Sushi Ken vs. Posh: Chow Bella’s Ultimate Battle of the Ramen

Things are getting down to the wire for this ramen battle bracket. There have been some upsets, like Republic Ramen beating out fan favorite Umami, and there’s also been a disqualification due to T.Spot closing shortly before it was set to battle against Posh’s ramen. This week Posh will try…

How To Make Cold Brew Coffee

Last week, I told everyone just how much I love cold brew coffee. From the unique, smooth flavor to the higher caffeine content, cold brew is pretty much the only way I get my mornings started. However, I also mentioned that my favorite cold brew at Cartel is $3.75 per…

Chipotle Is Raising Prices and You Let It Happen

They brought you the top secret quesarito and made veggie folk happy by releasing Sofritas tofu and now that you’re hooked on new menu items, Chipotle is going to raise prices for the first time in three years. According to the Associated Press, the chain will introduce new menu boards…

Chodang Tofu and BBQ in Chandler: A Korean Love Story

I’ve fallen in love. The waitress rolls a gray, plastic cart up to my table and holds up an egg. As I nod approvingly, she casually cracks the egg into a black earthen bowl of simmering, bright red, spicy soup, in which the egg poaches perfectly in a matter of…

3 Easter Treats in Metro Phoenix for Your Basket

Easter is right around the corner, and if you’re still stocking up to make baskets, don’t worry. Local confectionary favorites are prepping freshly made sweets to brighten up your Sunday and take the worry out of planning for the holiday. From chocolate to caramel corn and bright pastel colors, this…

7 Coolest Designs from Jodorowsky’s Dune

We’re about halfway through the two-week run of Jodorowsky’s Dune at Harkins Camelview 5 in Scottsdale, so time is running out for you to go check out the funny, thought-provoking, and painfully frustrating documentary about experimental filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky’s ill-fated attempt to make the book Dune into a movie. Obviously,…

Viagra Ice Cream Gets You in the Mood

Just when you thought the custom dessert world couldn’t get any weirder, Charlie Harry Francis has created an ice cream that’s not so much an aphrodisiac as it is a medically proven erectile disfunction treat. The self-proclaimed “edible inventor” recently made a Viagra-laced ice cream flavor called The Arousal. It’s…

Flight of Fancy

“Bizarre, sometimes nonsensical, whimsical, and a little dark” is how artist Cindy Schnackel describes her sense of humor as well as her work, which is primarily silly and surreal portraits of birds. While some of her paintings show birds watching TV and others show birds at an art gallery, all…

Bitters 101 with Bill and Lill Buitenhuys of AZ Bitters Lab

If you haven’t been building your bitters collection, it’s time to start. Bill and Lill Buitenhuys, the couple behind AZ Bitters Lab, explain that chefs have spice racks and bartenders equip themselves with an arsenal of bitters, which act as the seasoning element to finish and round out any cocktail…

Grid Bike Share Launch Postponed in Phoenix

Bad news for folks looking to jump on the bike share train in Phoenix: The Grid Bike Share program launch has been postponed until after this summer. While the program was initially slotted to launch in April 2014 during Valley Bike Month, the release had to be pushed back due…

Arizona-Shaped Cutting Boards Bring State Love to Your Kitchen

The laser-cut state love fad isn’t going anywhere quick. We’ve seen Arizona-shaped cookie cutters at ABC Cake Decorating Supplies, but now you can get your chop on Grand Canyon State-style, thanks to Epicurean. Whether you love the trend or are completely fed up with it, these home state pride kitsch-en…

KFC’s Chicken Corsage: How to Completely Ruin Someone’s Prom

Prom sucks. There’s a lot that can go wrong from wardrobe malfunctions to being stuck dateless, but perhaps a fate even worse than going stag is being given a fried chicken corsage by your date. For some reason, KFC thought anyone would be interested in wearing fried chicken on their…

Confessions of a Cold Brew Coffee Addict

I wake up every morning around 7 a.m., albeit begrudgingly. Sometimes I hit the snooze until 7:30, but eventually I pry myself out of bed and get ready. Everything’s hazy and grey until I pop into Cartel downtown on my way to work to get my morning cold brew. Everyone…

Chipotle Releases Sofritas Tofu Option in Arizona Today

Vegans, vegetarians, and other meat-averse folk now have their very own protein option at Chipotle restaurants in Arizona. Rather than making a hodgepodge of beans, guac, fajitas veggies, and corn (which actually doesn’t sound that bad), vegans can opt for the new Sofritas, a chile pepper-braised tofu, in tacos, burritos,…

Coffee Flour Is a Gluten-Free, Nutrient-Rich Alternative

Hearing the words coffee flour might immediately make you think of some caffeinated food gimmick, but the new product is about sustainability and health more than providing a java jolt to your favorite pastry recipes. According to BusinessWeek, the flour has a relatively negligible amount of caffeine in it and…

Phoenix Film Festival Review: Charlie Paul’s For No Good Reason

It’s no surprise that indie documentary For No Good Reason drew a large audience at the Phoenix Film Festival. The star power of Johnny Depp and Ralph Steadman, along with real footage of Hunter S. Thompson and William S. Burroughs, was definitely a contributing factor. Since attendees didn’t get the…

Trekking Ball

Locally filmed mini-series Voyage Trekkers is bringing its loving brand of nerdy sci-fi spoofs to the stage in a live performance at the National Comedy Theatre. The half-hour improv show will give audience members the opportunity to pick the setting, plot points, and twists and watch the series’ Doctor Rena…