Chick-fil-A’s New Spicy Chicken Sandwich

Yeah that’s right, this Fry Girl’s a Spicy V.I.P. Taking advantage of Chick-fil-A’s pre-launch promotion of reserving their new Spicy Chicken Sandwich for a limited number of customers to try before officially launching on Monday, this Fry Girl felt like a fast food celebrity. Friendly e-mails, a dedicated cash register,…

Aaron Chamberlin of St. Francis: Chef Chat, Part Two

Yesterday we heard from Chef Aaron Chamberlin of St. Francis. Today the conversation continues. Though Chef Chamberlin worked for nine years with French chefs in the U.S., he decided that St. Francis wouldn’t be pigeonholed.  Rather, he wanted to utilize the talents he has on his staff, allowing room for…

88: La Jawab Kadahi Gosht at The Dhaba

Hungry yet? We’re working up our appetites for our huge Best of Phoenix issue, out September 30, with daily servings of Chow Bella’s 100 Favorite Dishes from across the Valley — in no particular order Leave your suggestions for upcoming favorites in the comments section. Visit our sister blog, Jackalope…

Sapna vs. 5th & Wine: You Say Panini, I Say Panino

International foods have found their way into the heart of American (and Phoenician) cuisine, from sushi rolls and ramen bowls to gelato and panini. For this week’s battle, we visited two places with international flavor — one a tiny vegetarian friendly cafe owned by a self-professed world traveler and the other a chic wine…

Now Open: Secreto

Ahwatukee’s Secreto is a secret no longer. Word of mouth is spreading about this New Mexican restaurant which quietly opened last Thursday in the former Havana Cafe spot in SE Phoenix (4232 E. Chandler Blvd., 480-706-2200). Secreto is named after a group of Franciscan monks who smuggled Spanish grapevines into New Mexico…

Aaron Chamberlin of St. Francis: Chef Chat

Aaron Chamberlin’s central Phoenix restaurant St. Francis may only be seven months old, but he’s not new to the restaurant business. Coming from three generations of a food industry family made an impact on the chef. You can see it from his grandparents’ tasting spoons embedded into the restaurant’s entranceway,…

89: Chicken & Waffles from Lo-Lo’s

​Hungry yet?We’re working up our appetites for our huge Best of Phoenix issue, out September 30, with daily servings of Chow Bella’s 100 Favorite Dishes from across the Valley — in no particular orderLeave your suggestions for upcoming favorites in the comments section.Visit our sister blog, Jackalope Ranch, for a companion series on 100 Creatives who make…

Scott Pierce, aka Pandora DeStrange, What Are You Eating?

Scott Pierce, aka Pandora DeStrange The actor and drag queen, who is one of the founders of Soul Invictus Gallery and Cabaret, performs in The Follies drag show every Saturday at 10 p.m. at Ice Pics Video Bar What’d you eat for dinner last night? Green corn tamales, chicken taquitos…

90: Burrata at Humble Pie

Hungry yet? We’re working up our appetites for our huge Best of Phoenix issue, out September 30, with daily servings of Chow Bella’s 100 Favorite Dishes from across the Valley — in no particular order Leave your suggestions for upcoming favorites in the comments section. Visit our sister blog, Jackalope…

Free Shakes From Sonic for “Real Ice Cream” Promotion

Summer’s just started and already this Fry Girl feels more “fry” than “girl.”Big thanks to Sonic for bringing on some chill. The 3,500-unit drive-in chain is promoting its “Real Ice Cream” with “buy one, get one free” shakes and 99 cent one-topping sundaes. What’s Real Ice Cream? A richer, creamier…

This Week In Chow Bella

Another week has come and gone leaving us to ponder the upcoming events that will shape our lives and, more importantly, our dinners out. But before we move on, let’s have one last look at the blog posts from this week Damon Brasch, What Are You Eating? New Summer Foodie…

Where Am I Eating?

Nothing says, ready for the weekend like a big bowl of nachos and a house-made brew. … Whoops, sorry, we just caught ourselves drooling. This spot is a southern oasis during sports games and weekends — really, we’d go any day. Can you guess where I’m eating?Last Week’s contest had…

Designer Ice? Yep, And Much More in New Times Summer Guide

You know the Alice Waters-inspired hunt for truly perfect ingredients has reached its zenith when restaurants are boasting about their designer ice cubes.Seriously — it turns out that having the highest quality ice is a huge deal for some high-end restaurants. And we’ve got the scoop in New Times summer…

91: Bruleed Foie Gras Torchon at Posh

​Hungry yet? We’re working up our appetites for our huge Best of Phoenix issue, out September 30, with daily servings of Chow Bella’s 100 Favorite Dishes from across the Valley — in no particular order Leave your suggestions for upcoming favorites in the comments section. Visit our sister blog, Jackalope…

Open and Closed Restaurant Round Up

Here’s a quick look back at our new restaurant friends and the one (only one, as far as we know!) we lost in the month of May. OPEN!IrunaPrimeBarGiant CoffeeChina Magic Noodle House …

Cafe: Le Chalet

Fondue is great…unless you’re alone. Surely it is far better to have friends to eat with. According to Food Critic Michele Laudig the same is true of Glendale’s Le Chalet. Food Critic Michele Laudig on Le Chalet: Our mouths were watering just from the rich smell of melted butter that…

92: Moroccan Nomad Stew at Chakra 4

​Hungry yet? We’re working up our appetites for our huge Best of Phoenix issue, out September 30, with daily servings of Chow Bella’s 100 Favorite Dishes from across the Valley — in no particular order Leave your suggestions for upcoming favorites in the comments section. Visit our sister blog, Jackalope…

Is Al’s Beef in North Scottsdale Windy City-Worthy?

The original Al’s Beef on Taylor Street in Chicago started serving up authentic Italian beef sandwiches 70 years ago. In addition to being named one of the best sandwiches in America by Esquire magazine, Al’s Beef has recently been featured on Travel Channel’s Food Wars (losing out to Windy City…