Does the food tax leave a bad taste in your mouth? It’s not too late to do something about it. Yesterday, the Phoenix City Council voted 6-3 to approve a two percent tax on groceries, intended to raise an estimated $62 million over two years to preserve the jobs of cops, firefighters, and other city employees…
The Chow Bella staff can not stay out of the kitchen. In anticipation of the Super Bowl, we’ve used our culinary talents to compete in a showdown of dips. After three heavy hitters like Jonathan’s Nothing Left to Lose Beer Cheese and Claire’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Artichoke Dip, and…
Chef Aaron May says he was “being cat and mouse about it,” but his new gastropub Mabel’s on Main opened quietly a week ago, in the Old Town Scottsdale space that used to house Mabel Murphy’s (7018 E. Main). Right now, there are a dozen “gourmet bar snacky” menu items…
Sprinkles Cupcakes, the ubiquitous bakeshop, recently launched a vegan version of its red velvet cupcake. How does the leader of the cupcake bakery revolution’s new offering stack up against their traditional version? We did a side-by-side comparison…
How well do you know your favorite cookhouse contraptions? Can you tell a melon baller from a cookie scoop? See if you can guess today’s gadget and check back next week for the answer. Here are a few of our guesses, add yours to the comment box below: – Remote…
It’s a good thing my editor just got back from lunch with a few freshly baked cookies to unload on me, because I need something sweet to nibble on as I look at the menu for Shelley’s Specialty Desserts, a month-old bakery in downtown Glendale (5845 W. Palmaire). Owner/pastry chef Shelley…
The Chow Bella staff can not stay out of the kitchen. In anticipation of the Super Bowl, we’ve used our culinary talents to compete in a showdown of dips. After two heavy hitters like Jonathan’s Nothing Left to Lose Beer Cheese and Claire’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Artichoke Dip, today…
Talk about short-lived. Amid various retail changes at Scottsdale’s Promenade in the past year, Bad to the Bone BBQ replaced Redfish Cajun Grill in May and hosted a grand opening celebration in November — and now, there’s word that the restaurant has already been shuttered by the landlord. Bad to the Bone’s phone…
So you’re in a restaurant, chowing down on the best tuna mac or pizza or boeuf Wellington you’ve ever had, when a crazy thought comes to mind: I can do this at home!! Without a pro chef’s fancy appliances and gadgets, you might be challenged to create restaurant-worthy food. Still, after seeing the Worst Cooks in…
In France, today is National Crepe Day, also known as La Chandeleur, and in the truly American tradition of latching onto holidays where there is a promise of good food and fun — why not, it works for Cinco de Mayo and St. Patrick’s Day — we’re joining the celebration.The holiday,…
Chef Jamie Santoro has been in the same Ahwatukee kitchen for ten years. She actually might be the only constant in a venue that’s been a bagel joint (Beyond Bagels), a lunch spot (Mary Ann and Richie’s) and finally a dinner restaurant (That Italian Place). “I’ve been able to watch…
Christopher WilliamsThe improv actor with the Light Rail Pirates, Chaos Comedy, Buck, The Team Formerly Known as Hope? and The Torch Theatre performs with Light Rail Pirates every Friday night in February at 10:30 p.m. at Space 55. What’d you eat for dinner last night? Leftovers of lunch from Pita Jungle, the Blue…
If you’re restaurant-obsessed and living in the Phoenix metro area, it’s time to update your bookmarks. Chowhound, the popular foodie message board, reorganized its regional coverage in January and created a new Phoenix board — which also includes food and restaurants in Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Glendale, and elsewhere in the…
A quick look back at the new restaurants that opened in January. In CenPho we now have La Condesa Gourmet Taco Shop and The Main Ingredient Ale House. Scottsdale welcomes Culinary Dropout, Oakville Grocery, Touch of Thai, Beauregard Food Co., and La Hacienda at The Fairmont. Two new BBQ spots…
The Chow Bella staff can not stay out of the kitchen. In anticipation of the Super Bowl, we’ve used our culinary talents to compete in a showdown of dips. Last week we brought you Nothing Left to Lose Beer Cheese Dip. Today’s offering: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Artichoke Dip. If…
We were scouring local farmers’ markets this weekend for cheese curds (more on that another time) when we spotted a giant cheese on wheels. True, everything is better with cheese, but can you improve a classic ’65 VW van by chopping it up and turning it into a rolling block of…
It’s official. Cielo, the brand-new Italian restaurant at Mondrian Scottsdale, opens tonight at 6 p.m. It replaces three-year-old Asia de Cuba, which served its last dinner there on Saturday. Executive chef Donald Lemperle remains in charge in the kitchen, and as it turns out, Italian food is his forte. At…
Phoenix has lost a hidden gem, at least in part. The restaurant at Backstreet Wine Salon — a classy little spot behind Gaslight Square on Indian School — served its last dinner this past Saturday night. However, Backstreet’s wine shop remains open for retail sales. Owner Jock Wulffson got the word out in…
In the end, we get what’s coming to us. Let’s hope it’s sweet. Let’s face it, folks: Valentine’s Day, when it comes to that special someone, is as much about love as it is about the possibility of some horizontal hokey-pokey. So why do we get all Ron Jeremy with…
Gone the way of the Dodo, we must sadly say goodbye to the following restaurants that have shut their doorsduring the month of January… Havana Café, Ahwatukee (don’t worry you can still get your Cuban (food) fix at the Camelback location and the Bell Road locations) Better Then Sex Café,…
Another week has come and gone leaving us to ponder the upcoming events that will shape our lives and, more importantly, our dinners out. But before we move on, let’s have one last look at the blog posts from this week: Toast to Your Health With the First Acai Berry…
Back in August, I got word from a reliable source that Asia de Cuba, the three-year-old Mondrian Scottsdale outpost of restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow’s upscale fusion hotspot, would soon become an Italian restaurant. It was an interesting twist for the hotel, since the restaurant space used to house Italian eatery Fiamma back when it…
