Hostess Twinkies

Piggly's at the Fair Opens in Mesa, Deep Fried Oreos -- and Just About Everything Else

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 item ... More >>

CLOSED: Ivy League Dogs in Goodyear

West Valley residents have lost the place to score deep-fried franks as well as Oreos and Twinkies. Ivy League Dogs in Goodyear is shuttering. Opened in spring of 2010, Ivy League Dogs came courtesy of Derek Pyle, who named the place after his Chihuahua-Jack Russell mix pup and operated the hot dog ... More >>

Find Your Inner Wine Connoisseur at the Wigwam's Affordable Wine Dinner

2013 brings a wide array of wine related feasts, but you've got to a love a wine dinner that features Frog's Leap Winery, a special guest speaker, caviar and Twinkies, yep -- Twinkies! (Well, a pastry chef's approximation, anyway.) The Wigwam's four-course wine dinner on January 25th is affordable ... More >>

Street Eats Food Truck Festival Is Set for January 12 and 13 at Salt River Fields

If you love local food trucks, Food Network, or Man v. Food on the Travel Channel, here's an event for you.

Math The Band, The Trunk Space, 12/03/12

Math the Band @ Trunk Space|11/3/12Imagine if that goofy indie rock cred of The Shins and Suburban Kids With Biblical Names, the "Napoleon Dynamites" of music, hadn't lost so much popularity and had instead evolved, embracing the EDM subculture with sentimental Millenial generation video game sample ... More >>

Here's What A Twinkie Is Was Made Of

If you have ever wondered what the FD&C Yellow #5 in a Twinkie actually looks like, wait no longer, one man has gone through the trouble of photographing every Twinkie ingredient individually. That's 37 ingredients, with the most innocuous sounding of them being wheat flour. See Also: --5 Ways to ... More >>

Arizona Diamondbacks Beat San Francisco Giants; Pablo Sandoval Acts Like Large Baby

The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Francisco Giants 6-2 last night in the Bay Area, as the D-backs won the three-game series against the division-leaders.There were two main points to this game: D-backs starter Trevor Cahill kind of, sort of, almost got close to pitching a no-hitter, and Giants t ... More >>

Fantastic Corn Dogs, With a Side of Cooler Weather

The Guilty Pleasure: Corn Dog (bacon-wrapped and double-fried if you dare). Where To Get It: Devil's Pantry, on Whiskey Row in Prescott. The Price: $3 small, $5 large, $2 extra for the bacon; cash only. What It Really Costs: Justification for a day trip to Prescott. Easy enough in summer. See Also: ... More >>

Top Phoenix Music Stories of the Week

The news waits for no one -- at least that's what we read somewhere -- so it's perfectly understandable that you, the reader, might have missed out on a musical tidbit, breaking news about your favorite venue, or one of our rants. So enjoy this digest-style sampling of some of our biggest stories f ... More >>

Weird Al Yankovic, Comerica Theatre, 8/5/12 (Video)

Weird Al Yankovic Comerica Theatre Sunday, August 5, 2012 "He who is tired of Weird Al is tired of life." -- Homer Simpson If some massive holocaust does, in fact, bring about Armageddon at the end of December, there are a few things that are guaranteed to survive the ginormous conflagration: Cock ... More >>

Polyphonic Spree and Five Other Bands That Could Be Cults

I was on the fence about seeing Polyphonic Spree, the pysch pop, one-time MTV 2 darlings, this week at Crescent Ballroom, so I sat myself down to watch some videos in preparation. The band is entirely clad in white choir robes, and the of members grows from twelve to thirty depending on the night. ... More >>

Video Mashup: Brad Pitt Eating. And Eating.

If you thought Angelina's right leg taking on a life - and social life, see Twitter account: @AngiesRightLeg - of its own at this year's Oscars was bizarre enough, wait until you see what the world's been cooking up about her better half. Let's face it, you could put Brad Pitt on the big screen doi ... 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 >>

Dragon Ball

Fifteen Favorite Bakeries in Greater Phoenix

​In the 16th and 17th centuries, the skills of the pastry chef were added to those of the bread maker so that in modern Britain (as opposed to France), domestic and commercial bakers used the talents of both. Though the lines have been blurred, the benefit of combining these two trades mean ex ... More >>

Five Reasons to See Darius Rucker at the State Fair Tonight

​Tonight's the night: Darius Rucker's coming to town. Now don't rule your eyes --anyone who digs country pop shouldn't miss the chance to catch Rucker perform. The guy's an anomaly, less because he's an African American in country and more because of his unlikely comeback stride. When was the last ... More >>

Chow Bella Book Club Interview with Kathleen Flinn from Kitchen Counter Cooking School

Jennifer Woods ​You probably know by now all about the Chow Bella Book Club and our partnership with Changing Hands Bookstore. If you need to get caught up, I wrote all about it a few weeks ago. While you're reading October's selection, Kitchen Counter Cooking School, I thought you might en ... More >>

