Krua, on the city’s north side, pretty much embodies the idea of a cozy Thai café. It’s a pleasant space, small and tidy, with a handful of tables and booths frequently occupied by guests who tuck into bowls of steaming, fragrant curries, spicy salads kissed with lemon, and stir-fried dishes…
In what may be the Valley’s most anticipated new restaurant, The Clever Koi, a modern Asian food and drink establishment, has announced a tentative opening date of Tuesday, November 19. From former Parlor Pizzeria chefs Jared Porter and Joseph Absolor, along with co-owners Joshua James (beverage director) and Nicholas Campisano…
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. Who do you believe when you’re reading about food? If you’re like me, the answer would be “not many…
I had a lot of fun last week covering wacky food at the Arizona State Fair. However, there were a few things I missed out on for one reason or another. Some things weren’t yet ready to serve on opening day. On other dishes, my grease quota for the day…
The Mac & Cheese Throwdown is less than a month away, and that means it’s time to buy your ticket. Seriously, this event has been known to sell out early. So if you’re tired of powdered cheese packets from the boring blue box, you’d better lay down your $22 ASAP…
Since Coconut’s Fish Cafe opened in Maui in April 2009, it’s been featured on CNN.com’s list of “Top 10 Places to Eat Like a Local” as well as the restaurant review website Zagat for having “the perfect fish taco.” This April, the healthy “island style” fast-casual eatery made its first…
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,…
Scramble, the four-year-old fast casual breakfast spot in Sunnyslope, is expanding to Scottsdale. And although the cheery theme, size, and breakfast and lunch menu of familiar American dishes will remain pretty much the same as the original, the Scottsdale Scramble will offer something the Sunnyslope spot doesn’t: a.m. cocktails…
In February, when most of us were still reeling over a giant-ass meteor in Russia, the lights going out at Super Bowl XLVII, and the awfulness of Seth MacFarlane hosting the Oscars, restaurateur Sam Fox threw another bombshell into the mix: a “life-changing food experience.” The promise came in the…
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…
Quiche, it isn’t just for breakfast anymore. Truth is, quiche can be eaten for just about any meal. Eggs, milk, perhaps a bit of sour cream, veggies, bacon or sausage, flaky pie crust. What’s not to love? Everyone has their own style and concoction for the perfect quiche, our two…
Not all happy hours are created equal. In this year’s Best of Phoenix® issue, we scoured the Valley to find the best places to grab a drink and a bite after a long day. Here’s a look at the seven best places to enjoy happy hour in Metro Phoenix…
Cornish Pasty Co. founder and Cornwall, England, native Dean Thomas is plotting to taking over the world — with pasties. Not really. But you might think so. After opening his first establishment of the hearty hand-held turnovers (pronounced PASS-tees) in Tempe in 2005 and then in Mesa in 2008, Thomas…
The Blind Pig in South Scottsdale is the new venture of restaurateurs Bob and Sally Ann Molinari (Uncle Sal’s Italian Eatery, the Side Door bar and restaurant) and Bret Pont, owner of Hobe Meats, a butcher shop in business for more than 50 years in Phoenix. Whether The Blind Pig’s…
Festival season continues this weekend with the fourth annual Arizona Taco Festival but if you’re looking for something a little more celebrity-driven, may we suggest catching some of the region’s best chefs as they tour the Valley on Saturday? And if you’re planning on heading to Tempe at all, we’ve…
The union of coffee and comic books makes perfect sense; both are synonymous with inspiring an energetic state of being. For the crew of downtown Mesa’s Gotham City Comics & Coffee, this information is no secret. Manager Jaime Ruiz, who has worked at the store nearly the entire three years…
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. It could be said that no meal makes us feel more sociable, cheery, and worry-free…
After a two-year break from hosting food truck fests, Roosevelt Row and the Phoenix Street Food Coalition are back with Taste of the Trucks, a two-day food truck fest. On Saturday, October 26, and Sunday, October 27, they’re bringing 50 trucks downtown for an event with live music and a…
Is The Blind Pig in Scottsdale a butcher shop with a restaurant or a restaurant with a butcher shop? In either instance, it’s all about the meat. Consider its centerpiece: a gleaming glass case stretching from one wall to the other and full of freshly butchered offerings. On one side,…
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. There are a lot of terms tossed around in the world of food that are overused and meaningless. Some…
Sure, the Arizona State Fair is full of fun rides, greasy food and some of the best people watching around. But, for a moment let’s return to a “Charlotte’s Web” sort of agricultural era, where the State Fair was about judging animals, food, and animals that make or become food…
On the heels of opening its first West Valley location in Glendale last week (6738 West Bell Road), Oregano’s Pizza Bistro, the local pizzeria chain headed up by CEO Mark Russell, has announced plans to open a new location in Cave Creek. “We’ve found a really cool, and truly old,…
