“Gardenside” Chat with Stephen Eldridge of Gertrude’s

Gertrude’s is the new restaurant (opened in January) at the Desert Botanical Garden and in addition to offering an expansive array of carefully chosen local ingredients, killer ambiance and a distinctive wine and spirits list, the restaurant also keeps it’s own garden to complete the farm-to-table experience. It’s safe to…

Sativa Peterson and The Great Kitchen

Chow Bella has a valentine for you. For the rest of February, we’re handing out Candy Hearts — stories of food and love from some of our favorite writers. Enjoy. What a great kitchen. I’m browsing one of those design websites, where you can see photos taken inside a couple’s…

Is it Rude to Take Photos of Your Food in a Restaurant?

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. Thanks to social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, it’s now easier than ever…

Federal Pizza: Empire-Building on Central Avenue

Thanks to Craig DeMarco’s neighborhood, there may not be a time more fortuitous in Valley history than the present to be a diner (or an old building) in north Central Phoenix. Over the past few years, the restaurateur and his Upward Projects team have gobbled up once-forgotten structures clustered along…

Quiche at Amuse Bouche in Surprise: Even Better Than Homemade

The Guilty Pleasure: Quiche Lorraine Where To Get It: Amuse Bouche, Bell Road and Cotton Lane, Surprise The Price: $9.99 What It Really Costs: Pick your favorite. A) This ain’t diet food. B) In case you missed it the first time (unless you live in Glendale or Peoria): Bell Road…

Deborah Sussman’s Care Package

Chow Bella has a valentine for you. For the rest of February, we’re handing out Candy Hearts — stories of food and love from some of our favorite writers. Enjoy. In the 1940s, my father and his parents spent two long years imprisoned in concentration camps in Holland and Germany,…

First Arizona Portillo’s Opens Next Week in Scottsdale

Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, char-grilled Maxwell Street-style Polish sausages, cake shakes — it can only be Portillo’s, the Illinois-based restaurant chain in business since 1963 and beloved by Chicago transplants throughout the Valley. See also: – Opening Weekend at Morning Squeeze in Old Town: – New Late-Night Salad…

Cafe de Olla: Unplugged Coffee, Mexican Style

With the current overabundance of boutique coffee shops in the Valley serving small-batch. single-source coffee — each high-end bag listing the name of the farmer, roaster, packager, graphic designer, delivery driver, etc. — poured steaming hot or cold in a variety of creative and highly decorated coffee drinks, it comes…

Katie Johnson’s Chicken-Flavored Valentine

Chow Bella has a valentine for you. For the rest of February, we’re handing out Candy Hearts — stories of food and love from some of our favorite writers. Enjoy. “It smells good, right?” I ladled a small portion of the chicken fettuccine alfredo out of the pan and handed…

Hand Pie Bakery Opens in Chandler

They’re convenient, simple, and everything we love about pie in a size we don’t have to share. They’re hand pies. And a new bakery in Chandler is serving them up by the sweet and savory handful — even for breakfast. See also: – Here’s a Sneak Peek at the Menu…

Five Things to Eat and Drink this Weekend in Metro Phoenix

Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Check out what’s on our plate. See Also: 17 Don’t-Miss Events During Arizona Beer Week, Feb. 16-23 6 Don’t-Miss Events During AZ Cocktail Week: Feb 16-22 13th Annual Arizona Strong Beer Festival Hold on to your…