Cartel Coffee Lab

Toddy Takedown: Press Coffee Roasters vs. Cartel Coffee Lab

Toddy-style brewed iced coffee is better than hot drip for a few reasons. First of all, the acidity levels are lower in cold-brewed coffee, making it more drinkable in those indigestion-filled crunch times. It's also higher in caffeine, which means you pretty much only need one cup to keep you going ... More >>

Playboy Manbaby CD Release Party - Cartel Coffee Lab - 4/27/2013

Playboy Manbaby CD release partyCartel Coffee Lab, TempeApril 27, 2013 I get weirded out when large crowds share unbridled enthusiasm. I chalk it up to either "rugged individualism" or "special snowflake syndrome," depending on how positively or negatively I want to look at myself. This makes me a ... More >>

If You Love Cartel's Coffee, Wait Until You Try The Beer

When a new spot opens in town, we can't wait to check it out and let you know our initial impressions. 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). In our ... More >>

La Piazza Al Forno to Open Second Location Under New Name in Downtown Phoenix

La Piazza Al Forno, the Glendale pizza spot famous for its real-deal Neapolitan pizza, hit the big time after its appearance on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. In fact, the place has become so successful that chef-owner Justin Piazza plans to open a new location in downtown Phoenix no later than June o ... More >>

Shocking: Drinking Too Many Energy Drinks Linked to Increase in ER Visits

Caffeine has been in the news the last couples of days with reports that the over consumption of it, particularly in the form of energy drinks, has caused an uptick in caffeine related emergency room visits. In fact the FDA has established that at least five people have died after consuming energy d ... More >>

Tempe's Cartel Coffee Lab to Release First Craft Beer & Open Microbrewery -- Plus, "Crazy Hour"

After waiting nearly a year for its federal microbrewery license, Cartel Coffee Lab in Tempe can now brew suds right along with its top-notch coffee. See also: Tempe's Sleepy Dog Saloon and Brewery Opening Gilbert Spinoff (With Eats) in February Appropriately enough, Cartel's new craft beer select ... More >>

Alt Rockers The Technicolors Go Big

Phoenix rock 'n' rollers The Technicolors are into big things: Big guitars. Big drums. Big vocals. Big hair. Big sound. It's only appropriate then that they would record their debut album Listener at Studio At The Farm. The recording house, tucked away on three- acres of farmland in nearby Gilbert ... More >>

Shine Interview: Tania Katan

70: Jason Silberschlag

From now 'til we publish the 2012 edition of Best of Phoenix, New Times and Chow Bella present 100 Tastemakers -- Valley residents who make the cut in our culinary scene. Some you'll know; for others, it'll be a first introduction (but likely not the last). While you're here, check out our 100 Creat ... More >>

Lee del Real's Perfect Food Day

Lee del Real grew up in Arcadia near Camelback Mountain. This probably explains her deep love of hiking and "all sorts of outdoor things" -- canoeing, camping, skiing and "just exploring this beautiful state." She's also a forager and has picked wild raspberries on the Mogollian Rim. She's a r ... More >>

400 Jobs Ready to Be Filled at New Sky Harbor Restaurants

Talk about job creation on the fly. Four-hundred positions are in need of filling as the cache of new restaurants inside Terminal 4 in Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport prepare to open. HMSHost, the international airport restaurateur in charge of the food program, will open more than 15 new eateries thro ... More >>

Ten Favorite Coffee Shops in Phoenix

10. Nami We know it's the new kid on the block, but even though Nami's known for its pastries and signature tsoynamis, we're big fans of the coffee. The ambiance of this bright, modern coffee and dessert shop is also a bonus. The pour over coffee with soy and agave sweetener is a hot cup of happine ... More >>

Cartel Coffee's Scottsdale Location is Now Complete with Beer and Wine and Desserts

​Here's a late Christmas gift: I just found out that the newest Cartel Coffee Lab -- the one in Scottsdale on 5th Ave -- starting serving beer and wine last month.  This is kinda of a big deal because now we can all start off with a delicious cup of Cartel's locally roasted co ... More >>

The Maine: With Pioneer, the Mesa Rockers Step Away From Warner Bros.

Giving Back: A Donation to the Association of Arizona Food Banks

​Here at Chow Bella, we understand how important it is to give (and receive) the perfect foodie gift. So this season, we're helping out by offering 21 food- and drink-focused gift suggestions, one each work day until Christmas, from a local business or provider. You get scads of rock-star idea ... More >>

For the Local Beer Lover: Four Peaks Gift Card

​Here at Chow Bella, we understand how important it is to give (and receive) the perfect foodie gift. So this season, we're helping out by offering 21 food- and drink-focused gift suggestions, one each work day until Christmas, from a local business or provider. You get scads of rock-star idea ... More >>

For the Culinary-Minded Traveler: An Escape to Aravaipa Farms

Here at Chow Bella, we understand how important it is to give (and receive) the perfect foodie gift. So this season, we're helping out by offering 21 food- and drink-focused gift suggestions, one each work day until Christmas, from a local business or provider. You get scads of rock-star ideas, the ... More >>

Locally Made Goodies All in One Place at Phoestivus Market

Here at Chow Bella, we understand how important it is to give (and receive) the perfect foodie gift. So this season, we're helping out by offering 21 food- and drink-focused gift suggestions, one each work day until Christmas, from a local business or provider. You get scads of rock-star ideas, the ... More >>

For the Chocoholic: A Chocolate Affair Class at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort

Here at Chow Bella, we understand how important it is to give (and receive) the perfect foodie gift. So this season, we're helping out by offering 21 food- and drink-focused gift suggestions, one each work day until Christmas, from a local business or provider. You get scads of rock-star ideas, the ... More >>

For the Festival Foodie: 2012 Scottsdale Culinary Festival Pre-Sale Special (Limited Time Offer!)

