Open Table, the online restaurant reservations provider, has released its 2012 Diners Choice Award winners for the Top 100 best restaurants in the United States. And while its thumbs up for four Arizona venues, one of the country’s top food cities, Chicago, doesn’t get a single restaurant mention. See also:…
The deal is going down over the next few days, but Stacy Phipps, owner and pit master of Stacy’s Smokehouse (now closed) and Stacy’s Pit Stop in Sunnyslope, is planning on turning Circle H Barbecue, in Central Phoenix, into his own ‘cue joint by the first part of next year…
Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Check out what’s on our plate. See Also: Astor House in Phoenix Is Hosting a Cocktail Class this Saturday Chow Bella’s One-Stop Guide to Metro Phoenix Food Trucks: When and Where to Find Them 5-5-5 Wine…
Manuel Trevino from “Top Chef” is just one of the many chefs who stepped forward in this video address to show their support for one teenager’s petition to get Hasbro to market their Easy-Bake Oven in a gender neutral manner. See Also: –Powdered Food DIY Kits From Japan Are Kinda…
Last year, food bloggers everywhere had a story that was literally on the tongues of many people in the country: A chemical used in the making of the McRib is also found in yoga mats. This is completely true. Azodicarbonamide is found in the ingredients listings for both the McRib…
Rich Heider — head bartender at Market Street Kitchen and the guy who whips up the most outrageous, boozed-up hot chocolate in town — cringes at the word “mixologist,” so let’s put terminology aside for a moment. He’s a booze-slinger in possession of a sophisticated palate (the good ones always…
See Also: AndyTalk: Toaster Envy AndyTalk: Top 10 Things for the Cook in Your Life Holiday gifts for people who like to cook should be easy, but to the uninitiated a store stocked floor to ceiling with cookware is an obstacle course. The goal is to buy a gift that…
Some might say “Merry Christmas,” others say “Feliz Navidad,” and still others simply say “Happy holidays,” but whatever you call this time of year, there’s only one word for the drinking event whose timing (thankfully) corresponds with the hectic season: tequila. See also: Best Tequila 2012 – 3 Amigos Tequila…
This fall, Eytan Zias, ex-New York restaurant chef and owner of Phoenix Knife House, moved his specialty cutlery shop from Scottsdale to a bigger space in Arcadia. Now, a few months later, he’s ready to celebrate. See also: Chow Bella’s Gift Guide for the Foodie and Tastemakers 2012: Eytan Zias…
Attention holiday hosts: there’s still a chance to wow your guests this season with a little help from the Astor House. The cozy dinning spot tucked away in the Coronado district of Central Phoenix is offering an intimate cocktail class this Saturday at 4 p.m. led by house bartender Blaise…
Ah, the holidays. Christmas is all about love, sharing, sweetness and light — and keeping the antacids handy. In keeping with the spirit of the season, Chow Bella presents “Eating Christmas,” in which some of our favorite writers nosh on the real lessons we learn this time of year. Today,…
If a restaurateur could be likened to a music genre, then chef Aaron May is punk rock. The well-known Valley chef and restaurateur does what he wants, the way he wants to, and with zero apologies. And his newest venture, Praying Monk, in Old Town Scottsdale, plays out like a…
News flash: The Phoenix food truck scene has exploded over the last year. If you haven’t been keeping up (or if you’re living under some sort of giant, crushing rock) you might be missing out on some exciting new eats to hit the Valley streets. To be fair, food trucks…
Christmas is a holiday for good cheer and spending joyous time with loved ones, and sometimes being in the kitchen can get in the way of that. Forget about stressing out and make reservations to celebrate Christmas Eve or Christmas Day at one of the top restaurants in town. You’ll…
There was always a certain irony in the name Matt’s Big Breakfast, given that the original 800-square-foot space at the corner of 1st Street and McKinley was so insanely cramped and tiny. But when owners Matt and Ernie Poole moved the city’s most popular breakfast spot a block north to…
Feeling thrifty? Good, because this week we explore wines under $6-$7. You know, the ones no one really boasts about buying….but admit it, you do. These bottles cost less than an entire glass of wine a nice wine bar, so you pick one up at the grocer’s in hopes you’ll…
In case you’re not busy enough, or you’ve just had enough of the holiday shopping crowds, here are a few crafty things to supplement your gift-giving. Yes, it’s stressful sometimes to make things yourself, but when you make things yourself you can be at home and most people appreciate your…
Since chefs Keenan Bosworth and Joshua Riesner announced they were leaving Atlas Bistro, the sophisticated BYOB in Scottsdale, to start their own restaurant, Pig & Pickle, about a mile and a half away, managing partner Todd Sawyer has been on the hunt to fill the gap left by the culinary…
Tis the season…for boozing, that is. To celebrate, more than a dozen downtown Phoenix restaurants and bars are taking their holiday concoctions into the battlefield in a six-week competition to see who can come up with the Most Spirited Holiday Cocktail of 2012. The seasonal libations vary from sugary sweet…
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…
With all of the baking that has to be done during the Christmas season — from cookie exchanges and decorating to making gifts and serving guests — it can be nice (and necessary) to take a break. Ensure that everything on your holiday table for breakfast, dinner, and dessert is…
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. When Valley chefs size up, shake, and inspect their wrapped…
