Arizona - Living The Q Life Travel Adventures

The number of restaurants in the Scottsdale area is almost overwhelming. Since it is a resort area there are options to suit any food craving or dining style from formal to casual. When visiting Arizona, having some authentic Mexican food, or even just some southwestern food, is a must. There are also plenty of outdoor patio options, but during the summer heat, most people stayed indoors. There are also several brewery options that offer good pub food with a variety of local beers that were perfect on a hot afternoon, although not as many options as we have in Colorado.

Picante Macaroni and Cheese with Sausage

We should have known that this trip was going to be full of good food when we arrived at our resort on Saturday night to find out that the restaurant was offering a prime rib special. Two prime rib dinners, starter salads, and a bottle of wine for $40 and the prime rib was cooked to perfection. We almost always share a single dinner, so it was way too much food for the two of us, but it was too good of a deal to pass on.

We definitely took advantage of the many Mexican restaurants that are in the area. From a traditional pork carnitas burrito served enchilada style with fresh ingredients to a half of chicken with oregano, lime, and aji rocoto that was spicy, but delicious. We also had a wonderful pork and green chili queso and crab and shrimp stuffed chili rellenos. We love good Mexican food and we certainly were not disappointed with what we had in Scottsdale.

Obviously, we had more than just Mexican food over the seven days that we spent in Scottsdale. One of the things that we found interesting was that almost every menu had some variation of macaroni and cheese on it, some with meat, some without, so we had to try one of each during the week. Another interesting treat were the pork wings appetizer that were bone-in pork shanks with a spicy barbeque sauce. We also had some salmon cakes and an interesting devilish egg dip as appetizers and really unique burger.

We definitely enjoyed the food that we ate while we were in Scottsdale. Clearly, with all of the restaurant choices available, you can spend quite a while in Scottsdale and never eat at the same place twice, but some of them are so good that you just have to go back again and again. Perhaps we will revisit Scottsdale in the fall at some point so that we can eat our way through more of the many choices.

Located on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona, Scottsdale is a resort and retirement community that is a relaxing place to visit. In some ways, it reminds us of Hilton Head, South Carolina, only it doesn’t have the beaches. What it does have is a lot of excellent golf courses, upscale resorts, and restaurants galore. Summertime is actually their off-season due to the intense heat and the possibilities of a haboob, which is dust storm that can blanket the entire area with a wall of sand.

The downtown area of Scottsdale has a historic old town that will transport you back into the days of cowboys and give you a glimpse into the old west or southwest. There are plenty of souvenir stores selling Indian jewelry, pottery, and other trinkets to take home with you. There is also a large art district where you can go an art walk and enjoy all of the different galleries with traditional southwestern art as well as contemporary and traditional art. Not to worry, there is also a boutique shopping district, should you desire to do some shopping for non-tourist related items.

The other thing that you can find are plenty of restaurants and bars. If you are daring, you can stop in at one of the several saloons that are downtown and even listen to some good old western music. Needless to say, we had to give more than one of the saloons a try, if for nothing else to get out of the 108 degree Fahrenheit temperatures. Cold beers and margaritas were definitely needed in order to beat the heat.

Walking around the downtown Scottsdale area provides wonderful scenery, interesting artwork, and at this time of year, plenty of beautiful flowering plants. Whether you come to the area to play a few rounds of golf, sit by the pool and relax, or enjoy the abundant food options that are available, you won’t be disappointed. We would probably recommend that you come during the fall when the temperatures are more hospitable, but if you can stand the heat, there are plenty of deals for those who venture to come here during the summer.

Living The Q Life Travel Adventures

Tag: Arizona

The Food of Scottsdale

Scottsdale, Arizona