We are going to Spring Training for 5 days and will be staying in Scottsdale Old Town.
We LOVE Italian and Mexican restaurants.
Any recs?

Our favorite on a recent visit was Cowboy Ciao in Old Town...very different menu (great chopped salad & amazing exotic mushroom stirfry) We also really enjoyed Roaring Fork, nice atmosphere & good food, but not walking distance although on Scottsdale Blvd. north of old town. They have a patio area with great appetizers & drinks for happy hour. Went to T. Cooks at Royal Palms for breakfast, as recommended by another post...pricey for dinner, but a less costly way to enjoy the atmosphere & a nice breakfast/brunch menu.

I loved this place...was close to Valley Ho & Mondrian resorts I believe. Most other spots we visited in old town felt chain-like, but this was quaint and cozy.

http://www.grazie.us/oldtown.html

Thanks beckytx, Grazie lokks very promising.
NatalieM Cowboy Ciao sounds wonderful, esp the chopped salad!
Thanks for the recs!

There's an offshoot of the NY Grimaldi's pizza in Old Town Scottsdale - the pizza is very good. Very limited menu.

http://grimaldispizzeria.com/

La Locanda on Scottsdale Rd, just south of Bell Rd, relocated to Scottasdale from Chicago. Excellent.

sf7307 thanks so much for Grimaldis link. That will be a dinner for sure! Pizza, salad and beer.....yum.

Thanks Happytrvlr for LaLocanda!

Fodors folks are the best.

Have you been to Spring Training before? We've been four or five times over the last 20 years, and it's always a blast.

Yes, we have been to Phoenix spring training once before, BUT we have been to MANY spring training games in Florida.
DH wanted a change of venue.
Last time we stayed in Phoenix, this time I wanted to be in Scottsdale. I liked the Old Town atmosphere.

One of the best Mexican Restaurants I've ever been to: Los Olivos. Be sure to go to the "original" one in Old Town

http://www.losolivosrestaurant.com/

I second Los Olivos! It was recommended to us by a former dining critic for the Arizona Republic, and it was terrific!

Los Olivos has been THE Mexican restaurant in downtown Scottsdale for at least 45 years. I saw Sen. Barry Goldwater there once. It has been in the Corral family all those years (I went to High School with a couple of the family, one of whom still works there)

A nice dinner at the bar at T. Cook's won't break the bank. Also on Tuesdays and Thursdays they have $2 gourmet tacos, that are quite unlike anything you've had.

Grimaldi's is good, [sf7307 and I agree on so many things ], nice salads too.

2$ gourmet tacos? I am so there Debit! We will be there on a Thursday .

Italian: Maria's When in Naples, Shea Blvd.

Thanks k9korps.

Going this year again, any updates?

Last year:
We went to Grimaldis which was amazing BTW.
We went to The Mission which was good, but not great.

Breakfast and lunch:

http://www.useggrestaurant.com/

http://www.thegoodeggaz.com/


Headed there in 2 weeks, will update on any new finds.

Last year, we went to Roaring Fork & really liked it, they are on Open Table btw. Also went to Cowboy Ciao, okay but maybe a little unusual for my group.

We will be going again end of March so anything new ya'll come up with please post! Will add Grimaldis to our list.

We might be going this year too!