Cartwright’s Sonoran Ranch House in Cave Creek Gets Remodel, New Menu

After 13 years, Cartwright’s, the sophisticated Southwestern restaurant in Cave Creek, is getting an upgrade — cowboy style. Recently, partners Eric Flatt and John Malcolm, who also own Cave Creek’s Tonto Bar & Grill, completed a remodel of their restaurant, named after the historic Cartwright family of the late 1800s,…

The Phoenix Food Scene Has a Long Way to Go

Welcome to “Schaefer,” in which Eric Schaefer — a local guy with a big (but discerning) appetite and a sense of humor to match — takes on the Phoenix food scene. As much as I hate to admit it, U.S. Representative Michelle Bachmann is right: The end times are upon…

6 Brining Tips from Chef Stephen Jones of Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails

Brining. “It gets confused a lot with marinating,” Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails’ executive chef Stephen Jones says. “It’s a totally different beast.” Brine is a salt solution in which proteins or vegetables are submerged to give them flavor. Marinating uses an acid or oil base that desaturates. Brining saturates…

The Simple Farm Named Finalist in 2014 Good Food Awards

Note: This post has been edited from its original version. In addition to The Simple Farm, Arizona’s Fiore di Capra Inc. has also been nominated for a Good Food Award. We regret the mistake. If you didn’t already have a good enough reason to visit The Simple Farm, the farm…

Sweet Republic Opening Second Location in Phoenix

Just months after celebrating its five-year anniversary in June, Sweet Republic, Scottsdale’s top-notch artisan ice cream shop from Jan Wichayanuparp and Helen Yung, is giving its fans another reason to celebrate: a second location in Phoenix…

Eat St. Is Filming Food Trucks in Phoenix

Another television crew is coming to Phoenix and surprisingly, they’re not headed for Amy’s Baking Company this time. The Cooking Channel show Eat St., “a lip-smacking celebration of North America’s tastiest, messiest, and most irresistible street food,” has a few Valley food trucks on their radar for the show’s fifth…

Top 5 Things to Eat This Weekend in Metro Phoenix

Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market Saturday, November 16 With a huge variety of colorful produce and just about every other type of vendor you can imagine, it’s no wonder the Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market is one of the busiest in the Valley. Last weekend, we headed out to take…

Pumpkin Verde Salsa: Chow Bella Pumpkin Showdown

From time to time, Chow Bella’s contributors challenge one another to a showdown: Make the best dish you can, using one common ingredient. This time (naturally), it was pumpkin. For the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing the results, and at the end, we’ll let you know who won. Today:…

Red House Pub Opens on Grand Avenue in Phoenix

There’s a new spot for craft beer and wine on Grand Avenue now that a cozy-looking new watering hole has opened behind The Groove on Grand, a mixed-use development in the heart of the Grand Ave Arts and Small Business District. The Red House Pub, 1028 Grand Avenue, offers a…

25 Thanksgiving Dinner Tips from Valley Chefs

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. Thanksgiving, pretty much everyone’s favorite holiday, is just around the corner. And if you’re looking…

Pets as Food Instagram Contest: We Have a Winner!

For Halloween this year, we asked you to dress up your pets as food, and you delivered. Several entrants had very cute dogs (and I think a couple of other creatures in there somewhere) dressed up very adorably, but didn’t make the cut because they didn’t fit the theme…