Don’t recognize the sign? It sort of looks like a McDonald’s, you say?

It really IS a McDonald’s franchise restaurant. But this one’s in Sedona, where zoning laws called for the restaurant to agree to construct teal arches, as opposed to its trademark yellow. The sign also sits lower to the ground, so it’s not a public eyesore.

To see this one for yourself, here are the driving directions:

From Phoenix, take I-17 to the SR 179 exit (Exit 298), turn LEFT, take another LEFT onto SR 89A. Before you turn onto 89A, you may see a billboard advertising the unique sign. I’ve missed it every single time. If you miss it, too, just watch for the restaurant. It’ll be on your right.

It’s definitely a photo opportunity waiting to happen.

(Photo used with permission by Jackie Dishner.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

The Rim Lobby Lounge at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa (north side of Greenway Parkway past 68th Street) is the place to go this winter if you want try what the mixologist (fancy name for bartender) has created for you. Ask for the new Organic Mexican Macciato, made with organic coffee and organic tequila, or the Caramel Apple-Tini pictured here. It’s made with applesauce (Really?), Bailey’s Caramel liquor and Smirnoff Apple Vodka–quite a twist on a classic treat. Make sure they dip your apple slice in caramel sauce, like they do for the picture.

Champagne and Ice Wine Facial

If you love the bubbly or go wild over wine, you might love a Champagne and Ice Wine Facial. Available only this month, it could be your next break from holiday events. The organic facial contains champagne grapes and orange essential oils to detoxify, refresh and renew. It’s followed by a hydrating Mimosa Champagne Tonique and Tokay Ice Wine Masque. Sounds intoxicating.

Organic Mimosa Champagne Manicure and Pedicure

Since you’ve probably been on your feet a lot this month and have been using your hands to wrap all those presents, how about a little pampering? Let an experienced spa therapist treat you with an Organic Mimosa Champagne Manicure and Pedicure. The Mimosa lotion and Mimosa Champagne Sugar Scrub sooths your hands and feet with antioxidants that rejuvenate let you get back to your shopping.

If you go:

The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa: 6902 E. Greenway Pkwy., Scottsdale

(Photo used with permission by Westin Kierland Resort & Spa.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

Between now and January 1, 2009, get your “Seasons” Greetings by the glassful with these three holiday cocktail specials. At $16 each, they’re sure to warm you up as the weather cools down.

For those of you who won’t be in town or get to the resort in time, here are the recipes to try at home:

“Sonoran” Eggnog

• 1 1/2 oz. Don Julio Tequila
• 1 oz. melted Mexican Chocolate
• Eggnog

Mix all ingredients, serve warm.  Garnish with a chocolate cigar and serve in a martini glass.

“Sweet S’more”

• 1 1/2 oz Monte Cristo-12 year aged rum
• Fresh Hot Chocolate Mix

Prepare hot chocolate, add rum.  Garnish with a graham cracker crust rim and a homemade marshmallow.

 
Troon Bourbon Cider

• 6 oz. Hot Apple Cider
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 1/2 oz Basil Hayden Bourbon
• 1 cinnamon stick (as garnish)

Mix all together, and serve warm.

(Photo and recipes used with permission by the Four Seasons Resort, Scottsdale.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

But not just any old chocolate bread. This one, the Chocolate Cherry Sourdough bread pictured here, was created by the resort’s own Master Baker Ben Hershberger.

Made fresh daily at The Phoenician (6000 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale), you can purchase yours on-site at either the Café and Ice Cream Parlor or at Il Terrazzo, a classic Italian-style restaurant. At $3.50 a loaf, it’s not only delicious (Trust me, I ate half the loaf in one sitting.), it’s also affordable. 

Rather than looking for someone to whom they can re-gift, your family and friends won’t be sharing this item. They’ll eat it all to themselves. TIP: Heat in the oven so the chocolate and rum-soaked cherries are nice and warm.

