Doughnuts. At their best, they’re ring-shaped cakes of sugary, fried goodness. At their worst, they’re sad lumps of dry, tacky dough doing time as a mindless grab-‘n’-go breakfast, peeking out from a half-open box in the break room, picked through, broken into pieces, and stale as shit. Fry Girl don’t…
Phoenix has totally taken to sushi, but it’s just getting warmed up to ramen. Considering how many places here are devoted to Vietnamese pho, I’m a little puzzled about the relative scarcity of the Japanese noodle soup — unless you’re talking about ubiquitous instant ramen, savior of broke-ass college kids…
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…
Despite what the supermarket aisles may lead you to believe, there’s more to an animal than neatly wrapped styrofoam trays of meat. From tongue to tail, offal (pronounced awful) encompasses all those taboo edibles that don’t make the cut at your local grocer. Just Offal is here to explore these…
For the most part, I try hard to heart Phoenix. Really. This city and I have a long history together, long enough that I remember the days when Bill Johnson’s Big Apple was considered a night out on the town. I even remember when we had a Sambo’s. I appreciate how…
Yesterday we heard from Jonathan Vallo of The Duce. Today the conversation continues. One important thing to know about Jonathan Vallo- he’s a bit of a mystery. After hearing him say many times that he’s gone by different names and really likes to “lay low”, I started to wonder if…
Do you have any good tips for making sun tea? In 1904 at the summer St. Louis World’s Fair, the Commissioner of Tea for India could not interest the crowd in tasting his beverage. So he added ice to the glass and created a distinct way for Americans to take…
Chef Wade Moises has parted ways with his downtown restaurant PastaBAR and co-founder Nicholas Gentry. Moises opened the tiny Italian eatery a year and a half ago, after heading up Sassi in North Scottsdale (where Gentry was the sous chef), and working for Mario Batali’s New York restaurants Babbo and Lupa, as well…
Ever since Supersize Me came out, I’ve been loathe to dine at fast food restaurants. But with so many locals extolling the meaty virtues of the new pseudo-gourmet hamburger chains that have been popping up around the Valley, it was impossible to resist pitting two of these gut-busting gastronomic giants against each other. Meet…
While it may sound foreign to some, the sale and consumption of raw, unpasteurized milk is going on right under your nose. Well, maybe not that close — but definitely in our fair city. Call this The Guide to Most Everything You Wanted to Know About Raw Milk But Didn’t Begin to…
Just north of Indian School on 7th Avenue sits a tiny building that is home to your favorite festival treat—fry bread. Yes, you too can enjoy all the fry bread you want without ever having to face a toothless carnival worker or risk being thrown up on by a small…
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…
The Spot: Trader Vic’s, 6850 E. Main St., Scottsdale, (480) 421-7799 http://www.hotelvalleyho.com/scottsdalerestaurants/tradervics.html The Hours: Every day of the week from 4 to 6 pm and again from 9 to 11 pm. The Details: Retro-priced apps ranging from $1 (roasted garlic hummus, edamame) to $3 (a variety of surf and turf…
Equal parts Anthropologie and old Hollywood movie set, The Duce is an ambitious attempt at recreating an entire city neighborhood. Think New York or Chicago in the 1940’s. Complete with news stand, soda fountain, coffee bar, organic grocery market, various other retail nooks and perhaps most important a restaurant and bar,…
Originally designed to preserve vegetables for extended lengths of time, the pickling process has been around since ancient times. Julius Caesar fed pickles to his troops to increase their stamina. Pickles were purported to be a part of Cleopatra’s beauty routine, and Shakespeare repeatedly mentioned them in his plays. Today you’ll find pickles…
After a couple of unsuccessful turns as Regions, the space at 6th Street and Mill Avenue in downtown Tempe is about to become a completely different concept, with a new owner. Restaurateur Julian Wright, who owns La Bocca Urban Pizzeria + Wine Bar a block up the street, is transforming…
Ernesto Moncada The author, poet, improviser and actor with experimental theater ensemble Arcana Collective and The Empty Frames Experiment conducts and produces the variety show Firestage at the Firehouse every Third Friday, hosts the monthly live talk show Grand Avenue Live! at The Trunk Space, and acts as host for…
Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Estate House Gives it BackEvery Tuesday thru the end of August, Estate House is hosting “Give Back Tuesdays.” The Scottsdale restaurant will donate10% of every guest’s dining bill to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Arizona. Enjoy dishes like…
Anyone that 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…
Last week’s Chef Chat was with Marcellino Verzino of Marcellino Ristorante. Below is a simple, light, summer recipe of his that you can make on your own at home. Buon Appetito! Tuna Tartare (Serves four: antipasto portion) Ingredients: ½ lb. fresh Ahi tuna juice of 1 lemon 1 tbsp fresh…
Bacon, the Old Town Scottsdale breakfast joint run by the Devil’s Martini folks, is no more. A “For Lease” sign went up at the Goldwater Boulevard space over the weekend. Bacon opened in the spring of ’09, and never quite took off. Good breakfast spots are always in demand –…
Remember in early June, when I reported on the closing of Sucker Punch Sally’s? The official word at that time was that the restaurant was only temporarily closed, due to air conditioning problems, and that it would reopen in September. It struck me as odd that an almost brand-new restaurant would…
