Katie Johnson’s Chicken-Flavored Valentine

Chow Bella has a valentine for you. For the rest of February, we’re handing out Candy Hearts — stories of food and love from some of our favorite writers. Enjoy. “It smells good, right?” I ladled a small portion of the chicken fettuccine alfredo out of the pan and handed…

Hand Pie Bakery Opens in Chandler

They’re convenient, simple, and everything we love about pie in a size we don’t have to share. They’re hand pies. And a new bakery in Chandler is serving them up by the sweet and savory handful — even for breakfast. See also: – Here’s a Sneak Peek at the Menu…

Five Things to Eat and Drink this Weekend in Metro Phoenix

Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Check out what’s on our plate. See Also: 17 Don’t-Miss Events During Arizona Beer Week, Feb. 16-23 6 Don’t-Miss Events During AZ Cocktail Week: Feb 16-22 13th Annual Arizona Strong Beer Festival Hold on to your…

Adorable Wallace and Gromit Inspired Contraption: Pancake-omatic

The pancake-omatic is an automatic pancake making machine built by a team of designers over at The Happy Egg Co, a UK based company that turns out free range eggs and egg products. Their blog points out the wildly popular stop-motion series, Wallace & Gromit, as obvious inspiration. See Also:…

3 Wine Events in Metro Phoenix Worth the Money

Approximately $75 will get you quite a bit of wine this spring in the Phoenix area. If you’re willing to plunk down the funds, there are three unique wine events coming just as warmer weather rolls in. Whether you’re looking for something large with a “scene” or a more intimate…

Side Effects and Dinner at True Food Kitchen

While a jumbo tub of hot buttered popcorn is one of our most frequently indulged guilty pleasures, we think a good movie deserves a little better company than junk food. Try out our movie and meal pairings for yourself or feel free to suggest one of your own favorites in…

DIY Lemon Vinegar Cleaner: Another Way to Use Up That Citrus

An abundance of lemons is one of my favorite things about living in Phoenix. I go through at least one whole lemon a day and I’m always a little distraught about tossing the peel away – even if it’s going into the compost pile. Recently I read about a chef…

Last Minute Chocolate Valentine You Can Make Yourself

AndyTalk: Salt – It’s So Much More Than Sodium Chloride It’s Valentine’s Day and that means stress, especially if you’re a bit of a procrastinator and/or you think that the card you bought just isn’t enough. If you’ve got some chocolate on hand, even in bar form, you can make…

Carnival Cruises’ Hamburger Horror On The High Seas

Here is a phrase you never want to hear associated with your vacation: “Cabin carpets are wet with urine and water. Toilets are overflowing inside cabins. We are having to sleep in the hallways. Onion and cucumber sandwich last night.” Those are the words attributed by ABC to a cruise…

Candy Hearts: Stories of Food and Love

Dish of Death | Laurie Notaro I place the bowl of spaghetti on the table directly in front of my husband. Then I stand there for a moment and give him a dirty look, just like I do every time I make spaghetti. “So,” I say in a completely serious…

Compass Arizona Grill Is a Dessert Revolution in Downtown Phoenix

The Guilty Pleasure: Dessert and Coffee Where To Get It: Compass Arizona Grill, atop the Hyatt Regency Phoenix downtown Price: $8 for dessert, $3 for coffee What It Really Costs: The only regret is that you didn’t think of it sooner. On a recent dining excursion to downtown Phoenix, I…

Lunch Under $10 at Oliveo in Tempe

The plaza near the southeast corner of University and Rural drives in Tempe is full of great, cheap lunch choices for a college budget. Pho Nhat, Tsom and Delhi Palace all offer different cuisine and dietary options for the broke college kid. Heck, even Gus’s Pizza, which we lovingly used…

Maple Bacon Doughnut Bout: Oink Cafe vs. Rainbow Donuts

After Portland’s sometimes-vegan doughnut mecca, Voodoo Donuts, made a maple bacon doughnut, pretty much every doughnut shop with any sense jumped on the bacon bandwagon. Two local shops, Oink Café and Rainbow Donuts, have followed suit. Using either a cake or raised doughnut base to paint on richly sweet maple…

What’s Your Least Favorite Holiday to Work?

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. When you’re in the food business, holidays can mean big money. What’s the worst one…

Laurie Notaro’s Dish of Death

Chow Bella has a valentine for you. For the rest of February, we’re handing out Candy Hearts — stories of food and love from some of our favorite writers. Enjoy. I place the bowl of spaghetti on the table directly in front of my husband. Then I stand there for…