By Michele Laudig Brian Yaeger has it all figured out…

By Michele Laudig Good times. Saturday’s Eats3 Arizona Grand Tasting turned out to be a mighty fine way to spend a gorgeous, sunny October afternoon — friendly people, tons of the best restaurants in town serving up more delicious dishes than one could possibly eat, all kinds of good wines…

By Michele Laudig executive chef Michael Stebner is still staying in the fold with Fox Restaurant Concepts, which owns The Greene House, at Kierland Commons, as well as True Food Kitchen, set to open Monday, October 27, at Biltmore Fashion Park. True Food Kitchen is the anticipated new concept spawned…

My rediscovery of one of the classiest restaurants in Tempe happened, ironically, by way of a rock concert. I had plans to see a national act with a couple of friends who’d bought tickets months ago. Since these gals have families and busy careers, the show was a rare treat…

By Michele Laudig Sometimes the Valley seems like land of the culinary festivals, so why would one more foodie event stand out? Well, since Eats3 — taking place this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday — is totally new to the scene, it’s impossible to predict how it will play out. But…

By Michele Laudig Although plenty of restaurant openings have been delayed or flat-out nixed (hello, Mexican Standoff, Shell Shock, Leche, REM?), October’s shaping up to be a decent month for new eateries in Scottsdale. The most high-profile among them is The Mission, a Latin-inspired eatery that’s taken over the cozy…

By Eddie Matney Okay, turns out Chow Bella readers are alright. I had a dozen or so of you over to Eddie’s House for dinner last week to chat about food, families and fly fishing. I expected to get beaten up a little bit. I expected to defend some of…

Considering that Arcadia isn’t a mecca for any kind of Asian food, it seemed a shame when Sushi Mishima, a casual Japanese joint, closed its doors last year. No, the place wasn’t destination sushi by anyone’s definition, but it was an affordable and friendly neighborhood spot. But you know what?…

By Michele Laudig If you’re out in the East Valley and hungry for some pizza or a salad, stop by the place that’s getting all the buzz: Liberty Market. It just opened its doors yesterday on the city’s main drag (230 N. Gilbert Rd.), and it promises to be the…

By Michele Laudig Move over Lee Lee’s and Ranch 99 — there’s a gargantuan new Asian supermarket in town. It’s called Mekong Plaza, and it opens this Saturday. The 100,000 square foot market, located at the southwest corner of Main Street and Dobson in Mesa (across from Asian Cafe Express,…

By Michele Laudig For a while, the sign in the window of FOODBAR, at SouthBridge, indicated that it was closed for renovations this summer. But when it finally reopens on Monday, October 20, it’ll be a whole new restaurant: Metro Brasserie, a traditional French brasserie open daily for breakfast, lunch,…

By Michele Laudig As they say, better late than never — especially in this bizarre economic climate. Fate chef-owner Johnny Chu’s new Asian tapas and sake bar, Sens, was supposed to have opened by now, but like many new restaurants around town, the launch was postponed by a couple of…

By Michele Laudig It’s still pretty toasty outside, but all it takes is the mere suggestion of fall for me to start craving certain foods that have been on the backburner during the sizzling summer. Like soup. Specifically, tonkotsu ramen at Cherry Blossom. Yes, I’m a bit of a broken…

By Michele Laudig David Tanis must lead a charmed life. That’s the impression I have of this Renaissance man after reading his lovely new cookbook, A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes. I mean, the Chez Panisse chef got a cover blurb from none other than Michael Pollan (who, btw,…

By Michele Laudig Here’s an exciting upcoming event to put on your calendar (although you should get tickets a.s.a.p.). It’s the October 19th booksigning and tasting held in honor of the new cookbook, Cooking with Les Dames D’Escoffier: At Home with the Women Who Shape the Way We Eat and…

By Michele Laudig Three sister restaurants in Chandler — 56 East Bar & Kitchen, 98 South Wine Bar & Kitchen, and KiZake Sushi & Martinis — closed abruptly on Tuesday. Any one of those places shutting its doors would’ve been a loss to the East Valley dining scene, but losing…

By Michele Laudig Lydia Ruiz didn’t expect to be back in business at In Season Deli, but now that she’s in the swing of things, she’s happy to be in her old digs. Ruiz owned the Mill Avenue eatery for 27 years, but sold it a year ago after she…

By Michele Laudig When I heard that The Art of Soup was expanding its hours to include breakfast service, I had to stop myself from shaking my head in bewilderment. Of course soup for breakfast makes sense. The Vietnamese already have that figured out (pho), and so do the Japanese…