Eat, Stay & Play in Phoenix, Arizona

Eat

• Barrio Café
  In Spanish, Barrio means neighborhood, and that is the feel of this authentic Mexican restaurant, a combination of soul, culture and food. Instead of chips and salsa, a tapenade of olives, tomatoes and capers were served with bread. I ordered the Pescado del Mar, a pan-seared halibut topped with shrimp, scallops, crab and lobster with white wine shallot cream sauce, chorizo and pablano peppers. A rich and flavorful entrée—food enough for three meals. I drank Horchata, an out-of-this-world specialty made with condensed milk and cinnamon. It tastes like a lean egg nog. Chef-owner Silvana Salcido Esparza's packs this 65-seat restaurant every night with her innovative dishes and culturally inspired Chicano artwork.
  » 2814 N. 16th street, Phoenix, AZ 85006
• Deseo
  Imagine an artist-in-residence painting vivid stories of magical animals and sorcerers while you dine on million dollar tacos and three-fish ceviche specialities. Select mangos, papayas and other fruits to customize a "muddle" mojito-style drink to compliment your savory meal. Visualize the nurturing of body and spirit as you engage with art and cuisine in a way that gives new meaning to the term "emotional eating." Leading the way in a new entertainment trend that integrates live art and dining is Deseo. I fell in love with this restaurant.
  » 6902 E. Greenway Parkway, Scottsdale, AZ 85254
  
• District
  If you find yourself in downtown Phoenix and are looking for a great breakfast buffet, look no further that this open-air restaurant located very close to the new Phoenix Convention Center.
  » 340 N. Third Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004
  
• Digestif
  Charcuterie, the art of curing meats is the house specialty at this downtown Scottsdale restaurant. Chef Payton Curry, with a Led Zep Robert Plant hairdo charmed me with his story of being hired at Digestif. As part of his interview, the owner gave him $200 and told him to spend it buying ingredients to cook a three-course meal. He said no, that he would use what was in the kitchen. He made a seven-course meal and was hired. If you go to Digestif, sit at the 15-seat counter that hugs the exhibition stone hearth where Curry and team cook. Ask him to make you fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and collared greens. It may cost you extra, but this big-hearted cook is more than cheerful to make his customers happy.
  » 7137 E. Stetson Drive, Ste. 8, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
  
• Café Zuzu
  The concept of a “Chef’s Table” is new to me, but I found it to be a delightful way of trying innovative custom-created cuisine as paired with wine. A four-course meal for $52, has foodies and town locals cheering with delight. Chef Charles Weilly starts the first course with a Brussels sprout salad. The second course is braised pork belly in a demi-glaze sauce with beets, apples, turnips, parsnips and baby carrots. The third course is supposed to be rack of lamb—a meal that others consider divine, but unfortunately I can’t stomach. Instead, I am given filet mignon and veal cheeks in reduction sauce, a fine alternative. I sample the mellow 2006 Rosa Regale. I find endless delight in the best desert ever—a chocolate lava cake with strawberries and vanilla bean ice cream. The thin crust on the cake gently breaks open on my fork exposing a luscious flow of dark chocolate. Heaven.
  » 6850 E. Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
  
• Arcadia Farms Café
  Inside the Phoenix Art Museum is a great little restaurant that has been serving organic produce for the last 20 years. I started off sharing a classic appetizer of brie, pears and strawberries paired with a 2006 Hoopenburg Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa. Their specialties are salads, so I tried a strawberry chicken salad with grilled chicken, vine ripened strawberries, toasted almonds, mixed baby greens with poppy seed vinaigrette. The salad is beautiful, filling and nourishing.
  » 1625 N Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85004
  
• Sprinkle’s Cupcakes
  Ever been to a spot that is so ridiculously trendy and hip that you almost have to stop yourself from saying, I shoulda thought of that, it’s so simple! Welcome to Sprinkles, home of gourmet cupcakes. The concept is like an ice cream parlor—think Cold Stone, only swap it out for cupcakes. People are in line for these delicacies. Imagine someone eating a cupcake with a spoon. Weird. I must admit to being a skeptic until I tried one for myself. Wow. A chocolate cupcake with marshmallow filling…these folks are on to something. Yum.
  » 4501 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
  

Stay

• Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch
  Luxurious is the word I use to describe this 492-room resort. It is a desert oasis. Water is everywhere: 28 water fountains, 47 waterfalls and ten swimming pools. Fire pits line the outdoor terrace area where I had my morning coffee watching the sunrise over the Sonoran Desert. It almost felt like camping, except that I had an awesome night’s rest in a comfortable bed. Look for the Hopi Learning Center within the resort and ask for a cool guy named Forrest whose real name is “Gray Rattlesnake.” He’ll show you around his authentic American Indian garden where he grows white, blue and red corn. My friend Patrick, a Phoenix local loves this resort. Waxing poetically after a few cocktails at the bar and bistro Alto, he said, “this place relaxes me. The minute I walk in the ambiance makes me feel so good. How is this place not great?” I agree. Life is good at Gainey Rancho.
  » 7500 East Doubletree Ranch Road, Scottsdale, Arizona 85258
• Hotel Valley Ho
  The evolution of cool is here at this hip hotel in downtown Scottsdale. Built in 1956 and renovated in 2005, this fab 194 room hotel is a testament to the 1950’s, a time of innocence in America’s history. Walking through the hotel grounds feels like stepping back in time, yet also into a Jetson’s style future. I feel like Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack are nearby. Visit this beloved area landmark if you want to be part of the prestigious Historic Hotels of America affiliation and sample one of the nation's best-preserved examples of mid-century architecture. So cool it’s hot.
  » 6850 E. Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
  

Play

• Heard Museum
  Since 1929, the Heard has educated visitors from around the world about the art and cultures of American Indians of the Southwest. With almost 40,000 artifacts and works of art in its permanent collection, an education center and award-winning Shop and café, the Heard is committed to being a place of learning, discovery and unforgettable experiences.
  » 2301 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004
  
• Phoenix Art Museum
  Phoenix Art Museum's Collection includes over 17,000 artworks in American, Asian, contemporary, European, Latin American, and Western American art, plus fashion design and the Thorne Miniature Rooms of historic interiors. The Museum also features an interactive "child-friendly, please touch!" gallery called ArtWorks. You can learn about the Collection through video presentation in the Museum's Orientation Theater. You may also create your own tour by using the audio guide. The Museum encompasses over 160,000 square feet, and approximately 1,000 works from the Collection are on view at any one time.
  » 1625 N Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85004
  
• Desert Botanical Garden
  The world’s largest collection of desert plants in a natural setting. An exquisite garden featuring thousands of thriving desert plants and wildflowers set throughout five thematic trails with more than 60 interactive exhibits.
  » 1201 N. Galvin Pkwy; Phœnix, AZ 85008
  

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