New Yorkers are certainly no strangers when it comes to obscene wait times for meals, but, hey, it’s different in the Valley. So whether you have reservations or not, is waiting for a table at a popular restaurant worth it in the end? I asked Valley chefs and restaurateurs how…
I never knew how many different kinds of margaritas existed until Pinterest. Oh, man! It never ends… Margaritas are my favorite. And I’m not one of those girls who always has to drink sweet, fruity stuff, either — but sometimes it’s fun to experiment. A classic summer fruit collides with…
For newcomers to African cuisine, why not make the first dish one of the most delicious? Yassa chicken (known as yassa au poulet) is a traditional chicken dish from the Casamance region of Senegal in West Africa. Prepared with lemons and onion, it is one of the most popular dishes…
From now ’til we publish the 2012 edition of Best of Phoenix, New Times and Chow Bella present 100 Tastemakers — Valley residents who make the cut in our culinary scene. Some you’ll know; for others, it’ll be a first introduction (but likely not the last). While you’re here, check…
This is part two of my interview with Mark Tarbell, owner of Tarbell’s in Phoenix and The Oven Pizza E Vino in Colorado. Part one of our interview with Mark Tarbell appeared Monday on Chow Bella. How and when did you learn so much about wine: I was in wine…
After four years away from the food business, Daniel Malventano, who formerly owned the elegant Daniel’s Italian Restaurant on Camelback near 44th Street, will soon be back in action. If all goes as planned, he will open Café Daniel at 32nd Street and Lincoln on October 1. This go-round, Malventano…
When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out — and let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that…
We had so much fun chucking Chow Bella contributors Ando Muneno and Lauren Saria into the ring over Alton Brown, food trucks, movie theaters with food pho and Matt’s Big Breakfast that we put them back at it again. This week’s topic: The Slider. Ando: What are the strengths of…
From now ’til we publish the 2012 edition of Best of Phoenix, New Times and Chow Bella present 100 Tastemakers — Valley residents who make the cut in our culinary scene. Some you’ll know; for others, it’ll be a first introduction (but likely not the last). While you’re here, check…
Mark Tarbell Tarbell’s 3213 E. Camelback Road 602-955-8100 www.tarbells.com This is part one of my interview with Mark Tarbell, owner of Tarbell’s in Phoenix and The Oven Pizza E Vino in Lakewood, Colorado. In Part Two,Tarbell talks about how he discovered wine and his advice for aspiring chefs. Mark Tarbell…
Every week, there’s a cornucopia of new Phoenix food news, features, and reviews to report here at Chow Bella. If you’re like most people, you probably just don’t have the time to get to all of it. It’s kind of like those burgers at Old Town Whiskey; it just won’t…
Does John Cavanagh ever so slow down? As the general manager of the Tuck Shop, the cozy house-turned-eatery in Central Phoenix, as well as Astor House, the new homey breakfast/lunch/snack/wine shop next door, Cavanagh also consults for other restaurateurs, rebuilds motorcycles, and — oh, yeah, brews tonic syrup from scratch…
The Parlor is not any ol’ pizzeria. Named Arizona’s Best Pizza by the Food Network last year, the restaurant is no stranger to awards, and it’s also known for its modern design aesthetic, which is warm, inviting, and maintains a cool vibe without shoving chic down diners’ throats. The same…
Downtown Phoenix could always use another eatery, particularly one that is open late, cheaper than dirt, and, most important, serves up some serious grub. Tacos Sonora Grill opened late last week and just southeast Chase Field, across Seventh Street…
Though the answer, “Well, duh,” may be the automatic reply to the announcement that the Phoenix area officially has its first mobile cupcake food truck, surprisingly enough, one hasn’t existed before now. Launched in January, Sweet Jonez Rocking Cupcakes joined the Phoenix Street Food Coalition at the end of May,…
Summer’s heirloom tomatoes are in season, and Kevin Binkley wants to celebrate. From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 13, Binkley’s Restaurant will host an heirloom tomato dinner, featuring 10 different heirloom varieties, courtesy of local farmer Bob McClendon…
From now ’til we publish the 2012 edition of Best of Phoenix, New Times and Chow Bella present 100 Tastemakers — Valley residents who make the cut in our culinary scene. Some you’ll know; for others, it’ll be a first introduction (but likely not the last). While you’re here, check…
With a “coming soon” announcement first reported in January, Brat Haus, an artisan sausage and craft beer concept from restaurateur Dave Andrea (formerly with Old Town Tortilla Factory, Wild Noodles, and Fat Slim’s BBQ), has been keeping diners’ curiosities fed with several events and social media updates before its planned…
This weekend, we’re trading in our pint glasses for stems of red and white. We’ll be making a trip to Cave Creek for a couple of glasses of wine and a plate of grilled duck or we’ll be hittin’ the road for a not-to-be-missed wine festival in the pines and…
Phoenix might be the sixth-largest city in the nation, but when summer hits (and the unofficial worm-turner is usually the week after Mother’s Day), the local restaurant business drops like a rock. Servers who were busting their butts and making bank a few months earlier slowly turn into coral reefs…
If wishes were fishes they might very well be smoked.
A few weeks ago, a series of rat-a-tat news events left Valley foodies gripping their collective forks and then poking themselves with them to make sure what they were reading was true: chef Claudio Urciuoli had parted ways with business partner and James Beard Award-winner Chris Bianco, chef Matt Taylor…
