Bistro G open seven days a week, for both lunch…
Gotta love the name: Recession Proof Tuesdays at Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar. It’s the budget-friendly new event that launches tonight, and it looks like a great excuse to knock back a few. They’re offering all of their more than 300 bottles of wine for half off, and it’s only…
I spent a few years living in Seattle, and today feels just like a typical day up there — gloomy and gray, with softly falling rain and car headlights making everything a little fuzzy and shiny. In a typical week, I’d eat Vietnamese food at least three times for lunch. So today,…
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 chef Peter…
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…
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…
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…
Looking for a new breakfast option this weekend? A friend just passed along the news that La Piccola Cucina is opening in the a.m. this Saturday and Sunday. Check out the menu: La Piccola Cucina – Breakfast Menu.doc It sounds like this is on a trial basis — they’ll…
The torturous thing about watching Bravo’s Top Chef is that it tends to leave viewers with insatiable cravings for food that only exists in TV land. You watch the chefs hustle to create a dish, you cheer them on… and then, you go to bed very, very hungry. So here’s your…
My friend Pamela Hamilton, editor of Edible Phoenix, just sent an invitation to Chow Bella readers to vote online for this year’s Local Hero Awards, the annual accolades given to hard-working people in the culinary community. Friday’s the last day. If you’re familiar with the mag, then you’ll recognize the past…