(Photo courtesy of The Phoenician Resort.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

Of all times to visit–during the holiday season–we finally managed to set a solid date and agreed to meet at a restaurant near her, the “Italian trattoria” called NoRTH — It’s a Fox Concepts restaurant serving what they call “Modern Italian” cuisine. I’ve been there many times; there are a few locations in the Valley (Check the Web site to find one nearest you.), and I prefer the one at Kierland Commons because of the outdoor patio. But this one’s nice as well, and close to an AJ’s if you need to pick something up at the market for the ride home.

It’s one of those sleek interior-stylized restaurants with dark wood tables and mini glass tiles in the bathroom (It was absolutely freezing cold in there!). The menu includes antipasti appetizers, pizza, Italian pasta dishes you’ve never heard of before–along with Italian wines you can’t pronounce. You think it’s going to cost way too much. (Careful, some meals do.) But we chose thoughtfully and creatively, opting for new-to-us dinners and wound up with this: 

Pasta Bolognese, Reggiano Parmesan, Flat Leaf Parsley, $16 (This was tube pasta with a very rich meat sauce, with tiny bits of carrots and veggies. I liked it.)

Strozzapreti, Mushrooms, Wilted Spinach, Pine Nuts, Parmesan Cream, $16 (This was long curly pasta with chicken, $4 extra, not as rich, and my friend said it was okay. I didn’t try it.)

We also picked a bottle of wine neither of us had ever heard of before and ordered that:

‘06 Valpolicella DOC – Le Salette, Veneto, Italy, $36 (It was a red wine, but I had to come home to look up where it comes from specifically. I found out it’s from a province in the Verona region, hill country. It had a nice light, fruity finish, not too tannic. I’d buy it again but would prefer a more hearty red wine with the meal I ate.)

We hung out at North for several hours, catching up, nursing the wine. And then it came time for dessert. I’m sorry to say I didn’t get the exact name of it, but we ordered the one with the ingredient that immediately caught our attention–chocolate, a chocolate mousse cake made with Nutella, $6. It was really, really rich and tasty. The texture was more heavy creamy than light and mousse-like. I definitely needed the coffee to wash it down. It was so rich, however, together we didn’t even finish it all. You need a third person for that.

Still, I suggest while you’re out there doing your holiday shopping, if you happen in be in Glendale (anywhere near 67th Avenue and the 101 Freeway), this would be the treat to satisfy your sweet tooth or hunger pangs in between store visits. Here are the before and after photos to prove what I mean:

If you go:

NoRTH Glendale
20004 N. 67th Ave., #500 (Map it.)
Call 623-537-4500 for reservations.

(Photos courtesy of Rebecca I Allen, via her Blackberry.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

Mill Avenue in Tempe hustles and bustles with pedestrian traffic year-round. It’s not the place to go if you want peace and quiet. And though I’d say the majority of the people you’ll see milling around are Arizona State University students, urbanites from all over the Valley of the Sun head over on evenings and weekends to shop, dine at the many restaurants, hang out in the taverns, and walk, ride bikes or rollerblade over to Tempe Town Lake.

This coming weekend, however, pedestrians will flock to Mill Avenue–one of America’s “ten great streets” (American Planning Association, 2008)–for one of the city’s most popular attractions: Fall Tempe Festival of the Arts.

Since the Beatles had its #1 hit, “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” on the radio 40 years ago, this festival has been the event holiday shoppers love to attend. I’ve been several times and still recall the gift I purchased for my sister the first time I went in 1988 (the 20th anniversary year). It was a hand-crafted Christmas Elf.

I don’t know if that booth’s still around, but here’s a sample of what I know you’ll experience while there this year:

_250,000 visitors, more or less, with lots of them pushing strollers, so watch out.

_more than 400 juried artists’ booths (woodwork, jewelry, paintings, ceramics, fountains, photography, textiles and more), so you know you’ll see quality work.

_food and beverages to purchase at the Food Court on 6th Street near Mill.

_street performers (stilt walkers and mimes, for instance).

_live entertainment (past performers have been local bands, including Gin Blossoms, Margo Reed, Walt Richardson and others).

