Lovers of deep-fried foods, rejoice! The Arizona State Fair is now in full swing. Whatever food you can think of, the odds are good that someone has deep fried it, covered it in bacon, or both. We went out this weekend to indulge in some of the more unusual eats…
Liberty Market Today In celebration of five years in business, Gilbert’s Liberty Market is offering $5 Tower Burgers and $5 22-ounce Liberty Ale from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. If you drop by the restaurant’s 5 Year Anniversary party, you’ll also find special desserts, and you can enter a drawing…
A recent New York Times article looked at a new trend in New York City that has some big-name chefs pretty darn excited. Guys like Jean-Georges Vongerichten and David Burke are all in a tizzy over what are being called Green Circle chickens, which are most probably — actually, we’re…
Medical marijuana-infused “medibles” are big business. With the 2010 passage of Arizona’s Medical Marijuana Act, patients and caregivers have been experimenting with ways to infuse pot into food — an imprecise and tedious task to be sure. But medical-marijuana kitchens like Uncle Herb’s in Payson, one of only two state-approved…
As crafty as some of my favorite bartenders are with their cocktails, I’m surprised that the old, forgotten Boulevardier cocktail is just starting to gain traction. Quite a few libationists I know drink Negronis with abandon. Most of these same folks also greatly enjoy whiskey drinks, especially ones made with…
West Valley residents have a new spot for coffee as of last month, and this week they welcomed an adjoining urban bistro to the ‘hood. Courtesy of husband-and-wife team Steve and Karen Maynard, the new cafe, called Tempo Urban Bistro and Coffee, opened Wednesday, October 9, at 21067 West Main…
The things you find out about your barista. Shelby Moore of south Tempe’s hub for stuffed goodness, Crepe Bar, is a journalism student (full disclosure: he once interned for Chow Bella). When he isn’t busy hitting the books, he can be found in the restaurant whipping up tasty coffee drinks…
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…
On the outside, lemon cucumbers look like small, round, yellow watermelons. You’ll quickly see, however, when you cut into one the light yellow tennis ball-sized treat is no melon. With a bright and mild citrusy tang, the lemon cucumber tastes exactly like its name would suggest: lemony and cucumber-y. Though…
The list of people and industries affected by the government shutdown seems to grow longer every day. Now we have to start wondering about the impact on our favorite craft brews. Because of the government shutdown, which includes The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, or TTB, new breweries…
When I worked at Bouchon, autumn is when I would get the bitch work of processing hundreds of pumpkins. We would make pumpkin pies that were sold for charity, the proceeds donated to the local food bank. Awesome cause, lots of pumpkin prep work. Cases of pumpkins would arrive at…
A new brand of giardiniera, Kelsey D’s, has made its way to local store shelves, courtesy of Arizona State University alumna Kelsey Digman, who has turned her family recipe into a thriving business. Digman had grown up eating giardiniera, an Italian specialty condiment made of chopped garden-grown vegetables marinated in…
Though the newly renovated T. Cook’s and The Mix Up Bar debuted over a month ago, the resort hosted an official grand re-opening event last night. If you’ve been impatiently holding your breath to find out just how they could have improved on the Old World charm of this well-loved…
When it comes to risk-taking cuisine in the Valley, there’s no better example — at least not right now — than what they’ve got cookin’ in the kitchen at Renegade by MOD. The Scottsdale restaurant comes courtesy of Chef Michael O’Dowd, formerly chef at Kai, and partner Ed Leclere. Though…
This weekend is a big one for the Valley’s Oktoberfest scene. You’ll have your pick between the three-day fest at Tempe Town Lake and a two-day event up at Salt River Fields. And don’t worry, if lederhosen and bier aren’t really your scene, there are plenty of other things to…
Halo-Halo Kitchen, the Filipino restaurant on the city’s west side, is not only a place to eat, it’s also a place to party. On one side, there is the eatery, a bright white room of Filipino baked goods and groceries and a turo-turo, or a cafeteria-style “point-point” setup of meats…
Just when you think you know everything there is to know about Phoenix, someone finds an old trailer, once owned by a barbecued-beef baron, that used to house a radio station and, well, you realize there’s still more to learn about this crazy place. Built by Bill Johnson of Bill…
When one of the young dancers from the next-door studio wandered into Café 8 in Mesa, and announced that she couldn’t eat gluten, Tracey Chaker gave her one of the gluten-free cupcakes out of the display case. “The next day, she came back, tugged on my chef’s jacket, and said,…
We’re willing to bet you’ve never seen milk look as sexy as London-based photographer Jaroslav Wieczorkiewicz makes it look. That’s because Wieczorkiewicz has created a limited edition Milk Calendar 2014 that features photos of nude models wearing nothing but milk…
Breaking beer news, drunks! Representatives of Phoenix beer distributors Crescent Crown announced Wednesday that Avery Brewing Co. will once again begin sending its beers to Arizona. Bottles and cans from the Colorado-based brewery should start reappearing on our shelves as early as mid-November…
It’s tough to be a gin girl in a Wild West whiskey world. Although whiskey still dominates the conversation in most imbibing circles, gin does have a strong presence in the craft cocktail world, due to its unique botanical flavor. How each mixologist chooses to expand on that herbal base…
When the restaurant gods shutter a Monk, they open a Bootlegger. At least that’s the case with Praying Monk, restaurateur and chef Aaron May’s stylish American beer cafe in Old Town Scottsdale opened in May of last year. Shuttered last night, Praying Monk, located at 7217 East First Street, will…
