Yesterday we met Christine Wisniewski, bartender and part owner at Mill Avenue’s Caffe Boa. Today she shares with us the recipe for the Love Potion — a name that’s quite literal. “The grapes, the fizziness, the elderflower and the floral notes are all part of the aphrodisiac family,” Wisniewski says…
Get your Maharaja, The Czar, and White Rascal while you can. Colorado-based Avery Brewing Co. announced Thursday it plans to withdraw from eight states and seven other partial-state markets beginning in April…
Food and art are in many ways related. Both require imagination, a deft hand, and a willingness to step outside the norm. Though Christine Wisniewski claims she hasn’t made much use of her degree in painting and drawing — “It was either own a restaurant or be a starving artist,”…
Hey, man. Have you ever looked at your hands? I mean, really looked at them? They’re amazing! They’re so…touchy. Whoa. Anyway, today medicinal marijuana became legal in Arizona. Seriously! We were all like, “Legalize it, man!” and they were all, “Okay!” Anyone with the proper doctor-approved documentation can possess up…
Yesterday we met Ryan Soranson, bartender at El Chorro Lodge. Today he shares with us the recipe for the El Chorro Sunrise, the lodge’s premier cocktail. Soranson says it’s the most popular drink on the menu, and it’s especially perfect for this time of year: the sweet, subtle caress of…
Ryan Soranson was pouring drinks before he could even legally drink them — Cartwright’s in Cave Creek called him up to the big leagues behind the bar at the tender age of 20. The young ‘un quickly proved that age is just a number, however, moving into a management position…
Dieting — much like pimpin’ — ain’t easy. When you make the decision to cut back on, say, cheeseburgers, it seems like that’s all you see. Every commercial on TV features the glorious sizzle of a patty mid-grill; every billboard tempts you with glistening lettuce and tomato topped with gooey…
Here at Chow Bella, we like our beer in cans. Aesthetics aside, cans are the ultimate in beer technology, providing better protection against oxygen and light (mortal enemies of fresh beer) than bottles while being easier to ship and more acceptable at the beach. Plus, they’re better for shotgunning and…
Yesterday we met Bryan Yngstrom, the man serving drinks at The House at Secret Garden. Today he shares with us the recipe for the Mango Serrano Mojito, which is apparently not-so-secret — though he did have some problems crafting it. “At first we tried muddling the Serrano right along with…
Some people seek out greatness; other find it thrust upon them. Bryan Yngstrom was thrown head first into bartending. While drinking during a vacation in New Orleans, some barkeeps he’d gotten to know decided to go out for a night on the town, leaving the untested Yngstrom in charge of…
Got some Girl Scout cookies in the pantry? So did we — hence, the Chow Bella Trefoil Showdown. I like to think of my food as the Iron Giant or Elephant Man — hideous monsters with a heart of gold. These sweet potato pancakes aren’t much to look at,…
Two shaggy-style Kahuna Lava Dogs — half-pound beef dogs bathed in chili, Maui cole slaw and Monterey Jack Cheese Two Shaka dogs of your choice (I go with the Island Dog, a brat adorned with Chipotle mayo, Maui mustard, coconut, pineapple and bacon; and the Hana Dog, an all-beef link…
Yesterday we met Elliott Simmons, the man (and musician) behind the bar at Devil’s Advocate. Today he shares with us the recipe for the Devil’s Concoction, which he says is the girliest drink ever. “Everyone here has their own name for it,” he says. “All the time, girls are like,…
Elliott Simmons is a popular guy — during our interview, no less than three people interrupted us just to say hi. I shouldn’t have been surprised, as this is Simmons’ spot. He’s been at Devil’s Advocate since it opened October 2009, though he began serving drinks at the same location…
I met Blair River just one time in 2010. As I was sitting down to attempt my first-ever Quadruple Bypass Burger, he was just leaving Heart Attack Grill, his friend having finished two of the meaty monstrosities while he himself had just downed three of the regular Bypass Burgers he…
If you’ve looked over the vendor list for the beer festival set to be held Saturday at Tempe Beach Park, you might have noticed something odd. At an event that bills itself as the Great Arizona Beer Festival, several of Arizona’s greatest breweries — Papago, Barrio, Nimbus, and this little…
Yesterday we met Zach Ogle, the beer geek pouring drinks at Papago Brewing Co. The bartenders at Papago love to mix beers together, and today Ogle shares with us the recipe for one such mix: the Hop Suicide. Because it’s a simple combination of whatever hoppy stuff Papago happens to currently…
A good beer bar needs several things: good grub, an extensive tap list and a knowledgeable beer geek to do the pouring. Papago Brewing Co. (7107 E McDowell Rd., 480-425-7439) has killer pizza (check), 32 taps’ worth of delicious craft brews (check) and Zach Ogle (double check). A native of…
The adjacent liquor store, Tops Liquors, stocks hundreds of bottles of tequila, vodka, rum and the like, but Taste of Tops (403 W. University Drive, 480-967-5643) doesn’t serve any of that. In fact, ask for a pint of Bud on draft and you’ll be laughed out of the place. Taste of Tops…
In case you missed it (or you’re just awakening from a beer-induced coma and need a reminder) AZ Beer Week is in full effect. If, like Benjamin Franklin, you believe beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy, get ready to worship at your choice…
Arizona Beer Week, once upon a time just a twinkle in the eye of desert-dwelling beer lovers, is now upon us — and has grown to juggernaut proportions. As our mom likes to say, you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a beer week event. With somewhere in the…
At what point does one elevate from merely drinking beer to being a full-on beer snob? Answer: when you feel compelled to tell other people what to drink. And the inevitable result of this peculiar ailment is the beer argument. In the spirit of all great beer-related discussions, we present…
