Restaurants

I know some of you blog-reading peeps keep Chow Bella bookmarked and don’t see the New Times home page, so here’s a link to my feature this week on Damon Brasch, the chef-owner of Green in Tempe…

In an open letter to customers and friends, Radda Caffe-Bar owner Lori Hassler announced that her Scottsdale restaurant is “just another casualty of 2008.” Yep, Radda’s about to close, although thankfully it’s not going to be an immediate departure. “I’m calling it April 26th, and decided to tell people the…

Some of this spring’s best restaurant news came to me serendipitously. Several weeks ago, driving across a familiar stretch of Indian School Road, just west of the 51, I noticed something that hadn’t been there before: a bright purple building, spray-painted with big, sassy, graffiti-esque letters. BBQ. Errrrch! I usually…

Planning to go downtown to check out the farmer’s market on Saturday? Here’s something fun to do afterward, if you’re feeling kind of cheesy (like me, right now, apparently…) Cheuvront Restaurant & Wine Bar is hosting its first annual Wine & Cheese Festival, from noon to 4 p.m. Thirty boutique…

Spring isn’t the only thing that’s sprung at Tapino, the chic Scottsdale tapas joint. A dozen new dishes are making a menu debut, too. Among chef James Porter’s newest creations are a roasted eggplant and ricotta crepe with smoked tomato coulis; white Italian anchovies with tomato gelee, lemon oil and…

“What a draaag it is gettin’ old . . .” I can’t completely disagree with Mick Jagger on that one. Back when I was a wild young thing, I could rock ‘n’ roll ’til the wee hours, drinking with abandon, and still wake up fresh-faced the next day. The word…

According to Steve Wolff, who owns Urban Campfire, his business partner Robert Stempkowski had a conversation with a certain reporter from a certain local publication (okay, it was Howard Seftel from the Republic) about how Stempkowski was considering leaving the Tempe barbecue restaurant. It was reported today as confirmation that…

An new Italian cafe called La Piccola Cucina just opened up late last week, and let me tell you, the place is totally adorable. It’s on the east side of 7th Street, just south of Oak — basically right between Coronado Cafe and MacAlpine’s. Along with That’s a Wrap, Drip…

For awhile there, it started to look like we were going to choke on all the new restaurant openings in Scottsdale. To be sure, a ton of ’em have already opened (as you already know if you even occasionally read Chow Bella!), and plenty more are coming down the pipeline…

Spring seems to be the season of culinary festivals in these parts, but now there’s something to look forward to on the other side of summer: Eats3, a new culinary festival scheduled to debut October 23-25 in downtown Scottsdale. I expect it to be a good one, too, since it’s…

What makes a great pizza? I swear I’m not trying to start World War III by raising the question. Sure, the subject of pizza invites conversation nationwide, but here in the Valley — where there’s much to be said about Chris Bianco’s famous pies, and where legions of Chicago transplants…

Something’s up with the alignment of the planets. Lately my inbox has been flooded with emails about recipe contests, and I figured I’d compile the details for all of you fabulous, creative cooks out there. Get crack-a-lackin’ and win something, already! The idea behind CHOW.com’s “Desperation Dinners” Food Fight Challenge…

So did you make it down to West of Western over the weekend? This year it was held at the Phoenix Art Museum, which turned out to be a great venue for a culinary fest. The wine tables were set up in the Great Hall (I loved the Wend-Tyler 2003…

Check out the list of winners of the Edible Communities Local Heroes award, courtesy of Pamela Hamilton from Edible Phoenix: PHOENIX Farm/Farmer: Maya Dailey, Maya’s Farm Chef/Restaurant: Deborah Knight, Mosaic and Greg LaPrad, Quiessence Food Artisan: Rainbow Valley Nursery Beverage Artisan: Four Peaks Brewery Non-Profit Organization: Downtown Phoenix Public Market…

Are we going to start seeing more pasta instead of prime rib on menus pretty soon? An article in the Wall Street Journal this week details how restaurants are weathering the shaky economy, and it’s interesting to read about what kinds of menu changes were prompted by the increasing costs…

Counting down the five days to St. Patty’s with a guide to Irish pubs in Phoenix.

I’d be perfectly content if you plunked me down on a wicker chair at a tiny round table, put some Édith Piaf on the stereo, and called me Amélie. The quintessential French cafe has timeless appeal. But recently, at Scratch Pastries — a two-month-old patisserie/cafe in a Scottsdale strip mall…

InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa isn’t set to open until August, but there’s already a reason to look forward to it — they’ve hired Francesco Roccato as executive chef. The Torino, Italy, native is a Slow Food member who’s done stints in kitchens around the world, from Spain to Bermuda…

April 5 marks the end of an era for the Phoenician, when the resort’s legendary fine dining establishment, Mary Elaine’s, has its last dinner service. But now there’s word of the next chapter: J&G Steakhouse is scheduled to open on October 1. When Mary Elaine’s closing was announced, the most…

Sushi bars might be cropping up like mushrooms around the Valley, but somehow downtown Phoenix hasn’t gotten any love. What’s up with that? How could the fifth-largest city in the country not have one single sushi joint in its urban core? Don’t worry your pretty little head — in a…

Looking for a sweet new chef coat? Or maybe another pair of kitchen clogs? Have a knife that needs an expert sharpening job? Hit up the Chef Shop in Scottsdale, which has teamed up with Phoenix Knife House to create a one-stop culinary superstore. It opens tomorrow, March 11. Both…

It landed in my mailbox on Saturday, but I’m not sure if it’s on newsstands yet. Anyway, it includes a great feature on Scottsdale restaurateur Peter Kasperski and his creative approach to wine pairings at Cowboy Ciao, Sea Saw, Kazimierz, Digestif, and the as-yet-unopened Mexican Standoff and Shell Shock. The…