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Where to Eat in Scottsdale

Things To Do in Scottsdale – April 2018

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– Scottsdale Events April 2018 –

Downtown Scottsdale AZ GalleriesScottsdale’s high season events are still underway and there are a lot of fun things planned for April, including a lot of food-related events! Here is a list of some things going on in and around Scottsdale.

  • Arizona Wine and Dine – April 5th – Head on over to Scottsdale Quarter to experience this annual event. Food from the area’s top hotels and resorts will be served and there will be drinks, live music, socializing and more.
  • Golden Palette Scottsdale ArtWalk – April 5th – This special edition of the ArtWalk in Old Town Scottsdale is called “A Taste of Scottsdale: Eat Drink and Art.” It will run from 6:30PM to 9PM.
  • Phoenix Film Festival – April 5th – April 15th – The Phoenix Film festival will kick off this year’s event with a party on April 5th. Then, for the next ten days, films of all lengths from all genres and from all over the globe will be screened at the Harkins Scottsdale 101.
  • Uncorked Wine Festival – April 7th – Salt River Fields will be hosting this afternoon event featuring over 50 wineries and over 100 wines from all over the globe. Food will be available for purchase as well. (Over 21 only.)
  • Arizona Bike Week – April 11 – April 15th – Arizona Bike Week will be taking over WestWorld of Scottsdale in April. Besides the bikes, there will be flat track racing, several concerts, (including ZZ Top) and so much more.
  • Scottsdale Culinary Festival- April 14th – April 15th – This is the 40th anniversary of this great festival at the Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza. Food offerings include BBQ, American, Latin,  Asian, European and more. An Everclear and Eve6 concert will take place on Saturday.
  • Nirvana Food & Wine Festival – April 19th – April 22nd – The Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain is home to this event again which features lots of food and drink-centered events, including the “Rosé Parte”, wine dinners and a Tortillas and Tequila event. High-profile celebrity chefs, local chefs and celebrities will be in hosting and in attendance.
  • Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market – April 27th – April 29th – Come find special treasures and this vintage flea market event. Taking place at WestWorld, there will be over 100 vendors.

As always, this is only a small number of things going on in and around Scottsdale in April. Please feel free to add other events in the comment section.

Where to Eat in Scottsdale – Wally’s Gastropub

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We recently had the chance to visit Wally’s Gastropub for lunch and had a wonderful lunch.

Located in Gainey Ranch, Wally’s enjoys a nice, central location. The interior features a lot of wood and holds true to the pub design. To the right was a large patio, that was enclosed for the cooler weather.

Our server could not have been nicer and walked us through the customers’ favorites on the menu. We were in the mood to try a few things, so we opted to order from the appetizer menu.

We can never resist a pretzel/cheese combination as a starter and jumped right in. Wally’s Pretzel and Asiago Fondue comes with small pretzel loafs that have been sliced and an asiago cheese dip that has tomato relish and a hint of chipotle. It was delicious and we fought over who got to finish it.

From there, we shared the Ocean Mist Artichokes. The artichokes come grilled and are served with a tasty remoulade dipping sauce. There were three large halves of artichokes, so sharing was easy.

The final thing we tried was the Peel N’ Eat Shrimp. You can order six or twelve and they come well-seasoned with Old Bay and are served with a traditional cocktail sauce as well as remoulade.

This was only a fraction of the menu. They have a large number of salads and sandwiches they offer as well as a selection of handmade pastas. They also have a section called “Dad’s Favorites” that has more traditional comfort food like meatloaf, fish and chips and rib roast. After 5PM, they add some additional entrees like salmon and prime rib.

We do want to come back and try their Happiest Hour Specials. Every day from 3PM to 6PM, they offer drink specials and great pricing on food items including the pretzels and shrimp we had, plus other offerings like sliders, a burger, grilled cheese and tomato soup and tacos.

We really enjoyed our meal at Wally’s Gastropub and look forward to visiting it many more times.

More Information: 
Wally’s Gastropub
7704 E Doubletree Ranch Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
(480) 596-7978
Hours – Open daily from 11AM – 9PM

P.S. Wally’s is part of the restaurant family that includes Twisted Grove and Grassroots.

Things to Do in Scottsdale – October 2017

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– Scottsdale Events October 2017 –

October is here and temperatures should be coming down as the month progresses. Here is a collection of events going on in and around Scottsdale over the next month.

