May Restaurant Openings and Closings

A couple swanky spots opened up in the month of May, particularly in Scottsdale. At the same time the Valley had to bid a restaurant with more than 20 years of history adieu. That’s like 100 years in Phoenix restaurant years…

Laura Hahnefeld and Chow Bella Up for National Journalism Awards

Last month, we were excited to report that Chow Bella won best opinion blog from the Arizona Press Club. Now results are starting to come in from some national writing contests — and there’s cause for more celebration. Food critic Laura Hahnefeld is a finalist in the Association of Food…

Chow Bella’s Top Phoenix Food Stories of the Week

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…

“Hot Chocolate” Cake at The Arrogant Butcher

Sam Fox: Love him or hate him, chances are you have some opinion about this Valley-based restaurateur. Not everyone likes the idea of one guy cranking out 12 (yes, 12!) restaurant concepts in 14 years. But even if not all of them are winners, at the very least Fox is…

Damn, Cake, You Scary

Try and bite into one of Oakland artist Scott Hove’s cakes and chances are they’ll bite back. From a concept he started in 2005 called “Cakeland,” Hove created a body of work joining the beautiful and the brutal, and helps describe his sculptures by saying, “All beautiful things are equipped…

Glacier Lettuce, Explained

Kale? Please, that is so last week. And don’t even get us started on arugula. There’s a new vegetable on the block: glacier lettuce. And believe it or not, it grows well right here in the desert…

83: Tony Morales

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…

Three Things to Eat, Drink, and Bake this Weekend

It’s the first weekend of June, which means downtown Phoenix is going to be hoppin’ with First Friday art action, a whole lot of sunshine, and maybe a pool party or two (check out Jackalope Ranch for all your summer pool party info). And just because we’ll be out and…

Glenfiddich’s Cask of Dreams

We all have dreams, though some might be more easily attainable than others. Is your dream to travel to a foreign country? Easy. Is your dream to be CEO of a company? Tough, but not impossible. Is your dream is to taste a Scotch aged in casks inscribed with the…

AndyTalk: Sushi for Dessert

Whether it’s a feint by a quarterback, an improvised musical riff, or a magic trick, everyone appreciates a good fake-out — especially when the end result is a success. The first time I served sushi for dessert I had a goal. Actually, I had two goals: First, make a great…

84: Gwen Ashley Walters

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…

JuiceCore Cashes in with Cold-Crafted Juices

Sneer if you will about the purported health benefits of green drinks and freshly juiced fruit “cocktails” — said to detox the body, flood it with nutrients, and stimulate weight loss. Whether these perks are real or pulp fiction, fresh juice drinks are more than a craze, they’re part of…

Los Jarritos: Mexican Food and a Twist of Twilight Zone

If you order the chile relleno at Los Jarritos and an omelet arrives, do not send it back. And, by all means, avoid any temptation to pick up a fork. Simply lift and place the soft yellow mass, topped with splotches of melted cheddar cheese and bright red salsa, onto…