Food Truck Info Session: Don’t Quit Your Day Job Yet

Judging by the crowd of more 75 people attending last night’s food truck information session at Modified Arts, you can bet Phoenix will see new mobile food vendors up and running soon. The session was sponsored as a part of Roosevelt Row’s Small Business Incubator series along with Local First AZ…

Chicago Shoot Out: Luke’s vs. Lobby’s

Editor’s Note: We stand corrected — by Vienna Beef, which reports that its hot dogs are kosher-style, not kosher. And “premium beef,” rather than “all beef.” Chow Bella regrets the error.​ In order for a hot dog to be called a Chicago Style Hot Dog, the purveyor must adhere to…

Trefoil Cookie Showdown: And the Winner Is . . .

As one of her final acts as New Times’ food critic, Michele Laudig weighed in with her choice in our Trefoil Cookie Showdown. We tried to one-up ourselves at Chow Bella when Girl Scout Cookie season kicked in this year. A year ago, we experimented with Thin Mints and came up…

Anthony Redendo of Sofrita and Redendo’s Pizzeria, Part Two

Yesterday we started talking to Anthony Redendo of Sofrita and Redendo’s Pizzeria about some of what has brought him success in the restaurant industry. Today the chef/owner/teacher gives us some common sense advice that works in any environment. Redendo, who is an avid Facebook user, understands the value of sites…

Happy Birthday, Amy Sedaris!

  If she’s not the godmother of the cupcake, she’s definitely the cupcake’s bat-shit crazy aunt — and we love her. Happy Birthday, Amy Sedaris…

Wood-Fired on Wheels: Il Bosco Pizza Oven

There’s a new truck — a wagon, actually — rolling around town, ready to deliver fresh wood fired pie. What began as a hobby after Bill Forrest built a wood-fired oven in his backyard has turned into Il Bosco pizza catering, with plans for a North Scottsdale brick and mortar location…

Anthony Redendo of Sofrita and Redendo’s Pizzeria

Courtesy of Anthony Redendo ​For Anthony Redendo of Sofrita and Redendo’s Pizzeria, having a successful restaurant of one’s own is not enough. Redendo is a teacher and mentor to his culinary students at Phoenix College as well as his followers on Facebook. Is this guy really a chef? There isn’t an arrogant…

Anthropologie’s New Tabletop Design Tool

Beware: The new tabletop design tool in the At Home section of Anthropologie’s site is way too much fun. If you love a lovingly crafted tabletop, but can’t afford to take home everything from our favorite chain store, you can get swept away in designing your own dream brunch-on-the-porch table settings…

Trefoil Cookie Showdown: Pear Frangipane Tart

Got some Girl Scout cookies sitting around? So did we. Hence, the Trefoil Cookie Showdown. Being one of the newest Chow Bella members, I was a bit nervous about entering this challenge. I had seen last year’s Thin Mint competition and wondered if I could make something worthy of all…

The Cupcake Trend: Alive and Well and Camping in Chandler

If you are under the impression that cupcakes have jumped the shark, you clearly have not attended ​Cupcake Camp. That’s right — a daytime event (this is no sleepaway camp) devoted to baking, frosting, decorating and selling that perky little baked good so many are starting to hate. No hate…

Coming Soon: Payton Curry’s “Curry-ousity”

[Editor’s Note: This blog was edited after Sweet Republic let us know that their truck will be on Roosevelt Row for First Friday, but not at Curry’s new restaurant opening.] Last week, former Digestif and Caffe Boa chef Payton Curry announced he’d found the perfect location for his new pop-up-restaurant…

Trefoil Cookie Showdown: Trifle

Got some Girl Scout cookies sitting around? So did we. Hence, the Trefoil Cookie Showdown. There’s something perverse, or at least ironic, in combining Girl Scout cookies and liquor.  So I did it. Instead of using lemon pound cake in layers for my usual trifle, I substituted Girl Scout Trefoils,…

Trefoil Cookie Showdown: Coconut Shortbread Shrimp

Got some Girl Scout cookies sitting around? So did we. Hence, the Trefoil Cookie Showdown. Re-purposing Trefoils into some sort of dessert seemed a little too easy. I wanted to try my hand at something savory. Almost instantly, I had it. Coconut Shrimp! I honesty didn’t even consider anything else…

ASU Secretly Growing Bananas on Tempe Campus

Something interesting popped up among the locally grown carrots and lettuce heads at last week’s ASU Farmers’ Market: tiny clusters of still-green bananas grown right in downtown Tempe. Apparently, the banana trees are just one of many fruit-bearing plants on campus.ASU’s harvest program began back in the early ’90s, when…

Love, Change, and Chicken: Dinner and a Movie

​Film: The Princess and the Warrior (2000) Popcorn Alternative: Popcorn with Cinnamon Butter and Dried Apple Chips Entrée: Roast Chicken with Melted Onions and Herbed Spaetzle Beverage: German Beer Get das breakdown after the jump…

Best of Phoenix: Yup, There’s An App For That

Introducing the Best Of App for iPhone (pictured right). Don’t worry, the good, old-fashioned paper version of Best of Phoenix isn’t going anywhere. Still, the print and paper version isn’t exactly pocket friendly. Consider this a smaller version of your favorite guide to Phoenix (and several other cities for that…

Trefoil Cookie Showdown: Girl Scout ****-on-a-Shingle

Got some Girl Scout cookies in the pantry? So did we — hence, the Chow Bella Trefoil Showdown. Our dish for the Trefoil showdown boiled down to simple logistics. Last minute crunch time with only fifteen minutes to create an entry? It seemed like a daunting task. Until we thought back…

Devin Walsh’s Summer Caprese Salad

Walsh of Calistro Bistro gives the same advice he’s received: Keep it simple.   Caprese salad is one of the simplest salads you could ever hope to make. And yet the combination of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil is more delicious than many more complicated concoctions. This salad will work perfectly…