Good ol’ Valley of the Sun! Here is a recap from a trip to Arizona in February. Arizona was a fun time visiting friends, embarking on a food tour, obtaining lots of food inspiration and plenty of pretty sunsets.
Phoenix was a great city to visit. I traveled there recently to escape the cold and visit some dear friends. This was my third time visiting. There’s so much to do there. It’s a fun experience every time. If you want to visit a place with plenty of eateries, things to do and see. Arizona is the place to be during January and February.
Phoenix is fun to explore. They have few places you can visit. Some sightseeing highlights include:
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s, Taliesin West
- Desert Botanical Garden
- Street art on Roosevelt Row
- Food Tour in Scottsdale or Downtown Phoenix
- Japanese Friendship Garden
- Heritage Square/Rosson House
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Native Trails
- ‘LOVE’ sculpture in Scottsdale
- Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
- Phoenix Zoo
Phoenix has some of the best eateries that have inspired some of my recipes. Arizona is known for their tacos, Southwestern flavor and traditional Mexican dishes. They go beyond and offer everyone all kinds of options to try.
If you’re hanging out in Scottsdale, try a food tour. Highly recommended because you not only get introduced to the most amazing restaurants in the area but you also avoid the tourist traps. My friend Heather and I did the Scottsdale Trolley Food Tour. The itinerary included five restaurants from pizzas to desserts. Here are the places we visited:
- Barrio Queen
- Classic Cakes & Confections
- Cornish Pasty Co. (meat pies, not desserts)
- Craft 64
- Sugar & ‘Spro
- TeaTime Scottsdale
Food tour highlight was this delicious chocolate morsel in my hand below. It came from a place called Sugar & ‘Spro. This award-winning chocolate is called ‘Modena Summer’. It’s dark chocolate with strawberry and balsamic vinegar coated with a candy outer shell. It won silver in a worldwide chocolate competition. Absolutely delicious and melts in your mouth within seconds. It was quite the experience.
Phoenix has a good variety of restaurants. I suggest you check out TripAdvisor or Yelp for recommendations.
Every state, city and country has their signature foods that contributes to its culture. Here are some famous food staples for Arizona:
- Chimichangas
- Sonoran Hot Dogs
- Ranch Fries
- Brick-oven Pizza (from Pizzaeria Bianco)
- Tacos
- Cowboy Steak
- Carne Seca Plate
- Tostiverduras
- Pico de Gallo Fruit Cup
- Native American Fry Bread Tacos
- Gingerbread Pig
- Elotes (Grilled Corn on the Cob)
- Prickly Pear Margarita
Every time I visit Phoenix, I usually leave with more creative ideas to develop some new recipes. Don’t be surprised if you see some new ones pop-up on the blog. I’m looking forward to sharing with what I have in store for you all.
Towards the end of the trip I had the opportunity to visit two LDS Temples. Gorgeous places. If you have a chance to visit the grounds, go and soak in the peaceful nature there. The architectural details are amazing too.
Overall, if you have a chance to visit Phoenix, take full advantage of it. You will love the Southwestern spirit, amazing food and gorgeous sunsets. Definitely can’t go wrong with a visit to the Valley of the Sun.