_hands-on crafts and activities for kids, thank goodness.

_Arizona Wine Festival with tastings from several Arizona wine growers.

If you attend on Friday, stick around after hours for an added treat this year: the Anniversary Beatles Tribute. It takes place at the Arizona Wine Festival Jazz Stage, with Beatles tribute music played by cover band Apple.

IF YOU GO:

WHAT: 40th ANNIVERSARY FALL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS

WHEN: December 5-7, 10 a.m. to Dusk

WHERE: Mill Avenue in Tempe

ADMISSION: Free

PARKING: Free at Rio Salado Parkway & Hardy Drive, just east of Priest Drive on the north side of Rio Salado Parkway. A free shuttle runs every 15 minutes. (map it)

If you don’t want to hassle with that, nine paid parking garages or lots surround the downtown area, closer to the festival. But still, plan for a lot of walking and wear comfortable shoes.

(Photo of Mill Avenue Festival courtesy of Tempe Convention & Visitors Bureau.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

A few travel writers, including Christine K. Bailey, author of Destinations: A Complete Guide to Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona and Central Arizona, and Teresa Bitler, whose Great Escapes Arizona was just released are scheduled to appear.

Also plan to see arts & crafts booths, food and live music at the festival on both days.

If you go:

What: ArtFest of Scottsdale                                                               When: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22 and Sunday, Nov. 23        Where: Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza, 7380 E. 2nd St.                          Cost: Free

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

First stop: Sedona. Next stop: wine country. It’s a day trip to the Verde Valley–one of Arizona’s hidden gems.

Called Sedona Wine Tours, this guided trip calls out to those of you who love Sedona and love to visit vineyards but didn’t know you could have both on the same day. You can.

To play it safe–no drinking and driving–let Detours take you there.

Detours, a Phoenix-based tour guide company, created this trip to give guests the opportunity to safely explore Arizona’s rich wine region in the Verde Valley. Even with four wineries open, the tasting rooms are still relatively unknown. Tourists generally bypass the roads that would lead them there.

They may not turn onto Page Springs Road where they’d see Javalina Leap, Oak Creek, and Page Springs Cellars–all three very near the Page Springs Hatchery. And they’re likely to skip the turnoff to Alcantera Winery in Cottonwood. It’s off-the-beaten path, unless you’re headed to Out of Africa wildlife park, off of Hwy 260. Yet, each of these wineries serve unique tastes of their wines–some reds, some whites–most of which are pressed, fermented, aged and bottled on the premises.

Located where the Verde River and Oak Creek flow, you’ll see the vines–on the hillsides, in front yards, and deep in the valley below. It’s a serene setting for sipping. With many of the vines so new (under four years old), not all of the vineyards use their own grapes to make the wine just yet. The cabernet, chardonnay, pinot or zinfandel used now to make the wine may, in fact, be imported from California’s Paso Robles wine region–a favorite, it seems. But, soon, these wineries will be fully independent. Next year, Javalina Leap expects to see its first mature harvest.

You’ll learn about this and more as you visit with the owners. Page Springs even offers a tour of its winery as part of Detours’ program. It’s here, at picnic tables overlooking Oak Creek, where you may even enjoy your packed lunch, purchased at a Sedona deli. That’s included in the price of the all-day tour.

Here’s a list of my favorite tastes:

Javalina Leap: 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon III, just released in 2008. It’s a smooth cab with a nice finish, $50/bottle.

Oak Creek: 2006 Zinfandel. Spicy, it would pair well with Thai food, $26/bottle.

Page Springs: 2007 La Serrana. This viognier is crisp, not too sweet, $30/bottle.

Alcantera: 2005 Chaparral. The owner says it’s a customer favorite, and I’d say that’s because this syrah blend has a nice, fruity nose with a smooth taste that makes it great for sipping alone, $32.95/bottle.

