Food & Drink

The Guilty Pleasure: Cinnabon Delights Where To Get It: Taco Bell, locations everywhere Price: $1.49 What It Really Costs: At 260 calories, you can do worse. Taco Bell seems to have found an unusual secret to success: Some of their most noteworthy products are cross-promotional efforts. I know a few…

Luxury chocolates have arrived in Old Town Scottsdale by way of Belgium — and just in time for holiday gift-giving. Chocolade van Brugge, 4225 North Marshall Way, comes courtesy of local owners Frederiek and Christine Verbeke. The couple’s new shop, which opened in November, features an assortment of more than…

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…

This week, we’re chatting with Meagan Micozzi. You might be more familiar with her blogging pseudonym, Scarletta Bakes. The Scottsdale-based food blogger has been sharing her culinary adventures online for several years and just released her first cookbook, The New Southwest, which she describes as a primer on modern southwestern…

La Bocca, the stylish pizzeria and wine bar in Tempe opened in 2008 courtesy of restaurateur and Arizona State University alumnus Julian Wright, is expanding to the North Valley. Wright, whose company, Fork & Dagger Restaurant Group, also owns Modern Margarita in Phoenix as well as The Handlebar, Canteen Modern…

Meagan Micozzi Food blogger, scarlettabakes.com Author, The New Southwest When Meagan Micozzi started writing her blog, Scarletta Bakes, two and a half years ago, she had no idea that a few short months later she’d be a recognizable face at a national conference of food bloggers. When she set out…

Biscuits and gravy, a simple, yet popular breakfast dish, can be made with many variations of sausage gravy–pork, turkey or even chorizo here in the Valley. Smother two homemade buttermilk biscuits with gravy and it’s the ultimate comfort food for chilly winter mornings. We took a look at two restaurants,…

The Guilty Pleasure: Mass-market holiday novelties Where to Get Them: Your favorite grocery store, mostly Price: A few bucks. Easy impulse buy if you see them in the store. What They Really Cost: Like you needed another excuse to eat more this time of year. Now that it’s almost December…

There’s nothing better than a pizza after days of stuffing yourself with Thanksgiving dinner and leftovers. You’re in luck, because Chow Bella spent the past year scouring the Valley to find the best pizzerias. Here’s a list worth saving for when you need a great pizza, no matter where you…