La Piazza Al Forno, the Glendale pizza spot famous for its real-deal Neapolitan pizza, hit the big time after its appearance on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. In fact, the place has become so successful that chef-owner Justin Piazza plans to open a new location in downtown Phoenix no later than…
There are 23 reasons I avoid the Mexican grocery store when my inner pig-tailed child is having a craving: $23 of tangy, chile-spiked, salty and only occasionally sweet Mexican candy overflowing from my shopping basket as my inner child does a twirl in her patent leather Mary Janes. Let’s just…
February saw at least one shocking closure as Old Town Whiskey shuttered rather abruptly to make room for me event space in The Saguro hotel. It also saw a number of new faces, including a bakery that sells sweet hand pies and the timely arrival of a Chicago mainstay. See…
Looks like Chick has lost what was left of its pluck — permanently. See also: – Jose Garces’ Old Town Whiskey in Scottsdale Shutters to Become Hotel Event Space – Distrito Gets Neutered: From Colorful and Lively to Brown and Boring, This Makeover Ain’t Makin’ Sense The second concept from…
As a restaurant town, Phoenix still gets a bum rap: too many chains, too few ethnic, no restaurant-rich urban core, and no famous equivalent to Philly’s cheesesteak or Chicago’s hot dog to call our own. But there’s one thing we do have in abundance, and it’s great pizza. Seriously, we…
Earlier this month, we shared the news that the Valley’s homegrown grilled cheese mobile was under new ownership and getting geared up to hit the road again. And it didn’t take long — lucky for those melted-cheese fanatics out there — for the new owners to get things ready to…
I’ve been a very bad cast iron skillet owner. Without getting into too many details, I’m putting it out there that this classic piece of kitchen equipment has been left in the oven while cookies were baking, washed in soapy water, and just left to rot and rust for who…
Anyone who’s had cancer touch their lives knows firsthand the day-to-day struggles that come with the disease. After watching a good friend fight cancer, Jennifer Caraway founded a nonprofit organization to help homebound Valley cancer patients by delivering meals. Two local chefs, Tracy Dempsey and Bernie Kantak, sit on the…
Just this week, T. Cook’s at the Royal Palms launched new dining menus, courtesy of Todd Sicolo, the executive chef hired last fall to fill Lee Hillson’s shoes. And just this morning, the Royal Palms announced that Sicolo, who was on board three months, is leaving the Royal Palms mid-March…
Two weeks ago, Old Town Whiskey, Jose Garces’ upscale saloon inside The Saguaro hotel in Old Town, shuttered to be used as event space. But unbeknownst to Garces’ fans, his modern Mexican restaurant just down the hall was undergoing an arguably worse fate: getting its cojones cut off. See also:…
Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Check out what’s on our plate. See Also: 24 Food and Drink Festivals in Metro Phoenix Celebrity Chef Charity Dinner at Praying Monk in Scottsdale on March 10 Spring Training Menu at Roka Akor Now that…
See Also: AndyTalk: Four Riffs on Caprese Salad AndyTalk: Not All Bananas Are Created Equal … Take the Plantain My favorite way to make food look good isn’t with a garnish. I like to bring eye appeal to food with the ingredients in the recipe. Hands-down, blood oranges are the…
Chow Bella has a valentine for you. For the rest of February, we’re handing out Candy Hearts — stories of food and love from some of our favorite writers. Enjoy. From the moment her child is conceived, a mother’s love flows in the form of food. In the womb, it…
It’s been nearly 10 months since the Urban Grocery and Wine Bar at Phoenix Public Market permanently closed its doors, and although St. Francis chef-owner Aaron Chamberlin acquired the building within a matter of days, he’s had to do a bit of wrangling/finessing since then with Community Food Connections (the…
For four years, Doug Robson, chef-owner of Gallo Blanco Café, the restaurant inside the Clarendon Hotel, has been quietly kicking out top-notch Mexico City-style eats in Central Phoenix. But his new restaurant, now open for lunch with dinner to follow on Monday, March 11, most likely won’t enjoy such an…
Is bigger truly better? If you’re talking about La Merced in Mesa, then the answer is yes. And the locals know this to be true. See also: – Federal Pizza: Empire-Building on Central Avenue – Suds (Mostly) Trump the Grub at Scottsdale’s Brat Haus The six-year-old restaurant takes its name…
Anyone who’s had a foray into vegetarianism or traveled around Europe on a budget has made fast friends with the falafel sandwich. It’s cheap, filling, and easy to eat on the go, with a pita outside to hold the lightly fried chickpea goodness on the inside. Other famous falafel companions…
Chow Bella has a valentine for you. For the rest of February, we’re handing out Candy Hearts — stories of food and love from some of our favorite writers. Enjoy. He had a guitar and too many pretty metaphors, and he loved chocolate haupia pie. He also loved me –…
Brand new versions of the Phoenix New Times apps are now available on iTunes and Google Play. The apps are loaded with new features. Check em out and download them now…
Doughnuts sold during regular hours are community doughnuts. (Kids, step right up.) Doughnuts sold in the off-hours are strictly adult-only eats. (Drunk girl, third-shift guy, creature of the night, step right up.) This post is dedicated to the latter. See also: – Everyone Knows About This Late-Night Doughnut Shop in…
Welcome to Chow Bella’s Bites & Dishes, where Valley chefs and restaurateurs respond to a question New Times food critic Laura Hahnefeld has on her mind. Have a question you’d like to ask? E-mail laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. It’s happened to all of us at one time or another: an incident with food…
To understand La Merced, a Mexico City-style restaurant in Mesa, you could start with its flautas, a dish that challenges the notion that good things have to come in small packages. Nearly double the size of those you might find elsewhere in the Valley, the flour tortillas, full of moist…
