Pete DeRuvo — the peripatetic chef who made a name for himself at Sassi, then moved to Prado and later left Cuoco Pazzo in a huff — has landed a new executive chef position he’s pretty psyched about. He has signed on with the Chicago-based Francesca’s Restaurants Group, which will…
My husband loves Cheez-Its. I can’t stand it. They’re overly processed and you can’t buy them at Trader Joe’s. So when I recently came across this on Pinterest, I immediately knew what my next blog post would be about. Making these at home eliminated about 15 unnecessary ingredients, including MSG…
For most restaurateurs, it’s simply about gluttony. But James and Wendy Porter of Petite Maison in Scottsdale are gluttons for punishment. There’s no other explanation for why they would invite Chow Bella contributors to work both the front of the house and the kitchen on a weekend, and during Arizona…
If you’ve felt an icy wind coming from Tempe’s Mill Avenue lately, it’s not from the glare of that coed you just totally checked out (c’mon, man, look at her face) — it’s ice cream. More specifically, ice cream shops. And lots of ’em — everywhere. Look to the left:…
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…
Bill and Lillian Buitenhuys aren’t bitter people. They’re bitters people, ardent food lovers whose interests have broadened from food-and-wine pairings to food-and-cocktail pairings to the distinctive components, such as bitters, that go into both classic and craft cocktails. Although the Buitenhuys hold down 9-to-5 managerial jobs, they spend most of…
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…
The implied meaning of a signature menu item is that it doesn’t change. And for restaurants who offer them, the message to customers is simple: If you come here, you can have this special item. But what if the customer wants a signature dish with alterations? I asked Valley chefs…
Kevin Binkley Binkley’s Restaurant 6920 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek 480-437-1072 www.binkleysrestaurant.com Cafe Bink 36889 N. Tom Darlington Drive, Carefree 480-488-9796 www.cafebink.com This is part two of my interview with Kevin Binkley, chef-owner of Binkley’s Restaurant and Café Bink. Read part one of the interview with chef Kevin Binkley…
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…
In the wake of the recent shuttering of the Downtown Phoenix Public Market Urban Grocery & Wine Bar comes Bodega 420, a new market and convenience store in the Roosevelt Arts District. The two aren’t the same concept — Bodega 420 balances local items with non-local ones to keep prices…
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…
From time to time, Zach Fowle will provide a visual guide to every day and extraordinary situations … and (because he has bad handwriting) Claire Lawton will illustrate them. Welcome to Charted Territory: The world of a food snob is an often-confusing world of trends, vocabulary and kitchen appliances. Here…
Kevin Binkley Binkley’s Restaurant 6920 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek 480-437-1072 www.binkleysrestaurant.com Cafe Bink 36889 N. Tom Darlington Drive, Carefree 480-488-9796 www.cafebink.com This is part one of my interview with Kevin Binkley, chef-owner of Binkley’s Restaurant and Café Bink. You can read part two of the interview with Kevin…
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…
Love it or hate it — AZ Restaurant Week (Spring Edition) is officially over Sunday night. According to Bernie Kantak, chef and co-owner of Citizen Public House, this calls for a celebration. But then, with Kantak, what doesn’t? He and his partners Richie Moe and Andrew Fritz are hosting a…
Note: This post has been edited since its original version. A new reality TV show called Mystery Diners airs on Food Network tonight at 10 pm, and the “stars” — for the next five or six weeks anyway — are Phoenix area restaurant owners and their employees…
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…
A 30-foot ficus tree, a patio lined by French Quarter gas lamps and an eight-foot ivy wall, and, as their Facebook page states, a “man cave” and “one hell of a martini,” will be a few of the focal points at Kelly’s at Southbridge, the new American pub and grill…
In what appears to be a start in filling the restaurant void at the Camelback Esplanade, the mixed-use development on the southeast corner of Camelback Road and 24th Street, Del Frisco’s Grille will be opening in the former Houston’s location on Saturday, June 9. From the Dallas-based Del Frisco’s Restaurant…
Chow Bella has confirmed that the chef at one of the most popular restaurants in town is suddenly gone for good — and during Restaurant Week. Awkward. Late Wednesday afternoon, the rumor leaked that chef Matt Taylor was no longer at Noca. I called Taylor on his cell and left…
It’s that time of year: time to enjoy the Valley’s great restaurant patios before the summer heat gets totally unbearable. One of the best places in town to sneak away for a quick retreat is The House at Secret Garden, featuring a lush garden seating area surrounded with trees. There’s…
