Ever wonder how big name coffee companies convinced the general public to shell out five bucks for a cuppa joe? Author and Temple University Director of American Studies Bryant Simon thinks he has the answer. Simon will sign his latest book Everything but the Coffee: Learning about America from Starbucks…
To get you in the holiday spirit, we created a holiday song based around local foods we’d love to get for Christmas — sung to the tune of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Could be some good gift ideas for food lovers, or places to treat your sweetie to a post-holiday dinner. So far, we’ve brought you…
We grew up in New York, where ethnic bakeries were practically on every corner. When Mom showed up with a white bakery box in hand, wrapped neatly with a red-and-white striped string bow, we knew we were in for a treat. Creamy cannoli with chocolate chips. Raspberry jelly-laced rainbow layer cookies…
Phoenix artist Mayme Kratz literally finds her inspiration in nature. Kratz encases found objects such as butterfly wings and cactus seeds in resin, effectively protecting them from decay. “I don’t think about preserving the objects for posterity, but I do feel inclined to give them a new life,” says Kratz,…
The life of a book is predestined to end badly. It will get printed, en masse, shipped to a bookstore, and bought; after which it’ll be read, passed on to a friend, and eventually dumped at Goodwill — or, in the case of Perez Hilton’s upcoming True Bloggywood Stories: The…
In honor of the season, we figured this week’s Battle of the Dishes should spotlight a treat we find on our own holiday dinner table every year. Pecan pie is a guilty pleasure — thick, rich and chock full of enough calories to bust any “this year I’ll stick to my…
It’s no secret that we adore Sweet Republic’s artisan ice cream. Their delicious desserts were picked up by Whole Foods. The shop made it onto Bon Appetit’s list of the 10 Best Ice Creams in the nation. And now owners Helen Yung and Jan Wichayanuparp are headed to the big leagues. Sweet Republic will be featured on an upcoming…
Sometimes a particular restaurant location just seems cursed. Such is the case with 98 South Wine Bar & Kitchen, the Chandler bistro which was originally opened by restauranteur Ron Wojcicki of KiZake and 56 East. The restaurant folded in October of 2008 after Wojcicki filed for bankruptcy, and reopened under new ownership this spring. Less…
Not satisfied with competing in the art of making stuffing, the Chow Bella staff is at it again. This showdown is all about Jell-O. So far we’ve brought you Sparkling Grapefruit Pie. Today we’re bringing you a recipe that’s the culmination of our years of suffering through bad Jell-O molds…
This past Friday evening, hundreds of Food Network fans crammed into the Mesa Arts Center for an evening of fast paced, rockin’ fun at the Guy Fieri Road Show. This was the show’s second to last performance on the 24-city tour (the last being Vegas, baby), so Guy pulled out all of…
Most locals know Chef Beau MacMillan as the guy who bested Iron Chef Bobby Flay. MacMillan’s headed back to Food Network in January for a new show called The Worst Cooks in America, where he and Chef Anne Burrell attempt to whip some of the most pitiful home cooks into shape via a cooking…
To get you in the holiday spirit, we created a holiday tune based around local foods we’d love to get for Christmas — sung to the tune of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Could be some good gift ideas for food lovers, or places to treat your sweetie to a pre-holiday dinner. Last week, we…
Meetup is like the adult version of afterschool activities: You find a group you like, sign up to join and then spend your afterhours getting together and doing something related to whatever activity/interest you have in common. It’s an easy way to meet new friends, especially when you move to a…
Many husbands and wives dream of working together – that is, until they realize they’ll be with their spouse every second of every day with no escape (except maybe the bathroom). That didn’t scare local artist Roy Wasson Valle, who recently partnered with wife Koryn Woodward Wasson on a new…
‘Tis the season for eggnog, caroling, and spending time with family. Of course, if you’re one of the zillion Americans working twelve-hour days or struggling to find a job in this crap economy, it’s more of a time to booze and suck up to people who can boost your career…
Looking for a quiet dinner spot that’s a little off the beaten path? In this week’s Meal Ticket, we’ve got the scoop on a newly revamped restaurant in Carefree that’s dishing up Mexican specialties like Cochinita Pibil and Mole Poblano. We’ll also have info on a new bar & grill in Chandler that’s…
In New York City and Chicago, there are hot dog carts on every corner. Philly is home to the Pastrami Dog. Nathan’s boasts the famed footlong frank. Hot dogs are everywhere on the East Coast, in all styles and sizes. It’s a little more difficult to track down a footlong here in the…
When we picked up a flier for the “Midnight in a Winter Horrorland” fashion show at First Friday, we figured we’d go and possibly get a little last-minute holiday shopping in for those hard to buy for friends. We ended up treated to a short but sweet bit of eye candy that…
Foodies, rejoice! There’s another book about food that has nothing to do with dieting or food deprivation (no offense, Skinny Bitch). Clinical psychologist and author Leslie Landis would rather have you laughing at calories than counting them. Landis will sign her book The Art of Overeating at 7 p.m. this Friday, December 18 at…
This past Saturday and Sunday, tequila lovers from across the Valley descended on US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix for a day of drinking, dining and debauchery. Actually, there wasn’t much debauchery going on. Just a LOT of giggling and slurred words. Guests were relatively calm as they strolled around the Phoenix…
At the start of the 2009 football season, Kabuki Japanese Restaurant in Glendale and Tempe introduced a Game Day promo where sushi slash football fans could take advantage of “buy one, get one for a dollar” sushi and drink specials while watching a Cardinals game on Kabuki’s flatscreens. Problem was, most of…
The holidays are in full swing. While kids are dreaming of Lego sets and Bratz dolls and parents are hoping for the latest techie gadgets, foodies are dreaming of sugarplums. Or truffles. Or sushi. Or pork belly… To get you in the holiday spirit, we created a Christmas song based…
