Tracy Dempsey

West of Western Feeds Downtown

Cowboy Ciao and Digestif host wine, beer, and absinthe dinners

Eye Candy from Eats3

Mad About Bread Pudding

Diners find comfort in old folks' food

Tracy Dempsey Set to Leave Cowboy Ciao

This morning, celebrated pastry chef Tracy Dempsey officially announced that as of June 8, she'll be leaving her gig overseeing desserts for Cowboy Ciao, Digestif, and Kazimierz, a position she's held for the last five years. "It's not an easy decision," she says. Dempsey is busy working o ... More >>

May 28 In Blogs: Marcia Powell, The Offspring, Tracy Dempsey and More

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: Medical Examiner Holds Marcia Powell's Remains as Fiduciary Seeks Next of Kin Up on the Sun: Th ... More >>

Lots of New Local Eateries in the Works

AZCentral's list of 20 new restaurants scheduled to open by the end of the year has suddenly been changed to 15 since the story was posted yesterday. Not hard to figure out which five are now missing -- it's the restaurants on Jackson that Bernie Kantak is planning. Should we rea ... More >>

Tracy Dempsey Creates New Ice Cream Flavors at Udder Delights

Talk about a sweet gig.   Acclaimed pastry chef Tracy Dempsey has just signed on as "guest chef" at Udder Delights, a gourmet ice cream shop in Gilbert (1385 E. Warner Rd., 480-507-3859), in honor of National Ice Cream Month. Owners Sherene Robinson and Casey Stechnij enlisted Dempsey ... More >>

St. Francis, Crudo Cafe Expand Service

​Do you ever get a midday craving for a restaurant that's only open evenings? Or a nighttime urge to eat at a favorite lunch spot? Two new-ish local restaurants have just expanded their hours. For the past four months, chef-owner Aaron Chamberlin has been sticking to dinner-only service at ... More >>

Last Night: VIPs Flock to Oakville Grocery Grand Opening

​​Last night, the new Oakville Grocery at the Scottsdale Quarter opened to a packed house of chefs, industry professionals and local food lovers for a VIP Grand Opening celebration. At 6 p.m., guests began to trickle in while the grocery's in-house chefs and local vendors set up tables w ... More >>

New Stealthy Table Covert Dinners Roll Into Phoenix

The La Vida truck's hiding a secret...​At the Scottsdale Old Town Farmers' Market this weekend, we caught up with Joe Garcia of La Vida Locavore and got the inside scoop on a new "covert culinary dinner" project called Stealthy Table. Basically, it's like the food versio ... More >>

Tracy Dempsey Desserts Debut in This Week's Meal Ticket

​What's pastry chef Tracy Dempsey been up to since she left Digestif? Find out what desserts she's whipping up at her new gig in Old Town Scottsdale in this week's Meal Ticket dining newsletter. We'll also have the scoop on two local Irish restaurants that offer more than just  ... 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 >>

Tracy Dempsey Marshmallows at Smeeks

​Is Tracy Dempsey the Valley's most highly multitasking pastry chef? Seems like the busy gal is all over the place -- last year, she consulted on local ice cream brand Udder Delights' new flavors, and created a one-of-a-kind dessert for our Best of Phoenix issue. This year -- so far -- she's ... More >>

Chow Bella Presents Caramelpalooza at Smeeks

​What's tastier than a sweet, chewy, stick-to-your-dental-work caramel? A big ol' pile of 'em! Thus (drumroll, please) Chow Bella is pleased to announce our inaugural live Battle of the Dishes event: Caramelpalooza at Smeeks candy store, Friday, March 26 at 7 pm. We're taking this seriousl ... More >>

Caramelpalooza at Smeeks: Last Chance to Apply to Judge!

Heather Hales​Caramelpalooza is almost upon us -- and it's not too late to apply to be one of our special guest judges at our caramel tasting event, to be held Friday, March 26 at 7 pm at Smeeks candy store in central Phoenix. The competition will be fierce and sweet, including Urban ... More >>

Tammie Coe to Compete in Caramelpalooza Tasting

​ ​This just in: Tammie Coe -- baker and cake decorator extraordinaire -- will compete in our caramel tasting, Caramelpalooza, a week from today. Details about the event -- and how you can be a judge -- here. Tammie joins Tracy Dempsey, Sweet Republic, Bourbon Steak, Urban Cookies and the ... More >>

Urban Beans, Honey Moon Sweets and Wicked Kitchen Join the Caramelpalooza Line Up

  (Note: Judging selections have been made.) Hold onto your fillings, people -- the competition for Chow Bella/Smeek's ​Caramelpalooza just got stickier. Urban Beans, Honey Moon Sweets Bakery & Dessert Bar and Wicked Kitchen Gourmet have joined Urban Cookies, Tammie Coe, Tracy Dem ... More >>

Sweet Dreams

Chow Bella presents utopia to the dessert lover

Hog Heaven

New ‘cue fest debuts in Scottsdale

Tracy Dempsey: Tracy Dempsey Originals

We recently caught up with Tracy Dempsey, pastry chef and business owner, scooping samples of Tracy Dempsey Originals ice cream at The Phoenix Urban Market and Wine Bar. We got the scoop from the scooper. Tracy Dempsey at Phoenix Urban Market and Wine Bar​Tracy Dempsey grew up traveling the ... More >>

