by Robrt L. Pela A lot of my favorite kitchen stuff came from my mother. Mom appears never to have purchased a single kitchen item herself; point to any implement specific to food prep in her kitchen, and she’ll tell you who gave it to her as wedding or bridal…
By Jonathan McNamara As the headline suggests, you’ve just stumbled into a new Chow Bella segment focused on the gods’ proof that they want us to be happy: beer. Keep checking back each week for reviews of the sudsy stuff. This week’s brew: Oak Creek Brewing Co.’s Nut Brown Ale…
by Robrt L. Pela What is it about Fifties cookbooks and the word “Fluff,” anyway? You can open practically any cookbook published during the middle of the last century and find a half-dozen recipes with the words “Fluffy” or “Fluff” in their titles. My favorite is Fried Cornmeal Fluff, which…
By Wynter Holden California native Steve Delaney, who’s worked behind the bar at Tempe’s Rula Bula for over three-and-a-half years, is the only one in his family that hasn’t been to the Emerald Isle. He has no brogue, and I’m pretty certain he couldn’t direct you to Killarney or tell…
By Michele Laudig An Newsweek article that came out this week has really given me some food for thought. If your job is all about eating, how do you avoid packing on the pounds? I remember reading Ruth Reichl’s strategy a few years ago — basically, she only has a…
By Michele Laudig No, that’s not a typo in the headline. Instead of hiring one new critic to replace recently-ousted restaurant reviewer Nikki Buchanan, Phoenix Magazine’s July issue reveals three new scribes: Carey Sweet, Geri Koeppel, and Gwen Ashley Walters, all of whom also write for the Arizona Republic. Since…
By Jay Bennett The missus and I were on our way to the Tom Waits show on Tuesday and needed something downtown that would be quick, inexpensive (those tix weren’t cheap), and reasonably healthful. I couldn’t imagine a big ol’ cheeseburger or chili verde burrito lodging in my gut as…
by Wynter Holden After last week’s adventure into grannyville, I thought I’d venture into trendier territory this week. So when I suggested a mid-week trek to the upscale, chic Bombay Spice Indian bistro at 16th St. & Glendale in Phoenix, my roommates squealed and said, “hell, yeah!” Since my return…
How do you say “wildfire” in Italian? I can’t tell you, but that’s the idea I get when I think of the incredible buzz about Pizza A Metro, a fantastic new Italian restaurant in Central Phoenix that’s recently jumped to the top of my list of hidden gems in town…
By Michele Laudig People in the East Valley really must have an insatiable appetite for sushi — how else to explain the constant influx of new sushi restaurants to the area? Haru Sushi (9845 S. Priest Dr., 480-705-9825), and it seems to be going for the budget-minded customer. (Sushi Eye…
By Jonathan McNamara Pizzeria Bianco’s not just making great pizza, it’s making headlines…again. It seems pizza-obsessed Slice America blogger Adam Kuban and his pizza-loving pal DJ Bubbles have recently discovered the Bianco magic for themselves. Read Bubbles’ write-up proclaiming Pizzeria Bianco “The Best Pizza in the U.S.” To make his…
When our waiter lit the cheese this time, we all shouted the magic word. And of course the dish was perfect: salty, savory, the crust seared and the center soft. We all cut thick slabs and scarfed it up on the excellent house-made pita.
by Wynter Holden Lots of foods are rumored to have aphrodisiac properties. Strawberries and champagne, which I personally find more romantic then sexually stimulating. Oysters, because of course there’s nothing sexier than slipping slimy, wet shellfish into your gullet. Ugh. Then there’s figs, garlic, chocolate; all of which I love,…
By Michele Laudig It’s no secret that us New Times folks are fans of Epicurean Wine, in North Scottsdale. From a wicked wine list and weekly tastings to impressive retail offerings and classes on how to pair wine and food, there’s plenty to love. Now, there’s yet another reason to…
By: Megan Irwin This little guy stands gaurd at Tandoori Times, where I had the best naan I’ve had in years. If I had to choose to eat only one kind of food the rest of my life, it would be Indian food. And I’m spoiled about it – I…
by Wynter Holden I’ve heard of it. I’ve seen it on menus. But honestly, I had no idea what the heck it was. So when I spotted cassava as a solo ingredient on the tapas menu at Havana Café in Phoenix, I figured it was about time I got acquainted…
By Michele Laudig Chef Wade Moises knows Italian food, and now he’s preparing to give downtown a taste of his mad cooking skills. I’m drooling at the thought of such mouthwatering news. The executive chef of swanky North Scottsdale dining spot Sassi, whose resume includes stints at Mario Batali’s New…
By Steve Jansen Guess which one costs more? On a recent weekend night, I was hanging at Vocé Ristoranté, listening to the laid-back sounds of Khani Cole, when I was struck by a serious jones for a dessert. My $11 glass of organic Shiraz, though good, just wasn’t cutting it…
by Robrt L. Pela I borrowed a baking pan from my mother the other day—one of those square, aluminum Wear-Ever pans made in the 1940s, which is when Mom bought this one. I was making brownies and I don’t like to make them in a rectangular pan. One of my…
by Robrt L. Pela I’m a sucker for peculiar old cookbooks. They call to me, from eBay, and Glendale antique shops, and from the shelves of used bookstores in Tempe. I always come running, desperate for a volume I’ll love as much as I love Dishes to Make Him Happy,…
By Michele Laudig I’m telling you, we can’t let word get out about all the upsides of Phoenix in the summertime. More people just might want to move here and cramp our style if they found out about all the sweet deals at luxury resorts, spa discounts for anybody with…
by Wynter Holden Lisa Dowd is a witty, personable New York transplant who likes to gossip with her neighbors and knows an awful lot about “cawfee.” Five years ago, she ditched a lucrative (albeit stressful) career as an X-Ray tech to open a small coffee shop inside a Scottsdale salon…
