phoenix – In Good Taste

Chicago Cubs Spring Training: Where to Stay in Arizona

Maris Callahan — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 06:47:14 +0000

Our recent getaway to Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa was inspired by two things: my desire to sit by the pool in warm weather and Brad’s desire to watch the Chicago Cubs play Spring Training baseball. When we talked about taking a winter trip, I wanted a destination where we could spend some quality time by the pool, and Brad wanted to make sure there was plenty to do besides sit by the pool (his idea of sitting in the sun is sitting in the shade with a towel covering his head). There is definitely a lot to do in Arizona, and I’ll start off by admitting that we could have packed more activity into our schedule, but since one of our main goals was to relax, we also did a lot of sleeping in and making last minute important decisions about, say, ordering room service vs. driving three minutes to the gastropub down the street. Where to Stay We wanted to see as much of the Valley as we could, so we decided to split our time at a few different resorts and hotels, which also helped us get better deals. We picked one just outside of Phoenix, one in the Old Town area […]

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Phoenix: The Wigwam Resort

Maris Callahan — Sat, 04 Mar 2017 09:03:26 +0000

Visiting Phoenix for the first time? There’s so much to do in the desert but no matter what is on your agenda, you’ll want to consider a hotel that’s just a short drive away from the hubbub of downtown that offers peaceful ambiance, golf, spa, great dining and four, yes, four pools. The Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park (no relation to Orange is the New Black), just west of Phoenix, is a historic hotel with 331 “casitas” and suites across more than 400 acres of land. I’ve stayed here twice now and it’s seriously everything you could want in a resort — beautiful property, luxurious rooms, great dining options and plenty to do “on campus” so that you could conceivably enjoy your entire vacation without leaving the property. Before I get into the details, I’ll share a little bit of history. I’m far from a History Channel buff, but I do like learning about old buildings and properties — who inhabited them, their stories, etc. It’s part of why I love the South so much — lots of charm and history, but I digress. The Wigwam was originally built in 1918 as a gathering place for the Ohio-based executives of Goodyear Tire & […]

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Phoenix: Queen Creek Olive Mill

Maris Callahan — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 03:15:27 +0000

In September, I visited Arizona for the first time, spending three days in Mesa and three days in Phoenix, with a few brief stops in the Scottsdale area. In between some fabulous restaurants, I attended a tour and tasting at the Queen Creek Olive Mill as a guest of Visit Mesa, which was easily one of the highlights of the trip (beside sitting by the pool at The Wigwam, but we’ve already talked about that. At Queek Creek Olive Mill, you can tour, taste and shop to your heart’s content, learn about how olive oil is produced and tasting it in its purest form — plus in some of the most unique flavors you’ll ever experience. Queen Creek is owned by a husband and wife team, the former a child to first generation Italian immigrants. Going into the project with the intention of producing olive oil solely as a hobby, they planed 1,000 olive trees on 100 acres in the city of Queen Creek. With an eventual goal of providing the Arizona community with fresh, local, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, they later built a 5,000 square foot shed that soon transformed into today’s sprawling Queen Creek Olive Mill, Cafe and Marketplace. The working olive mill offers […]

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Phoenix: Postino Wine Cafe

Maris Callahan — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 05:45:54 +0000

Whenever I travel, I prefer to dine in restaurants favored by the locals than the white hot, brand name restaurants that are buzzing in the media. In the Valley of Sunshine, the first restaurant I dined was Postino Wine Cafe, a comfortable, rustic and bustling eatery that boasts unique and approachable wines with simple, delicious and locally grown fare. Whether you live in the Phoenix area or you’re traveling there for a respite from the harsh winter weather in other areas of the country (cough…Chicago….cough) then Postino is about to be your new go-to for dinners out. Postino East, housed inside the Grainbelt building in the heart of downtown Gilbert’s historic Heritage District, opened in 2012 just steps from the famed Gilbert water tower. The restaurant is comprised of a mix of indoor/outdoor dining, iconic yellow garage doors and an outdoor green-space for the kids. On a Tuesday night, every seat was full and the decor is warm and welcoming. Being from Chicago where the outdoor dining season is, well, limited, the outdoor area was by far my favorite part of the ambiance. More importantly, however, is the food. The best way to start your meal is by ordering family style from a playful array […]

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