Mel Mecinas Executive Chef Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North www.fourseasons.com/scottsdale/dining This week, we’re chatting with chef Meliton “Mel” Mecinas, executive chef at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon. As the resort’s top chef, Mecinas oversees five kitchens and all the hotel’s dining outlets including Talavera, the resort’s upscale…
It’s been almost eight months since we heard a peep (or is it a moo?) from Steak 44, the new upscale restaurant in the former home of Cork ‘N Cleaver, the beloved Arcadia chophouse established in 1978 and damaged by a fire in 2010. But late last week, an update…
Tired of chocolate chip? These cookie recipes use unexpected ingredients like avocado, garlic, and beef jerky.
Puerto Rican cuisine is a blend of influences and cooking traditions originating from Spain, Africa, native Tainos, and the United States. Somewhat similar to Mexican and Cuban cuisine, Puerto Rican dishes boast a mild, distinctive taste, thanks to the use of sofrito, a seasoning sauce that contains a combination of…
Making tamales can be either a long, monotonous solo session filled with corn husks, masa, filling, and beer or it can be an out-of-control party. Those solo tamales might be neater, but there is some serious fun in teaching a bunch of newbies the pleasures of tamal making, even if…
I wrapped up my Fresh Start: 21 (28) Day Cleanse from SimpleGreenSmoothies.com just in time to tumble into a long weekend of eating and making merry at a reunion of old friends at a beach house in Oregon. I imagine my detoxified insides recoiling in horror at the gluten-free beer…
Dhaba Cooking School: Spice Class Saturday, December 7 On Saturday, learn how to blend your own Indian spices at The Dhaba in Tempe. The Spice Class will cover the flavors, aromas and health benefits of more than 50 different herbs and spices commonly used in Indian cooking. Each guest will…
Hao Bao food truck owner Jake Lau is back. And this time, he’s got a clear path to re-launch what he’s calling “Hao Bao 1.1.” In March, the 30-year-old ex-corporate financier was “circumstantially forced to exit” Phoenix to attend to family matters in his home state of Virginia, leaving his…
Chef and restaurateur Henry Ku has been credited with putting Taiwanese food on the map in Seattle. And with the opening of his Tempe restaurant, Henry’s Taiwan, in August, he’s looking to do the same in the Valley. Adding to the Asian island’s melting pot of cooking styles from mainland…
On the top of Chow Bella’s holiday wish list? An apron from Girl From Arizona (@girlfromarizona). This fall, we began noticing that chefs around town — like Crepe Bar’s Jeff Kraus — were donning chic aprons. Then Instagram began buzzing. So we tracked down Angela Muniz, a.k.a. Girl from Arizona,…
For the second year, Chow Bella is hosting “Eating Christmas,” during which some of our favorite writers (and artists) will read pieces about food and the holidays. Join us at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 17, at Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Second Avenue. Admission is free, but we’d love it…
We’re picky about a lot of things — for example, our homegrown food and who we follow on Instagram. Here are five Instagram-ers in metro Phoenix we can get behind following. They provide a special look into what’s it like to grow food in Metro Phoenix. From fancy full-scale farms…
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…
Welcome to Chow Bella’s Bites & Dishes, where Valley chefs and restaurateurs respond to a question New Times food critic Laura Hahnefeld has on her mind. Have a question you’d like to ask? E-mail laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. Last month, Time magazine published an issue called “Gods of Food,” a male-centric look on…
In Chow Bella’s new comic, Wait or Die, we tell the stories of waiters and waitstaff from restaurants around the Valley. Submit your stories here: waitordie@newtimes.com — and be sure to let us know if you wish to remain anonymous…
Around this time last year, I was gathering stories about food and Christmas to run on Chow Bella when my friend (and one of my favorite writers) Kim Porter mused, “I sure wish we could read these aloud.” Wish granted, thanks to Charlie Levy and the other nice folks at…
It’s going to be hard to keep up with all the new restaurants that opened this month including several highly-anticipated spots from local chefs. Check out all the comings and goings…
Henry Ku is the chef and restaurateur who has been credited with putting Taiwanese food on the map in Seattle. And he isn’t stopping there. With three restaurants in the Seattle area, Ku opened Henry’s Taiwan in Tempe in August and will open a location in Los Angeles this month…
The Guilty Pleasure: Cinnabon Delights Where To Get It: Taco Bell, locations everywhere Price: $1.49 What It Really Costs: At 260 calories, you can do worse. Taco Bell seems to have found an unusual secret to success: Some of their most noteworthy products are cross-promotional efforts. I know a few…
Luxury chocolates have arrived in Old Town Scottsdale by way of Belgium — and just in time for holiday gift-giving. Chocolade van Brugge, 4225 North Marshall Way, comes courtesy of local owners Frederiek and Christine Verbeke. The couple’s new shop, which opened in November, features an assortment of more than…
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…
This week, we’re chatting with Meagan Micozzi. You might be more familiar with her blogging pseudonym, Scarletta Bakes. The Scottsdale-based food blogger has been sharing her culinary adventures online for several years and just released her first cookbook, The New Southwest, which she describes as a primer on modern southwestern…