Tracy Dempsey: Tracy Dempsey Originals-Part Two

Yesterday we chatted with Tracy Dempsey about inspirations, her food attitude, and being a woman in professional kitchens, today Tracy tells us why ice cream, and shares a recipe. Tracy scoops ​You have added ice cream to your line of Tracy Dempsey Originals, why ice cream?I have always done ... More >>

Cupcake Love-In: Sweet Bites

Cupcake Love-In "Cupcake smack down" is the prominent theme on the twitter account for Cupcake Love-In, posted this week in sync with the launch of a Valley culinary event celebrating sweet treats. Our Zach Fowle -- Phoenix darling of eating contestants and author of our own Feast of F ... More >>

Get Ready for Cupcake Love-In Oct. 10

Ten to the third power brings Cupcake Love-In's "peace, love, and cupcakes" to Hotel Valley Ho from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 10. Shell out $10 in advance ($15 day of), and you'll get to scarf down cupcakes from 30 different bakeries, cupcakeries, restaurants and pastry chefs.

Coming Soon: The House at Secret Garden

​An historic 1929 mansion in South Phoenix is about to get a new life as a restaurant. Pat Christofolo, owner of Santa Barbara Catering and The Farm Kitchen at The Farm at South Mountain, is teaming up with her chef son, Dustin, to open The House at Secret Garden, on October 29. The casu ... More >>

Cupcake Love-In Judge: No Easy Job!

A few of the contenders for Classic Cupcake.​When Tracy Dempsey asked me last week to be a last-minute judge at the inaugural Cupcake Love-In -- held yesterday at the Valley Ho in Scottsdale -- I replied without hesitation. Of course! I couldn't wait to get my Gail Simmons on. ... More >>

The Cupcake Love-In Cupcake Eating Contest

​The average person's stomach can hold about a liter of food, or close to two pounds' worth. But who wants to be average? All over town, restaurants are offering up contests of confection, defying brave eaters to ingest more food than they should eat in a week -- daily recommended values be d ... More >>

Pie Social Celebrity Bakers (So Far) Announced

​We don't have a complete list yet, but couldn't wait to share the love. Here are some of the bakers/venues who've agreed to make pie for our first-ever Pie Social on November 13, 2 to 6 p.m., at 5th Street and Roosevelt:Barrio Cafe, The Breadfruit, Tracy Dempsey, Essence Bakery, Honeymoon Sweets, ... More >>

Pie Social: The Final Celebrity Line-Up

​With just a little more than two weeks left to dust off those pie tins, Chow Bella and Roosevelt Row proudly announce our final line-up of celebrity chefs for the first-ever Pie Social, to be held Saturday, November 13, 2 to 6 p.m. at 5th Street and Roosevelt: Veronica Arroyo, Bo ... More >>

Want to be a Judge at Pie Social?

​The line-up of judges for our celebrity pie bake-off at the first-ever Pie Social on Saturday, November 13 is looking almost as swanky as our line-up of celebrity bakers. But we've got one slot left -- for YOU. We want to add a Chow Bella reader to our judging panel. Enter our contes ... More >>

Pat Christofolo's The House at Secret Garden Makes You Feel at Home

​The line-up of judges for our celebrity pie bake-off at the first-ever Pie Social on Saturday, November 13 is looking almost as swanky as our line-up of celebrity bakers. But we've got one slot left -- for YOU. We want to add a Chow Bella reader to our judging panel. Enter our contes ... More >>

Caramelpalooza 2011 Candymakers Announced!

  ​ We can already tell that this competition is going to be sticky. Chow Bella and Smeeks are proud to announce the line-up of candymakers for Caramelpalooza 2011 -- a free, open-to-the-public caramel tasting to be held Friday, March 11, at 7 pm in the parking lot at Smeeks candy store ... More >>

Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame Nominees Announced

What's up with all the contests lately? Last week, the big news was all the Arizonans on the semifinalist list for James Beard Awards. Also, Noca's Chris Curtiss landed in Food Wine's chef popularity contest, which the public can vote on. Now, round three in the competition department: the Ar ... More >>

Tracy Dempsey: Caramelpalooza Candymakers

Mari Belardi​We wind up our candymaker profiles today with Tracy Dempsey.After growing up in far-flung corners of the world, Demspey settled in Scottsdale, and migrated from a career in teaching to her first love: the culinary arts. Today she is the owner of Tracy Dempsey Originals. I ended ... More >>

Caramelpalooza 2011: The Results Are In

Jonathan McNamaraYes, that's a peanut butter and jelly caramel. ​The competition got sticky Friday night at the second annual Caramelpalooza, co-sponsored by Chow Bella and Smeeks. We're not sure of the exact head count -- beyond the fact that the line wrapped around the block -- but we do know th ... More >>

