Food & Drink

For some people, offal (pronounced OAF-uhl) is as cringe-worthy as a slasher film.That’s surely why James Porter, chef-owner of Petite Maison, decided two years ago to create a tongue-in-cheek Halloween menu built around animal organs and the occasional odd part. He knows that for the squeamish, livers and kidneys can…

There are quite a few reasons we spend our weekends in Scottsdale, not the least of which would have to be the weekly Saturday morning farmers market in Old Town. See also: – Here’s Your Fall Schedule for a Bunch of Farmers Markets in Greater Phoenix – Old Town Scottsdale’s…

In the last Guilty Pleasures column, I was talking about going back to the Arizona State Fair to find a couple of tantalizing oddball items. I couldn’t stop thinking about the sweet potato corn dog. And then there’s that Cap’n Crunch Burger I saw on the map’s food list. Just…

Lee Hillson bid farewell to his comfortable executive chef gig at the Royal Palms a month ago to take on new managerial and operational challenges as executive sous at The Phoenician. Now Todd Sicolo is stepping in to take Hillson’s place at the Royal Palms, leaving an executive chef vacancy…

What’s so great about micro greens? Well, they are good for you. But our favorite thing is that they’re super easy to grow, offering instant gardner’s gratification for green and black thumbs alike. See also: – All Your Phoenix Fall Gardening Questions Answered by Tomato Pro Suzanne Vilardi What’s that…

The best thing about being the judge for the 2012 Chow Bella Halloween Candy Showdown is, well, being the judge for the 2012 Chow Bella Halloween Candy Showdown. Bring on the sugar rush, Baby. With the challenge being to whip up a dessert incorporating their favorite Halloween candy, my fellow…

You may be completely over bacon (it’s certainly fashionable to say so), but if you’re any kind of pork-lover at all, it’s pretty hard not to get excited about whole roasted pig. With its crispy skin and falling-apart meat — ultra-flavorful for being cooked on the bone with all the…

Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Check out what’s on our plate. See also: – Forget Candy! Five Way to Celebrate Halloween in Metro Phoenix with Food and Alcohol – Eight Best Neighborhood Bars: Best of Phoenix 2012 Cibo Hallowine Can’t celebrate…

Bruegger’s Bagels may be just another national chain adding new locations throughout the Valley this year, but chances are it’s the only one holding a Guinness World Record. See also: Best Bagels 2012 — New York Bagels ‘N Bialys In 2004, the Vermont-based company with over 300 locations in 26…

Friends and family swear you’re a champion cook, but do you have the chops to make it on MasterChef, Season 4? My 103.9 Morning DJ and former MasterChef contestant Monti Carlo has partnered with Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Scottsdale (Sky Bridge Campus) to hold a MasterChef…

Park your butt on a bar stool at any decent bar in town, and you’ll see a whole lot of shaking going on. These days (the third wave of the American Cocktail Revolution), lots of cocktails are shaken, though few are stirred. Questions are: why and how? See also: James…

Just because Bar Louie wasn’t right for Mill Avenue in the 1990s doesn’t mean it’s not right for Tempe Marketplace in 2012 — right? Maybe. The national chain, which debuted in Chicago in 1991 and refers to itself as a “urban bar,” is trying the Valley again after failed attempts…

The key to a successful Halloween party, aside from the tasty beverages and costumes (of course), is in the details. While there will be plenty of opportunity for experiencing fright the next several days, feeling unprepared for your Halloween festivities should not be one of them. See also: Five Terrifyingly…

Cork restaurant in Chandler has the new distinction of being the only Arizona restaurant to make OpenTable’s 2012 “Top 100 Restaurants with the Most Notable Wine Lists.” The honor, given by the San Francisco-based service, is part of OpenTable’s 2012 Diners’ Choice Awards. See also: -Cork Answers Foie Gras Debate…

Trick… or treat? For the latest Chow Bella showdown, our writers whipped up a dessert reminiscent of, or incorporating, their favorite Halloween candy. Check back all week for recipes; tomorrow our critic Laura Hahnefeld will pick her favorite. Today: Claire Lawton’s Chocolate Chip Heath Bars See also: – Make Your…

Stanley’s Homemade Polish Sausage Company may have moved out of its location on 2201 East McDowell Road this spring, but the tiny brick structure in Central Phoenix soon will be occupied by another meaty establishment with a rather, er, cheesy name. See also: Stanley’s Sausage Company on McDowell Moving So…

El Chiltepin is as much a restaurant as it is a mad scientist’s laboratory. Perfect given that Halloween is less than a week away. And at this offbeat eatery, you’ll find “treats” consisting of tasty traditional Mexcian favorites as well as a parade of Frankenstein-style street food that’s fun and…