  • Fall Concert Series at Scottsdale Quarter – Saturdays – These free concerts take place every Saturday from 5PM to 7PM at the Quad.
  • Fashionably Pink Fashion Show – October 5th – Talking Stick will kick off Phoenix Fashion week by hosting the Fashionably Pink Fashion Show this year, benefiting Check for a Lump. Fashions will be modeled by celebrities and survivors alike. Live music, a cocktail reception and a red carpet experience will round things out.
  • Dinosaurs in the Desert – October 6th – April 30th – The Phoenix Zoo will be debuting its Dinosaurs in the Desert exhibition. Twenty-three prehistoric creatures will be on display with plenty of educational opportunities.
  • Mac and Cheese Festival – October 7th – Love Mac and Cheese? Then you are going to love this event! The first annual Mac and Cheese Festival will be held at the Scottsdale Waterfront. Taste all different kinds of Mac and Cheese and watch local chefs demonstrate.
  • MDA Taste of the Town – October 13th – This wonderful event benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association will feature food from top restaurants, drinks, live music and auction and so much more. The event will be held at Scottsdale Quarter.
  • The Arizona Taco Festival – October 14th – Taco fans, rejoice! The Taco Festival is back! Sample tacos from all over the state, see who wins the top taco awards, listen to live music and let the kids play in the kids zone. It should be a fantastic day!
  • Rendez-Zoo – October 14th – This annual fundraising event for the Phoenix Zoo will feature a prehistoric theme. Eat, drink and dance as you explore the zoo at night.
  • Cooks and Corks – October 20th – The Four Seasons Scottsdale will host this event that benefits the Scottsdale League for the Arts.
  • Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Family Day – October 21st – Families will be admitted free from noon to 4PM to explore and create.
  • Gelato Festival – October 27th – Come learn all about and sample delicious gelato at the Gelato Festival taking place at Kierland Commons.

Scottsdale AZ Art Sculpture

Looking Forward: 

  • 7th Annual Polo Party – November 11th – 12th – The Polo Party is back and bigger than ever. This year, there are two days of events, including exciting polo matches, a performance by the Phoenix Opera, a canine couture show, a preview of sleek cars from Barrett Jackson, and more.

As always, this is just a partial list. Feel free to add any other events in the comments section.

 

Disclaimer: Events and locations subject to change.

Things to Do in Scottsdale – September 2017

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– Scottsdale Events September 2017 –

Scottsdale events Desert Botanical GardenSeptember is around the corner and with it comes many new events and happenings in and around Scottsdale. Here are a few of the ones we wanted to highlight:

  • Phoenix Cooks – September 2nd – Head on over to the Westin Kierland resort for this fun day of food and drink. Sample tastes from over thirty local restaurants and listen to many local radio personalities as they entertain you throughout the day. Proceeds benefit the Special Olympics.
  • Winemaker Luncheon at FnB – September 2nd – The final winemaker luncheon event of the season wraps with Lightning Ridge winery. Come enjoy a three-course lunch as your taste Lightning Ridge wines and interact with the winemaker.
  • Flashlight Tours at the Desert Botanical Garden – September 2nd – The final Flashlight Tour of the season will take place on the 2nd. Come explore the desert at night and look for the nocturnal animals to appear. Don’t forget your flashlight!
  • Mamma Mia – September 6th – October 15th – This popular musical is back and will be performed at the Phoenix Theater in Phoenix. Enjoy many of Abba’s top hits as you follow along with this story of love and friendship.
  • Marvel Universe Live – Age of Heroes – September 8th -10th – Marvel fans young and old will be drawn into the battle of the Marvel Heroes battling evil forces in this exciting show at the Talking Stick Resort.
  • Pickin’ in the Pines – September 15th – 17th – Head on up to Flagstaff for this wonderful bluegrass and acoustic festival. In addition to live performances, there will be workshops and children’s activities. This one is one we have enjoyed several times before and is worth the trip north.
  • Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market – September 15th – 17th – Junk in the Trunk returns to WestWorld for another fun weekend of thrift and craft shopping.
  • Arizona Restaurant Week – September 15th – 24th – The Fall edition of restaurant week returns on the 15th. Restaurant week is a fantastic way to try new restaurants and/or visit your favorites while enjoying a great food at great prices. Visit the link to see which restaurants are participating.
  • The Rennard Strickland Collection of Western Film History – September 24th – Fans of Western films will not want to miss this collection and exhibition coming to Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. The kickoff celebration is on September 24th and a RSVP is required.

