Traveling up Scottsdale Road, you see other major retailers like Crate & Barrel, restaurants like Cheesecake Factory, and several shopping plazas.  Although it might seem counterintuitive with Arizona’s months of extreme heat, most of the newer shopping locations are open air centers  where you travel outside from shop to shop.

A street in Kierland Commons

Banana Republic in Kierland Commons

Take Kierland Commons.  It is an extremely upscale shopping area that resembles a small city with multiple blocks of shops and restaurants.  Called a “mixed use” center, it also has some pricey places for people to reside (not just live, note, but “reside”) so they are just above or down the street from the retail locations of their choice.  Kierland Commons has retail establishments not found just anywhere like Restoration Hardware; Tommy Bahama’s Restaurant, Bar and Store;  7 for All Mankind; and other unique brands – plus a few people would know like White House/Black Market, Sur La Table, and Morton’s, the Steakhouse.  In other words, bring plastic and lots of it!

There are some even newer centers recovering from the economic boom that slowed down occupancy like the Scottsdale Quarter that was a sensation when H & M moved in with their trendy and reasonably priced fashion.  There is a large Apple Store and a unique Williams Sonoma Home.  We were surprised to walk in and find furnishings – couches and other furniture galore in room arrangements – instead of the kitchen gadgets and cookbooks we had expected.   The staff were obviously used to that reaction as they explained that their more traditional store was at Scottsdale Fashion Square.  Scottsdale Quarter bills itself as an “open air urban lifestyle center.”

H & M's trendy store in Scottsdale Quarter

Even the grocery store is not the ordinary convenience store married with catering.  The Oakville Grocery has high-end nibbles, a bakery, wine selections and a small deli with a few tables for someone who might like to grab something with friends.  A “coming soon” eatery is “True Food Kitchen” which is in the Phoenix Biltmore area and features regional sourced food and elegant presentations in a trendy, ultramodern eatery.

With all this talk of food, I’m getting hungry, so I’m off to make dinner.  Needless to say, I’ve barely touched on all of the shopping locations in Scottsdale Arizona.  However, next week I’ll be back to shamelessly promote my new book —–

Come back next week and I’ll share more as I’m just days away from launching – Hiking for the Couch Potato: A Guide for the Exercise Challenged. It is a humorous book suitable for gift-giving!  Get ready to join the community!

Horses and the Wild West are still very much part of Old Scottsdale

Get your cowboy on

Visit Old Town Scottsdale and you almost feel like you should be purchasing a cowboy hat and boots.  The theme is horses and the Wild West.  Native American shops also show some really gorgeous craft items from pottery to jewelry.

Even the street signs are western in Old Town

Next door to Old Town you’ll see 5^th Avenue Shops.  The streets remind you of Boca and Palm Beach with many small, unique shops and eateries that pride themselves on having the right vibes to attract the crowds of Scottsdale.

Fifth Avenue Shops

More shops in Fifth Avenue

Nearby, you’ll also find the several blocks of the Scottsdale Arts District, with galleries waiting to tout the newest artiste.

Hop in your vehicle and head up the road

Travel up Scottsdale Road and your “shop ‘til you drop adventure” really begins. Scottsdale’s Fashion Square is the location for Nordstrom’s, Anthropologie, an array of other stores, both on the street and inside the mall.

Marquis for Scottsdale Fashion Square

If you’ve never been in an Anthropologie, it is a very unusual store that features clothing, but also has dishes, cookbooks and other eclectic gadgets.  The floors are rough wood and some of the displays are hard to describe, so I won’t.  I didn’t dare take a photo, because I got the distinct feeling that it wouldn’t have been appreciated!  The owner/buyer, I read in an article, travels the world to find the items for the stores and he does snag some of the most unusual finds.

A courtyard at The Borgata

An arcade at The Borgata

Next up, several miles up the street, stop at The Borgata.  Fountains splashing and a courtyard that makes you want to explore all the nooks and crannies leads you to probably my favorite shop of the day: Two Plates Full.  A gift shop, Two Plates Full has a colorful array of gift items.  And, color is the operative word here!  Such a profusion of colorful gadgets, doodads and gift items is a joy!  My special favorites were the funny mugs equating the months of the year with Jewish food, like a Chinese calendar (the Year of the Ram, etc.) but with bagels, knishes, and the like! Hilarious! Cards, fused glass, woven items, pottery, you name it!  I had to restrain myself or I would have bought out the place.  Terri, the owner has a real eye for the special and irresistible.  Twoplatesfull.com

Two Plates Full - a great gift shop

(The above was an unpaid endorsement – I just viscerally loved that shop!)

