When a small brewery outside St. Louis received a cease and desist letter from corporate coffee magnate Starbucks for naming its beer “Frappicino” (a slightly different spelling of the trademarked Starbucks drink), owner Jeff Britton decided to respond in possibly the best way ever. His genius reply starts with his…
With another year officially over and gone, it means another opportunity to appreciate how many changes we didn’t make to our eating habits in 2013. Last January, we swore we were going to work out more and eat better. But we’ll be honest: That kick lasted all of about five…
Did you pop a bottle of champagne to ring in the New Year? Or did you indulge in a finger or two (or three) of Maker’s Mark? Either way, what you drink supposedly says a lot about how you’re likely to vote. According to consumer data supplied by GFK MRI,…
What? You don’t follow us on Instagram already? Well you should fix that by finding our Chow Bella Instagram account: @chowbellaphx. We posted hundred of photos from our food adventures last year, generating thousands of likes and hundreds of comments. Thanks to all our followers for your interaction. And in…
Pondering pastry from 2013 has been pretty easy. There were some powerhouse trends, and some more subtle scary trends that slipped in, pinging our radar. Trends are just that: trendy. And there is a need for them eventually to be buried in a time capsule…
Every weekday, Chow Bella brings you food stories from around the world in the form of its Wake Up Call column. Sometimes the stories are about national food trends bound for Phoenix, other times they’re just plain fun, and still other times they’re stories of food scene mavens caught up…
If you’re looking to siphon the last bit of Christmas flavors into 2013, glögg oatmeal from Iss’ Magic Mixes is an ideal fast breakfast option for you. Made and sold locally by Melissa “Iss” Seil-Webb from her own recipe, this spiced oatmeal contains more than just oats. After her father…
We’re finally emerging from our Christmas food coma, and judging by the great photos you all shared on Instagram, we’re probably not the only ones. We loved checking out your snapshots of Christmas cookies, pies, and other sweets. Based on what we’ve seen, there were plenty of good eats from…
The Turduken is obsolete. Behold the Cthuken. pic.twitter.com/M5JZ9s5zig— Mana (@damana) December 16, 2013 Last week, the above tweet hit the Internet, courtesy of Damana Madden, a.k.a. @damana, and as you can imagine it didn’t take long for the disturbing image of a Turducken-like creation to go viral. In fact, it’s…
We’re more than a little bitter that this scientific breakthrough had to come so long after our childhood ended. And our parents probably are, too, because all those fillings couldn’t have been cheap. Scientists at Berlin-based biotech lab Organo Balance say they’ve invented candy that won’t give you cavities. Or…
Just when you thought eggplant was off the market for the winter, Maya’s Farm shows up to the market with beautiful rosa bianca eggplants. This Italian heirloom varietal can be distinguished from typical eggplant with its beautiful light purple-pinkish striping. They are also generally smaller than store-bought eggplant with a…
Except the cronut. We love the cronut. (Photo: Tejal Rao)Here are 13 food trends whose ubiquity has dulled the sheen of novelty — now they’re just boring and sometimes annoying, in spite of an exciting debut. (To keep things interesting, we’ve included a few food trends we hope continue into…
We’re not going to say we told you so, but we did say Bar Crudo was the best place for specialty cocktails in the Valley. And we’re not the only ones who think so…
Since last spring Starbucks has been secretly testing the market for “handcrafted sodas.” The experiment has been limited to stores in Japan, Singapore, Atlanta, and Austin, Texas where baristas have been using Soda Stream-like machines to carbonate beverages. But it doesn’t just stop with soda. The coffee giant has been…
If you were watching any of the Home Alone movies lately wondering, “Gee, what’s Macaulay Culkin up to these days?” here is the answer. He’s busy singing and playing kazoo in a band called the Pizza Undergroud. But why is it called the Pizza Underground? Because the band is “just…
If you drop into Pane Bianco around this time of year, chances are you’ve seen Maya’s watermelon radishes on the menu for the market salad. Not only are these radishes a colorful addition to any salad, they’re also a great way to introduce someone to the world of radish eating…
If you’ve got a bottle of rooster sauce in your cabinet you’d better be careful to make it last because the southern California manufacturer of Sriracha hot sauce has been ordered not to ship any of its products to food distributors and wholesalers for at least 30 days. In November…
As far as date-related marketing gimmicks go, this has to be one of the sweetest. In celebration of what Krispy Kreme Doughtnuts is calling Day of the Dozens — as in December 12 or 12/12 (get it?) — the national chain is offering a special BOGO deal…
If you’re still searching for the perfect handmade Christmas gift, be sure to head to the Downtown Phoenix Public Market tonight for the 4th annual Phoestivus Market. The holiday event brings more than 100 local vendors to the outdoor marketplace — and come hungry because there’s a pretty lengthy lineup…
Servers and bartenders across the country have been receiving massive tips from a mystery source known only by the Instagram handle @tipsforjesus. The account, which has more than 46,000 followers, shows photos of receipts and happy restaurant and bar employees, some of whom have just received tips of several thousands…
Know someone who just can’t seem to step away from their computer screen or game controller? Well you could give them the gift of psychotherapy to deal their addiction for Christmas. Or just say screw it and hand your buddy a Christmas Tinner. The complete Christmas dinner in a can…
Holiday tunes are blaring on the radio as I walk the aisles of every store. Parking lots become asphalt spaces of rage. Christmas tree lots have popped up everywhere. Lights twinkle strung in gaudy heaps on every outdoor yard item. The holidays have arrived, and with them the numerous holiday…
