From French toast to a caffeine fix and the best avocado toast in town, our PHOENIX mag team picks the best places to start your morning.
Credit DJ-owner Jake Stellarwell for bringing the “vinyl bar” concept to Downtown Phoenix, offering a casual, coffee-fueled hangout by day and vibey wine bar by night.
Desert DigestFirst Dish: Caffio Espresso Bar
Sydnee WilsonFebruary 7, 2023
Caffio Espresso Bar is located inside the lush, beautiful garden at Pueblo Life plant shop in Downtown Phoenix. But much like the ever-evolving flora and unique coffee concoctions on its menu, Caffio does not remain static. This locally owned coffee shop is operated out of a VespaCar, an Italian commercial vehicle with three wheels. Owner Anthony Fiorelli wanted to open a business that he was passionate about while honoring his family’s Italian heritage. He...
Valley bees are proving a buzzkill for Dutch Bros Coffee – says an Arizona beekeeper who would know.
2022Best of the ValleyBOV Lifestyle & EntertainmentBest of the Valley in 2022: Things To Do
Editorial StaffJuly 5, 2022
Welcome back, life. As the pandemic winds down, the Valley’s cultural diversions – festivals, the arts, gyms and tours – are blossoming anew.
Photo by Sydnee Wilson Light Heart Coffee is a unique and beautifully designed coffee shop that recently opened in Scottsdale. It offers a variety of coffee and non-coffee drinks including lattes, cappuccinos, espresso tonics, jasmine lemonade and much more. In addition to great coffee, it has a welcoming and positive atmosphere. When I first walked into Light Heart Coffee, I was greeted by bright colors, wavy patterns and disco balls. Usually when I walk into...
Desert DigestFood & DrinkLocal Coffee Spotlight: Pair Cupworks
Marilyn HawkesSeptember 13, 2021
When Kimhak Em and Eugenia Tai opened their brick-and-mortar coffee café, Pair Cupworks, in February 2020, they had no idea that three weeks later, they would be forced to close due to the pandemic. Rather than focusing on all the negative aspects surrounding the closure, Em turned it into a positive. During the shutdown, Em made in-person deliveries of whole coffee beans to customers in the area. “So when we reopened, we had already established...
Our Editors' picks for Best of the Valley 2021 in the coffee category
Desert DigestFood & DrinkFirst Dish: Stoop Kid
Aimee SmithMarch 25, 2021
Photo by Aimee Smith Stoop Kid is a new concept housed in The Churchill in Downtown Phoenix. It offers bagels in the morning and burgers in the afternoon and evening. The menu is short, but you’ll still have a hard time choosing between options like the Money Shot (spicy bacon jam shmear, marinated tomatoes, Tillamook cheddar, soft scramble and a hash cake on an asiago bagel), Egg Thee Scallion (scallion and Parmesan shmear, soft...
Desert DigestFood & Drink11 Delicious Local Coffee and Girl Scout Cookie Pairings
Madison RutherfordFebruary 22, 2021
Every year at the end of January, Girl Scout cookie season arrives and gives the next generation of young girls a chance to test out their entrepreneurial skills. This year, more than 6,000 Arizona Girl Scouts are participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program. With fewer opportunities to set up booths and an ongoing emphasis on contactless pickup and delivery, the Arizona Cactus-Pine Council developed new and innovative ways for girls to safely sell cookies....
Craft BeerPHXTogetherBrewery Spotlight: Four Silos Brewery Coffee & Beer House
Matthew JohnsonOctober 24, 2020
Four Silos owner Mike Barclay connects with his Gilbert community in so many ways through his brewery & coffee house.
Desert DigestMad Flavors Coffee Brings Cold Brew Directly to Your Door
Madison RutherfordOctober 12, 2020
Astro Alvarez believes coffee should be high quality, affordable, accessible and full of flavor. That’s what he brings to the table with his new Phoenix-based cold brew delivery service, Mad Flavors. Alvarez has been in the coffee industry for a decade. “I’ve pretty much done it all, from delivery to processing orders, filling orders for a wholesale roastery to learning how to roast,” he says. “For the last few years, I’ve been flirting with the...
Desert DigestTop Flight: 12 Creative Food & Drink Flights from Around the Valley
Madison RutherfordSeptember 1, 2020
A flight abroad may be out of the question due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, but epicurean escapism in the form of fanciful food and drink flights is alive and well in the Valley. From a boozy cereal sampler to a smorgasbord of bloody marys, here are 12 local spots to try a twist on the traditional flight. U.S. Egg This locally owned and operated breakfast and lunch joint recently ramped up its cocktail menu...
Desert DigestThe Stir, a coffee shop, ice cream parlor and speakeasy, coming to North Phoenix this fall
Helena WegnerAugust 28, 2019
The 1920s were marked by dramatic economic growth, prosperity, jazz music and the Prohibition – a period between the ’20s and ’30s when alcohol was outlawed in the United States. Underground speakeasies popped up across cities and the ‘20s roared on. Will 2020 be as remarkable as the Roaring ‘20s? Rick Bronson hopes so. The comedian will open a speakeasy-style cocktail lounge and coffee bar this November. The unique concept will be located on High...
Coffee cocktails are quickly becoming the pumpkin spice latte of the summer, and we’re here for it.