Here at Chow Bella, we understand how important it is to give (and receive) the perfect foodie gift. So this season, we're helping out by offering 21 food- and drink-focused gift suggestions, one each work day until Christmas, from a local business or provider. You get scads of rock-star ideas, the ... More >>

For the Coffee Connoisseur: Roasters Choice Coffee Subscription from Cartel Coffee Lab

Here at Chow Bella, we understand how important it is to give (and receive) the perfect foodie gift. So this season, we're helping out by offering 21 food- and drink-focused gift suggestions, one each work day until Christmas, from a local business or provider. You get scads of rock-star ideas, the ... More >>

Three Creative Gifts for the Phoenix Geek

​I'm not big on the holiday season, and neither is anyone who has to buy presents for me. Like any good geek, I'm an early adopter. Those go-to gift ideas? I've already bought them for myself. I've had the Kindle Fire on pre-order for months and I just tore myself away from hour 17 of the Lor ... More >>

Is Cartel Coffee Lab Getting Ready to Brew Beer?

​It looks like the folks behind Cartel Coffee Lab are brewing up a little something different -- beer.  Ever since the popular Tempe location took over the adjacent space, the rumors having been flying about what exactly they are going to do with the extra square footage. We have heard ... More >>

Cartel Coffee Lab Scottsdale Grand Opening Party Tomorrow and Ghirardelli Brownies in Today's Eater's Digest

gingerbreadbagels.com Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives? Coffee Party! We broke the bad news last week -- Old Town Scottsdale's Sola Coffee Bar had called it a day, turned off the espresso machines,  shut their doors -- for good. Then ... More >>

Cartel Coffee Lessons and Grilled Halibut in Today's Eater's Digest

Chris Rochelle​ Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Coffee SchoolIt's not too late to sign up for Cartel Coffee Lab's "Seed to Cup" series.  The three-day series starts tomorrow at 10 a.m. with Cartel owner Jason Siberschlag and barista Seth ... More >>

Barrio Cafe, Cartel, LGO and More Ready to Take Off at Sky Harbor

IdeationA sneak peek at what's in store for Terminal 4.​Back in May, Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport announced their selection of HMS Host's locally-focused proposal for a new cache of restaurants inside Terminal 4 as the first of two restaurant "master concessionaire" contracts to be awarded for the ... More >>

Twin Peaks and Pie: Mondays this Summer at Cartel

​To beat the summer heat, Cartel Coffee Lab in Tempe will be working their way through the entire Twin Peaks series.  Each Monday night from 7-10 pm, the badass baristas at Cartel will play a couple of episodes.  ​For the event, Cartel brings in fresh pies from their do ... More >>

Barrio Cafe, La Grande Orange, Cowboy Ciao and Cartel Coffee Coming to Sky Harbor

WFairchild via Flickr You'll soon be able to grab Cartel's coffee on the "fly."​Earlier this week, we blogged about the upcoming restaurant changes at Sky Harbor International Airport's Terminal 4. Deliberations were underway for the initial restaurant "Master Concessionaire" recommendation ... More >>

Tonight: Open Source Project Coffee Shop's Grand Opening

​Great minds think alike. With Cartel Coffee Lab one of the only non-chain coffee shops left in Tempe, the past year has seen an explosion of new, artsy coffeehouses in the ASU area. The most recent is Ryan Gentry and Michael Witham's Open Source Project, scheduled for a grand opening at 8 p.m. th ... More >>

Five Favorite Coffee Houses in Metro Phoenix

​I remember the very first coffee house in Phoenix. OK, maybe it wasn't the first. I'm sure it wasn't the first. But it was my first. It was 1991(ish) and I'd just moved home to the Valley -- and no one around here was into coffee. Yet. It would be years before Starbucks arrived, but one da ... More >>

Sola Coffee Bar's Agave Latte

Sola Coffee Bar's agave latte​Sola is a hip little coffee bar in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale, and it offers a nice reprieve from daytime window shopping. Outside, retirees ogle eagle and horse sculptures while BMWs jockey for parking spaces with Mustangs. But inside Sola, people inhale the sc ... More >>

Cartel's Cookies Make the Holidays Sweeter

​Oh, the power of suggestion.Waiting in line for a latte at downtown's Cartel Coffee Lab, giant, mouthwatering cookies were literally in the spotlight, with a helpful note that read, "Our mom says it's okay to eat cookies for breakfast." Thanks for enabling me, people.Right next to the cash r ... More >>