Come back next week and we’ll finish our short shopping tour of Scottsdale.

Trendy Kazimierz World Wine Bar calls itself a speakeasy and has its entrance around the back!

On a recent visit, we saw the epitomy of Scottsdale: an obviously well-to-do 30s-ish shopper in a trendy grocery on her cell phone the entire time we were there, discussing a friend’s dating woes while she put things in her cart.  The items in that grocery weren’t the typical things you’d find in a Safeway or more “ordinary” grocery store and price was obviously no object.

For Divas & Dogs - Trendy shop in Scottsdale 5th Avenue Shop area

Another Scottsdale scene involved about five young women, outside a bridal shop.  They were very energetically discussing how the bride-to-be looked in the dress she had chosen.

Courtyard at Borghata shopping Center

If these two encounters are any indication, the recession is definitely over – at least in Scottsdale.

Scottsdale's Fashion Center at night

In the next few weeks, we’ll visit a new, world-class musical instrument museum, “MIM,” the Musical Instrument Museum in northern Scottsdale.  We also visit two restaurants, and show you some other shopping areas in trendy, upscale Scottsdale.

A Bat Khine - gong chime from Thailand in the Musical Instrument Museum

Next week:  Everything from Eric Clapton’s guitar to how to build a piano to the wildest instruments you’ve ever seen!

Scottsdale has every imaginable food opportunity in both chain and unique restaurants.  Today, we’ll feature two unique restaurants catering to two different culinary inspirations.

First, Cowboy Ciao…

Named whimsically because the “ciao” is not like the chow the cowboys ate by any means, Cowboy Ciao is a unique restaurant that offers your taste buds a chance to luxuriate in really fabulous food.  We’ve eaten at Cowboy Ciao twice.  With all of the many restaurants in Phoenix and Scottsdale, the fact that I had to go back tells you something.

The décor is funky, the vibe is welcoming (Eric greeted us most graciously) and the food is creative, eye-appealing and delectable.  On my first visit, I tried their signature mushroom dish, which can be either an appetizer or a main dish.  If I could just eat their mushroom dish at least once a week, I think I’d be happy for life!

Funky decor adds zip to Cowboy Ciao's dining experience

Seriously, the mixture of many mushrooms served in a rich ancho cream sauce is just so delicious – well, I’m hooked!  The mushrooms are served over polenta and it is a richness of taste, texture and flavor.  On top, a grilled Portobello makes it perfect with pieces of avocado for color and additional richness.

We also tried their “Stetson chopped,” a salad that comes with striped segments of smoked salmon, couscous, arugula, pesto buttermilk dressing and other amazing touches.  With Sylvia offering to mix the ingredients at our table, we figured we’d see what the salad was supposed to be like.  As we shared the dish, my husband and I were careful to take turns not to be greedy.  Flavor, crunchy, sweet, tangy – I guess I could make a meal out of the salad as well.

My husband ordered a Wagyu beef burger – that special, lean beef cultivated in Japan.  His grilled burger was served on a knotted challah roll, buttered lightly on the inside.  The flavors were just right and cooked medium rare, just as they promised.

Peanut butter brownie liked you've never tasted!

The artistry with food continued to dessert.  They have recently updated their dessert choices and the chocolate chip cookies with bacon I was excited to try were not available.  Instead, we shared a rich peanut butter brownie.  It was not just a plain peanut butter brownie, but complex with layers including a crunchy chocolate layer on top.  The base reminded me more of cheesecake with a light peanut taste and the ice cream on the side had a slight hint of banana with bourbon and chocolate sauce. Plus, they added a rich, chocolate peanut butter truffle on top.  They may use these same flavors (except for bananas and bourbon) in Reese’s pieces, but for sheer sweetness and creativity, you can’t top this dessert. –

Unless, of course, you try one of their other inventive desserts like their “Breakfast of Champions” (frosted flake ice cream with amaretto caramel and candied smoked almonds), or Bread Pudding that I imagine has nothing in common with the heavy bread puddings most restaurants serve.  (There’s a brioche at its center with dried cherries, craisins, pine nuts and a compote of more on top with praline sauce.)