As always, please feel free to add any other September 2017 events in Scottsdale in the comments section!

 

Where to Eat in Scottsdale: Tomaso’s When in Rome

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– Scottsdale Dining at Tomaso’s When in Rome –

North Scottsdale has a new dining option that comes with a long history in the Valley. Tomaso’s, the Camelback institution for high-end Italian dining that has been in operation since 1977, now has a sister restaurant further north.

Located on Scottsdale Road, just north of Pinnacle Peak, Tomaso’s When in Rome opened over the summer. The space itself is open and is decorated with scenes of Rome and columns throughout. The staff is very friendly and accommodating.

We started with an order of the Frittura di Calamari (Fried Calamari), which was excellent and we really enjoyed the flavorful accompanying red sauce.

For entrees, we opted for pasta and fish. The first pasta was a Linguine con Vongole, which was a generous serving of linguine with steamed clams in the shell. The other pasta was a traditional Fettucini alls Carbonara. It was another generous serving and was delicious.

The final entrée we ordered was Salmon with Lemon Caper Butter Sauce. The pan seared salmon paired beautifully with the lemony sauce. It was served with vegetables and a tasty potato cake.

The wine list was varied and had lots of excellent options at all price points.

There were plenty more items on the menu that we wanted to try and plan to do so over our next few visits.

And, if you are looking for something lighter, Tomaso’s When in Rome offers an All Day Happy Hour at the bar. In addition to $7 per glass wine specials and discounted cocktails and beers, there is also a great bar menu offering things like Bruschetta, a few types of pasta, meatballs and more.

 

More Information:
Tomaso’s When in Rome
23655 N Scottsdale Rd, Suite 120
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
(480) 404-6085
Website

Open for Lunch Monday through Friday  – 11:30AM – 4PM
Open Daily for Dinner  – 4PM – 10PM
All Day Happy Hour at the Bar

Where to Eat in Scottsdale: Breakfast at Hash Kitchen

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– Hash Kitchen – Decadent and Delicious Breakfasts –

Oreo Cookie Pancakes

We had visited Hash Kitchen last year and noted kids (and adults!) would love some of the more decadent breakfast choices on the menu.

With grandkids in tow last weekend, we finally got to see and taste some of those items. (We appreciated the suggestion to do half portions for the little ones! Even then the portions were quite generous.)

One of the orders was for Oreo Cookie Pancakes, which are chocolate pancakes layered with Oreo cream and crushed Oreos. These got a resounding thumbs up from the first grandkid.

S’mores French Toast

 

The other grandkid ordered the S’mores French Toast. What she got was a large slice of graham cracker French toast brioche accompanied with Nutella and marshmallow fluff. This was another big hit.

Cannoli Donuts

We also tried one other decadent choice from the Craft Starters section of the menu and went with the Cannoli Donuts. Made to order, these freshly fried donuts came with cinnamon sugar and a cannoli cream. Another great pick!

Of course, there are plenty of other great menu choices that are not quite as decadent. You can start your day with Oatmeal or a Fruit Parfait. If you are an egg lover, there is a long list of Scramblers, Hashes and Fritattas to choose from, not to mention the always popular Eggs Benedict offered many ways. And, if you are not in the mood for breakfast, they have many salad and sandwich offerings as well.

Bloody Mary fan? Hash Kitchen has one of the most extensive make-your-own Bloody Mary bars I have ever seen.

 

More Information:
Hash Kitchen
Gainey Village – 8777 North Scottsdale Road | 480-947-3214
North Scottsdale – 14838 North Frank Lloyd Wright | 480-361-5228
Website
– Open daily from 7AM to 3PM
– Arcadia and Chandler locations coming soon

 

Disclaimer: Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Where to Eat in Scottsdale: FnB

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– FnB – Old Town Scottsdale Dining –

FnB has been somewhere that I have wanted to go for a very long time, but for some reason, never got a chance to. It has won dozens of accolades, including multiple nominations from the James Beard Foundation and continues to be one of Scottsdale’s top restaurants.

FNB Scottsdale diningI finally got my wish and was able to have dinner there a few weeks ago.

Most of the menu is a selection of smaller, shareable plates. There are also a few entrees offered, but we were interested in trying as many of the smaller plates as we could. Each of the dishes was great and there were so many flavors to choose from.

