The Mac & Cheese Throwdown is less than a month away, and that means it’s time to buy your ticket. Seriously, this event has been known to sell out early. So if you’re tired of powdered cheese packets from the boring blue box, you’d better lay down your $22 ASAP…
We Americans may have an international reputation for being fat and loud, but it turns out our neighbors to the south may have even, uh, bigger issues than we do. Mexico recently surpassed the United States in obesity rates, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization with 32.8…
This weekend the tacos were flowing at the Salt River Fields in Scottsdale where the fourth annual Arizona Taco Festival took place. The annual event brought food lovers from all over the Valley to partake in testing thousands of tacos in order to crown the best selections in a variety…
Beer: ‘Merica Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales Style: Saison ABV: 7.5 percent America: It’s great. Inventors of football and tailgating, back-to-back World War champs, land of the free, home of the brave, etc. Despite the occasional government shutdown, it’s a pretty sweet place to live. ‘Merica: It’s also pretty great. The…
Since Coconut’s Fish Cafe opened in Maui in April 2009, it’s been featured on CNN.com’s list of “Top 10 Places to Eat Like a Local” as well as the restaurant review website Zagat for having “the perfect fish taco.” This April, the healthy “island style” fast-casual eatery made its first…
From time to time, Chow Bella’s contributors challenge one another to a showdown: Make the best dish you can, using one common ingredient. This time (naturally), it was pumpkin. For the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing the results, and at the end, we’ll let you know who won. Today,…
The James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chefs: Southwest” event brought hundreds of food lovers and a handful of the region’s best culinary brains to the Westin Kierland resort on Friday night. From start to finish, guests enjoyed an array of handcrafted dishes and drinks prepared by award-winning chefs and their volunteer…
Scramble, the four-year-old fast casual breakfast spot in Sunnyslope, is expanding to Scottsdale. And although the cheery theme, size, and breakfast and lunch menu of familiar American dishes will remain pretty much the same as the original, the Scottsdale Scramble will offer something the Sunnyslope spot doesn’t: a.m. cocktails…
Whole Foods Camelback Wednesday, October 23 There’s a handful of reasons you might want to check out the Valley’s newest Whole Foods location, including its in-house restaurant, bar, and coffee shop. But this week you can also catch Phoenix’s pizza legend Chris Bianco in the flesh when he heads to…
Forks up, Phoenix! Chow Bella and Roosevelt Row present the fourth annual Pie Social Saturday, November 16, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the “What Should Go Here” Pop Up Park at Second Street and Roosevelt. We’ve got an all-star lineup of bakers making pies for you to taste, and…
We have to hand it to the burger. Though it is, in theory, a sandwich, this meat monument has managed to become a culinary category all its own with patty spin-offs such as veggie, lamb, turkey, and bison, plus the seemingly endless combination of toppings ranging from the classic (lettuce,…
The folks over at Deadspin recently compiled a ranked list of each state’s regional specialty. They then created a nicely illustrated map of what they’re calling “The Great American Menu.” We’re not at all surprised that we got credited with the deep-fried burrito creation called the chimichanga (remember that campaign…
This time of year, a favored drink special of many bartenders is a cocktail that evokes the taste of warm apple pie. Or at least, it’s supposed to taste like apple pie. More than a few I’ve had these days taste like nothing more than apple juice spiked with Red…
In February, when most of us were still reeling over a giant-ass meteor in Russia, the lights going out at Super Bowl XLVII, and the awfulness of Seth MacFarlane hosting the Oscars, restaurateur Sam Fox threw another bombshell into the mix: a “life-changing food experience.” The promise came in the…
When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out — and let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that…
Quiche, it isn’t just for breakfast anymore. Truth is, quiche can be eaten for just about any meal. Eggs, milk, perhaps a bit of sour cream, veggies, bacon or sausage, flaky pie crust. What’s not to love? Everyone has their own style and concoction for the perfect quiche, our two…
You think you can have just one, or maybe a two, and before you know it the whole bag has disappeared. But don’t worry. It’s not your fault. Scientists at Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut are now saying that those beacons of chocolate cookie-and-creme goodness really might be as…
Not all happy hours are created equal. In this year’s Best of Phoenix® issue, we scoured the Valley to find the best places to grab a drink and a bite after a long day. Here’s a look at the seven best places to enjoy happy hour in Metro Phoenix…
Did you adore our recent list that featured pets in food costumes? The moment you’ve been waiting for has arrived. We want to see your pets in their food-inspired costumes. Dachshunds dressed as hot dogs, Chihuahuas in enchilada costumes, let your imagination run wild. Dress your pet as food, and…
What’s that adorable little treasure atop your beef tartare? A quail egg, of course. You might not recognize these mini protein boosts in their natural form because of their black-speckled shells, which truthfully only add to their allure. Once you crack one open, you’ll quickly notice that, while smaller in…
Cornish Pasty Co. founder and Cornwall, England, native Dean Thomas is plotting to taking over the world — with pasties. Not really. But you might think so. After opening his first establishment of the hearty hand-held turnovers (pronounced PASS-tees) in Tempe in 2005 and then in Mesa in 2008, Thomas…
The Blind Pig in South Scottsdale is the new venture of restaurateurs Bob and Sally Ann Molinari (Uncle Sal’s Italian Eatery, the Side Door bar and restaurant) and Bret Pont, owner of Hobe Meats, a butcher shop in business for more than 50 years in Phoenix. Whether The Blind Pig’s…
