By Steve Jansen This place rocks It’s no secret that it’s bloody hot out there. But instead of whining about the inevitable (after all, we do live in a desert), I’m going to celebrate the arrival of nuclear temperatures by switching from hot to iced coffee in the mornings. This…
By Michele Laudig Locavore 2: Synchronicity — that might sound like the latest summer blockbuster, or perhaps some remix of a Police album, but it’s what the folks at Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar are calling their upcoming Arizona food and wine dinner. The first such locavore event, held back…
By Michele Laudig In mid-May, when Methode Bistro chef/owner Matt McLinn revealed his plans to sell the restaurant, he wasn’t quite ready to talk about his future plans. But now it’s official: McLinn has just been appointed the new executive chef at Pointe in Tyme, at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio…
By Jay Bennett Since moving to Phoenix three years ago, I’ve found that 16th Street is the strip to troll for great food, especially Mexican food — whether it’s the dirt-cheap burritos at Asadero, the wonderful Mexican sandwiches at Tortas El Güero, or the high-end stuff at Barrio Café. But…
My natural instinct is to haul ass on the highway, but lately I’ve been hyper-miling in my econo-car. Around my neighborhood, I’ve been riding my beach cruiser. Several of my coolest new wardrobe additions have come from the Goodwill. And instead of resorting to air-conditioning my house just yet, I’ve…
Look at the pretty cocktail! By Sarah Fenske I’m a sucker for good lighting. I have certain thrifty friends who will take one look at the menu and back out of a restaurant, howling, “$28 for an entree?!?” Or, “$15 for a cocktail? What is this, highway robbery?!”? Not me…
By: Megan Irwin My cure for a terrible, awful, no good, very bad day: Persian Garden. Today I am extremely grumpy. It’s been the kind of day where every car in front of me is going 5 m.p.h. under the speed limit, every song on the radio is by Chris…
by Robrt L. Pela I love kitchen crap. Spatulas, mixing bowls, those fake wooden spoons from the dollar store that are actually made of plastic. I have more junk in my kitchen drawers and cupboards than you’ll find in the stockrooms of all the Linens ’n’ Things combined. And because…
By Michele Laudig Hey, weren’t you craving a bagel? For National Hunger Awareness Day, the folks at Chompies will donate 15 percent of today’s proceeds to St. Vincent de Paul. All three locations (on Shea Blvd. in Scottsdale, on University in Tempe, and at the Paradise Valley Mall) are participating…
By Michele Laudig Oh. My. God. I am dying to try the artisan ice creams and sorbets at Sweet Republic, a new Scottsdale sweet shop that opened last week. (Thanks to the Chow Bella reader who emailed me with the great tip!) Owners Jan Wichayanuparp and Helen Yung make their…
By Michele Laudig Is it any coincidence that the first day the weather forecast shows nothing but three-digit temperatures for the next week, I discover a brand-new ice cream shop? Finding week-old Pink Spot, which just opened its doors next to ZPizza on Thomas, came at the perfect time. As…
by Robrt L. Pela I love kitchen crap. Spatulas, mixing bowls, those fake wooden spoons from the dollar store that are actually made of plastic. I have more junk in my kitchen drawers and cupboards than you’ll find in the stockrooms of all the Linens ’n’ Things combined. And because…
By Steve Jansen Don’t let the two forks fool you. I ate most of these myself. I consider myself a pretty healthy eater. Fresh fruits and vegetables, non-packaged goods, and organic when possible. Plus, I always carry around a container of purified water with me to stay hydrated (rarely do…
By Sarah Ventre It’s official. Summer has arrived. Maybe we haven’t seen the solstice, but for us Arizonans, when the temperature breaks 100 degrees for the first time, it’s here. It’s time for swimming, fireworks, activities that don’t involve being outside of the realm of air conditioning or submerged in…
By Michele Laudig You heard of Pimp My Ride, right? Well, how about Pimp My Restaurant? That’s what I’m calling the dramatic transformation of an eatery at the Phoenician. It started off as The Terrace, a traditional American restaurant, but a million dollars later, it’s now stepping out as Il…
By Michele Laudig James Beard Award-winning chef Robert McGrath honored his friend Chris Pischke when he took over the late restaurateur’s Old Town Scottsdale eatery, Pischke’s Paradise, and transformed it into Pischke’s Blue Ribbon last year. But now the restaurant’s more than 20-year run is about to come to an…
By Michele Laudig This, my friends, is so damn clever — the best spin on the cupcake trend so far!…
By Jay Bennett Dropping big bucks on dinner is great, but how often do you really treat yourself to a classy meal? When you’re not eating at home (admit it: seems you hardly ever do that anymore), it’s all about finding the best eats for those few bills left in…
Feed me now. I’m hungry. I’m grumpy. I’m in a hurry. I have plenty of easy excuses to fill up on fast food. But most of the time, novelty isn’t one of them. Just think of the comforting familiarity of hot, salty McDonald’s French fries — they’re available everywhere, and…
This week’s fried food is a BLT at Drip. And, yes, I had to take a bite before taking the picture — I was starving. by Sarah Fenske There is nothing more sublime than a BLT: Think crisp salty bacon, ripe tomatoes dripping with juice, a sheet of crisp iceberg…
By Amy Silverman A few years ago, I hosted a dinner party to celebrate the last episode of Seinfeld. That was easy. We had Kenny Rogers chicken, hi-cal frozen yogurt and black & white cookies. But when a friend put me in charge of movie snacks for her Sex and…
By Michele Laudig A friend just passed along the sad news that Weather & Coffee, weatherman Ed Phillips’ coffee and pastry shop on Bell Road, has recently closed. But looking on the bright side — no pun intended — the business will live on in the virtual world. An online…