Cycle at the Lexington Hotel Successfully Reinvents the Restaurant

​ While the Valley has an established pop-up art gallery scene, this past weekend marked the debut of anything even close to a pop-up restaurant, in the form of Cycle, at the Lexington Hotel in downtown Phoenix. After development group Habitat Metro purchased the hotel, they de ... More >>

Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame Winners to be Announced Tonight

  scottsdaleculinaryfestival.org The Scottsdale Culinary Festival kicks off tonight not just with a kick-off party, but also with the announcement of the winners of this year's spots in the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame. The nominees make for quite a power meeting, don't you ... More >>

June Cupcake Crawl Offers a Sweet Sneak Preview of the Cupcake Love-In

Timur Guseynov Red velvet cupcakes from last year's Love-In.​Event founders Kelly Garcia of Butter & Me and Tracy Dempsey of Tracy Dempsey Originals, and their crew, are trying to get locals excited about this year's Cupcake Love-In at Scottsdale's Hotel Valley Ho. Not that they n ... More >>

Bernie Kantak's Citizen Public House Is Your New Favorite Restaurant

Timur Guseynov Red velvet cupcakes from last year's Love-In.​Event founders Kelly Garcia of Butter & Me and Tracy Dempsey of Tracy Dempsey Originals, and their crew, are trying to get locals excited about this year's Cupcake Love-In at Scottsdale's Hotel Valley Ho. Not that they n ... More >>

Tracy Dempsey, Jen Anderson of Windsor, Aaron Chamberlain of St. Francis, and More to Hold Cooking Classes at Phoenix Public Market

​Learning how to prepare fresh ingredients with chef Aaron Chamberlain of St. Francis? Tastings with chef Jen Anderson of Windsor? Recipes from the Queen of Sweet, Tracy Dempsey? This summer is gonna be face-time fabulous thanks to the Summer Chef Series at the Phoenix Public Market. From 2 t ... More >>

2011 Cupcake Love-In Baker Lineup Announced

Timur Guseynov If last year's entries were any indication, the 2011 Cupcake Love-In will be pretty sweet.​Despite the endless parade of frosted delights showing up in bakeries, at culinary festivals, and on fancy restaurant menus over the past few years,& ... More >>

Summer Chef Series with Tracy Dempsey and Three-Cheese Poppers in Today's Eater's Digest

makeitnaked.wordpress.com​ Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives? Phoenix Public Market Summer Series The Phoenix Downtown Public Market summer cooking series continues this Saturday with special guest chef Tracy Dempsey. Using items typ ... More >>

Pie Social 2011: Who's in the Final Celebrity Baker Line-Up?

​Hey Phoenix, are you ready for pie? Roosevelt Row and Chow Bella are pleased to announce the line-up for this year's celebrity pie contest -- part of 2011's Pie Social, Saturday, November 12 on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix. If you don't bake in a commercial kitchen (and even if you d ... More >>

Tracy Dempsey's Perfect Food Day

Tracy Dempsey​Tracy Dempsey is known for her thoughtful sweet creations and perhaps most known for her Original Bacon Pecan Brittle. She is smart, kind and completely dedicated to mastering the art of satisfying your sweet tooth. Dempsey showed an early interested in food and cooking, she even w ... More >>

"Pig in the Orchard" Bread Pudding at Citizen Public House

It would be sacrilegious to write about dessert in this town without mentioning Tracy Dempsey. With that in mind, we headed to Citizen Public House to see what happens when a bacon-obsessed restaurant meets up with a pastry chef who's known for her Bacon Pecan Brittle.

Tracy Dempsey Redefines Pie

We're counting down the days to Pie Social 2011 -- 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 12 at 408 E. Roosevelt in downtown Phoenix. Don't forget, you can get in on the action yourself. Here are details for community bakers. And don't forget about our celebrity bakers -- every day we'll introduce you to a di ... More >>

Wine & Chocolate Gift Boxes from Dos Cabezas WineWorks and Tracy Dempsey Originals

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 >>

Mark Tarbell, Tracy Dempsey, and Matt Taylor Help Kick Off Winter Chef Series at Phoenix Public Market

Chef Mark Tarbell​Welcoming in the winter season, a new line-up of Valley chefs and taste makers has been set to host Phoenix Public Market's Winter Chef Series, two-hour demonstrations and cooking classes featuring a variety of memorable meals and culinary personalities. Mark Tarbell, chef a ... More >>

Tracy Dempsey's Caneles, the French Treat We Just Had to Try for Ourselves

Photo: Jennifer Woods ​ Caneles were one of our picks as a food trends in 2012. Naturally, we've been wanting to try one. Taking one for the team (ha ha), we followed Tracy Dempsey on Monday afternoon into the commissary kitchen of Arcadia Farms in Old Town Scottsdale, where she makes her many ... More >>

Joy of Cooking

Photo: Jennifer Woods ​ Caneles were one of our picks as a food trends in 2012. Naturally, we've been wanting to try one. Taking one for the team (ha ha), we followed Tracy Dempsey on Monday afternoon into the commissary kitchen of Arcadia Farms in Old Town Scottsdale, where she makes her many ... More >>