At just 32, Stephen Jones, executive chef of Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails, the “cozy, yet chic metropolitan gastro lounge” set to open this June in CityScape’s Hotel Palomar, is ready to take the Phoenix dining scene to a new level. “There used to be a stigma about young chefs,”…
Sorting out some of the menu descriptions on Chinese menus isn’t always easy — in fact, at times, in can be down right cryptic. “Green bean jelly with vegetables” may be one of those menu items that reads more Dr. Seuss than delicious, but this northeastern Chinese version of a…
Sleepy Cave Creek wakes up fast Wednesday afternoons, when a Valley cooking legend with a hard-to-forget stage name shows up at Janey’s Coffeehouse with 50 loaves of freshly baked bread. Joe Daigneault is only Joe Daigneault to his creditors and his mother. To the rest of the world, he’s Mad…
Wings. America’s number one bar food is also a favorite around Chow Bella. There is nothing we like more than sitting down to a basket full of steaming hot wings with sauce so hot it’ll burn the hairs right outta your nose. Unless we have a hankering for a batch…
We’re not sure what’s funnier, the tongues firmly set in cheeks of the models, or the guy at 1:20 who “sexily” removes his apron while LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It” throbs in the background. Hopefully no first-graders will be suspended from their home economic classes after being exposed to…
This just in: Valley chef Kevin Binkley — the guy pretty much everyone agrees owns the best restaurant in Arizona — did not win the 2012 James Beard Best Chef Southwest award this year. Instead, the honors went to Paul Qui, executive chef of Uchiko in Austin, Texas. Last year,…
Beer: Imperial Russian Stout Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. Style: Russian imperial stout ABV: 10.5 percent Around this time of year, long days of sun and hot weather inspire drinkers to reach for refreshing, quaffable beers, so most breweries choose the summer season to release their lighter, low-ABV brews. Not Stone…
There are few places in the restaurant world that can say they’ve been around as long as La Fontanella, the family-style Italian eatery that made its home in Arcadia long before renovating old houses was the “cool” thing to do. This year, the restaurant, which opened in 1982, celebrates its…
In this new series, Chow Bella blogger Nikki Buchanan shares what’s hot right now — and we’re not talking about the temperature. Whether it’s the latest trendy ingredient or the right dish for the season, she’ll give you the backstory and where in town you can find it. It’s official…
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…
In his new book, Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America, Gustavo Arellano, the scribe behind the syndicated column ¡Ask a Mexican! and editor of New Times’ sister paper, OC Weekly, says there’s no known etymological origin for the word, burrito — even where it was created is a mystery…
The award-winning food truck T-Licious Tacos is no more and the partnership between chef/owner Jordan Kean and manager/owner Cathy McGoldrick has been dissolved. Chow Bella spoke with Kean Friday; she says the split was a “long time coming” but that she plans to be back in action by Wednesday with…
Richard Branson is the chairman of the massive international business conglomerate Virgin Group. This, er, outspoken businessman is no stranger to the headlines as he’s tried everything from circumnavigating the Earth in a balloon to creating the first commercial space tourism business. But this . . . This is pretty…
Friday afternoon, Dan Klocke, board president of Community Food Connections — the group that runs the Downtown Phoenix Public Urban Grocery and Wine Bar — announced the grocery will close May 12. Calls and messages Friday to executive director Cindy Gentry and others associated with the grocery have not been…
Social media experts often recommend that restaurateurs get interactive with customers through Yelp, Facebook, and Twitter. Well, how’s this for good old-fashioned interaction? Chrysa Robertson, chef-owner of Rancho Pinot in Scottsdale, does what she calls “backyard barter” — encouraging customers and friends to bring her the surplus fruits and veggies…
Every week, there’s a cornucopia of new Phoenix food news, features, and reviews to report here at Chow Bella. If you’re like most people, you probably just don’t have the time to get to all of it. It’s kind of like those burgers at Old Town Whiskey; it just won’t…
Perchance I was a bit mean last week with the Americano. It really is a nice drink . . . once you get to know the thing. At work, it was easy to tell who’d experienced Campari’s unique astringent bitterness for the first time: Those people’s eyebrows did funny things…
In this town, the Bianco name is synonymous with amazing pizza. In fact, Food & Wine recently named Pizzeria Bianco as one of the 25 best spots for pizza in the United States. With Pane Bianco, Chris and his brother Marco brought us incredible sandwiches with focaccia bread baked on…
Lately, in the In Season series, we’ve taken looks at what I take home from Crooked Sky Farms each week and see what I’ve done with my CSA share, or part share. This week, I’m using artichokes, lemons, garlic, and onions. I first had baked stuffed artichokes at Maggiano’s in…
Happy Cinco de Drinko weekend! Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo and Kentucky Derby Day, which means Phoenix is going to be partyin’. So, not matter where you end up or what you’re celebrating, eat well and drive safe! Here’s what’s on my plate for this weekend . . . Eat…
HERB, the Home Exploring Robot Butler, is here to help. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Personal Robotics Lab created him to develop the technologies necessary to make Rosie the Robot a reality. Here’s a video of HERB being introduced by the lab’s founder, professor Siddhartha Srinivasa:…
Chow Bella shared this recipe on Pinterest a long time ago, before Pin Up Girl, on a board called “Dare you to try this.” At first glance, I couldn’t understand the dare. What’s so daring about cookie dough dip? But then I looked at the recipe… What makes this rebellious…