Latte Throwdown Coming to Lola Coffee

​Sometimes the simplest things can make a big difference in your day, like the care your barista puts into swirling espresso and foamy milk into an intricate design that brings a smile to your face. It's art that's more ephemeral than a Buddhist mandala, around for a matter of seconds un ... More >>

Fall Forward

Satisfy your arts jones in Tempe

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: 6 Dining Tips for ASU Downtown Students Heart Attack Grill's Quadruple Bypass ... More >>

Caffiend: Conspire's Molotov Mocho

E. Groves​Indie coffee shop/hipster gathering place Conspire (also known as The Coffee Conspiracy) is one of those places you go when you're not in a big hurry to get your coffee. Conspire tends to be frequented by regulars and people from the neighborhood, and its not unusual for the baristas her ... More >>

Narrative Essays

Local photog captures Valley artists on film

Cartel Coffee Lab: No French Roasts Harmed in Fire

Cartel goers posted photos of the Big Red fire, which were followed by an official Cartel response. ​ Cartel Coffee Lab in Tempe was temporarily evacuated when its coffee roaster, aka Big Red, overheated and caught on fire around noon. Owner Jason Silberschlag says the small fire caused no damage ... More >>

April 6 In Blogs: Mary Rose Wilcox, Bikini Lounge, Cartel Coffee Lab, and Phoenix PD

​In the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Feathered Bastard: Geraldo Rivera Features Joe Arpaio, Mary Rose Wilcox and Marshmallow-Mouthed Bigot Russel ... More >>

Cartel's Grand Opening Party, Crack Pie and The Wafflizer in Today's Eater's Digest

An early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives. ​ Tonight is the grand opening celebration of Cartel Coffee Lab's second shop located at 1 N. 1st Street in Downtown Phoenix. Head on down between 5 and 9 for free food, music and a raffle. At Momofuku in New Yo ... More >>

February 2 In Blogs: ICE, You Hang Up, Cartel Coffee, and McCain

​In the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Feathered Bastard: Joe Arpaio and ICE's Joint Victim: Maria del Carmen Garcia-Martinez, and Why ICE Should N ... More >>

Stealthy Table Unveils Debut Menu

The James Bond theme song is playing in my head as I type this.I just got a look at the complete menu for Stealthy Table's inaugural covert dining event -- "My Bloody Valentine," scheduled for V-Day, of course -- and it's looking mighty fine. Pork belly? Cocoa nib-crusted short rib? Meatballs? Choco ... More >>

5 Ways to Know Your Coffee Shop Doesn't Suck

Cartel Coffee Lab does not suck. ​Consider this a shout-out to all the caffeine-fueled, hard-working Americans out there who can't get the day started without a cup of joe. We feel your adrenal-shot addiction and offer up this advice: Life is much too short to drink bad coffee. How does one ... More >>

Cartel Coffee is Expanding to Downtown Phoenix

​It's a coffee Renaissance in downtown. Just got the lowdown from the guys at Tempe's Cartel Coffee Lab that they're opening a second location in the heart of Downtown, at 1st Street and Washington (right across the street from the new CityScape development). The timing is hazy, bec ... More >>

Caffiend: Conspire's Chai Latte

So what, exactly, is the "Coffee Conspiracy" at Conspire coffee house in downtown Phoenix? We can let you in on one thing -- this offbeat mom-and-pop shop uses the house blend of Tempe's Cartel Coffee Lab for its brews, so CenPho folks can enjoy Cartel's heady roast blends without having to drive to ... More >>

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: Cartel Coffee Lab's Iced Toddy Open Casting in PHX for Next Food Net ... More >>

Caffiend: Cartel Coffee Lab's Iced Toddy

Cartel Coffee Lab sits in a cozy little cove behind East Side Records in Tempe, and the ambiance of the place is half the fun. Comfy couches, second-hand art tables, and black and white drawings adorn the walls, along with a plethora of handmade signs that say things like "Hang up your cell phone wh ... More >>

June 22 In Blogs: Shawna Forde, Rose Johnson, Devastation, Cartel Coffee Lab, and Angels & Outlaws

In the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Feathered Bastard:Shawna Forde, Alleged Kid Killer, Extremist, Phoenix Tea Party Attendee, and Ghost of Tea Par ... More >>

Bounty Hunter: Trolling for holiday booty in Tempe

By Wynter HoldenWe're down to the wire now, kids. Yes, there's just 6 more shopping days left until Christmas, and if you're shopping for Hanukkah or Kwanzaa gifts, you're similarly screwed. Hopefully, you've already bought your niece or nephew the "It" toy they've been coveting and purchased your ... More >>

Phoenix Phoodies: Jason Silberschlag of Tempe's Cartel Coffee Lab Serves a Winning Cup of Coffee

  College towns and coffee joints go together like peanut butter and jelly. This is good news for Jason and Amy Silberschlag, founders of Cartel Coffee Lab, whose Tempe-based roaster and coffee bar is mere meters from Mill Avenue. Open less than a year, they've earned legions of adoring fans, both ... More >>