Now Open: Radio Cafe

Call it channel surfing. LGO Hospitality’s Bob Lynn and Craig DeMarco didn’t want to stick to an Italian menu anymore, so they rechristened Radio Milano as Radio Cafe. The restaurant reopens tonight after a three-week hiatus for renovations. Sushi’s on the menu now, thanks to chef Takeshi Hosoda. Among Hosoda’s…

Ahwatukee Farmers’ Market Gets Our Goat

Every since Chef Payton Curry butchered a pig at the Devoured Culinary Classic, conversations have turned to what unusual meats one can expect to find at Caffe Boa and Boa Bistro (just wait until you peep tomorrow’s posting on his kid-unfriendly Easter specials). Turns out Boa isn’t the only place you can find unusual meat…

Closed For Business: That’s Italiano

Farewell to a longstanding neighborhood Italian spot. Just got wind of the recent closure of That’s Italiano, the mom-and-pop restaurant on Indian School (3737 E. Indian School) that was popular with the nearby Arcadia crowd for its homey pastas, live music, and old-school ambiance. Isn’t that something every neighborhood could use?…

Caramelpalooza in Photos

  Our own Jonathan McNamara put together a delicious slideshow of images from Friday night’s caramel-coated festivities at Smeeks. Check it out. (And winners are posted here.) …

Deviled Eggs : Monday Night Martha

It’s officially less than a week until Easter — a time when hard-boiled eggs will be taking up space on refrigerator shelves. So, we’ve decided to have a deviled egg tasting, trying out two of Martha Stewart’s many recipes. In one corner, Deviled Eggs with Cucumber, Dill, and Capers and…

Summery Lunch at RnR in Old Town Scottsdale

[jump]   My friend’s salmon dish was spicy but light, with citrus and tomatoes tossed into a bed of greens. With a breakfast menu, dinner entrees, and late-night eats as well, RnR has a lot more going on than lunch, but this was a promising introduction.  …

And the Caramelpalooza Winners Are….

​As far as we’re concerned, everyone was a winner Friday night — sampling a tasty, creative assortment of caramels under the stars in central Phoenix, as Chow Bella and Smeeks celebrated our first-ever Caramelpalooza. Wynter Holden will parse the competition later this week in Battle of the Dishes, but we won’t…

Caffiend: Ol’ Glory

There are so many energy drinks on the market these days, and so few that truly stand out — even visually. A walk down the energy drink aisle at the store becomes a monotonous montage of black and silver aluminum, decorated with various logos in bright orange and florescent green…

Caramelpalooza Winners to be Announced Monday

Big, chewy thanks to the chefs who came out last night to make our first Chow Bella event — Caramelpalooza,co-sponsored by Smeeks — a sweet success. (And showers of caramels on the fine folks from Smeeks, who worked so hard to help us make it all happen.)We’ll announce the winners Monday…

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: Chandler BBQ Throwdown Burns Brisket and Bridges Salciccia Pizza…

New in Old Town: Sandwich Club

Another place to get crepes? Bring it on. ix-week-old Sandwich Club, in Old Town Scottsdale, husband-and-wife team George Venezia and Terrie Overstreet serve a casual menu of crepes, salads, wraps and sandwiches (like roast beef with blue cheese aioli, grilled brie with ham and tomato, and tuna salad with lemon,…

Matt McLinn’s Brioche Chocolate Bread Pudding

In this week’s Chef Chat, we heard from Chef Matt McLinn of The Grind. Today, he steps away from his meat grinder and gives us the rundown on one of his favorite desserts: Brioche Chocolate Bread Pudding. Here’s how it’s done…

“Frog Legs Are the New Chicken Wings” at Petite Maison

So said the ever-quotable chef James Porter at Petite Maison, who just unveiled the new spring menu. One of the new additions has suddenly become one of the most popular dishes at the restaurant: frog legs. Cuisses de grenouille Provencal — sauteed with tomatoes in white wine, butter, and garlic –…

Passover Meals You Won’t Want to Pass Over

Passover, or Pesach, is the Jewish festival commemorating the emancipation of Israelite slaves in Egypt. As with most holidays, there’s a special place for food within the celebration. Whether you’re looking for a place to dine out this Passover or want to host a family dinner this year but can’t…

Behind the Bar: The Sassy Sapphire at C4 Martini & Wine Bar

Yesterday, Helen Ori shared a glimpse into the life of a modern-day saloon sweetheart at Cave Creek’s C4 Martini and Wine Bar. Working alongside General Manager Teresa Thompson, whose vision for bar trends and cocktail combinations have helped mold C4’s set of classic libations with a twist, Ori and C4…

New in CenPho: Monkey C Brunch Spot

I’m very intrigued by this flyer I picked up at That’s A Wrap the other day, for a new “brunch spot and trunk sale” called Monkey C, right smack in the middle of the Coronado District (1318 E. Palm). These folks have been doing their own DIY boutique, with crepes served…

Chef Chat: Matt McLinn of The Grind (Part Two)

Yesterday we heard from Chef Matt McLinn of the Grind. McLinn and his two business partners George Monzures and Allen Thompson opened The Grind on Camelback Road and 40th Street in February with a neighborhood hangout in mind. That said, the menu is a bit fancier than your typical backyard…

ThinkGeek Gastro-Conspiracy, in “FoodLab 2010”

Molecular gastronomy. Please. The process was more like a cruel joke. Mixing food with chemicals? Impossible to find ingredients? Extra money for supplies? Outcomes resembling the back end of the digestive process versus the front? And, of course, the invasive metric system. The pranksters? The Frenchies at Cuisine Innovation, makers…

Caramelpalooza Contestants, Unwrapped

We don’t want to get all icky sweet, but we’ve got to tell you how impressed with are with the line up of contestants for Caramelpalooza, our first-ever caramel tasting at Smeeks candy store. Come on over to Smeeks tonight at 7 for a first-come-first-serve caramel tasting. Along with an…