55: Mole Poblano at Los Sombreros

Hungry yet? We’re working up our appetites for our huge Best of Phoenix issue, out September 30, with daily servings of Chow Bella’s 100 Favorite Dishes from across the Valley — in no particular order Leave your suggestions for upcoming favorites in the comments section. Visit our sister blog, Jackalope…

Aurore de Beauduy of Vogue Bistro

Chef Aurore de Beauduy’s vibrant, spritely personality is not unlike her food. It’s fresh and full of bold statements. The French trained chef is the owner of Vogue Bistro in Surprise, which offers up her own unique brand of contemporary American cuisine. In addition to paying special attention to freshness,…

56: Chicken Fried Steak at Texaz Grill

Hungry yet? We’re working up our appetites for our huge Best of Phoenix issue, out September 30, with daily servings of Chow Bella’s 100 Favorite Dishes from across the Valley — in no particular order Leave your suggestions for upcoming favorites in the comments section. Visit our sister blog, Jackalope…

Eat, Pray, Love Tea Won’t Cure The Fatigue

Who doesn’t love a good book-turned-movie-turned-tea?The Republic of Tea joined efforts with Elizabeth Gilbert and her marketing army to blend flavors from the three different countries Gilbert describes in her New Age spiritual (read: Girl’s Night) novel, Eat, Pray, Love. While our artsy, sister blog Jackalope Ranch covered the exhausting…

Mary Rose Wilcox’s El Portal: Eater Beware

As soon as we’re done dealing with all this pesky SB1070 nonsense, someone should really look into what’s going on with the restaurant inspections at Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox’s El Portal, a Mexican restaurant just south of downtown Phoenix.   Talk about a Gross Out. And possibly an example…

Gator Eats Tempe Town Lake Fish, Lands on Our Plate

In case you haven’t heard, the poor fish that didn’t survive The Great Tempe Town Levee Break of 2010 were fed to a six-foot alligator named “Tuesday” — just one of nearly two dozen Arizona Herpetological Society reptiles that will feast on the receding water’s tiny victims. That inspired us to use our higher…

Chik-a-Rib’s Lava Wing Challenge

​For this week’s Feast of Fury, my faithful fellow food fighter Todd and I are at Chik-a-Rib’s (1830 W. Glendale Ave., 602-759-8521), a tiny shack in north Phoenix serving up soul food faves like macaroni and cheese, glazed racks of ribs, and fried chicken and waffles. But the murals of…

Mucho Gusto: Happy Hour Report Card

The Spot: Mucho Gusto Taqueria & Mexican Bistro, 603 W. University Dr., Tempe, (480) 921-1850 http://muchogusto1.com The Hours: Between 3 and 6 pm, Monday through Friday. The Details: $3 booze and $5 appetizers. Choose from the house margarita, house wine, or a Dos Equis draft and snag one of about…

Green: Lunch $10 and Under

“Where’s the beef?!” Not here. But if you want a totally veg meal that’s so filling you won’t be asking, Green is just the spot. With all menu items $10 or under, this might be pushing the buck for our budget beat, but it’s well worth every penny. So grab a friend and get ready to go meatless. (Your favorite Boca-burgered-out vegetarian will thank you.)

How Do I Make a Great Cup of Coffee?

How do I make a really good cup of coffee? Our favorite coffee house slogan: “Drink Coffee, patriotic beverage since 1773.” That’s because the Continental Congress declared coffee our official national beverage when the original tea party, a revolt against the British tea tax, began in Boston’s Green Dragon Coffee…

57: Carne Asada on a Potato Pancake at The Vig

Hungry yet? We’re working up our appetites for our huge Best of Phoenix issue, out September 30, with daily servings of Chow Bella’s 100 Favorite Dishes from across the Valley — in no particular order Leave your suggestions for upcoming favorites in the comments section. Visit our sister blog, Jackalope…

Justin Garza, What Are You Eating?

Justin Garza The singer/songwriter for The Season Premiere plays with the band at the Desert Sound Music Festival in Yuma September 25. The band recently released a new single on i-Tunes, entitled “She Doesn’t Know”. What’d you eat for dinner last night? A 6-ounce sirloin steak with mashed potatoes and…

Night Train Express

Anyone that has searched the couch cushions for a handful of change knows that boozing on an extreme budget can be a risky proposition. To help you decide how to spend that meager pile of pennies, we’ve scraped the bottom of the barrel to review some of the cheapest, most…

Gazpacho! For One and All

Gazpacho? There’s a scene in the Pedro Almodovar film, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, where gazpacho is offered to the police who come to the apartment of central character, Pepa Marcos. Candela get me a drink. What kind? There’s gazpacho. Right! Gazpacho! Where are you going? For gazpacho? Want some? Were on duty…

58: White Flannel Hash at Orange Table

Hungry yet? We’re working up our appetites for our huge Best of Phoenix issue, out September 30, with daily servings of Chow Bella’s 100 Favorite Dishes from across the Valley — in no particular order Leave your suggestions for upcoming favorites in the comments section. Visit our sister blog, Jackalope…

Caffiend: Giant Coffee’s Smoke Jumper

Giant Coffee recently opened next to Bunky Boutique off 1st Street and McDowell Road, and the menu at the coffee shop is as quaint and cute as the merchandise next door. But in addition to scones made in-house, desserts from Tammie Coe Cakes, and tasty drinks like Honey Vanilla Lattes…