If you go:

What: Sedona Wine Tours.                                                                     When: Year-round.                                                                                Where: Detours arranges pick up at a resort hotel.                                  Cost: $170/person, minimum required.                                                

For more information, call 866-438-6877 or visit www.detoursaz.com. Or ask your resort hotel concierge about this tour. Add-ons and private tours are also available.

(Photo of wine glass taken at Alcantera by Jackie Dishner, used with permission.) 

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

If you don’t plan to bring the 20-pounder home with you from the grocery store, if you’ll be in town and away from home on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 27) without plans,  or if you just don’t plan on cooking the big meal this year, here’s a short list of local resorts that will serve a gourmet feast for you (Click on the names to see the menus):

Arizona Biltmore  2400 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix. For dinner reservations, call 602-381-7632. Cost: $85/adults; $45/child (age 12 and under). Dinner is served from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. A brunch buffet is also available, starting at noon.

CopperWynd Resort and Club  13225 N. Eagle Ridge Dr., Fountain Hills. For reservations, call 480-333-1900. Cost: $57/adult; $26/child (age 5-12).

Hyatt Regency at Gainey Ranch  7500 E. Doubletree Ranch Rd., Scottsdale. For reservations, call 480-444-1234, Ext. 79. Cost (buffet only): $57/adult; $29/child (age 6-12); comlimentary for children ages 5 and under.

The Phoenician  6000 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale. For reservations, call 480-941-8200. Cost: varies from $80/adult; $40/child (age 12 and under). Brunch buffet also available, starting at 10 a.m.

Have a happy harvest holiday!

(Photo above taken by Jackie Dishner and used with permission.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

Does dough flipping and rolling sound like sporting events to you? What about making dough balls? They will if you plan to celebrate the grand opening of Rosati’s Pizza in Peoria on Saturday afternoon.

The new restaurant is hosting what it expects to be the first annual “Master’s of the Pizza Dough” contest. For the first one, they’re bringing in twelve members from the Liberty High School Varsity Football Team to compete in various pizza-making drills. It’ll be the offense against the defense as teams compete for the winning team trophy. The restaurant’s founder, Fred Rosati, 91, will judge.

If you go, here’s what you can expect to see:

• Round 1 – Pizza dough balls

  • Two members from each team will compete in this event where the object is to make the most accurate dough balls in 5 minutes. An expert from Rosati will first demonstrate how to create the right size and weight dough ball.

  • Scoring – Fred Rosati along with another member of the Rosati team will judge the event.

    • Number of dough balls in allotted timeframe – 1 point per dough ball

    • Quality of Dough balls (including weight and appearance) – 1- 10 points according to Rosati’s.

• Round 2 – Dough Rolling

  • Two members from each team will compete in this event where the object is to roll the most dough circles in 5 minutes. Contestants will be judged on the number of dough circles they roll in the allotted time as well as the quality of their circles compared to the pizza pan. The best rolled dough circle will be chosen from each team and used in Round 3.

  • Scoring – Fred Rosati along with another member of the Rosati team will judge the event.

    • Number of dough circles rolled in allotted timeframe – 1 point per circle

    • Quality of circles (how closely it fits into pizza pan) – 1-10 points according to Rosati’s.

• Round 3 – Dough flipping contest

  • The last two members from each team will compete in the dough flipping contest where the best rolled dough circles from Round 2 will be used. A Rosati’s expert will demonstrate how to properly flip/toss the dough. Each team member will have 2 minutes toss the dough and make it look similar to the Rosati’s expert.

  • Scoring – Fred Rosati along with another member of the Rosati team will judge the event.

    • Quality of tossed pizza dough – 1-10 points according to Rosati’s

Best news of all: The first 100 people to show up get a free slice of pizza. But even if you miss out on the free pizza, you can still take advantage of day-long specials.

WHAT: “Master’s of the Pizza Dough” contest

WHERE: Rosati’s Pizza, 20340 N. Lake Pleasant Rd., Peoria

WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 15, 2 p.m.

Call 623-566-4944 for information.

(Logo used with permission by Rosati’s Pizza.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler