Every week, there's a cornucopia of Phoenix food news, features, and reviews to report here at Chow Bella. If you're like most people, you probably just don't have the time to get to all of it. So, here's a recap of some of the top stories from the week that you may have missed.
Looks like Coup Des Tartes, the romantic French bistro in Phoenix, has turned what could have been the lamest landlord story of the year into one of new beginnings.
In June, owner Ron Pacioni issued a press release stating the 17-year-old restaurant was being forced out of its former historic home at 4626 North 16th Street by new landowners the Van Tuyl Group (an automotive consulting firm), who gave Coup Des Tartes 180 days to vacate the property so that the building could be torn down and the land used for overflow car dealership parking.
Although the Van Tuyl Group was not willing to honor the seven years remaining on Coup Des Tartes' lease, they did agree to an extension until January 31, 2014, a deadline Pacioni is hoping to hit to open his new location.
Check out the cool new space where Coup Des Tartes is moving.
--Laura Hahnefeld
10 Best Restaurants Near ASU Downtown Phoenix: Chow Bella's Back to School Guide
In the next few days, Tempe will welcome literally thousands of college students back into the fold. And though we're sure the studious lot will be spending the majority of their time hitting the books at Hayden Library, it's inevitable that they'll also need to eat. The Memorial Union and that slop line they call a dining hall are perfectly viable options, but we just want to make sure Arizona State University's students know that their neighborhood has lots of other dining options to offer.
Here are 10 of our favorites Tempe restaurants.
--Lauren Saria
10 Things to Eat in Las Vegas This time of year, conversations at Chow Bella staff meetings tend to turn to who's eaten what and where. With the summer travel season in full swing, we bring you Food Tours, our writers' suggestions of what to eat and drink out of town.
I keep meaning to travel around the world. There's one problem: I'm spoiled by Las Vegas. It's an easy drive (or a short hop in a plane), and four-star hotels spoil me with ridiculously low rates to offset the considerable spending I do elsewhere. I think the food scene in Vegas is one of the best in the world. Strip restaurants offer big-name Michelin-star dining. Thanks to hospitality staff coming from around the world for work, outlying areas have a staggering array of amazing international eats.
Dining choices in Vegas are almost too many to imagine. I'm here to help. In no particular order, here's what you simply have to eat when you're in Las Vegas.
--JK Grence
Georganne Bryant's 5 Best Sunday Breakfast Spots in Metro Phoenix
The countdown to Best of Phoenix is on. Mark your calendar: This year's issue will be on newsstands September 26. What better way to warm up than by asking some local "experts" to list their own personal bests? This week, Georganne Bryant of Frances and Smeeks shares her favorite spots in town for Sunday breakfast.
Aaah, we made it through the week and now it is time to reward ourselves with a nice quiet, leisurely, delicious Sunday breakfast. Some weeks this is how my husband and I feel and the first opportunity we have to complete a full conversation. Breakfast is one of our favorites, and when we travel, we love to seek out the dives or the most local in a town or city to get a true sense of the people and local flavor.
Here are Bryant's favorite Sunday breakfast spots in metro Phoenix.
--Georganne Bryant
Arizona Taco Festival: Mark Your Calendar for Taco Intensity at Salt River Fields This Fall
The fourth annual Arizona Taco Festival expects to bring some 100,000 tacos to Salt River Fields this October 19 and 20. In 2011, USA Today named the event one of the best places to feast at a festival, highlighting the tequila tastings, Lucha Libre wrestling, and, of course, the tacos.
The festival will bring together more than 50 taco teams to compete in various categories for $10,000 in prize money. Attendees will be able to taste tacos of all varieties for $2 each, and this year in addition to chicken, pork, beef and seafood varieties, vegetable tacos will be available. The teams are prepared to serve more than 100,000 tacos collectively over the two-day event.
See who's competing in this year's Arizona Taco Festival.
--Lauren Saria