We went pretty heavy on the vegetable dishes and started with the Brussels Sprouts with Fish Sauce and Cashews, Chilled Snap Peas with Yogurt, Tarragon and Meyer Lemon plus Roasted Asparagus with Crispy Farro and Roasted Carrots with Harissa Mayo. All of these were fantastic and flavorful.

Another vegetable dish was something I had never tried before. It was  Farcous with Labne and Greens (see photo). Farcous is a type of pancake or thick crepe traditionally made with Swiss chard. I cannot remember if our pancake was made with chard or another type of green, but it was unique and very tasty.

FNB Old Town ScottsdaleWe also tried a few other dishes. First was a double order of the Peruvian Chicken Spring Rolls. They were crispy and full of flavor and disappeared quickly. We also had Pickled Shrimp with Fennel and Lemon on Buttered Saltines, which was another creative and tasty dish.

For our final item, we went with an entree which was the Duck Confit Pasta with Fava Beans, Basil and Pecorino. I do not usually eat a lot of pasta, but this was very much worth it. The pasta was so fresh and the duck confit was very flavorful without being heavy. Another great dish!

FnB’s menu changes all of the time depending on what is in season, so some of these items may not be available if you go, but I have no doubt you will find equally delicious dishes in their place.

FnB Scottsdale Wine ProgramOn another note, FnB has been also recognized by the James Beard Foundation for their Wine Program. What is fascinating is that all of the wines are from Arizona and New Mexico.  On the night we were there, we got to try two different Arizona wines including Chateau Tumbleweed’s ‘The Descendants’ white and a Los Milics Hannah’s white. Not only were they great to drink, they were very reasonably priced.

After dining at FnB, it is clear why it recceives so many accolades!

 

More Information:
FnB
7125 East 5th Avenue #31
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 284-4777
Website

 

Where to Eat in Scottsdale: Poke Spot

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– Poke Spot in North Scottsdale –

Poke has quickly become a food phenomenon in Scottsdale and around the Valley. Hailing originally from Hawaii, this dish traditionally features cubed marinated raw tuna or octopus and is served over rice with several toppings, like sesame seeds, soy sauce, onions, wasabi and more.

In the Valley, new poke places keep opening to rave reviews. Last week, I finally got the chance to stop into Poke Spot and try out this tasty meal for myself.

Poke Spot is located in the Grayhawk Shopping Plaza on the Grayhawk Drive side, next to the former Cold Beers and Cheeseburgers, now Parma. It is an open, modern and airy space and the folks who work there are very friendly and helpful.

Diners have several choices of what direction they want to go with their poke creations as there are many choices for the bases, the “scoops,” the sauces and the toppings. When you order, you walk down the assembly line making your selections.

For the base of your poke bowl, you can choose white or brown rice, mixed greens, soba noodles (additional) or you can do a half-and-half combo, like rice and salad.

The scoops are where you add the poke or your choice of protein. Most people choose the Primo (two scoop) option and there is also the Big Kahuna that comes with three scoops. You can choose from tuna, salmon, scallops, spicy tuna, tofu, shrimp or octopus (tako.) I selected the spicy tuna and the salmon. The server then took the salmon and asked if he could add some sauce to it and walked me through the options. I chose the traditional house poke sauce and he customized the level of heat for me. My companion had the shrimp and the sesame ginger tofu. For the shrimp, he went through the same process for a sauce and she selected the creamy spicy, (which was delicious!)

There are quite a few sauces to choose from, including the house regular and house spicy, creamy spicy, sesame miso onion as well as a few others.

The final step was to choose the toppings. Again, there were a lot to choose from furikake (made from dried fish, seaweed, salt, sesame and other items), ginger, edamame, seaweed salad (additional), jalapenos, cucumbers, sprouts and much more.

From there, your poke creation is complete. For drinks, Poke Spot has a good selection of Hawaiian beverages like Aloha Maid and Wailua Hawaiian Soda. They also have a soda fountain and bottled water.

We really enjoyed our meals. They were fresh and healthy, but filling. Poke Spot is going to be my go-to spot for poke going forward.

MORE INFORMATION:
Poke Spot
20831 N Scottsdale Rd., Suite 115
Scottsdale, Arizona, AZ 85255
(480) 907-7053
Facebook Page
– Open Monday – Saturday 11AM – 9PM

 

Disclaimer: Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

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