Uniqueness extends to the restrooms – men’s being “Dino,” women’s named “Gina” – I had to ask.  The mural in the restroom stopped me in my tracks – I had to run back for my camera.

Mural in "Gina" - the restroom

So, given any restaurant to return to, you can see why it had to be Cowboy Ciao.  Is this an endorsement?  Absolutely!

We went early at Sunday lunch hour and it was almost empty, but evenings really hop. See the recipe they were kind enough to share for the Stetson Salad at the end of this column.

http://www.cowboyciao.com/

Next…Green

It may not be easy being Green, but the restaurant does a great job and is the answer to where to go if you’re trying to avoid meat and actually eat something other than just the one choice on a menu that most restaurants offer. (Whew, that was a long sentence!)

Green is in a non-descript strip mall on Scottsdale Road.  The décor is hippy-modern with old car doors lining one wall, an inspirational message spanning two walls and utilitarian décor plus a couch for seating.

You order at the counter and the staff brings your food to you.  And, what great food!  Knowing that there is no meat is almost superfluous.  Everything tastes great and is not really imitations of “real food,” it is great food in its own right.

Starting with samosas, little triangles of flaky pastry with vegetables inside, I definitely wanted to eat more.  We also tried “crab” cheese puffs that were properly crunch with creamy “cheese” inside.  Great start!

Then, on to barbecued “chicken” that had the right degree of chewy with a sweet barbecue sauce including onions -rich, filling and good even off the bread.  (I was avoiding carbs and they even have gluten free offerings for those who have that need.)

We also had a “meatball” sandwich, which had a light saucy “cheese” on top.  You could not tell that they were not made with meat.

Of the menu items we tried, my favorite was the samosas, that weren’t trying to be anything except what they were.  They were great and the other menu offerings sounded really good from rice dishes to pasta, po’boys and more.

The staff are ingratiating and offer real smiles and don’t condescend to newcomers who don’t understand the offerings.  They’ll explain and adapt things to your likes (no bread, no peppers, no problem).

The “New American Vegetarian” food works.  So, if you’re in the neighborhood, give it a try!  They’re open Monday-Saturday, 11:00 AM-9:00 PM.

http://greenvegetarian.com/

RECIPE -

courtesy of Cowboy Ciao

STETSON CHOPPED SALAD

Israeli or “pearl” couscous (cooked) – 2 oz.

Arugula – chopped – 2 oz.

Roma tomatoes – diced – 2 oz

Smoked salmon – chopped small – 1 ½ oz.

Asiago cheese – ½ oz.

Pepitas – ½ oz.

Black currants – ½ oz.

Super sweet dried corn – 1 oz.

Pesto Buttermilk dressing

Pesto – ½ cup

Shallot- rough chop – 1

Aioli – 1 cup

Buttermilk – 1 cup

Coarse black pepper – 1/2 tsp

½ lemon, juice only

Salt & Pepper to taste

To make pesto dressing : Add first three ingredients to food processer and blend thoroughly. Keep motor running and add remaining pesto dressing ingredients to combine. Store in refrigerator.

Serve by making stripes of the solid salad ingredients on a plate. Offer the dressing to pour over to taste.  Mix all of the ingredients.

NEXT WEEK: Tucson!

Camelback Inn

A five-diamond AAA property, the impeccable landscaping – desert-acclimated, of course – the warm greeting by the valet service (even if you are not leaving a car) and the casitas spread out over the landscape signal that you have arrived.  Since I stayed at the Camelback, the Marriott property has undergone a renovation, but the property still looks like a true depiction of the southwest.

Camelback Inn

Be aware, even with recession-reduced rates, a one-night stay is not “cheap.”  But, what you receive is a first-rate experience. The amenities have been upgraded since I stayed at the Camelback in the early 2000s. There are many room options with pricing beginning at approximately $200 per night and continuing upward.  (And I recall rates being in the $300-500 range when we stayed in 2001, so these are bargains.)

Internet is available in every room (fee), but the kitchen amenities are upgraded.  A microwave is included, but sometimes there is a full refrigerator and regular oven.  

The photos online show vibrant décor – ours was more muted when we stayed – but with the same hacienda-style accommodations that made us feel at home. The rooms are spacious.  We stayed in a “casita,” which is almost like having your own little home.  Ours was attached to only one other guest casita, so privacy was enhanced.

