Dreamy Udon: Dinner and a Movie

​Staying in? We’ve got you covered — both on the culinary and entertainment fronts. Now presenting Dinner and a Movie — a guide to a do it yourself evening of food and film. Popcorn Alternative: Miso Butter Popcorn with Black Sesame and Wasabi Peas Entrée: Udon in White Miso Soup with Egg and…

March Restaurant Round-Up

Later  March, it was nice to see you again. Thank you for leaving us with so many new restaurants and not taking very many away. We appreciate it! Restaurants That Opened in March 2011Smok’n Joe’s Roadhouse, ScottsdaleMajerle’s Sports Grill, Scottsdale Province @ The Westin Phoenix Downtown Hotel, PhoenixThirteen North Grille,…

April Food Festival Frenzy in Phoenix

Good lord, there are a lot of festivals going on. Last week we had competing barbecue festivals and this week we have everything else. Our poor little foodie heads are about to explode! To be sure you don’t miss anything, here is a quick run down of the April food…

Ribs and a Gin & Tonic at Hillstone

Introducing Food & Ink — a new feature on Chow Bella, cataloguing Cyndi Coon’s weekly consumption. Stay tuned for more. Follow Chow Bella on Facebook and Twitter.  …

Cafe: The Arrogant Butcher

CityScape is a double-edged sword. Sure, we’re stoked there’s a bit more to do and see and eat downtown, but a lot of these joints aren’t exactly destinations worth a drive from Tempe or Scottsdale. Enter Sam Fox’s latest eatery The Arrogant Butcher. Is the latest Fox concept restaurant worth…

New Restaurant Cycle: Trendy Pop-Up or Something Else?

Hey Phoenix, welcome to the pop-up restaurant party. Fashionable late as always, Phoenix is about to get its first taste of the foodie trend that has already hit major cities like San Fransisco, New York and Bozeman, Montana. The new restaurant project Cycle, which opens its doors this Friday in…

Anthony Redendo’s Tropical Ceviche

We finished up our conversation with Anthony Redendo of Sofrita and Redendo’s Pizzeria yesterday. Today he shares a recipe for a tropical ceviche representative of some of the Latin American tapas over at Sofrita. This is light enough to where you could pair it with a margarita and still go…

Kitchen 56: Stroll and Roll into Happy Hour

Kitchen 56, formerly Vatra Grill, opened back in February but decided to work out all the kinks before rolling out an official preview. Last night they featured a variety of appetizers, highlighting their new menu of upscale comfort food in the Arcadia corridor. The Asian flair on some dishes was pleasantly surprising,…

Now Open: El Hefe Super Macho Taqueria

There’s a new boss in town, located on Saddlebag Trail in Scottsdale near Axis/Radius and Suede. El Hefe, a play on the Spanish word for boss, opened its massive garage doors to the public on March 23, though the official grand opening wasn’t until yesterday. The “super macho taqueria,” run…

Sam Fox Shoots but Doesn’t Score with The Arrogant Butcher

One good thing I can say right off the bat about The Arrogant Butcher, the latest “concept” eatery from restaurant guru Sam Fox, located in CitySpace, kitty-corner to US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix: It’s convenient. And though it’s always great to see another downtown restaurant open its doors to…

Beau MacMillan Cooking at Monti’s La Casa Vieja?

When New Times received a press release from Mont’s indicating celebrity chef Beau MacMillan would be participating in Monti’s La Casa Vieja’s “Culinary Masters” guest chef series we couldn’t help wondering, What the hell? This is Beau MacMillan we’re talking about. The same Beau MacMillan who has reigned supreme among a…

Food Truck Info Session: Don’t Quit Your Day Job Yet

Judging by the crowd of more 75 people attending last night’s food truck information session at Modified Arts, you can bet Phoenix will see new mobile food vendors up and running soon. The session was sponsored as a part of Roosevelt Row’s Small Business Incubator series along with Local First AZ…

Chicago Shoot Out: Luke’s vs. Lobby’s

Editor’s Note: We stand corrected — by Vienna Beef, which reports that its hot dogs are kosher-style, not kosher. And “premium beef,” rather than “all beef.” Chow Bella regrets the error.​ In order for a hot dog to be called a Chicago Style Hot Dog, the purveyor must adhere to…

Trefoil Cookie Showdown: And the Winner Is . . .

As one of her final acts as New Times’ food critic, Michele Laudig weighed in with her choice in our Trefoil Cookie Showdown. We tried to one-up ourselves at Chow Bella when Girl Scout Cookie season kicked in this year. A year ago, we experimented with Thin Mints and came up…

Anthony Redendo of Sofrita and Redendo’s Pizzeria, Part Two

Yesterday we started talking to Anthony Redendo of Sofrita and Redendo’s Pizzeria about some of what has brought him success in the restaurant industry. Today the chef/owner/teacher gives us some common sense advice that works in any environment. Redendo, who is an avid Facebook user, understands the value of sites…

Happy Birthday, Amy Sedaris!

  If she’s not the godmother of the cupcake, she’s definitely the cupcake’s bat-shit crazy aunt — and we love her. Happy Birthday, Amy Sedaris…

Wood-Fired on Wheels: Il Bosco Pizza Oven

There’s a new truck — a wagon, actually — rolling around town, ready to deliver fresh wood fired pie. What began as a hobby after Bill Forrest built a wood-fired oven in his backyard has turned into Il Bosco pizza catering, with plans for a North Scottsdale brick and mortar location…

Anthony Redendo of Sofrita and Redendo’s Pizzeria

Courtesy of Anthony Redendo ​For Anthony Redendo of Sofrita and Redendo’s Pizzeria, having a successful restaurant of one’s own is not enough. Redendo is a teacher and mentor to his culinary students at Phoenix College as well as his followers on Facebook. Is this guy really a chef? There isn’t an arrogant…

Anthropologie’s New Tabletop Design Tool

Beware: The new tabletop design tool in the At Home section of Anthropologie’s site is way too much fun. If you love a lovingly crafted tabletop, but can’t afford to take home everything from our favorite chain store, you can get swept away in designing your own dream brunch-on-the-porch table settings…

Trefoil Cookie Showdown: Pear Frangipane Tart

Got some Girl Scout cookies sitting around? So did we. Hence, the Trefoil Cookie Showdown. Being one of the newest Chow Bella members, I was a bit nervous about entering this challenge. I had seen last year’s Thin Mint competition and wondered if I could make something worthy of all…