Going to Scottsdale & Tuscon
 

From Canada going on our first trip to Arizona. We'll be spending 4 days in Scottsdale and 3 days in Tucson. Not concered about find good golf :o) but if I could get some great restaurant recommendations for both places for dinner out and possibly other acitivities that we should miss doing or seeing? Really want to take in the area....

Thank you

When are you doing this trip? If it's during the summer it will be HOT .. and don't believe all that "dry heat" stuff. I live in Tucson, anything over 100 is pretty darn hot and you can get temps well over 105 and upwards. Outdoor activities are really rather limited and that goes for golf too.

Soleil is a very nice restuarant in the Foothills area of Tucson with lovely views out over the city. Cafe Poca Cosa is an absolutely terrific Mexican (but not typical enchalida/taco stuff) restuarant downtown. Cafe Terra Cotta is also very nice (in the Foothills area) again with good views of the city. Tucson is pretty spread out so it might depend on where you stay where you want to go for dinner. Just about every chain on the planet (or so it seems) has a restuarant here but if you don't have PF Chang's in your town then I'd say give it a whirl - it's at River & Campbell and it's also a big favorite with locals.

As for sights - Sabino Canyon is pretty much a favorite of locals and tourists alike. You might want to take a short drive down I-19 to San Xavier mission ("White Dove of the Desert") as it is lovely. To get out of the heat a drive up Mt. Lemmon is nice, but it does take a while as the road has alot of curves. Temps are about 30 degrees cooler up there amongst the pine trees.

As I said, outside activities are really limited in the summer so prepare yourself for that limitation. Scottsdale has lots of good shopping and if you are looking for an outlet mall Arizona Mills at I-10 and Baseline Rd. is very large (and indoors).

Have fun.

I like Elements at Sanctuary on Camelback for a nice dinner with great views of Camelback. I suggest you find out when sunset will be (you can google "sunrise, sunset" to get some websites that will give you the time) and make your reservation coincide with sunset. Spectacular.

I love Greasewood Flat for a country western night outside in the desert. Picnic tables, beer and cheeseburgers, firepits made out of oil drums surrounding the dance floor(to roast marshmallows), and a one man band playing country music. A great mix of tourists and locals. Fun to watch those that really know how to dance.

I avoided gong to Greasewood Flat on several trips and figured it wouldn't meet up to the expectations after I kept hearing good things about it but it was loads of fun. http://www.greasewoodflat.net/

Marquesa at the Fairmont Princess is supposed to be really good. I haven't made it there yet. It is rated as one of the best hotel restaurants in the country.

The recommendations you are receiving are good tourist spots. Nothing wrong with that, if that's what you want. As a local, if you want authentic and great food, consider Richardson's (though be warned they allow smoking, but it's worth it!), Los Sombreros and Lunch at one of the Ranch Market locations (like visiting Mexico for the day). Thai-Vietnamese in a nice setting is Cyclo in Chandler, worth the drive from Scottsdale. Sat/Sun dim sum is Golden Buddha at the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix. Maestro's may be the best steakhouse in town, but there's a lot of equally good competition. Flemings does a very nice, bargain priced 3 course prime rib special on Sunday nights, and the restaurant has a great upscale feel to it and a reasonably marked up wine list.

I'm not terribly familiar with Tucson,but I know there's much better than what has already been suggested (I think Cafe Terra Cotta, once great, slid so far downhill that it's closed). Pop over to chowhound.com and post your question there if you want more local recommendations.

Also - in Tucson, do the Desert Botanical Museum. Combination of zoo and gardens, and beautiful. Phoenix - consider driving to Saguaro lake for lunch. It's a real kick to see cactus growing right next to a lovely lake - the setting is gorgeous - and the restaurant is better than you'd expect it to be. Talliesin in Scottsdale is well-loved by many and the Heard Museum is truly world-class for Indian Art.

Thank you all so much - this is a great help. We are going mid-November so I am escaping that summer heat :) I'm looking very foward to this trip!

Thank you!
Lori

I can't talk to the food--but I can say if you have any interest in architecture, we absolutely loved our tour of Taliesin West (Frank Lloyd Wright). We did a tour of the grounds--the nature walk is skippable. However, I think you can now tour the structures that the apprentices build--we'd go back to see that!

Near Scottsdale, forgot to mention.

Also if you can find "eat your way across the USA" by Jane and Michael Stern, in your local library, it might be worthwhile to see if there are any little restaurants that they recommend in those areas. I guess by definition that they become touristy then, but I've used the book and had some great meals, as well.

The desert botanical garden referenced above is The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum:
www.desertmuseum.org

Not to be missed !

R5

Lorio,

I have a quite comprehensive list of things to see and do around Tucson. If you will send me an email, I will send you the list. It has clickable links to everything, so you will be able to explore to see what interests you the most.

The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix (not to be confused with previously mentioned Sonora Desert Museum near Tucson) is very nice

For eats: in Tucson - I enjoyed the J-Bar. In Scottsdale - the Roaring Fork.

You didn't mention accomodations. If you haven't decided yet, La Zarzuella B&B in Tucson is amazing.
I've stayed in a number of B&B's and the service here is certainly over the top.

quite right on the correction of the Desert Sonoran Museum in Tucson - thanks for catching it. The Botanical Gardens in Phoenix are quite wonderful as well, but not in place of the Sonoran Museum.

At least for this area, the Sterns book is very out of date. Roaring Fork is quite wonderful.

Lorio:
Check out the following site:

http://www.virtualtucsonmagazine.com/

A lot of good information on the Tucson area.

Although I am not a fan of Cafe Terra Cotta, it is not true that it slid downhill and closed. A lot of people love it. It is in a gorgeous location. It was temporarily closed last year after a fire.

Restaurants in Tucson that are great (imho) Montana Avenue on Grant, Janos or J Bar at the Westin La Paloma, North at La Encantada, Amerenos, a small, great Italian restaurant in a funky location on 22nd. Already mentioned was Cafe Poca Cosa - very good.
Have fun!

Everyone's standards are different so here is a recommendation from a New Yorker.

Mary Elaine's at the Phoenician is an excellent restaurant by New York standards. The chef, Bradford Thompson, got his start at Daniel here.

The food is excellent, the wine list is impressive and the service is first-rate.

I have had three dinners there in January and May.

Be prepared to pay for all this excellence. :)

I ate a Sassi, a lovely Tuscan restaurant near Pinnacle Peak two weeks ago and will definitely be going back. They have a website so you can check out their menu and decor. I always make my Scottdsale ressies via www.opentable.com since I live out of state.