If thoughts of Viking stand mixers, Italian "00" flour, and white truffle butter make you swoon, carefully fold this newspaper, tuck it under your arm, and go immediately to the Piano Works Mall in East Rochester. That's where you'll find Rosario Pino's Artisan Foods, a heaven on earth for anyone who likes to prepare food or, for that matter, just eat it.

At the end of September owner Gary Pino opened the shop next to his Concept II Fine Kitchens & Baths and named it in tribute to his father, the son of Italian immigrants and a local produce wholesaler. The beautifully furnished space is bursting with an outstanding array of products, such as imported pastas and sauces, herbs and spices, oils and vinegars, cookware, snacks, and even olive oil-based skin care. Oh, gluten-free? No problem; Rosario Pino's carries an extensive selection of GF pasta and baking mixes, many of which will be available to sample at a gluten-free open house Thursday, November 10, 5-8 p.m. (RSVP to the shop if you'd like to attend.)

Located at the back of Rosario Pino's is a gleaming demonstration kitchen (it's got seating for 20 people) that plays host to local chefs who teach cooking classes in the evenings and on Saturdays. Upcoming instructors include Jay Speranza from Tony D's Coal-Fired Pizza and Rosita Caridi-Miller from Mendon caterers Cibi Deliziosi. Rosario Pino's comprehensive website lays out the full class schedule.

Debbie Maruke is the in-house chef at Rosario Pino's; she does cooking demos as well, and it's her culinary talents you'll be enjoying once the shop expands into takeout/prepared food territory in the coming weeks. And with the holidays looming, keep in mind that cooking classes make for a thoughtful gift. You know what they say: give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to cook that fish and he just might make you dinner.

Rosario Pino's Artisan Foods is located at 349 W. Commercial St., Suite 1620, East Rochester. Store hours are Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., with extended hours planned for the holidays. For more information, call 267-7405 or visit rosariopinos.com.

Let the food times roll

Lucky for us, you can't swing a rack of ribs in this town without hitting some decent barbecue (see Dinosaur, Sticky Lips, Unkl Moe's, et al.). And though you'll still be able to scarf down some saucy pulled pork at both outposts of the newly rechristened The Beale, from here on out it's going to be less Memphis, more Big Easy. For 14 years The Beale Street Café had Cajun fare represented on its menu, but now owners Terry and Pam Bauer are making that deliciously complex mélange of French, Caribbean, and African influences (to name but a few) their focus.

Along with a few barbecue holdovers, The Beale: A New Orleans Grille & Bar features Crescent City favorites like gumbo, jambalaya, po' boys, and étouffée, as well as Beale exclusives such as the Bourbon Street Plate ($9.99) - that's mac salad and fries smothered in pulled pork, chili, and cheddar-jack cheese - as well as a smoked-meat orgy called The Big (Un)Easy ($11.49), which sandwiches pulled pork, pulled chicken, smoked turkey breast, barbecue beef, melted Monterey Jack, and coleslaw in a giant roll. And rest assured that The Beale's commitment to live, local blues remains firm.

The Beale is located at 689 South Ave. and 1930 Empire Blvd. The city location is open Monday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.-midnight, Sunday 2-9 p.m. The Webster location is open Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday noon-9 p.m. For more information, call South Ave. at 271-4650, Empire Blvd. at 216-1070, or visit thebealegrille.com.

Twin peaks

Confession time! Despite having a wicked sweet tooth, I had been slightly (read: stunningly) snobby about the mysteriously enduring mania for cupcakes, which, as far as I knew, were still pretty much just cake and buttercream. So it was purely in the name of professional investigation that I popped into the newest location for Sugar Mountain Bake Shoppe, a sweet little spot on Monroe Avenue with a cozy faux fireplace and a truly impressive display of about a dozen types of Sugar Mountain's acclaimed cupcakes. Both the new digs and the flagship on Alexander Street (it shares space with La-Tea-Da Tea Room, on the corner of Park Avenue) rotate through a selection of more than 90 varieties, showcasing flavor combinations both classic and inventive.

In a totally journalistic manner, complete with squeaky giggling, I decided upon one Chocolate Merlot (chocolate merlot cake filled with chocolate merlot ganache and topped with chocolate merlot buttercream; $3.50) and one Irish Coffee (espresso cake filled with Bailey's whipped cream and topped with Jameson buttercream; $4.50). Then I proceeded to bring them home and research the hell out of them. My findings were indisputably yummy. Forgive me, cupcakes; I understand now.

The new Sugar Mountain Bake Shoppe is located at 1697 Monroe Ave. in Brighton. It is open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, call 319-5001 or visit sugarmountainbakeshoppe.com.

Closed

Brighton's Bagel Bin Café(2600 Elmwood Ave.), winner of Best Bagel Shop in City's 2010 Best of Rochester Readers Poll, has closed after 21 years in business. No specific reason was given for the recent closing.

Do you have a food or restaurant tip for our Chow Hound? Send it to food@rochester-citynews.com.