Our Picks for Picnic Parks and Takeout Options

As temperatures begin to fall, what better way to enjoy the cool weather than with an evening picnic? Free from pesky birds and harsh sunlight, nighttime picnics have a lot to offer. Bring music and games for entertainment or plan accordingly and enjoy a movie or live music at the…

Todd and Tami Hudalla of What’s Your Grind

The business: What’s Your Grind Gourmet Coffee Roasters What they’re packin’: Fresh roasted coffee beans and brewed coffee Where you can find them: Pick up a pound or two on Saturdays at Roadrunner Park Farmer’s Market from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. or on Sundays at the Ahwatukee Farmer’s Market from 9…

Cafe: Phoenix Public Market

What did we eat for lunch today? Quiche from the Public Market. What can we say? It sure beats a fast food hamburger and after reading this week’s cafe column, we just couldn’t stay away from the market. Food Critic Michele Laudig on the Phoenix Public Market: For anyone living…

Christopher Gross’ Parnassienne au Chocolate Chocolate Tower

What’s better than chocolate? Three kinds of chocolate, of course. Chef Christopher Gross of Christopher’s Restaurant and Crush Lounge created the often-imitated Parnassienne au Chocolate Chocolate Tower: Nearly half a foot of a dark chocolate lattice over a white chocolate tube that envelops a chocolate mousse center.

Pumpkin Showdown: Pumpkin Mousse

​We are obsessed with pumpkin so much over here at Chow Bella that we thought it was time to take all the smack talk to task with a pumpkin showdown. All the blog contributors gathered ’round the table with their best pumpkin recipes to see whose dish gets the Great…

Blintz Attack: Stan’s Metro Deli vs. Scott’s Generations

With so many Phoenicians hailing from elsewhere, a few local restaurants have tapped into the transplant market — offering everything from Chicago deep-dish pizzas and Kansas City BBQ to Southern collard greens & biscuits or farm fresh California style salads. Among the choices for homesick New Yorkers, cheese blintzes have been one of the hardest menu…

Pumpkin Showdown: Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies

We are obsessed with pumpkin so much over here at Chow Bella that we thought it was time to take all the smack talk to task with a pumpkin showdown. All the blog contributors gathered ’round the table with their best pumpkin recipes to see whose dish gets the Great Pumpkin…

Amaro Pizzeria In Photos

Cave Creek’s got a new pizzeria. That’s about all we needed to know to put the pedal to the metal and drive out to Amaro Pizzeria and Vino Lounge. What was waiting for us? How about wood-fired pizzas, more pasta than a marathon runner can carbo-load, and a lovely dining…

Christopher Gross of Christopher’s Restaurant & Crush Lounge

Chef Christopher Gross of Christopher’s Restaurant and Crush Lounge understandably asks journalist to call him Chef Christopher rather than Chef Gross: “I guess it’s not the best last name for a chef,” he says. Today he tells us about how he dodged the bullet of school lunch, the ensuing panic after Food & Wine magazine dined in his restaurant under his radar, and the perks and busts about having his own restaurant.

Coming Soon: Candy Addict on Mill Avenue

Photo: Cyndi Coon​ What are we so excited about over here at Chow Bella? Candy! No, not just Halloween treats. There’s going to be a new candy store in town. Candy Addict is coming soon to downtown Tempe — a family-owned candy store near ASU at 414 Mill Avenue. They will carry over…

Pumpkin Showdown: Pumpkin Curry

We are obsessed with pumpkin so much over here at Chow Bella that we thought it was time to take all the smack talk to task with a pumpkin showdown. All the blog contributors gathered ’round the table with their best pumpkin recipes to see whose dish gets the Great…

Dave Driscoll, What Are You Eating?

Dave Driscoll​Dave Driscoll The self-proclaimed designated dancer with Treasure MammaL, who also “looks a lot like Andy Denver (aka, Single Dad),” the drummer in Fathers Day, has a West coast tour kick-off show at The Trunk Space Tuesday, October 26. Treasure MammaL is throwing a CD release party at The…

Conveyor-Belt Sushi Restaurant Rolls into Downtown Phoenix

As the saying goes — good things come to those who wait. Phoenix residents and sushi lovers have been waiting for a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant to open in their neck of the woods since Sushi Eye in Motion, the state’s first conveyor-belt sushi restaurant, opened in Chandler in 2008. But…

Pumpkin Showdown: Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Sugar Frosting

We are obsessed with pumpkin so much over here at Chow Bella that we thought it was time to take all the smack talk to task with a pumpkin showdown. All the blog contributors gathered ’round the table with their best pumpkin recipes to see whose dish gets the Great…

Seasons 52 Promises Fresh Food & Wine at Biltmore Fashion Park starting Oct. 25

Curious passersby peered in the floor to ceiling windows of Seasons 52 at Biltmore Fashion Park this past Saturday for a better look at the five-course lunch, complete with wine pairings, previewing the location’s opening a week from today, Oct. 25. The plan is to serve up tasty seasonal fare that won’t spoil your diet: No dish has more than 475 calories – desserts included.

This Week In Chow Bella:

Another week has come and gone leaving us to ponder the upcoming events that will shape our lives and, more importantly, our dinners out. But before we move on, let’s have one last look at the blog posts from this week: Estate House to Be Replaced By The Herb Box…

Scenes From Jimmy Woo’s Grand Opening Party

Earlier this week we blogged about Jimmy Woo’s opening in Old Town Scottsdale, bringing a menu of familiar Chinese favorites to the area. Last night, Jimmy Woo’s opened its doors to a packed house. Hardly an empty seat was spotted during their first night on the scene, but the bar…