Thursday: Dining Out For Life

Undecided about where to go to dinner tomorrow? Let Dining Out For Life help you figure out a place to dine for a good cause. The annual event, which happens all across the country on Thursday, April 30, benefits the fight against HIV and AIDS. In Arizona, Southwest Center for…

Dogfish Head Founder In Town This Week

There are plenty of nameless, unsung brewmasters out there, and Sam Calagione is definitely not one of them. The founder and president of Delaware’s cult hit Dogfish Head brewery is one of the best-known leaders of the extreme beer trend, and was profiled in entertaining detail in last fall’s food…

Geisha A Go Go Goes For the Sushi Crowd

Sushi is what sells in Scottsdale. That’s what the folks at Geisha A Go Go have figured out. Even though their sister restaurant, Stingray Sushi, is right across the street, that hasn’t stopped the Geisha folks from adding a brand-new eight-seat sushi bar and a new sushi menu, filled with…

Meal Ticket Helps You Get Your Drink On

Not sure where to go for Cinco de Drinko? In this week’s Meal Ticket newsletter, find out which local places are sporting the best margarita and Mexican food specials on May 5. We’ll also highlight Corbin’s Bar & Grill in Glendale, where you can load up on eggs and crepes…

Free Pasta, Cheap Ice Cream Tomorrow

Payday can’t come soon enough, right? Well, we’re looking out for you. Wednesday, April 29, happens to have two different free and nearly-free events where you can get your grub on. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., carry-out customers at any Phoenix-area Domino’s pizza will get a free order of…

Never Too Much Bacon

Seems like the whole world is pigging out. Bacon is a must-have on burgers. Sonoran hot dogs are such a hit that even The Mission is serving them. And snout-to-tail pig dinners are all the rage at places like Noca and Digestif. Now there’s even a new breakfast restaurant called Bacon,…

I Heart Ruth Reichl

This new video of the famous former food critic and current Gourmet editor just gave me a good laugh — like a mid-afternoon shot of espresso. On a related note, her new book, Not Becoming My Mother, just came out last week, and I’m anxious to devour it…

Calistro California Bistro Coming to Scottsdale

Just got a hold of the menu for a new Mediterranean-inspired restaurant that’s in the works. It’s called Calistro California Bistro, and it’s scheduled to open the first week of August at DC Ranch Crossing, 18221 N. Pima in Scottsdale. Seasonal, organic ingredients from local and regional farms will be a focal…

Gallo Blanco Opens For Business

In case you didn’t catch the latest comment on my original post about Gallo Blanco Cafe at the Clarendon, here’s the word from chef Doug Robson that his new Mexican joint is finally open: Thanks For the Support!We are cooking now so I Hope you can join us. We are…

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: Caffiend: MacAlpine’s Coffee Shake Food and Fights: Highlights of…

Fresh Maya’s Farm Salad Turnips Have a Surprise Inside

Turnips are usually prepared in potato-like ways — boiled and mashed, creamed, roasted whole, gratinée — but these small, red-on-the-outside “salad turnips,” currently wrapping up their local season, are tender enough to enjoy uncooked, with a mild bite similar to a cabbage heart. Peeled and sliced, the white interior features…

Matt Pool Planning New Coffee Shop in CenPho

Matt and Erenia Pool plan to open a still-unnamed central Phoenix coffee shop, presumably to tide their fans over between a salami scramble at Matt’s Big Breakfast and a grilled cheese with tomato soup (and an Arrogant Bastard Ale) at The Roosevelt. Matt Pool says he’s putting the new hangout…

Cafe: Sapna Cafe

If we could remain financially stable and travel around the world, we’d do it in a heart beat and never look back. Sure, we like taking photos and visiting exotic locales, but the real appeal is in the food discoveries we could make. Fusion cuisine doesn’t get any better than…

Giuseppe’s Set to Appear on Food Network

Just got the word from Giuseppe’s owner Richard Bock that his tiny Italian eatery on Indian School will be featured in the June 1 episode of the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives. The show’s host, Guy Fieri, was in town last October to film the segment. On a related…

Former Regions Chef Don Nason Resurfaces

Recently, I heard from chef Don Nason, who was the founding executive chef at Regions Bistro & Bar — and left shortly after the restaurant opened. There were rumors about the circumstances for Nason’s departure, so he wanted to tell me his side of things. In an email, Nason told…

A Burger Fit For a Sasquatch at The Lodge

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Man Vs. Food’s Adam Richman bite on this one: The Sasquatch Burger at The Lodge in Scottsdale. It’s a new mega-splurge brought to us by chef Aaron May, who’s added homey American pub grub to a repertoire that already includes Spanish tapas (Sol y Sombra), Italian (Autostrada), and…

Changes at Pearl Sushi in Scottsdale

Pearl Sushi, which opened in Old Town Scottsdale in early 2008, is all about the new these days — new management, new chef, and new menu items. Owner Tammy Carlin — former co-owner of Blue Wasabi Sushi & Martini Bar — came on board about six months ago to oversee the…

What’s New in This Week’s Meal Ticket

The new Regions Bistro & Bar location on Mill Ave. in Tempe is celebrating their grand opening this weekend with all-day Happy Hour and 2-for-1 entree specials Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26. In this week’s Meal Ticket dining newsletter, Regions’ Executive Chef Todd Paige gives us the scoop…

This Sunday: Taste 2009

Generosity always goes well with some good food and wine to celebrate. This is the secret to success for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix, which is hosting its 35th annual Taste event this Sunday evening at Kierland Commons. It’s the organization’s main fundraiser of the year.   The semi-formal…

Bye Bye, Pho Bang . . .

. . . and don’t let the door hit you on your way out. There was some recent buzz that the longstanding Vietnamese restaurant on Camelback Road was closing, and I just got word that they finally shut their doors (the phone number is disconnected). But I can’t say I’ll…

Coming Soon: Aiello’s Back Door Pizzeria

The folks behind Aiello’s are getting a head start on their next restaurant. In about three weeks, says Myrah Aiello, they’ll start serving fresh, hot New York-style pizzas baked in a clay-bottom oven — available only to go. (She and her chef husband Joe owned an Italian eatery in Manhattan before eventually…