By Michele Laudig Hey, weren’t you craving a bagel? For National Hunger Awareness Day, the folks at Chompies will donate 15 percent of today’s proceeds to St. Vincent de Paul. All three locations (on Shea Blvd. in Scottsdale, on University in Tempe, and at the Paradise Valley Mall) are participating…
By Michele Laudig Oh. My. God. I am dying to try the artisan ice creams and sorbets at Sweet Republic, a new Scottsdale sweet shop that opened last week. (Thanks to the Chow Bella reader who emailed me with the great tip!) Owners Jan Wichayanuparp and Helen Yung make their…
By Michele Laudig Is it any coincidence that the first day the weather forecast shows nothing but three-digit temperatures for the next week, I discover a brand-new ice cream shop? Finding week-old Pink Spot, which just opened its doors next to ZPizza on Thomas, came at the perfect time. As…
By Michele Laudig You heard of Pimp My Ride, right? Well, how about Pimp My Restaurant? That’s what I’m calling the dramatic transformation of an eatery at the Phoenician. It started off as The Terrace, a traditional American restaurant, but a million dollars later, it’s now stepping out as Il…
By Michele Laudig James Beard Award-winning chef Robert McGrath honored his friend Chris Pischke when he took over the late restaurateur’s Old Town Scottsdale eatery, Pischke’s Paradise, and transformed it into Pischke’s Blue Ribbon last year. But now the restaurant’s more than 20-year run is about to come to an…
By Michele Laudig This, my friends, is so damn clever — the best spin on the cupcake trend so far!…
Feed me now. I’m hungry. I’m grumpy. I’m in a hurry. I have plenty of easy excuses to fill up on fast food. But most of the time, novelty isn’t one of them. Just think of the comforting familiarity of hot, salty McDonald’s French fries — they’re available everywhere, and…
By Michele Laudig A friend just passed along the sad news that Weather & Coffee, weatherman Ed Phillips’ coffee and pastry shop on Bell Road, has recently closed. But looking on the bright side — no pun intended — the business will live on in the virtual world. An online…
By Michele Laudig It’s official: Chef Claudio Urciuoli is back in action, this time as the chef at the signature restaurant at InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa, the swanky new resort under construction in Paradise Valley. He starts on Monday, June 2, and his new menu — along with the…
By Michele Laudig Need a cold pint to shake off the work week? Yeah, I know this is more of an Irish coffee kind of day, but I’ll take a beer anyway. Joining the growing list of restaurants at Tempe Marketplace, a new pub called D’Arcy McGee’s opens today, just…
By Michele Laudig This takes the cake for coolest summer vacation idea: Chef Marcellino Verzino and his wife Sima, whose restaurant Marcellino is one of the best destinations in the Valley for homemade pasta, will be leading a weeklong trip to the Campania region of Italy this August. From August…
We’ve heard all about the heart, but does absence make the palate grow fonder, too? If it’s top-notch Afghan cuisine — something the Valley’s been deprived of since the early ’90s — then the answer is an enthusiastic “yes.” To my knowledge, the long-defunct Chopandaz in Tempe was the first…
By Michele Laudig Reading menus really is one of my favorite pastimes, and lately there have been quite a few landing in my inbox. The newest one comes from Eddie’s House, chef Eddie Matney’s new spot, which opens to the general public tonight. Among the quirky, Middle Eastern-inspired entrees, there’s…
Just in: La Bocca Urban Pizzeria + Wine Bar owner Julian Wright is getting the word out on his new weekly dinner parties. Last Thursday was the first one, and it was a success, so it looks like reservations are essential (call 480-967-5244; La Bocca is located on Mill Ave…
Start looking for more bylines in Chow Bella starting today, with the debut of Megan Irwin’s weekly Veggie Girl mini-review coming up shortly . . …
Now that Urban Campfire owners Robert Stempkowski and Stephen Wolff have prevailed in the civil suit that’s been sapping so much of their time, energy, and cash, they’re “celebrating” by finally moving forward with some much-needed renovations to the property. “The consensus rap has just been the dreariness of the…
Lately I’ve gotten inquiries about who’ll be appointed the new restaurant critic at Phoenix Magazine, in the wake of longtime critic Nikki Buchanan’s much-talked-about dismissal. No one, as it turns out. Ashlea Deahl, the magazine’s editor, explained, “We don’t have any immediate plans to hire another full-time dining critic.” Instead,…
There’s a lot going on in the way of ethnic food lately. Here’s a mini-roundup of a few newcomers: In Ahwatukee, there’s an Indian spot called Curry Leaf Indian Grill (4825 E. Warner, in the Basha’s complex). Chandler’s San Marcos Plaza has a new Thai joint called Latitude Eight Thai…
A few days ago, I heard a rumor that Methode Bistro was going to be sold, and woot, there it is: chef Matt McLinn says the sale is already in the works. Sure, the economy’s pretty lame right now, but I wonder if there’s something up with that space. Have…
Some of my friends who’re into food (see? I didn’t say foodies!), are total spa fanatics, too. Hell, who wouldn’t like a nice belly rub after a big meal? (Oh, I wish they offered that…) Anyway, pals, this one’s for you: It’s Bliss Spa’s “You Be the Fudge” Battle of…
Considering everything that’s made a cultural splash so far in the 21st century — from extreme sports to religious extremism — it’s fair to say that these are pretty extreme times we’re living in, and cuisine is no exception. “Celebrity chef” has supplanted “rock star” as the most glamorous profession…
Now it’s official: the powers that be have banned the use of “foodie” here. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve abused the word in my writing. Moving forward, though, you’re going to start seeing a lot more names on Chow Bella, and “foodie” is hereby off-limits to NT writers. I’ve had…