Casita at Camelback Inn

So, put aside your concerns about rates and revel in the experience.  You could literally stay here and never go anywhere else until ready to leave on your airplane.  Golf, spas, six restaurants, and trails are on the property with additional amenities within a few miles.  The expanded conference center ensures that there will be many people, but the property is spread out over many acres, so you don’t feel crowded.

When I visited, my conference held an event at “Mummy Mountain,” an old west location onsite with old west storefronts and other evocative western props.  It’s a fun place to hang out and is used for everything from convention events to weddings. 

Mummy Mountain - the "Wild West" at Camelback Inn

One of the restaurants is an upscale steak restaurant, BLT Steak, located in almost a dozen major US cities.

Arizona has an abundance of upscale resorts.  Camelback is one I know of and can recommend.

http://www.camelbackinn.com/

Hotel Valley Ho

A venerable hotel that has also undergone a renovation, the Valley Ho is located nearer to the heart of Scottsdale.  First opened in the 1950s, Valley Ho was the place to stay back then with celebrities making it their resort of choice.   

Hotel Valley Ho with trolley

After seeing hard times, the hotel was renovated in 2005.  Décor is now very modern crossed with some of its ‘50s vibes.  The modernized bathrooms are worthy of a modern art museum, and some tubs are, surprisingly, planted in the middle of rooms!

Trader Vic’s and Café Zuzu provide upscale dining experiences.  Trader Vic’s offers a Polynesian/Asian aesthetic with wood-fired oven dishes, wok offerings, curries, and other exotic menu items plus upscale variation of wonton soup and the like.

Café Zuzu is a more “comfort food” style restaurant with special touches serving everything from meatloaf to filet mignon, plus burgers, mac and cheese, vegetarian offerings and seafood.  The vibe is for a younger crowd.

Hotel amenities include a spa, pool, and the nearness to Scottsdale shopping. Rated four-diamond by AAA, it is a fun, convenient place to stay.

http://www.hotelvalleyho.com/

Let’s go shopping!Starting in Old Town Scottsdale, you get a feel for Scottsdale of the old west.  There are stores where you can buy boots, especially cowboy boots.  Even the street signs reflect the old city.

In Old Town Scottsdale, even the street signs have cowboy boots!

Hop on the trolley (it’s a modern bus) any day of the week except for major holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day, Memorial Day, July 4^th, Labor Day) and ride for free between several major Scottsdale shopping areas.

Yes, I did say free! 

If you’re into art, Scottsdale has an entire district that has art.  You’ll see large statues – especially lots of horses looking fierce – outside the shops.  Jewelry, original art and the artistic sensibility are everywhere.

Next, you can pop over to the “5th Avenue Shops” and browse in a Spanish modern style.  Fountains and adobe greet you with boutique shops.  (Later this week, we’ll tell you about a fantastic, unique restaurant in that area.)

Scottsdale Fifth Avenue area

For more Boca-style shopping, hop back on the trolley and head to the Scottsdale Fashion Square.  Imposing and high fashion, you’ll find big names from A (Abercrombie & Fitch and many others) to Z (Z Tejas Grill– a Southwest fusion restaurant).  If you’re looking for the names, this is where you’ll find them.

Scottsdale Fashion Square - archway

Near Scottsdale Fashion Square is the even newer Waterfront area.  New shops, eclectic dining and high rise homes form a very modern contrast to the older area of Scottsdale.  Talk about a juxtaposition of old with new, there is a statue in tribute to the Hashknife Pony Express, that took a route right in the waterfront’s vicinity. 

Scottsdale Waterfront

Every year, the Pony Express still rides!  It’s an exhausting experience, but some intrepid riders and horses still make the handoff of mail for the US Postal Service, the only group commissioned by the USPS to deliver the mail by horse.  I’ve been at the Scottsdale Post Office when the riders arrived.  It is a punishing marathon that tests riders and horses in very difficult weather and conditions.

Statue commemorating Hashknife Pony Express riders

If you haven’t shopped yourself and your plastic to exhaustion, you can head up Scottsdale Road for even more shopping.  There’s Kierland Commons (H & M across the street) with upscale shops (Coach, Anthropologie, Restoration Hardware and more) spread out over a number of blocks like a small, modern neighborhood. 

You’ll find almost everything you’ve ever wanted in shopping during your stay in Scottsdale. If you “moseyed” up the road – Scottsdale Road – for a few miles and did not find what you were seeking in shopping, well, obviously, you were not really into shopping.

