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For some reason, frozen yogurt reminds me of walking down Broadway in New York, listening to Sonic Youth on my cassette-tape Walkman. Just the thought of it takes me back to the early '90s. Back in the day -- before smoothies took over the world as a healthful treat -- frozen yogurt shops were cropping up on every corner.

I didn't even notice how they'd all disappeared until I heard about Pinkberry, a slick little frozen yogurt shop in L.A. that's been getting lines of customers out the door since it opened a couple of years ago. (And it's popular with skinny celebs, which can't hurt the image.) The place is booming and has spawned more than a dozen new locations. It seemed like a matter of time before something like that landed in the Valley, and then came this note from a friend of a friend:

"I'm hooked on what some before me have dubbed "crackberry" frozen yogurt. Have you tried it? It's real name is "Pinkberry." It's out of LA and I found someone here at Grayhawk Plaza who's selling it! I am soooo addicted."

Hold your horses. There's no Pinkberry in Phoenix -- yet -- as far as I know.

However, the place my tipster discovered, Seven Sisters Sweet Shop, really does sell the same exact style of soft-serve frozen yogurt that has a cult following in La-La Land.

The Korean gal who founded Pinkberry was supposedly inspired by a very similar frozen yogurt popular in Korea, sold under the brand name Red Mango. And it's Red Mango frozen yogurt that Seven Sisters sells -- an all-natural, nonfat dessert that only has 200 calories in an 8 ounce serving. According to owner Christine Kim, it comes in only two flavors (plain yogurt and green tea) but you can get it topped with all kinds of fresh fruit, sprinkles, nuts, and Callebaut chocolate chips.

Kim says the yogurt flavor is a very tangy and yogurty. "Some people even say it tastes like cheesecake," she adds.

After selling it for only four months, she's already got some enthusiastic regulars. "Some of my customers, who've been to Pinkberry's in L.A., said they don't miss it anymore because they think mine tastes better."

It might be a hike up to 20731 N. Scottsdale Rd. (to the Grayhawk Plaza), but man, am I ever curious about this stuff...

Anybody out there ever tried Pinkberry's? Or Red Mango? Or better yet, both? Inquiring minds want to know...

Yes, it's true -- the James Beard Award-winning chef de cuisine at the Valley's most luxurious resort dining destination is moving on. Thompson made the announcement at a staff meeting yesterday afternoon.

The news isn't entirely surprising. Anytime I hear about someone winning such prestigious culinary honors, I have to wonder how long it will be until the chef leaves town to pursue a bigger and better offer, or to start a new restaurant. That kind of ebb and flow of talent is what makes the restaurant world so interesting -- it's not just about the food, but about creative people and their restless ambitions.

According to Valerie Poulos, the Phoenician's director of PR and marketing, this isn't related to my previous post about a rumored new restaurant concept involving celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Indeed, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which owns The Phoenician, signed a deal last year with Vongerichten and his partner, Phil Suarez, to develop new upscale restaurant concepts for Starwood's luxury hotels around the world. And it's still possible that Mary Elaine's could become an entirely different restaurant altogether.

But for now, the restaurant is simply "looking for a great new chef," Poulos says.

Chef Thompson, whose wife lives in Los Angeles, will be taking the summer off to figure out his next move. Traditionally, September is the start of the new season in the restaurant biz, and Mary Elaine's always closes for the month of August, so we might not see a new chef de cuisine installed until the fall.

Thompson's last day will be Friday, April 13, but he is still planning on serving as event chair of Taste of the Nation, the annual chef-filled charity event that will be held at The Phoenician on Saturday, May 12.

Have you ever found yourself driving around downtown, famished, and it's way too late for lunch anywhere? I'm thinking at around 3 or 3:30 in the afternoon, when old standbys like Fate or Matt's Big Breakfast or Pane Bianco aren't even options because they've already closed down for the day. I hate that feeling of having nowhere to go.

Well, that was me the other day, stressed and hungry and stuck in traffic in the rain. But then it dawned on me: Drip Coffee Lounge serves food all afternoon! Why didn't I think of it sooner?

Drip turned out to be a perfect pitstop. I had a grilled cheese with provolone, and washed it all down with a yummy homemade chocolate egg cream. The extra bonus was its location on 7th Street -- close to downtown, but totally untouched by that pesky light rail construction.

Thousands of growling bellies will descend on the Arizona Center this weekend for downtown's most delicious event of the year -- West of Western Culinary Festival -- and they're all sure to leave sated.

Where else can you get a taste of the talents of 48 of the Valley's best chefs over the course of two days? You could try to hit up that many restaurants on your own, but take it from me -- that's a lot of driving.

Better to park it at 5th Street and Van Buren, spend a leisurely Saturday and Sunday mingling with chefs, fellow foodies, cookbook authors, and representatives from various local food-centric non-profit groups. The price of your pass ($57 in advance, $67 at the gate) lets you sample all the goodies you can handle, and if you shell out a few extra bucks for the food and wine pass ($65 in advance, $75 at the gate), you can bend it like Bacchus in the wine tent, where dozens of exhibitors will let the vino flow. Two-day passes are also available.

It all happens from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, and Sunday, March 25. Check out the West of Western homepage for the full skinny, but not before you ogle this list of all the heavy hitters who'll be on hand for the shindig:

Brian Archibald, Tuscany, J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge
Paul "P.T." Barnum, 56 East & 98 South
Kevin Binkley, Binkley's
Matt Carter, Zinc Bistro
Dennis Christenson, The Phoenician Resort
Tammie Coe, Tammie Coe Cakes
MJ Coe, MJ Bread
Christopher Cristiano, Bloom & Sauce
Brandon Crouser, Atlas Bistro
Payton Curry, Digestif Urban Enoteca
Chris Curtiss, Circa 1900
Tracy Dempsey, Cowboy Ciao
Silvana Salcido Esparza, Barrio Cafe
Kelley Fletcher, House of Tricks
Ivan Flowers, Different Pointe of View
Lionel Geuskens, Trente-Cinq 35
Lisa Giungo, Lisa G Cafe & Wine Bar
Marc Hennessy, Meritage, J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge
Lee Hillson, T. Cooks, Royal Palms Resort and Spa
Bernie Kantak, Kazimierz
Troy Knapp, Compass Restaurant, Hyatt Regency Phoenix
Deborah Knight, Mosaic
Jason Kramer, Patsy Grimaldi's Pizzeria
Mark LaBella, Cafe LaBella
Greg LaPrad, Quiessence
Ryan Leslie, Sundial
Danielle Librera, The Sweet Pea
Wendy Little, Latilla, The Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa
Beau MacMillan, elements, Sanctuary Camelback Mountain
Carlos Manriquez, Twisted
Aaron May, Sol y Sombra
Mel Mecinas, Acacia, Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale
Matthew McLinn, Methode Bistro
Robert McGrath, Pischke's Paradise
Michael O'Dowd, Kai, Sheraton Wild Horse Pass
Gio Osso, Oscar Taylor
Judy Palmer, Ganache This
Anthony Patafio, Acacia, Four Seasons Resort, Scottsdale
Michel Pieton, Latilla, The Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa
James Porter, Tapino Kitchen
Michael Stebner, The Greene House
Vukadin Stevanovic, Stanley's Homemade Sausage Company
Stephen Stromberg, Latitude 30�
Jack Strong, Kai, Sheraton Wild Horse Pass
Chad Withycombe, Mucho Gusto
Claudio Urciuoli, Taggia, Caleo Resort
Jeffery Yankellow, Simply Bread
Kurt Zuger, Wigwam Resort & Golf Club

I'm a collector of tea. I have way too many kinds in my cupboard -- probably half a dozen fruit-flavored black teas, jasmine tea, some interesting decaf chocolate tea I found at Trader Joe's, Celestial Seasonings' Sleepytime, Rooibos, and Nutcracker Sweet (the vanilla-scented holiday tea that they only sell once a year), and four kinds of green tea, including one mixed with mountain herbs, which I bought at a mountaintop Shinto shrine outside of Tokyo. Who needs this much stuff to steep? I surely don't, but I can't help myself. Besides -- it keeps for quite awhile, and my mom just gave me a new tetsubin (Japanese cast iron tea pot) that I'm anxious to christen.

I still haven't found a place in town to get some better-quality matcha (powdered green tea), but as far as loose teas go, Souvia's got some incredible offerings, like Russian Caravan (black tea flavored with cardamom, orange peel, cinnamon, and ginger), hand-rolled jasmine pearls, and organic hojicha. There's got to be a tea there for every conceivable mood, whim, or occasion.

And tea must be a good business, because Souvia just spawned a second branch, at Scottsdale and Miller (the original location is on North 7th Street). Better yet, the place is offering classes now. I'm eyeing up the "Tea 101" introductory class, just to find out what they think is the way to brew a perfect pot. The session includes historical background on tea, as well as a tea tasting.

In the meantime, I think I'll go make another cup...

Arizona representin', yo: Our corner of the culinary universe just got a few tips of the hat from the granddaddy of foodie organizations, the James Beard Foundation.

Barbara Yost from the Republic -- who wrote a behind-the-scenes feature on Olive & Ivy -- is among the final three contenders for "Best Newspaper Writing About Restaurants and/or Chefs With or Without Recipes."

Mary Elaine's, under the direction of wine director Gilles Balay, is one of five finalists in the "Outstanding Wine Service Award."

And for the "Best Chef: Southwest" category, chef Nobuo Fukuda of Sea Saw is the only Arizona finalist. Chefs from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah vie for this award; this year's four other finalists are all from the Lone Star State.

If you've ever had the chance to try Fukuda's exquisite and adventurous creations, you'll understand why he deserves to win this. In any case, it's a huge honor for any chef just to be nominated, so next time you sidle up to the bar at Sea Saw, be sure to wish him an enthusiastic "Omedetou Gozaimasu!"

Winners will be announced on May 7 (a day earlier for the media awards).

What will you be doing in October 2008?

I like to think ahead, but wow -- that's pretty far off. For the City-owned, still-under-construction Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, though, that date actually means something: a grand opening.

The restaurant there is still a twinkle in the Sheraton's eye, but I've been told it'll be a "contemporary American grill with a Southwestern twist." That could mean just about anything in this town, but I'll cross my fingers. I'll also hope that it's open on Sundays and Mondays, open for dinner, yadda yadda (all you Central PHX dwellers know exactly where I'm coming from!). One thing that's certain is that the place will be big, with seating for almost 250, a full bar, and a ginormous patio.

But right now the restaurant needs a name, and anyone from the public can throw in their two cents' worth. I love to brainstorm stuff like this -- what do you think headline writing is, after all? But the reason I'm telling you about it is because whoever wins this thing gets a free five-night stay at the hotel, with all meals included. Hello, free food?

Anyway, hit up this website and throw something crazy their way.

Note to my friends who are reading this: If you end up winning, it'll be a party at your place!

A pal just passed along a link to a new book that I could really get into. Just from the title alone, it sounds like the same kind of car-crash fascinating stuff Eric Schlosser explored in Fast Food Nation: Twinkie, Deconstructed: My Journey to Discover How the Ingredients Found in Processed Foods are Grown, Mined (Yes, Mined), and Manipulated into What America Eats, by Steve Ettlinger.

You know, I really don't want to know what's in those naughty little snack treats, but I can't resist finding out, either. I've had my share of snack obsessions over the years -- like my high school diet of jelly-filled Tastykake Krimpets -- but a book like this just might scare me straight . . .

You really don't have to twist my arm to go to Marcellino for some excellent homemade pasta or a plate full of seafood, but man, I wish I could go more often. Someone was just telling me about a recent dinner there, when the restaurant had just gotten a shipment of fresh truffles. In short, it sounded like one of those all-night gourmet feasts that are hard to top.

Coincidentally, I just got word of Marcellino's new Gourmet to Go service, which means that it's just become a heck of a lot easier to satisfy my cravings. The three-course take-home meals (for two people) include homemade ciabatta and focaccia with roasted vegetable spread, a shareable appetizer, two entrees, and a dessert to split. Call 602-216-0004 for more details.

My Sunday evening ritual involves HBO (currently Rome, but soon to be The Sopranos and Entourage), a handful of friends in my tiny living room, and snacks -- the more, the better. The group consists of me, my foodie/fashionista friend, and a bunch of hungry guys who're game to try anything, so Sundays are usually when I dish up something I just made for fun, or when I bust out my latest novelty food purchases.

Last night was a particularly successful party, foodwise, which is so ironic considering the No Reservations rerun we ended up watching. (Did you see the one where Tony goes to Namibia? It's the only episode in which he seemed truly grossed out by what he ate, even though he kept telling his hosts, "Ah, it's good, it's good..." I won't describe it here, since this is a food blog and any further details might make you lose your appetite.)

The spread consisted of these new Carr's Rosemary Crackers I found, some cherry-flavored dried cranberries, and cheese: an aged Irish cheddar, some Roaring Forties Blue, and a wedge of Mirabo Walnut. I know I made some good picks because by the end of the night, the only thing left was a chunk of the cheddar. The Roaring Forties was so pungent and savory that we ate every little crumble, but the walnut cheese -- a German take on Brie, with crushed nuts in it -- was the hands-down hit. After sitting out for awhile, it became so wonderfully gooey that you could just sink one of those herby crackers right into it. The cherry-cranberries were also really good, which was surprising. And to think -- I'd only bought them because I couldn't find regular ones.

That spontaneous little snack menu will be hard to top, I'm sure, but I'm already eyeballing something new that I found at La Grande Orange: charcoal crackers. Has anybody tried these yet?

Contrary to popular belief, I do not eat at restaurants seven nights a week. If I'm lucky, I'll have a fridge full of goodies -- not to mention the time -- to put together a nice meal. But I'm a lot more likely to come home with frazzled nerves and fried eyeballs, in need of a nap and some ibuprofen. And once my hunger kicks in, look out (just ask my sweetie): me getting low blood sugar can be a prelude to war.

But Food Network star Robin Miller's new book, Quick Fix Meals, will make it a lot harder for me to justify calling for pizza delivery or resorting to a bowl of cereal. She's packed her new tome with 200 recipes for super-speedy cooking, with truly tasty-sounding dishes, like wild mushroom tart with broccoli rabe and goat cheese, or curried lamb chops with cucumber relish. Amazingly, they're made to be served up in 20 minutes or less, which is just about the amount of time I can work in the kitchen before I start raiding the cupboards for some pre-dinner snacks.

Robin's no newcomer to the publishing world; she's already written six books. And did you know, she's an Arizonan, too? You'll be able to meet the gal in person on Sunday, April 1, when she does a demo and book signing at Sur La Table at Kierland Commons.

This book isn't in stores yet, but I'll send a copy of it to one lucky Chow Bella reader. Just email me at michele.laudig@newtimes.com, and tell me about your own favorite "quick fix" recipe. Be sure to add your name and mailing address, and send it by 9 a.m. on Monday, March 12. I'll pick one winner at random, and will post some of the best entries on the blog next week. If you don't want your name to be mentioned on the web, just say so.

TGIF!

With balmy weather like this, all I need is a nice glass o' vino and some stellar antipasti to feel like I'm relaxing on the Riviera. So lucky me -- and you, if you love Italian food -- for next week's debut of Taggia, a new fine dining spot at Scottsdale's Caleo Resort.

Headed by executive chef Claudio Urciuoli, an Italian native whose resume includes stints at Osteria del Circo at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, The Four Seasons in Newport Beach, and La Brea Bakery in L.A., Taggia will spotlight coastal Italian cuisine with local, organic produce, pastas, wood-fired pizzas, and fresh seafood flown in straight from Italy.

I got a sneak peek at the menu, and I'm already hungry for the Dungeness crab salad, with red grapefruit, frisee, and crimson gold apples; rigatoni with Genovese-style veal ragu; and braised lamb shank with Sardinian fregola and seasonal vegetables.

Taggia's set to open on the 12th, with breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

Boys, put on your best button-downs. Girls, grab your Gucci stilettos. For this week's restaurant review, we're heading to the super stylish Asia de Cuba at the new Mondrian Scottsdale to feast on coconut sticky rice, whole fried striped bass, and some of the best flan I'd had in ages. The new issue hits the streets tomorrow, but you can get an online early-bird peek at the article tonight, at restaurants.phoenixnewtimes.com

Oh, and don't forget to bring a pair of earplugs along with your appetite!

The word from Valerie Poulos at The Phoenician is that revamping the resort's restaurants is nothing new. She mentions recent updates at The Terrace and Windows on the Green as examples.

"There's always new concepting here. Being a five-star resort, we're always looking at different ideas," she says.

Beyond that, though, management has no official statement on future plans for the in-house fine dining establishment. Stay tuned...