Food & Drink

Today would be a gorgeous day to eat some spring rolls and drink sake on the front patio of Nine 05, but sadly, it’s too late. The nine-month-old restaurant has closed. Servicemen were removing equipment when I stopped by, and the place was deserted. The kitchen appears to be in…

As the old adage goes, “Everybody’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.” That does not, however, mean you have to celebrate your “honorary” Irish heritage by swilling pints of leprechaun piss until the inside of your mouth starts to look more like Shrek’s. So while others go from looking thirsty to…

What’s tastier than a sweet, chewy, stick-to-your-dental-work caramel? A big ol’ pile of ’em! Thus (drumroll, please) Chow Bella is pleased to announce our inaugural live Battle of the Dishes event: Caramelpalooza at Smeeks candy store, Friday, March 26 at 7 pm. We’re taking this seriously, folks. We’re determined to…

I just read two stories that freaked me out a bit, and now it’s finally sinking in just why. First, this: MSNBC’s “U.N.: Tiger on ‘verge of extinction'” And then, a while later, this: Time Magazine’s “In Praise of the Endangered Restaurant Critic.” It’s a jungle out there…

Yep, Nello’s in Old Town Scottsdale is no more. There’s no pizza deficit, though. Now, in place of that longstanding local favorite is a new, family-owned restaurant called Jac’s Pizzeria. It opened about a month ago at 7213 E. 1st Ave. The website isn’t up yet, but look for East…

Spring Training is well underway, and so far our home team is kicking butt down in Tucson. After yesterday’s Arizona Diamondbacks 13-5 mega-victory over the Mariners, hopefully you’re stoked for this week’s Cactus League games in Phoenix. Today, the Rangers take on the Cubs at HoHoKam Park. ​Later in the week…

Let’s not pretend that tomorrow is about shamrocks and pots o’ gold.  In America, St. Patrick’s Day is nothing more than a thinly veiled excuse to get sloshed on green beer. Unfortunately, it’s less fun when you start start feeling green two songs into Blackwood’s Celtic pub song set. We tracked down a…

In the mood for a peppercorn crust burger with roasted garlic, charred onions, watercress, and matchstick fries, or maybe a crispy pork sandwich with Swiss, iceberg lettuce, a housemade pickle, and barbecue sauce? They’re just a couple of the things you can get now at The Grind, which quietly opened this past…

Rosita’s Place isn’t a new spot, but it’s a good spot — especially if you like chips still hot when they get to the table (They cost a $1.00, but are worth it). The chips come with two small bowls of fresh house made salsa, one red and one green…

We took a three-hour drive up to Northern Arizona for a few days of R&R and cool weather, looking forward to visiting with the family and seeing some snow. On days like these, sometimes it’s nice to eat a big midday meal. Which is what we felt like doing today. …

If you’ve been to the Arizona Renaissance Festival before, you know how the shows work. Most are wholesome, family-friendly entertainment: comedic storytellers, singing nuns, a prankster hypnotist. Then there are the shows labeled LC for “Loose Cannon” — i.e. bring the kiddies at the risk of having to explain umpteen penis jokes…

In the end, we get what’s coming to us. Let’s hope it’s sweet. Since 1970, McDonald’s has been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with the Shamrock Shake. Available at select locations, this seasonal, mint-flavored green goody has inspired a frenzied following of shake shaggers to hunt down the frozen treat year…

We know what you’re thinking: Wait, isn’t Bookmans a used book store? That it is, but as we’ve previously reported, the Bookmans location in Mesa recently opened a cafe. We’ve long been fans of the store’s book, music, and video game selection, but we were skeptical about the coffee. On…