Downtown Dining

Self-proclaimed foodies Jay Veniard and Jessica Combest have brought their appreciation for food to downtown Phoenix through their Taste It Tours and their sales of olive oil and balsamics at their store in the Orpheum Lofts, Urban Olive Oils and Balsamics.

At Bragg's Factory Diner you will find -- and revel in -- a blast from the past nostalgia creeping up on you as you plunge fork-deep into complex flavor combinations.

Tucked away between Pomo Pizzeria and Seamus McCaffrey's Irish pub along First Street is the brightly colored cafe Squash Blossom.

Fair Trade Cafe is a coffee shop with caring owners and a mission to feed the community with organic food and locally roasted coffee.

The donation program at Mazie's began in July. The cafe chooses a charity every month and donates ten percent of its proceeds every Wednesday to that chosen charity.

The Pie Social event on Saturday at the Ro2 Lot drew 700 people, 300 more than event coordinator Cindy Dach expected. Fourteen celebrity chefs competed at the event for titles such as best presentation, best taste and best in show.

What we had in mind for our venture to Sing High Chop Suey House, quite literally, outweighed our hypothesized expectations. By “outweighed,” we simply mean that the amount of food we ordered was well over the portion size you’d need to feed a family of four ... twice.

While shopping locally and going green are becoming increasingly popular, are local coffee shops able to draw students away from the conveniently located Taylor Place Starbucks? Four local coffee vendors share their experiences and business models about standing apart from the crowd.