Cheesecake Choco-Berries: Fair Food Showdown

With the Arizona State Fair headed our way at week's end, we at Chow Bella decided on our latest  challenge: Create a "fair food" that kicks it up a notch. No one dared to cook with bugs, but we did have some creative entries. Check back later this week, when critic Laura Hahnefeld will choose ... More >>

Five Freaky Fair Foods: Maggot Melt Sandwich, Deep-Fried Energy Drinks, Chocolate-Dipped Pickles and More Coming to Arizona Next Week

​C'mooooon over, folks! Step right up! That's right, it's almost that time of year again. So, gather up the kids, put on your stretchy pants and grab some Pepto-Bismol. The Arizona State Fair is on its way, opening Friday, October 14. And we are ready to eat. This year, the genius minds that ca ... More >>

Dead Man’s Party

5 Anti-Earth Day Foods

​In celebration of Earth Day -- the American invention intended to inspire awareness and gratefulness for our natural environment -- many will be "eating green." You know, chowing down on seasonal, locally grown, organic fare and making a difference in this wretched world. But for those who ... More >>

Think of The Baseball Project as an Indie Rock Soundtrack to a Ken Burns Documentary

5 Bizarre Diet Fads to Avoid in 2011

By Alan Cleaver via Flickr.​The New Year is right around the corner, which means an inevitable spike in gym memberships and attendance at Weight Watchers meetings. We could remind you that 88-92% of Americans fail to keep these self-promises, but we know you'll probably make ... More >>

Chocolate-Covered Scorpions, Fried Butter, and Other State Fair Eats

Juggalettes Gone Wicked: 10 Chicks You'll Admit Are Hot Even Though They Love Insane Clown Posse

​The 11th Annual Gathering of the Jugglos is right around the corner. Don't know what that is? Well, consider yourself lucky. Actually, let me ruin it for you. Watch this. OK, now that you have descended into the mouth of madness with me let's move on.If there is one thing I can't stand it's Jugga ... More >>

Dan Haren Says He Wants To Stay In Arizona As More Teams Show Interest In Diamondbacks Ace

doin-work.comWill Dan Haren be a D-Back on August 1?​ As the days pass, it seems there are more and more rumors surrounding D-Backs pitcher Dan Haren. As the July 31 trade deadline inches closer and closer, the word around baseball is that Haren is probably going to get traded - sorry D-Backs fan ... More >>

Fry Girl Feasts Festival-Style at Arizona Mills Mall

Aqua-massagers. Perfumania. Glamour Shots. People-watching. A freakin' carousel in the food court. What better place to set up a fast-food eatery featuring festival fare than in the Arizona Mills Mall? ​In this week's Fry Girl review, I'm cruisin', circus-style, through the gala grub of Fest ... More >>

Festival Foods Services Brings Deep-Fried Twinkies to Mills Mall

​It was probably inevitable. In light of the excitement generated by deliciously bad-for-you deep-fried goodies traditionally found at the fair and at festivals, now there's a new restaurant called Festival Foods Services, dishing up said naughty treats all the time. And not ironically, it' ... More >>

A Maker of Wacky Birdhouses and Other Phoenix Artisans Must Fly the Coop Because a Circle K Is Moving In

Paranormal Activity: Arizona Ghostbusters Go to Extremes for Good Causes

Food Porn at the Grand Opening of Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill

Benjamin Leatherman As Toby Keith says, "Freedom don't come free." That may be true, but the food and drinks were definitely on the house at last night's grand opening hootenanny for the country music superstar's self-titled chain restaurant Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill in Mesa on Wednesday, ... More >>

Rocky Mountain High: Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns Saturday Night

Ah, chemistry.  In the NBA, acquiring talent and getting your talent to properly combust are the real tricks of the trade. But what looks good on the drawing board -- like, say, the Denver Nuggets' pairing of body-modified human pinball machines Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson (see image be ... More >>

Pixar's Wall-E is a tale of robotic love that nods to sci-fi's pantheon of greats

Last KR post...forever?

Rocky Waters

A salute to classic boxing clichés

Taste Maker

Tammie Coe

Stone Soul Partridge

Doesn't somebody want to be Laurie?

Gizzard Gluttony

Down-home-cooking that's healthier and tasty

Comeback Kids

Fans remember Valley icons

The 411

Party 'zine makes culinary scene

The South Falls, Again

Reese Witherspoon goes home to Alabama, and it ain't sweet

Twinkie Twinkie Little Star

Hostess horror makes its way to Valley menu

Retro No More

Singer-songwriter Neko Case and her musical pals bring country music out of the curio cabinet

Hardcore Benefit

The local music community comes out in force to help one of its own

Liner Notes

Documentary The Eyes of Tammy Faye lifts lid on lash rites in a story too strange to make up

Loco Boys Make Good

Wallace & Ladmo Show channels beloved Valley TV nut fest

Time Transients

A new millennium in Phoenix, where the motorist in the next lane is your auld acquaintance

Artist Overboard!

Valley filmmaker Paul Wilson captains an over-the-top remake of The Poseidon Adventure

Night Songs

Hot Off the Empress

An exotic dancer hopes herself-help tome gives her sisters a place on the table