Anyone who has searched the couch cushions for a handful of change knows that boozing on an extreme budget can be a risky proposition. To help you decide how to spend that meager pile of pennies, we’ve scraped the bottom of the barrel to review some of the cheapest, most…
Poutine in the middle of summer? That’s right, Caffe Boa Bistro in Mesa is serving up hot plates of Canadian comfort food — that is, fries embellished with mushroom gravy and cheese. Owner Christine Wisniewski is Canadian, so this is her brainchild. The notion struck me as sort of funny and seasonally inappropriate,…
After the sad closing of Lola Tapas, we learned that no restaurant, no matter how amazing, is immune from a bad economy. That’s why we were relieved to find that despite the economic downturn Ana Borrajo, Chef and owner of Sapna Cafe remains optimistic about the future. And this is…
America’s Taco Shop’s manifest destiny has turned the quaint carne asada joint into a three-location local mini-chain. Restaurant number three opened its doors yesterday in Tempe, in a former Papa John’s building at the southwest corner of Rural and University (735 E. University). Owner Terry Bortin tells me that the…
It’s hard to resist picking up a book with the words “Crappy” and “Meals” in the title, especially when the cover art includes a photo of an average-looking woman wearing a chef’s coat and a coordinating bandana, holding a plate of what looks like lamb and vegetables with an herb garden growing out of…
Seriously, folks, TLC’s new cooking show, Inedible to Incredible, is like a recipe for couples counseling. • Take married dudes who don’t have the balls communication skills to tell their wives their cooking stinks and can’t (or won’t) cook a meal themselves and then get them to lie to their…
Jen Deveroux The self-proclaimed “doctor of parties” is currently promoting Kung Pao Radio at The Lost Leaf and Ivy League at Disco.What did you eat for dinner last night? Gazpacho and hummus. Favorite food: Deconstructed deep dish pizza from Oregano’s. No cheese, extra sauce and tons of veggies. Least favorite food:…
Hungry for for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Armitage TastingTomorrow night, join Armitage Bistro for the First Wednesday Blind Wine Tasting from 6 to 8 p.m. in Scottsdale. Every Wednesday Armitage holds wine tastings but they make it a little more exciting the first…
This week’s challenge on Monday Night Martha: Tuna Casserole. We are pre-heating the oven to 400 degrees (when it’s 104 degrees outside) to answer the question: is it possible to make tuna casserole taste fresh and good? The words “tuna casserole”, probably conjure up the memory of a dish comprised of egg…
What’s on your summer reading list? This week, Chow Bella contributors will answer that question with reviews of the food-related books we’ve read lately. If you have a recommendation for us, please leave it in the comment section. Today’s selection: “The Particular Sadness of Chocolate Cake” by Aimee Bender. Aimee…
Hungry for for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?FnB Wine DinnerTomorrow night FnB will host a wine dinner with Arizona winery, Javelina Leap. Owners and winemakers Rod and Cynthia Snapp will be on hand to talk about their Northern Arizona wines. Seating is limited…
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…
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: Brownie Showdown: Pentagon Brownies Chillin’ at Sens’ New Bar…
Forget the food-colored fantasies and stick with Apple Pie, the quintessential American dessert. Break down the baking by preparing your pie dough a day or two ahead, roll it out, fill and bake the morning of your celebration. It’s as easy as pie. (Whoever originated that quote had their tongue…
We stopped into a downtown joint this week for an early dinner and went a little hog-wild. In fact, after splitting (between two) and downing this flat bread — with bacon, Gruyere and onion-fennel marmalade — it was a little difficult to face our main courses … and then our…
The average person’s stomach can hold about a liter of food, or close to two pounds’ worth. But who wants to be average? All over town, restaurants are offering up contests of confection, defying brave eaters to ingest more food than they should eat in a week — daily recommended…
A friend just sent me the best question for right now: What’s the “coldest” meal/restaurant I can seek out in Phoenix this weekend? Everything’s coming up Asian when I think of delicious cold food, like bun (cold rice noodles) or goi cuon (rice paper rolls) at Da Vang or Pho…
A couple of my dear friends are heading to Los Angeles for a food-filled Fourth of July weekend, and I suspect that they’ll be joined on the highway by many more hungry Phoenicians in search of some fabulous meals. So here’s a really handy guide to some of that city’s…
When we heard about the 26-page Pentagon brownie recipe published recently, we couldn’t resist trying to bake them. Emphasis on trying. What better time for the next Chow Bella Showdown? We gathered the staff and got them baked — er, baking. So far, we’ve had the Pentagon brownies; “Joy of…
Just in time for National Hot Dog Month (Happy National Hot Dog Month, everybody!), America’s Drive-In, Sonic, introduced its new and improved Footlong Quarter Pound Coney, a 12-inch hot dog topped with chili and cheese. The revamped coney is a blend of beef and pork, boasts a quarter-pound weigh-in, and…
Hungry for for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Independents WeekThere are only a couple days left to use your golden coupon, folks! In case you haven’t already heard, Independents Week is a week to get out there and support as many locally owned businesses…
If there is one constant in the Phoenix food scene it’s the never-ending selection of comida mexicana. Don’t believe us? Check out Phoenix’s Mexican restaurant row. Food Critic Michele Laudig on Phoenix’s Mexican cuisine: Starting just north of Washington Street, Asadero Norte de Sonora is a great go-to place for…
