Scottsdale

I missed you all last week! I’m sorry for the delay in writing, my son and I took a little sightseeing trip to sunny Arizona accompanying my husband while he was busy working at a conference. Keep reading for my favorite Scottsdale spots, and where we ate this trip.

I asked for your Scottsdale, AZ recommendations and got some incredible responses! See below for a list. I feel like I was a on a food tour, spending our days walking around and tasting all the delicious treats. We enjoyed balmy weather and a beautiful lack of responsibilities. My son has always been my favorite companions, and as he gets older, he becomes even more my favorite dining partner. He was such a fun friend to have on this adventure!

A collage of four outdoor scenes featuring trees, flowering plants, a vine-covered building, and a calm canal bordered by greenery.

One of my new favorite past-times in new cities is to check out bookstores to see if they carry my cookbook! It’s so fun to see it in the wild, and I love to leave a signature behind for someone to find. My son and I also got to check out the Museum of Illusions which was endless fun for us both!

Split image: On the left, a child appears to climb a tilted wall illusion. On the right, a bookshelf displays various cookbooks arranged upright and stacked.

Now, we weren’t able to hit every spot, but here are some of the repeat responses I got from our Arizona based Turkuaz Kitchen friends. Bolded are the ones I was able to hit!

Coffee/Pastries/Breakfast:

Valentine’s

JoJo Coffeehouse (I tried, but the line was so long and I was so hungry! It was highly recommended and obviously very well loved by the town)

Cafe Monarch

Village Coffee Roaster

Four till Four

JL Patisserie

Berdena’s

Dinner:

FnB

The Mission

Latha

The Mick Brasserie

Olive & Ivy

Farm and Craft

Ocean 44

Culinary Dropout

Sizzle Korean BBQ

Postino

Pizzeria Bianco

The Chuckbox

Uchi Scottsdale

Hai Noon

The highlights:

Pastries at JL Patisserie
Dinner at Olive & Ivy
Sushi at Uchi

A hand holds a pain au chocolat. Next to it, a table with a croissant, water glass, a cappuccino, and a slice of quiche on a white plate.

Here are some of the flaky pastries served at JL Patisserie, along with delicious coffee.

A modern café interior with a marble counter, coffee machine, hanging lights, menu boards, and a display of assorted pastries labeled with handwritten signs.

Olive and Ivy is a long-time favorite of mine, with the most gorgeous interior connected to a large patio, with Mediterranean inspired dishes full of fresh flavors. I highly recommend it if you ever make it out that way!

Two wooden boards with sushi rolls: the left board has dark seaweed-wrapped rolls with sauce and garnish, the right board has lighter rolls with sauce and cucumber filling.

One of our favorite meals was at Uchi with these beautifully plated sushi rolls. Our meal was chef’s choice and everything was delicious. We also had a great meal at Sizzle Korean BBQ, where instead of cooking it ourselves they cooked right in front of us as well! I loved their tofu stew.

I can’t wait go back and try more! Luckily, my husband has attends a conference there with some regularity, so I’m sure we’ll be there again soon.

Until next time,