Coffee Spot? April 25, 2006

Whether you’re a traveler or a local in Scottsdale, you’ll probably want to spend some time in one of the delightful coffeehouses or cafe restaurants here. Scottsdale features the comforting and familiar coffeehouses you likely frequent in your hometown as well as some wonderfully unusual places. A coffeehouse is a great place to gather with friends or associates to drink coffee, listen to music, or check out local artists’ work. But which one do YOU like best? Share your comments with other Scottsdale area residents and visitors!

Here are some of our favorite places:

• Macy’s Coffee Shop – 14 S Beaver St, Flagstaff, Arizona 86001 (928) 774-2243 www.macyscoffee.net Okay, okay…so this place isn’t in Scottsdale…but nonetheless Macy’s Coffee Shop in Flagstaff got a really cool vibe and is worth writing about. I spent Labor Day weekend in Flagstaff – escaping the seemingly-endless summer heat of Phoenix – and made my way into Macy’s on a Sunday late-morning. Aside from my very large and very delicious mug of steaming European coffee, I had a great brunch-time meal in the Mediterranean plate. Macy’s atmosphere is definitely that of the Flagstaff hippie beat, with Eastern philosophy and the resulting peaceful, alternative attitude permeating the place. Local artists’ work for sale covered one wall and every one of the vintage tables, chairs and stools was occupied, evidence of Macy’s as a Flagstaff favorite coffee spot.

• Cave Creek Coffee Company - 6033 E. Cave Creek Rd, Cave Creek, AZ 85327 (480) 488-0603 www.cavecreekcoffee.com Far and away one of our favorite coffee hangouts. Located in downtown Cave Creek amidst funky western bars, antique shops and mexican/rustic import shops, Cave Creek Coffee Company (or C4) serves home-roasted coffee, pastries, kick-ass breakfast burritos in the morning…and turns into a hip neighborhood lunch and dinner restaurant and wine bar at night. Great specials every day of the week, live music and clearly a popular neighborhood joint, Cave Creek Coffee Company is a Cave Creek/Carefree area local favorite.

• Big Daddy Mojo Espresso Bar & Soda Fountain - 6141 E. Cave Creek Rd, Cave Creek, AZ 85331 (480) 575-7889 Just up the road from Cave Creek Coffee Company is Big Daddy Mojo…a local favorite coffee hang-out with a completely different vibe than C4. An old converted gas station, Big Daddy Mojo has a crowd of regulars gathered around outdoor seating (where the gas pumps used to be) and has a very casual style. Just this month (September 2006) Big Daddy Mojo/Big Earl’s Greasy Eats was transformed into a real Hollywood movie set. The place was rented for one day by a film crew shooting a scene for “Joleen,” directed by Donald Sutherland. A location scout was passing through Cave Creek a month ago and thought Big Earl’s would be perfect for the pivotal scene in which leading lady Jessica Chastain meets bad guy Dermot Mulroney, said Eric Westerlund, owner of Big Earl’s. The restaurant was turned into a drive-up burger joint with carhops on roller skates, said Westerlund, who added that one of his employees, 21-year-old Kari Johnson, will have a role in the film as a skating carhop. Westerlund would not say how much he’s being paid for the gig. “But I can’t complain,” he said. Scenes for “Joleen” are also being shot at a tattoo parlor in downtown Scottsdale and in Prescott to simulate North Carolina.

Place for Brunch? April 11, 2006

So your in-laws are coming to town this weekend. How can you make sure you and your other half survive their visit? Take ‘em to Sunday Brunch at one of the great restaurants in Phoenix or Scottsdale. You’ll look like a class-act, kill a couple hours and be able to drink champagne cocktails before noon…sounds like a survival plan!

Here are some of our favorites:

For the Fancy…
LON’s at the Hermosa - 5532 N Palo Cristi Road, Phoenix, AZ 85253 (602) 955-7878 www.lons.com LON’S is Arizona’s only remaining authentic hacienda. Its elegant adobe dining room is surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery Arizona has to offer. Enjoy award winning artful American cuisine on a spectacular patio, or by one of the glowing fireplaces discreetly located throughout the property. All the foods we serve including those grown in the Hacienda gardens are natural, organic, humanely raised or are from ecologically sound sources.

For the Casual…
La Grande Orange Grocery – 40th Street & Campbell (602) 840-7777 www.lagrandeorangegrocery.com On the innovative corner of 40th Street and Campbell in the heart of what used to be an Arcadia Orange grove, sits one of the inspired concepts in convenience stores. La Grande Orange Grocery opens its doors not only as a neighborhood grocery but a cafe and caterer all under one roof and brings together a fraternity of chefs and other artists to serve the community. As a café, La Grande Orange offers the finest in French inspired yet simple American food that tastes good and travels well. Executive Chef Doug Robson has developed a breakfast menu filled with favorites like poached eggs on toast, French pancakes, house granola and yogurt, fruit with crème fraiche and homemade English muffins as well as several lunch items. Dine in at one of the indoor tables nestled within the store or outdoors in the Java Garden, or you can take the food to go. You can even call the order in and someone will deliver it out to your car.

For the Traditional…
The Marquesa at The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess – 7575 E. Princess Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85255 (480) 585-4848 www.fairmont.com The Marquesa at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is one of the Valley’s most elegant restaurants, thanks to gilt-framed oil paintings, plush furnishings and décor accents that bring the kitchens of Spain to mind. The Mediterranean-inspired menu (which draws heavily on Spanish traditions) changes every year, after Executive Chef Reed Grobana and his staff spend time in Spain. The crab-stuffed red peppers are a popular mainstay, however, as is the Paella Valencia with saffron. Lovely, unusual desserts include a tiny chocolate replica of a Salvador Dali painting. Service is excellent. Set as a Mediterranean marketplace, both indoors and out, the Sunday brunch offers a bounty of delicious fruit, vegetables and breads and is outstanding in its choices of meats, eggs and Catalan specialties.

Got a suggestion on the best place for brunch in Phoenix? Please leave a comment and let us (and other locals) hear all about it.

Wine Bar? April 11, 2006

Know where to find the best wine bar in Phoenix? The perfect atmosphere for sipping sangiovese and sampling accompanying appetizers or tapas? Phoenix Locals Only relies on your comments to list the best wine bars in Phoenix & Scottsdale, so please let us know your best-kept secrets!

Here are our two favorites:
Postino Wine Bar – 3939 East Campbell Ave (602) 852-3939 www.postinowinecafe.com Located in a historic post office building, Postino sits right in the middle of the Biltmore, Arcadia and Paradise Valley neighborhoods. Initially created as a casual winebar, Postino has evolved into an award winning restaurant and favorite spot for the community to meet.

Kazimierz World Wine Bar – 7137 East Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (480) WINE-004 www.kazbar.net From the Grapevine… THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC: “What does the Valley’s newest wine bar do right? Absolutely everything. See the staggering wine list; for breadth, accessibility & value, it has no equal.” WINE & SPIRITS MAGAZINE: “Kazbar blends the plush interior of a speakeasy with the rough edges of the Southwest while it sports one of the most entertaining wine lists in the country.”