Recently, someone asked me if I’d ever changed my mind about any restaurants after I’d reviewed them.Yes, that has definitely happened, although after I write a negative review, I’m not jumping in my car to head back to said eatery. If a place is going to change — whether voluntarily…
Nothing says, ready for the weekend like a big bowl of nachos and a house-made brew. … Whoops, sorry, we just caught ourselves drooling. This spot is a southern oasis during sports games and weekends — really, we’d go any day. Can you guess where I’m eating?Last Week’s contest had…
You know the Alice Waters-inspired hunt for truly perfect ingredients has reached its zenith when restaurants are boasting about their designer ice cubes.Seriously — it turns out that having the highest quality ice is a huge deal for some high-end restaurants. And we’ve got the scoop in New Times summer…
Yesterday we met Samantha Dickerson, who tends bar at Cowboy Ciao and Kazimirez World Wine Bar in Scottsdale. Her’s her award-winning recipe for the Rough Draft cocktail. Yesterday, Dickerson explained her view of cocktail craft, differentiating bar tending and mixology. Her choice of words echoed the phrasing of a quality chef:…
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…
Just when you thought corporate marketing goons, er, “geniuses” couldn’t stoop any lower, this little gem shows up in local Fry’s grocery stores: Yeah, we know. Creepy…
A wonderful little restaurant is about to close its doors this weekend. For me, it’s the loss of a personal favorite where I’ve sent countless friends to dine and have enjoyed many plates of tortilla de patatas and glasses of delicious sangria.After dinner-only service from 5 to 10 p.m. tonight…
Stop the presses, people! It’s National Donut Day. (Or is it Doughnut? We always wonder.) With temperatures soaring in the Valley this weekend, you might want to stick a glazed donut on each butt cheek and look in the mirror before indulging. But if you don’t give a hoot, here…
Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Market First Friday’sTonight while your downtown at first Friday, escape the hustle and bustle of Roosevelt row and stop by the Phoenix Public Market. From 7 to 10 p.m. enjoy live music inside the market and also…
For the past few weeks, I’ve been deprived of seeing one of my dear friends, who packed up and headed to London and Ghana for three whole weeks. (Lucky, lucky lucky!) Although London intrigues me — and I’m dying to see my friend’s photos of the city — I’m particularly…
Here’s a quick look back at our new restaurant friends and the one (only one, as far as we know!) we lost in the month of May. OPEN!IrunaPrimeBarGiant CoffeeChina Magic Noodle House …
Fondue is great…unless you’re alone. Surely it is far better to have friends to eat with. According to Food Critic Michele Laudig the same is true of Glendale’s Le Chalet. Food Critic Michele Laudig on Le Chalet: Our mouths were watering just from the rich smell of melted butter that…
Carol Blonder Samantha Dickerson Samantha Dickerson works the front of the house at Cowboy Ciao and Kazimierz, but we found her behind the bar at Kazimierz. Both popular downtown Scottsdale haunts feature well-reputed wine lists, as well as classic and craft cocktails. We heard Samantha had recently entered her first bar competition so we went…
Even though you’d never know it to look at his jovial expression, FnB owner Pavle Milic was a ball of nerves leading up to yesterday’s Arizona Judgment, a by-invite-only blind tasting of wines that welcomed a panel of local and national culinary and wine experts.Partly inspired by the legendary “Judgment…
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…
The original Al’s Beef on Taylor Street in Chicago started serving up authentic Italian beef sandwiches 70 years ago. In addition to being named one of the best sandwiches in America by Esquire magazine, Al’s Beef has recently been featured on Travel Channel’s Food Wars (losing out to Windy City…
Hungry for for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives? Bento Lunch This summer, check out Sushi Roku for lunch. The swank Scottsdale sushi spot has their Bento Box lunch on special. The Bento Box features teriyaki chicken, a spicy tune roll, salad, rice and…
I have plenty of fond memories of dining solo — routinely splurging on pierogi in Manhattan, cozying up to a six-seat sushi bar in Kyoto, running rampant in a Singapore food court as I filled my plastic tray with as many dishes as would fit. In the middle of a…
A good Italian beef sandwich is a delicious mess. The Italian beef sandwich at Al’s Beef in North Scottsdale is just a mess. The sandwich is a staple of Chicago cuisine, and the original Al’s Beef is a fixture in that city’s Little Italy neighborhood, but the fare at the…
Nothing says summer — in a good way — like beer. And so as a public service to our readers, we at Chow Bella sat down with 20 or so different beers and conducted a completely unscientific study to determine the best. In no particular order, we present the Top…
Music Editor Martin Cizmar is a larger than life personality. The same can not be said about his stature, however. For nearly two years now, I have consorted with Mr. Cizmar both as a colleague and a friend and frequently sharing gastronomic delights (read: beer). Lately his indulgences have been…
Ooh, shoe shopping at Barneys New York is about to get a lot more interesting. Today is the first Wacky Wine Wednesday event at Fred’s, the upscale department store’s chic in-house restaurant…
