“Fair” Versus “Direct” Trade — What Does It All Mean?

When it comes to buying coffee most people are completely clueless. Shade Grown? Rainforest Alliance certified? Bird Friendly? Organic? There’s no reason to be afraid of these labels, but there are some pretty understandable reasons to be skeptical of them. For many people, there is a certain amount of mysticism…

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Perhaps you have some distant memory of your mom roasting pumpkin seeds on pie tins for you. I do. As a kid I didn’t appreciate the pumpkin seed. I just wanted to get to the pumpkin pie or pumpkin roll. Now as an adult, I want those toasty seeds. Mostly…

Phoenix Barista Harlin Glovacki Qualifies for US Barista Championship

Harlin Glovacki of Nom de Plume Coffee Roasters made Phoenix coffee afficionados proud last week by taking fifth place in the Southwest Division of the Big Western Regional Barista Competition. Achieving a top-six placement qualifies him to compete at the national level in February’s United States Barista Championship in Long…

Wigwam Resort to Host Beer & Bacon Festival in Litchfield Park

If you read the words “Bacon & Beer Festival” in the headline and your heart skipped a beat, there’ll be plenty more heart-stopping action where that came from when you actually head out to the Wigwam Resort’s event celebrating all things porcine and sudsy. The event, which takes place on…

SanTan Brewing Co. Releases Special Edition Cans of Aged Beer

Just in time for deep, flavorful beers to come back in season, SanTan Brewing Co. announced that it will be releasing special aged editions of some of their most popular seasonal brews every six to eight weeks. If you aren’t thirsty now, trust us, after reading the line-up of canned…

Cartel Coffee Lab Gets National Attention in New Square Ad

Maybe one of the first times we were ever exposed to the Square P.O.S. system was at Cartel Coffee Lab in Tempe. This was before the Scottsdale or downtown Phoenix locations of the coffee shop ever existed and our signature on the iPad screen looked like that of a toddler…

Pie Social 2014: Here’s the Celebrity Chef Lineup

Are you as excited as we are for Pie Social 2014? You will be once you get a load of this year’s celebrity chef lineup. This year, 16 chefs will craft pie masterpieces to compete for the title of best in show. The fifth annual event, hosted by Chow Bella…

Beer Pipeline to Run Underneath Bruges, Belgium

If you know anything about Belgium, it might have something to do with waffles or fries, but it’s even more likely that you know the Belgians are serious about their beer. From Trappist breweries to small craft set-ups churning out bottles of fancy heritage brewing styles , Belgium is pretty…

How to Bake in Your Vacation Rental

So you’re going to rent a beach house with your significant other’s family? Brave soul. I just made this trip, and made it home in one piece, albeit sandy. Since I’m a pastry chef, of course, I was asked to make goodies for everyone. A generic list of available kitchen…

Phoenix City Grille Gives Away Free Food If You Bike to Brunch

All right brunchophiles, it’s time to dust off the old two wheeler and get back on your saddle because temperatures are finally cooling off and that means pretty much every weekend should be filled with both biking and brunching. Over at Phoenix City Grille, you can choose to combine the…