Adam Brown of Noca in Phoenix: “This Has Always Been Home”

This is part two of our interview with Adam Brown, the executive chef of Noca in Phoenix. Brown’s been in charge of things since the restaurant resumed dinner services last month, after a months-long hiatus that began when the previous chef stepped down. On Tuesday, we heard from Brown and…

IKEA’s Chocolate Toffee Spread Is Like Nutella, Only Better

The Guilty Pleasure: Chokladkrokant Bredbar Where To Get It: IKEA, Warner Road and I-10 Price: About three bucks a jar What it Really Costs: You can’t resist picking up a lamp and and end table while you’re there, can you? One of the best-kept secrets at IKEA, that titan of…

Vovomeena vs. Snooze: Eggs Benedict Battle

The world is divided into two groups of people: Those who don’t particularly care for eggs Benedict and those who are obsessed with the dish. This edition of Battle of the Dishes is for the latter. Count us among the obsessed, which is why we were thrilled with our latest…

10 Best Things I Ate in February

Times flies when you’re eating great food, and that was definitely the case last month, which means it’s time to look back on the very best things I ate in February. The list includes everything from a sweet treat at one of Chow Bella’s new favorite bakeries to indulgent dishes…

Virtu Honest Craft in Scottsdale: Simple, Exquisite Food

Virtù Honest Craft — one of the latest restaurants to join the crowded fine-dining scene in Old Town Scottsdale — is topping national magazines’ must-visit lists, and last month, it snagged a semifinalist spot for a James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in the Southwest. The reason is simple…

Bite Magazine Will Launch First Print Edition Tomorrow at Devoured

Here’s something else to keep your eye out for this weekend at the Devoured Food + Wine Classic: the first print edition of Bite magazine. Bite launched in February 2013 as an online-only publication. But now publishers Michelle Jacoby and Mark Lipczynski have brought the magazine off the screen and…

La Santisima vs. Cartel Coffee Lab: Horchata Battle

Horchata is nothing new. It helps us take down those spicy dishes and top off a wet burrito. Made of milk, rice, cinnamon and sometimes almonds, horchata is a staple ion Mexican beverage menus, but can sometimes be too watery, too cinnamon-y, or too milky. But when it’s executed perfectly,…

February Restaurant Openings and Closings in Metro Phoenix

With old favorites opening up new locations and many beer and wine focused concepts popping up, there was a lot to check out in the restaurant scene in February. Unfortunately, not all restaurants felt the love around Valentine’s Day, though, with some area institutions shuttering permanently…

Kelly Fletcher Leaves House of Tricks in Tempe

Since 2003 chef Kelly Fletcher has been heading up the kitchen at Tempe’s House of Tricks, the romantic restaurant located just off Mill Avenue. He took the reins after Cullen Campbell, now of Crudo, left the restaurant years ago — but as of Monday, Fletcher’s time at the iconic establishment…

5 Best Things to Eat and Drink This Weekend in Metro Phoenix

Devoured Phoenix Culinary Classic Saturday, March 1 and Sunday, March 2 The culinary event of the year is finally here, which means this weekend dozens of the Valley’s best chefs will gather at the Phoenix Art Museum for the annual Devoured Culinary Classic. Catch restaurants including Clever Koi, FnB, Roka…

Wendy’s Ciabatta Bacon Cheeseburger Makes Drive-Thru (Almost) Upscale

The Guilty Pleasure: Ciabatta Bacon Cheeseburger Where to Get It: Wendy’s, locations Valleywide Price: $4.79 solo, $6.79 combo (your mileage may vary) What it Really Costs: Could be better, could be worse, clocking in at 670 calories. It’s long been said that if you want to get better bang for…

China Village vs. China Chili: Wor Wonton Soup

With just a few weeks to go of acceptable soup weather, we’ve had a hankering for wor wonton. Both China Village and China Chili serve commendable wor wonton soup, so we decided to put them to the test and see whose bowl is best…