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…
Next Sunday you’ll find us at the second annual Check, Please! Arizona Festival at CityScape in downtown Phoenix. The event, hosted by PBS Eight (and co-sponsored by Chow Bella) will feature dozens of local restaurants and chefs, as well as an impressive lineup of panel discussions, cooking demos, and more…
After being the bearer of bad tequila news when we discussed why tequila probably won’t help you fight diabetes or obesity, we’re happy to bring some good news in the world of guilty pleasures. Well, actually, calling chocolate a guilty pleasure might not even be accurate at this point anymore,…
You don’t have to go out of the country (or even out of town) to find great, authentic Indian food. In fact, there are plenty of places around the Valley that specialize in a range of Indian cooking styles, whether you’re looking for great southern-style vegetarian dosa or northern chaat…
It’s kind of fun looking through my bar books for some cocktailian inspiration. Quite a few of the recipes (especially the ones on the sticky pages, just like cookbooks) have memories attached to them, and good times are always involved. It beats the hell out of looking at now-questionable hairstyles…
Don’t lie, you know you do it. You snap photos of every dish that arrives at the dinner table (most times repeatedly until you get the perfect shot) before you eat it — and make your friends wait until you’ve gotten a good pic of their dish too. It’s okay…
Oh Wes Anderson, you’ve won our hearts once again by teaching us how to recreate Mendl’s courtesan au chocolate, a fictional filled pastry that takes center stage in his new movie The Grand Budapest Hotel. With kitschy designs, muted pastels, and chocolate custard filling, the pastry is as fun to…
As general aviation declines, small airports around the state and country are forced to shut down their runways for good. It’s understandable — not everyone wants to hear the sound of low flying aircraft in their backyard or smell the fumes of jet fuel when they step outdoors. But as…
It’s been more than six months since Baby Kay’s closed its doors at Town & Country in Phoenix, at which time the restaurant announced plans to move into a new location nearby at 1582 East Bethany Home Road, in the former home of Richardson’s Cuisine of New Mexico. But now…
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…
Despite several news organizations reporting that a new study might show that tequila could actually help prevent diabetes and obesity, the leap from the agavins, the sugary compound in the agave plant, to tequila, which is distilled from agave, is actually too formidable to draw that conclusion. We know, we…
Early this morning Umami in Tempe suffered a small fire that has the restaurant shut down due to fire, smoke, and water damage. The fire, which also caused the evacuation of about building 60 residents, was started by a small motor inside the ramen shop’s ice machine. At the time…
I know, I know, when I geek out on a wine oftentimes it’s so obscure nobody has heard of it and certainly can’t find it. But sometimes I come across a wine or category of wines that are so unique and speak so loudly of their terroir, or sense of…
Johnny Chu’s RedThai Friday, March 21 Earlier this year, we told you that chef Johnny Chu, of Sochu House in Phoenix and T. Spot in Chandler, was planning to open two new spots in Phoenix. And as of this weekend, fans of the chef’s Asian cuisine will wait no longer…
Over the next two weeks, the Valley will host two barbecue festivals. Now, we’ve got big appetites over here at Chow Bella, but that’s still quite a lot of ‘cue for one city. So if you’re trying to decide which fest is for you, we’ve got an easy-to-understand rundown of…
Once upon a time in a land without Yelp and Twitter, restaurants fell into one of two categories: open or closed. But these days, the situation has become decidedly less black and white. In recent months, I’ve dined at a number of Valley restaurants that have decided to open their…
Late last year, former Lux baker Lindsey Magee opened a charming little sandwich shop on McDowell Road just west of 16th Street. From the outside, the shop might not look like much, but step inside and you’ll find a charming — and quite spacious — restaurant with cheery flowers on…
Eater just released a series of infographics showing the gender of finalists and semifinalists for the 2014 James Beard Awards. We aren’t shocked that finalists are 72 percent male, but, more interestingly, the 27 percent female showing on the finalist list is the highest percentage since 2009. (The other 1%…
If you’re looking to start or just beef up your home bar, it can be pretty tricky to know which spirits and liqueurs will get you the most bang for your buck. Without going low on the liquor shelf, we’ve assembled a list of fifteen recommendations under $50 that will…
Last night the Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North invited guests to experience the resort’s newest dining outlet, a bar and lounge designed to complement chef Mel Mecinas’ signature restaurant, Talavera. The new Onyx Bar and Lounge offers an upscale menu of small plates and entrées, as well as cocktails…
The Guilty Pleasure: Two new flavors of Pringles. Where to Get It: Walmart, locations everywhere. Price: $1.50 a tube. What It Really Costs: See “Where to Get It”. There are certain signs that a trendy food is getting long in the tooth. One of the surest signs is when fast…
Last week we announced the finalists for New Times’ 2014 Big Brain Awards. The annual awards recognize emerging Phoenix creatives in five categories, including culinary. Today, we’re back with another announcement. In celebration of the fifth Big Brain Awards (time flies, huh?) New Times also will give awards to five…