So, naturally, if you still have any resources, you’ll want to take a break. 

Tomorrow, we’ll detour south to a casino in Maricopa, Arizona – where?  Well, last week we already featured the Casino Arizona in Scottsdale’s vicinity, so we’re going to head south to Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino.  It’s south of Phoenix near Interstate 10.  You can hop a bus there, too, if you like.

Scottsdale upscale and elegant

A bus stop in Scottsdale - with a cowboy theme

Now, if you’re just visiting Scottsdale for a vacation or conference, that’s another thing.  Scottsdale has some fun diversions and great ways to relax and enjoy our wonderful climate.  Now, if you don’t enjoy really hot (I know, they say, “ but it’s dry heat!”) weather, visiting in June, July and August can be a challenge. But, the dryness really does make the heat more bearable.

In December after living in Arizona for years, I’m finding the 60-ish degree (Fahrenheit) weather chilly.  When I lived in New York, I thought 60 was balmy after the cold of winter and would walk around in shirtsleeves.  It’s all relative – go figure!

Arriving and shopping in Scottsdale

You won’t instantly see the difference between Phoenix and Scottsdale until you hit the “downtown.”  The cachet of a Scottsdale address means that stores that are not an Arizona fixture will locate in Scottsdale. 

Scottsdale has a Nordstrom, Macy’s and most other major brands.  Traveling up the length of Scottsdale Road for miles, retailers are major lures to anyone who loves shopping.   There are national names like Crate & Barrel (I know they’re online, but they actually have a store in Scottsdale!), Barney’s NY, Abercrombie & Fitch, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters – the list goes on.

H & M - trendy new retailer in Scottsdale

Take the new, trendy transplant H & M that started in Sweden and is now located in 35 markets with 1,800 stores.  When H & M opened on November 4 in Scottsdale, people camped out in line for hours waiting to see the reasonably priced fashion.  They were not disappointed.  The very fashion-forward retailer has adult’s and children’s clothing and accessories – and I didn’t see one item for more than $49.95!  Indeed, most items were less than $30.  For instance, a frilly little girl’s party dress was $24.95. 

However, they seem to have sold much of their merchandise in the larger women’s sizes and there were not many offerings in sizes above a 10.  One of the staffers told me that they carry sizes through 16, but that they had sold out a lot with the holidays. 

I would have taken photos, but a staff person stopped me inside the door and told me that I couldn’t take photos.   There certainly is a very energetic vibe in the store, which carries over to their Web site.  Like a sci-fi movie, part of their Web site has clothing coming at you in a 3-D mode.  When you click on an item it comes up with all of the details.  H & M is impressive.

http://www.hm.com/us/

Tomorrow… More shopping in Scottsdale

As I mentioned last week, the newest and largest in the casino business often has only a fleeting chance to be on top of the heap.  Currently in its final construction phases is the soon to open Talking Stick Resort just east of Scottsdale.

East of I-101 is the Salt River Pima – Maricopa Indian Community.  Up to this point they have opened two Casino Arizona properties (the oldest currently next to the Talking Stick Resort).  Within minutes of Old Town Scottsdale, unique shopping, and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, the Talking Stick Resort property is bound to be a mecca for high rollers … did I mention Scottsdale?

Access to the property is simple with easy on-off exits at I-101 and Indian Bend Road.  The property is located 1 mile east and easily visible from the highway.

Talking Stick Resort - under construction

Current specs for the property include:

- 497 room, 15-story luxury hotel

- 240,000 sq. ft. casino floor (poker, table games, slots, keno)

- 900+ Vegas-style slot machines

- 100,000 sq. ft. of meeting space (indoor/outdoor)

- 750-seat showroom

- 8 restaurants (including fine dining on the15^th floor)

- 10+ night clubs/lounges

- 2, 18-hole golf course managed by internationally recognized Troon Golf, LLC

- 13,000 sq. ft. spa (massage/fitness center, etc.)

- 2 parking garages

As with its sister casino several miles south, the showroom will feature “tribute shows” rather than nationally known entertainment.

Current rates are not available, although reservations will be accepted starting January 1, 2010.

Talking Stick Resort looks to be a major destination in the East Valley of the Phoenix area.

As soon as the property opens, we will update our blog.

www.talkingstickresort.com

www.talkingstickgolfclub.com

www.casinoarizona.com