That old mantra about real estate — location, location, location! — is not lost on Luis Mata. The chef-owner of Plaza Grill, the fantastic Mexican restaurant in North Phoenix that I reviewed a few months back, blames an out-of-the-way location for the mid-December demise of his year-old eatery. It was…
It’s official, according to the just-released HealthSaver Caffeinated Cities Survey: Phoenix is the 10th most-caffeinated place in the country. Tampa ranks number one, followed by Seattle, Chicago, New York, L.A., Baltimore, Miami, Boston, and Houston. The same national survey found that Phoenix respondents are the second-most likely to eat chocolate…
One of my dear friends freaked out when she somehow misplaced a Christmas gift she’d gotten for me months ago. I knew she was really disappointed by the way she told me about it. But honestly, it was the thought that counted for me, so what a surprise to get a…
Better make sure you’re hungry before ordering Eden’s Grill’s Vegetarian Dish. This isn’t exactly a shocking revelation, but you can’t always believe what you read on the Internet sometimes. Like, say, if you were doing some online reconnoitering of Eden’s Grill (13843 North Tatum Boulevard, 602-996-5149) before making the trek…
That Guy Fieri is one busy dude. It seems like he has a lot on his plate hosting Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives (a Chow Bella fave for all the local indie restaurants it’s featured), which takes him all around the country, and Guy’s Big Bite. But he’s also hosting Ultimate…
There’s no denying it. Charles Barkley’s a character. He proselytizes. He womanizes. And his traffic stop after supposedly chasing a fellatio artist through the streets of Scottsdale two weeks ago will undoubtedly further his reputation. But before we burn Sir Charles at the stake (and let he who is without…
You thought the time for bubbly came and went with New Year’s Eve? Not at Vincent’s on Camelback. Chef Vincent Guerithault is kicking off his 2009 wine dinner series with the tenth annual “Extraordinary Champagne Affair” on Friday, January 23. For $55 a head, guests will nibble on Guerithault’s fabulous…
The just-released second edition of Jane Butel’s “passionate cookbook” Chili Madness features more than 130 new recipes from the New Mexico-based author and cooking school owner, and tonight, Butel herself will be at Changing Hands for a special tasting and booksigning at 7 p.m. Besides recipes for all kinds of chili, from…
There’s a new family-owned Italian restaurant, Jimmy’s of Chicago, that brings home cooking from the ‘burbs of Chicago to the ‘burbs of Phoenix. It opened at 3107 S. Gilbert Rd. (at Pecos) on December 19. Owner Kerry Kersting says his new eatery has the same menu and neighborhood vibe as Jimmy’s…
Things have been dark at Zest Spirited Dining lately. Recently, a sign posted on the door of the once-bustling Central Phoenix restaurant said, “Sorry! We are closed for renovations.” But that was pretty fishy. Closed for renovations during the holidays, the time of year when people might actually justify a nice…
Even Martha deserves a night off, so this week we’re offering you the option to ditch the kitchen for the bar. It’s hard to find a decent restaurant open Mondays in this metropolis (particularly in Phoenix, but other ‘hoods, as well), which is why we’re delighted to remind you that Digestif –…
Tastes like: A full, tangy citrus tea with a rich Bergamot flavor (Bergamot is a Mediterranean citrus fruit, and Earl Grey derives its taste from the fruit’s oil).
Just found out that Kitchen Classics, the long-running store on Thomas Road (4041 E. Thomas), will be closing its doors for good, sometime next week. (They’re playing it by ear on the exact day, an employee told me.) Chalk this retail casualty up to the economy, like so many other…
We interrupt this regularly scheduled Brew Review to bring you a taste sensation direct from Belgium given to us by a fellow beer connoisseur. You may have already guessed by the frothing beer float (that’s what I said) floating over there on the right of the screen that today we’re…
What to do this Saturday? Well, if you want to hit up the very newest place in town, there’s Autostrada, a casual Italian spot at DC Ranch. Tonight’s their last night of “friends and family” service, and tomorrow is their first full day open to the general public. This is…
Richardson’s Cuisine of New Mexico offers flavorful fares of the Southwest. The restaurant’s known for smothering just about everything with green chile, and while its celebrated New Mexican meatloaf is no longer on the menu, Richardson’s does offer such carnivorous culinary delights as chicken, beef, and shrimp skewers; pork enchiladas; and our new Richardson’s favorite, rack of lamb.
Fuggetabouit! If you’re hungry for a neighborhood Italian deli, the kind where Tony Soprano got his cannoli and mortadella fix, look no further than Niccoli’s Deli (www.niccolisdeli.com). Joe and Peppy Niccoli run this small but stellar spot on 16th Street, north of Bethany Home in Phoenix. The business has been…
Chow Bella’s been running for more than two years now. Can you believe it? (Me neither — I should’ve at least put up a Chow Bella birthday post, huh?) What started as a ramshackle one-woman-show is now a sprawling empire of food bloggery, with a whole cast of assorted characters…
Was it the economy that did them in? Stephanie Case, a representative for Chandler’s Fulton Towne Center, confirmed that popular gelato shop Aunt Lena’s Creamery closed at the end of November, although she couldn’t comment on the cause. Co-owner Ray D’Ottavio, pictured above, appeared on TV with Food Network personality Guy Fieri this past August, for…
Move over, chick lit. According to a recent article in Publisher’s Weekly, the new trend is food-inspired fiction where cooking is part of the plot, and memoirs where there might even be recipes. They’ve dubbed it “quiche lit.” Entertaining Disasters, by Nancy Spiller, is one example (at left). In the way…
Here’s a great idea that I wish Slow Food Phoenix would steal from our sister city to the south: a Slow Food film festival! Tonight, Slow Food Tucson kicks off its fourth annual event with dinner and a movie — of course — followed by three more nights of festivities…
Fine’s bruschetta with house-smoked mozzarella: Wow.Happy New Year, Budget Beaters! It ain’t a news flash when I say that times are tight as we enter the new year. After the missus and I put pencil to paper on New Year’s Day to add up all the money we blew in ’08,…
