Mac & Cheese Throwdown Tickets on Sale Now

The Mac & Cheese Throwdown is less than a month away, and that means it’s time to buy your ticket. Seriously, this event has been known to sell out early. So if you’re tired of powdered cheese packets from the boring blue box, you’d better lay down your $22 ASAP…

Nutwhats’ Expanded Candy Line Now at AJ’s and Bodega

Chandler-based Nutwhats is one of the few start-to-finish chocolate makers in Arizona, and the confectioners use it to make unique candies called Scribbles. The company’s uncommonly shaped, magnificently buttery, nutty brittle treats are now available in sweet-savory flavors like Salted Almond Scribble, finished with a drizzle of chocolate, and Green…

Gelato Spot Local Chef Competition: And the Winner Is…

This summer, local frozen confection fave Gelato Spot has been hosting its 1st Annual Local Chef Flavor Competition, inviting restaurant professionals in the Phoenix metro area to create something that captures their culinary point of view. Twelve chefs were split into three groups and battled head-to-head in June, July and…

KFC Adds Deep-Fried Soup to Japanese Menu

Americans are known for their deep-fried food fetish, and bizarre new concepts crop up at state fairs every year, like fried Cadbury crème eggs, mac ‘n’ cheese, and Coca-Cola. But the United States isn’t the only country that enjoys covering everything in batter and sticking it in the deep fryer…

Brews to Benefit at Hula’s Modern Tiki on September 5

Brews to Benefit, a monthly happy hour that supports local and national charities, will be taking over Hula’s Modern Tiki on Thursday, September 5. In line with the restaurant’s theme, the featured craft beers will be brewed by Kona Brewing Co. From 6 to 8 p.m., patrons can get 4…

Nearly Non-Fat Cocoa Powder Soon Available Worldwide

Chocolate is healthy — potentially lowering blood pressure, reducing risk of heart disease, and staving off dementia, research shows — but only in small quantities. It’s recommended to eat less than 3 ounces of dark chocolate per day because it is so calorie-dense and high in saturated fat. However, a…

The Townie: London’s Answer to the Cronut™

Cronuts™ have been dominating food news all summer, and New Yorkers are still lining up in the wee hours of the morning to get a taste when the bakery opens at 8 a.m., a trend that — with the promise of a fig-mascarpone variety in September — isn’t likely to…

Bacon Mania: A Retrospective

If you thought the bacon trend had peaked long ago, turns out you’re wrong. But it actually may have happened one week ago in Chicago with the opening of a restaurant that serves sandwiches that are topped with different types of bacon, including Chinese bacon, chicken liver-bacon banh mi spread,…

Nook Kitchen to Hold Hiring Fair Next Monday

The Phoenix dining scene has its fair share of hip, casual restaurants with refined taste — Windsor, Tuck Shop, and The Parlor, to name a few — and soon enough Nook will open its door in Arcadia with hopes to be on that list. First, they need to gather a…

10 Crazy Ice Creams Made by Small-Batch U.S. Artisans

Only five years ago, now-commonplace ice cream flavors like sweet corn or craft beer would have caught anyone off guard. But with the introduction of bacon to the dessert course a few years ago, the line separating sweet and savory was forever demolished. These 10 ice creameries craft artisanal versions…

9 Best Desserts in Metro Phoenix

As author of Chow Bella’s “Dessert First” column, I tasted my share of sweet in this city. (To say photographer Dayvid LeMmon and I enjoyed the research is an understatement.) What follows is the absolute best of the best. Restaurants change their dessert menus on a regular basis — seasonally…

11 Fourth of July Specials at Metro Phoenix Restaurants

Don’t feel like doing the grilling this July 4th? Get a healthy buzz of all-American pride by supporting a local business. One of these 11 metro Phoenix establishments will be happy to help you put together the perfect feast of food and beer. A couple of restaurants offer a spectacular…

Picture Cook: A Graphic Cookbook

Tired of the boring ol’ cookbook format with lists of ingredients to measure, cut-and-dried directions to follow to the letter, and not nearly enough pictures? So is Katie Shelly, author of Picture Cook: See. Make Eat. to be released in October. See also: – Pickled Jalapeños: Homemade Spice Straight Out…