Welcome to Chow Bella’s Bites & Dishes, where Valley chefs and restaurateurs respond to a question New Times food critic Laura Hahnefeld has on her mind. Have a question you’d like to ask? E-mail laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. Miss a question? Go here. Soon, 2013 will be upon us and so will a…
Eating black-eyed peas has been a tradition to ring in the New Year for centuries. In fact, it was first recorded 2,500 years ago as a Syrian Jewish custom, and the Aramaic name for black-eyed peas (rubiya) also means “abundance.” A couple millennia later the tradition made it from Africa…
We’re roughly pretty sure that Pizza Hut Asia has the Epic Meal Time guys on permanent retainer because the ideas hitting the market out there are pretty amazing. The latest over-the-top creation is from Pizza Hut Singapore which introduced a “Double Sensation Pizza” just in time for the holidays. See…
With another holiday season full of gorging on rich, fatty food and binge drinking with friends and relatives, it might just be a good idea to consider washing away all that trouble we caused our bodies and start anew. Cleanse diets are pretty hip for weight loss, but really they’re…
Say what you will about weird weather, the economy, the election, the budget battle, gun control or whatever else has put your brow in a knot and your britches in a bunch this past 12 months, but 2012 has been a fantastic year for cocktail drinkers. Here in Phoenix, we’ve…
If you’ve been reading Chef Salad here at Chow Bella for a while, you’ve probably gleaned a few tasty nuggets about your favorite chefs: what they like to eat and where, the colleagues they admire, the mentors they’ve learned from and their views on trends and celebrity. As the interviewer,…
As 2012 comes to a close, it’s time to look back on some of the most all-around stellar meals I had the pleasure of consuming in the Valley. See also: – 9 Best New Restaurants of 2012 in Greater Phoenix – 10 (Okay, 11) Best First Tastes of 2012 in…
A fast food burger chain in Brazil has released a burger with a completely edible wrapper, and the video is both fascinating and horrifying — without context. According to Comunicadores, the stunt was meant to demonstrate that the the burgers were so very delicious that people simply couldn’t stop themselves…
Christmas is almost here, but luckily we still have a couple more days to get those last minute gifts and to finalize our holiday plans. If you’re looking for some guidance, Chow Bella’s got you covered. See Also: – Chow Bella’s 12 Most Popular Phoenix Food and Restaurant Stories of…
For fans of sweet treats by notable pastry chef Tammie Coe, Christmas has come a few days early. See also: – Tammie Coe Cakes Ends Relationship With La Grande Orange – Tammie Coe Makes Eyeball Cupcakes Today, Coe announced the opening of her latest store, at 5210 North Central Avenue…
After celebrating 10 years with Roaring Fork this January, chef Brian Hulihee has left his culinary home of American Western fare in Scottsdale. See also: – Atlas Bistro in Scottsdale Announces New Executive Chef – Chef Brian Hulihee Celebrates His 10th Anniversary with Roaring Fork Taking over the spot Hulihee…
Ring the bell, it’s time for Last Call, where JK Grence, bartender at Shady’s, serves up booze advice and recipes. Got a burning question for your bartender? Leave it in the comments and it might be answered in a future column. It’s getting into the time of year to keep…
When the Stovanovic family, which opened the original Stanley’s Homemade Polish Sausage on McDowell in 1989, closed up shop at that location last spring, they promised a new store right across the street in the months to come. That dream never materialized, although the Stovanovics still own a retail-only shop…
While some folks can’t call it Christmas without their eggnog, we like to sip Coquito during those all-night gift-wrapping binges. We have another, faster, recipe for the popular Puerto Rican holiday cóctel. This one removes the egg yolks and blends three kinds of booze into a creamy coconut base with…
Can we all agree that we should sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of 2012? If you’re like us, you probably need a refill of eggnog and a shoulder massage. While you’re sipping that nog, and enjoying that massage (whether imaginary or real) come with us on a tour…
While the food truck scene’s been buzzing in Central and Downtown Phoenix for a while now, outlying areas have been severely lacking in mobile food options. Last month Glendale started to turn that tide with the debut of one of the city’s hottest new eateries, Old Dixie’s Southern Kitchen. Well,…
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…
Thanks to hundreds of new restaurants opening in the Valley this year — including a cozy artisan pizza shop in Scottsdale, a vegan bakery downtown, and a trio of cuisines in East Phoenix — there was plenty to chew on when it came to First Tastes, our column of initial…
Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Check out what’s on our plate. See Also: End of the World Eats (and Drinks) at Lon’s at the Hermosa and Roka Akor Dec. 21 Lunch under $10 at Astor House No To-Maya at Central Bistro…
There are still four more days before Christmas, but if you want to be at the best parties this New Year’s Eve, you’d better start planning pronto. There are a ton of bars and restaurants in town that would love to have you toast to the New Year at their…
The Book: Dirt Candy: A Cookbook: Flavor-Forward Food from the Upstart New York City Vegetarian Restaurant The Sell: A cookbook presented as a comic book with vegetarian recipes good enough to intrigue even the most diehard omnivore. “Dirt Candy: A Cookbook” is a cookbook about vegetables told through comic book…
Fizzy cocktails are nothing new. The Tom Collins, gin and tonic, French 75, Champagne cocktail and good old rum and Coke have been tickling noses for decades, if not centuries. But these days, bartenders in New York and San Francisco are making house-carbonated cocktails, and to hear them tell it,…
