Truckin’ Good Food’s Jeff Kraus Launches New Concept

Last week, Jeff Kraus, owner and chef of Truckin’ Good Food (named one of the nation’s “Top 10 Most Influential Food Trucks” by the Huffington Post) launched a new concept that will bring his culinary know-how right to your front door. Called Experience Gastro, Kraus describes it as, “a multi-sensory…

Ice Cream Sandwich Showdown: Sweet Republic vs. Churn

As we find ourselves trapped in the dog days of summer, we once again turn to our good friend ice cream for solace during these humid times. But we don’t want just any ol’ ice cream piled into a lackluster bowl. We want our cold friend sandwiched between two chocolaty homemade…

Eric Schaefer: What I Did on My Summer Vacation

  It certainly still feels like summer, but for many of us the most important part of summer (vacation) is now a distant memory, as work and school move into high gear. Stay tuned as Chow Bella brings you tales from some of our favorite folks’ summer travels. Eric Schaefer blogs…

Jeff Smedstad’s Wild Himalayan Blackberry Ice Cream

Chef Jeff Smedstad of Elote Cafe was cooking with foraged foods long before it was trendy. We asked him about that yesterday. Today we’re talking about blackberries. Last week he needed to get fresh foraged blackberries to the table fast. Foraged foods tend to have a “thin” shelf-life, meaning that their…

Grown-Up Applesauce with Caroline Van Slyke

​In the kitchen with: Caroline Van Slyke Making: Home-canned applesauce Caroline Van Slyke greeted us from her Phoenix ranch-style home on a humid Saturday morning with bright red lips and the kind of ruffled polka-dotted apron that makes you think of what your grandmother might have looked like had you…

Lee’s Combination Sandwich from Lee’s Sandwiches

Last year we marked the hundred day countdown to Best of Phoenix by sharing our 100 Favorite Dishes with you. Now we’re back – with the 2011 edition. Have a suggestion for a dish you’d like us to try? Leave it in the comments section or email laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. 27: Lee’s…

Travis Ladue’s Perfect Food Day

Travis Ladue is a senior graphic design student at Arizona State University and a graphic designer at TunnelBravo (where The Arrogant Butcher went to have their identity created). You might have seen his “Tour de Taste” summer promo logo for Fox Restaurants. This Eagle Scout will safely guide us through…

The Arrogant Butcher: Happy Hour Report Card

​The Spot: The Arrogant Butcher, Cityscape, 2 E. Jefferson #150, Phoenix, 602-324-8502The Hours: 3 – 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Bar only. The Details: The Arrogant Butcher is another one of Sam Fox’s “concept” restaurant. The idea behind this particular concept is “urban grill meets updated comfort food.” While the…

In Season: Pinto Beans

Whether you’re a CSA devotee, a farmers’ market weekender or consider ketchup a veg, we’ll bring you fresh inspiration for how to prepare our local produce. This week’s harvest: Pinto Beans Speckled “painted” pinto beans are a staple in kitchens of the Southwest. Did you know that you don’t have…

Anthony Redendo: What I Did on My Summer Vacation

​It certainly still feels like summer — but for many of us, the most important part of summer (vacation) is now a distant memory, as work and school move into high gear. Stay tuned as Chow Bella brings you tales from some of our favorite folks’ summer travels.​Anthony Redendo is…

Closed: Eddie’s Pizza

Uh-oh it looks like it’s back to Gus’ for late night/early morning pizza delivery. Eddie’s Pizza, the pizza/gyro/hooka lounge that stayed open till 5 a.m. has been shut down due to non-payment of rent.  No big loss, if you ask us. If any of you happened to have had the…

New Mexican Potstickers from Carlsbad Tavern

Last year we marked the hundred day countdown to Best of Phoenix by sharing our 100 Favorite Dishes with you. Now we’re back – with the 2011 edition. Have a suggestion for a dish you’d like us to try? Leave it in the comments section or email laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. 28: New…

Jeff Smedstad Isn’t Afraid Of Foraged Flavor

Like canning, foraging is making a comeback in popular culture and in the rarified airs of gourmet cooking. Urban foragers, such as those featured last week in this New York Times article, are driven to use food that’s going to waste in foreclosed property. But here in Arizona, traditional foragers have been…

Stone 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA

​​Beer: 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. Style: Black IPA ABV: 10.8 percent I wasn’t kidding when I said black IPAs were everywhere. Adding to this growing group of uncooperatively-colored and hoppy brew, Stone Brewing Co. recently released their Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA to celebrate 15…

Andrea White: What I Did on My Summer Vacation

It certainly still feels like summer, but for most of us the most important part of summer (vacation) is now but a distant memory, as work and school move into high gear. Stay tuned as Chow Bella brings you tales from some of our favorite folks’ summer travels. First up:…

Food Porn Aggregator: Punchfork

Cleverly designed blog aggrigators seem to be all the rage – you know, like Pinterest or Tastespotting. Well folks, we have another one for food blog porn, and it’s called Punchfork. Punchfork pre-selects popular food blogs to be on their searchable list. So far they only have 36 and it’s…