Restaurants

Cilantro and its distinct flavor are to food (and food blogs) what abortion, immigration, and gun control are to a presidential election.

“Hello and welcome to India Grill. Light or dark?” “…?…” “Light or dark?” There’s a first time for everything. And if you happen to have the good fortune of coming upon Tempe’s India Grill, this curious question (not “table or booth”) will be asked of you at dusk, alluding to…

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…

For Mother’s Day, we wanted to give the doting partners a foolproof plan for what to prepare (with the help of the kids, of course) on Mother’s Day morning while you’re letting her sleep in. Just remember, it’s the thought that counts and if you remember only one thing: You…

Ah, the roads of life. Sometimes exciting, sometimes treacherous, and sometimes just plain boring — unless you happen upon a decent little Indian restaurant on your way along the exciting or treacherous ones. That’s usually a nice surprise. And so it is with India Grill. On West Elliot Road, the…

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…

Thanks to Philadelphia restaurateurs Pat and Harry Olivieri, hungry meat lovers have been enjoying what is now known as the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich since the 1930s. The original sandwich was lacking the crucial “cheese” component, but that was remedied later with the addition of mild provolone (Cheez Whiz didn’t make…

Since chef Robert McGrath called it quits last October, things have been rather quiet at Renegade Canteen, the upscale restaurant in North Scottsdale — until now. Owners John Rosso and Steven Goodhue have selected Donald Fawcett as the establishment’s new executive chef. Originally from the Midwest, Fawcett’s last two gigs,…

The Chef: Christopher Gross The Restaurant: Christopher’s Restaurant The Animal: Pig The Dish: Pied de cochon Chef Christopher Gross can make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear — or a pig trotter for that matter. And he does it often, featuring pied de cochon (the pretty French word…

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. Miss a question? Go here. Maybe they gave us some great recipes, showed us how…

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…

Sunday, June 17, may be the last day of the season for the Valley landmark known as the Wrigley Mansion (better hurry and schedule that Sunday brunch), but before it re-opens on Wednesday, September 12, a new executive chef will have completely changed its menu. “We’ve been wanting to change…

On Monday, we began our conversation with Isabella Mannone-Bertuccio of La Fontanella, the classic Italian restaurant in Arcadia, which opened its doors in 1982. This year the restaurant will be celebrating its 29th year in Phoenix. We headed over to get the full story behind the restaurant — a story…

At just 32, Stephen Jones, executive chef of Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails, the “cozy, yet chic metropolitan gastro lounge” set to open this June in CityScape’s Hotel Palomar, is ready to take the Phoenix dining scene to a new level. “There used to be a stigma about young chefs,”…

Sorting out some of the menu descriptions on Chinese menus isn’t always easy — in fact, at times, in can be down right cryptic. “Green bean jelly with vegetables” may be one of those menu items that reads more Dr. Seuss than delicious, but this northeastern Chinese version of a…

Sleepy Cave Creek wakes up fast Wednesday afternoons, when a Valley cooking legend with a hard-to-forget stage name shows up at Janey’s Coffeehouse with 50 loaves of freshly baked bread. Joe Daigneault is only Joe Daigneault to his creditors and his mother. To the rest of the world, he’s Mad…

This just in: Valley chef Kevin Binkley — the guy pretty much everyone agrees owns the best restaurant in Arizona — did not win the 2012 James Beard Best Chef Southwest award this year. Instead, the honors went to Paul Qui, executive chef of Uchiko in Austin, Texas. Last year,…

There are few places in the restaurant world that can say they’ve been around as long as La Fontanella, the family-style Italian eatery that made its home in Arcadia long before renovating old houses was the “cool” thing to do. This year, the restaurant, which opened in 1982, celebrates its…

In this new series, Chow Bella blogger Nikki Buchanan shares what’s hot right now — and we’re not talking about the temperature. Whether it’s the latest trendy ingredient or the right dish for the season, she’ll give you the backstory and where in town you can find it. It’s official…

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…

The award-winning food truck T-Licious Tacos is no more and the partnership between chef/owner Jordan Kean and manager/owner Cathy McGoldrick has been dissolved. Chow Bella spoke with Kean Friday; she says the split was a “long time coming” but that she plans to be back in action by Wednesday with…

Friday afternoon, Dan Klocke, board president of Community Food Connections — the group that runs the Downtown Phoenix Public Urban Grocery and Wine Bar — announced the grocery will close May 12. Calls and messages Friday to executive director Cindy Gentry and others associated with the grocery have not been…