Though we’re just around the corner from summer and the time of year when things tend to slow down in the restaurant industry, there’s been no sign so far that our local restaurateurs and chefs plan on taking a break. Last month we saw more than a dozen new restaurants…
Arizona BBQ Festival and Redneck Games Saturday, May 2 This year’s annual Arizona BBQ Festival will feature more than 25 barbecue vendor including familiar names such as Honey Bear’s, Raging Cajun, and Pork on a Fork. Each vendor will sell samples for $2 each, with larger portions available at higher…
“I’ve been doing this for 15 years,” says restaurateur Julian Wright. “This is definitely going to be my crowning jewel.” As the man behind such popular Tempe spots as La Bocca, The Handlebar, and Dos Gringos Street Bar, that’s really saying something. So what is this new project about which…
For the first time in the three-year history of the Ripe Awards, a local culinary accolade given out by the Phoenix Art Museum’s Men’s Arts Council, the public is being asked to nominate chefs and bartenders “whose innovative creations demonstrate the unique culture of the Phoenix dining scene.” The annual…
Since its inception in 2011, the Joy Bus, a local nonprofit organization, has distributed more than 1,600 meals to Valley cancer patients. However, even with 12 rotating volunteers, there still are not enough people to deliver all the requested meals. “It has been a difficult three and a half years,”…
One hopes that Nawaz Indian Cuisine, way out in the suburbs on West Dunlap Road, can limp along until the light-rail line reaches the restaurant later this year. Nawaz isn’t the best Indian restaurant in the Valley. But this casual Indian eatery has plenty of options to appeal to fans…
Master Gardener Kari Spencer is well-versed in the challenges of growing edible plants in the desert. Spencer teaches Urban Farming at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts and is founder of The Micro Farm Project. Her home is a functional urban food oasis, complete with goats, chickens, and turkeys. We…
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…
It’s been 23 months since Coup des Tartes owner Ron Pacioni found out his 18-year-old restaurant would be torn down to make room for a car dealership parking lot. It’s been 21 months since he found a new at 1725 East Osborn Road to move into. And it’s been eight…
It’s been a long time since North Scottsdale restaurant Cibo e Vino closed its doors for renovations. In 2014, the Italian restaurant announced via Facebook that it would “be closed briefly” after Sunday, August 3. Apparently, “briefly” meant 10 months, but after the long wait the restaurant is finally ready…
A new food truck has rolled into town, and it goes by the name of Frites Street. Combining Belgium frites with homemade sauces and toppings, the truck operators pride themselves on their 100 percent homemade menu. “If it’s on our menu, we made it,” says co-owner Braden Jones. “If you…
Chandler Craft Spirits Festival Saturday, April 25 A two-component well drink is a simple, beautiful thing. But a craft cocktail — shaken, stirred, muddled, and mashed — is an event in a glass. You can celebrate the art of the cocktail this Saturday evening from 5 to 9 p.m. in…
In case you missed it, “sprouted” is the new “whole grain.” We’ve found tortillas, breads, and crackers at our neighborhood health food store, each with its own pseudo-scientific claims about the nutritional benefits of allowing edible seeds to germinate. When we came across Majestic Garlic’s sprouted hummus, we were, as…
Phoenix New Times has an immediate opening for a journalist who has a sophisticated understanding of food and the skill to write about it in an engaging way. We publish food and restaurant news in multiple formats – criticism, daily stories and long-form features. Ideal candidates will have a solid…
I don’t know that I’ve ever before eaten a meal swathed in latex, but having dined at Hot ‘n’ Juicy Crawfish, I can say not only that I have but that I plan to do so again very soon. This Las Vegas-based restaurant chain opened on Mill Avenue last April…
What does every child need to know about coffee? Some people might say, “Nothing, kids don’t need to know about caffeine and espresso!” But Phoenix-based child researcher and author R. Bradley Snyder disagrees. And in the Need to Know children’s book series he’s co-authored with longtime friend Marc Engelsgjerd, Sndyer…
Just the name Pastries N Chaat inspired wide eyes at last week’s Chow Bella staff meeting, and it was determined that the first thing to try at the north Phoenix spot was dessert. We’ll save chaat — savory Indian street food — for later. This time we were all about…
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…
A few weeks ago, the guys behind Tempe’s award-winning Arizona Distilling Co. drove out to the middle of the desert to stand in the field of grain pictured above. And while the hip-high stalks of wheat might not look like much, that wheat eventually will become Arizona’s first grain-to-bottle whiskey…
Great Southwest Cajunfest Saturday, April 18 On Saturday, the Great Southwest Cajunfest will be held downtown at the Margaret T. Hance Park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. This event aims to transport you to New Orleans through food and music. Angry Crab Shack will prepare bayou favorites like a…
The Guilty Pleasure: Crispy Chicken Chickstar and Crispy Chicken Grillers Where to Get It: Taco Bell Price: $3.99 (Chickstar) $1.69 (Grillers) What it Really Costs: The total loss of your belief that Taco Bell even tries to serve Mexican food anymore…
Finding a Thai restaurant in the Valley is no problem. Finding an honest to goodness, true Thai place in the Valley — now that’s a struggle. Here at Chow Bella, we feel the pain of those cold, lonely nights when satisfyingly spicy Thai food cannot be found. Good news: We’ve…
