Homage to the Pink Pony: Top 5 Classic Valley Restaurants

A little dart of sadness pierced my black heart when I heard that the 61 year old Pink Pony Restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale closed. I loved passing by its salmon pink painted facade with old west saloon style writing…its silhouette of a bucking pony…and the two massive wooden doors…

New in Phoenix: Thai E-San

Remember when we were complaining that there weren’t enough Asian restaurants in downtown Phoenix? Well, now there’s one more. It’s called Thai E-San and–if the menu is anything to go by–it looks like it might just do the trick. Thai E-San (translating to “North of Thailand”) provides a sample of…

Forget Bianco’s, Give Me Mama Celeste!

We’re going to catch hell for this, but here goes anyway.Everyone knows Phoenix is famous for its pizza, specifically, for the almighty Pizzeria Bianco downtown. And while that’s all well and good, there’s another pizza story happening here. It’s a sad story that’s gone under-reported until today.Has anyone ever noticed…

Hula’s Modern Tiki Opening Soon

Back in March we gave you the skinny on a new Downtown Phoenix restaurant coming from Chris and Craig Delaney called Hula’s Modern Tiki. Well hawaiian food enthusiasts, the time has come to gorge on such island delicacies as “luau pork” sandwiches and spicy thai fish cakes. Hula’s Modern Tiki opens…

Cafe: Murphy’s Law

Murphy’s Law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. We can’t help but wonder if that concept was floating anywhere inside the brain of a bear who now makes his permanent residence (despite being thouroughly deceased) at the Murphy’s Law Irish Pub in Chandler. Was he perhaps…

Recipe: Firecracker Shrimp from Local Breeze

Sid Campbell’s dining philosophy comes from his love of entertaining. The food should be an accent to the ambiance, adding flavor to the fun.His Firecracker Shrimp is the perfect dish for a relaxed evening with friends. The creamy, spicy sauce served over pan-seared shrimp is sure to impress and satisfy…

Chef Chat: Sid Campbell, Local Breeze

Sid Campbell runs a restaurant a lot like people plan for a party. He takes special care to make Local Breeze an enjoyable atmosphere, because he says his restaurant is as much about the ambiance as it is about the tasty food.”It’s more about the feeling I’m trying to create,”…

Battle of the Jamaican Patties

Irie Jamaican Restaurant vs. The Breadfruit Authentic Jamaican GrillWe’re no expert when it comes to Jamaican patties, but we love, love, love them anyway. We’re talking about the crispy little meat pies filled with goodies like spicy ground beef, fish or vegetables. Jamaican patties are found in Jamaica, of course,…

Your Meal Ticket to Twin Lobsters on the Cheap

​In this Week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, we’ve got a hot tip on a cool date place where you can score twin lobster tails for under $20 — and enjoy free live music in a romantic setting. Love cheese? How about chocolate? Find out how you can satisfy both cravings at…

Fred’s, Modern Steak, and Marcella’s Opening Soon

It’s fun to shop ’til you drop, but even better to shop up an appetite. Shopaholics are buzzing about the new Barneys New York opening at Fashion Square on October 15, but there’s plenty for restaurant-goers to look forward to as well. Three new eateries are set to open along…

Cold Comfort From Crave Artisan Ice Cream

Yesterday I stopped by Lisa G for lunch and got a taste of some delicious ice cream made just a few doors down on 7th Street. Salted caramel with almonds, fresh mint with chocolate, and chocolate with cocoa nibs . . . all delish. Crave Artisan Ice Cream is now…

Three-Course Prix Fixe at Zinc Bistro

September might mean the beginning of fall anywhere else, but hey — it’s still hot here, so Zinc Bistro is still dishing up its special summer prix fixe dinner menu. We’re not complaining. Three courses for $28 sounds like a steal, and the menu, offered Sunday through Tuesday, changes weekly…

This Week In Chow Bella

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: Dine4AZ Campaign Starts Today 7 Reasons to Attend Phoenix…

Padre’s Auctions Chairs to Benefit Orphanage in Mexico

Tomorrow at 5:30 p.m., Padre’s Modern Mexican Cuisine will auction off a collection of artistic chairs created by Valley artists. Padre’s hopes to raise $10,000 for the Children of Tapachula Mission Mexico Orphanage. New Times took a look at the chairs, currently on display at the restaurant, and shot the following…

New in Scottsdale: Crudo Cafe

There’s a new breakfast and lunch option in Old Town Scottsdale. And soon, it will be a dinner destination, too. After this summer’s unfortunate demise of Fine’s Cellar, chef Cullen Campbell teamed up with his good friend, chef Brandon Crouser, formerly of Atlas Bistro, to open Crudo Cafe, located in the Stephen…

Recipe: Chitarra Alla Amatriciana from PastaBar

Moises says Chitarra Alla Amatriciana (pronounced: key-tar-ra alla ama-treet-chee-ama) is from the town of Amatrice, north of Rome. Unlike most Italian dishes that use pancetta, Chitarra Alla Amatriciana is marked with its use of guanciale. While similar to pancetta in structure, guanciale is specifically made from the jowls of the…

Cafe: Chakra 4 Herb and Tea House

Health food means it has less butter, right? Look. we’d like to be in shape as much as the next guy, but is it possible to do it without eating rabbit food? This week’s cafe column indicates the answer may be “yes.” Food Critic Michele Laudig on Chakra 4 Herb &…

Dine4AZ Campaign Starts Today

Regular readers of Chow Bella already know we’re big on putting your money where your mouth is. Now Governor Jan Brewer is helping to push the same message as part of a statewide campaign to “kick-start the economy” through dining out at local restaurants.   Dine4AZ, launched today by Shamrock…

7 Reasons to Attend Phoenix Twestival on Friday

The talk of the town — in the Twitterverse, that is — is this Friday night’s Phoenix Twestival 2009, a massive tweet-up (um, meet-up, in Twitter-speak) for charity. From 6 to 9 p.m. on September 11, guests will get to meet, greet, tweet, and eat at Aloft Tempe in the name…

Chef Chat: Wade Moises, PastaBar

Many restaurants that use local produce love to brag about the fact, plastering the words all over their menus, windows, and Web sites. But you won’t see Wade Moises use hip buzzwords like organic and locally-grown on his menu.What he does say is that creating dishes from local foods should…

Battle of the Sweet Potato Fries

Stax Burger Bistro vs. Indulge Burgers & MoreGood sweet potato fries are not easy to find. Making them well is like successfully solving a complex equation whose variables include salt, oven temperature, fry grease and potato thickness. This week we check out two Scottsdale burger joints where sweet potato fries…