Chow Bella's Top Phoenix Food Stories of the Week

By Eric Tsetsi Sun., Nov. 18 2012 at 9:40 AM

Categories: Chow Bella, Top Lists

Continued from page 1

Photo by Jamie Peachey

Orange Table

8 Best Neighborhood Breakfast Spots: Best of Phoenix 2012

We've spent the last year in the laboratory putting Phoenix under the microscope to reveal hundreds of specimens of the best culture, outdoor adventures, shopping, dining, and nightlife the city has to offer. And we're finally ready to publish our results. Nerd alert! Now presenting Scientific Phoenix.

Best Neighborhood Breakfast, Scottsdale: Orange Table

Chef Elizabeth Meinz dishes up hearty, top-notch morning fare at this cheerful neighborhood spot practically hidden away in the Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza. Popular breakfast items include bananas Foster French toast and red flannel hash with corned beef, roasted beets, and potatoes, but flapjack fans should make sure to order up Meinz's killer jalapeño and pecan pancakes. See the full Best of Phoenix 2012 entry and download the app here.

See the full list of our picks for the best Phoenix breakfast spots.

--New Time Staff

Laura Hahnefeld

Butternut squash ravioli

Central Bistro Starts Off Right Down the Middle

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 have just opened, sampling a few items, and satisfying curiosities (yours and ours).

Restaurant: Central Bistro
Location: 3160 East Camelback Road
Open: Just over a week
Eats: Foods of Italy, France, and Spain
Price: Between $11 and $30 per person
Goodbye, sushi. Hello, Euro fare.

Zen 32, the former sushi spot at the northwest corner of Camelback Road and 32nd Street, truly is no more -- not even a scrap of the place exists. Completely remodeled, the new space, which opened a little over a week ago, is now the home of Central Bistro, an upscale casual restaurant courtesy of restaurateur German Osio and chef Andrea Volpi, who also own Local Bistro in North Scottsdale.

Read the full First Taste at Central Bistro.

--Laura Hahnefeld

Don't forget to check out Chow Bella's continuing list of 100 Tastemakers.

Follow Chow Bella on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.