Late-Night Treats

Back in Philadelphia, where Insomnia Cookies was born, the company runs a CookieLab to experiment with different flavors and toppings. (YouTube)

FOOD & WINE

Late-Night

Treats

Insomnia Cookies delivers the snacks

By Mallory Gleich

From the East Coast to the West comes Insomnia Cookies, a late-night bakery concept that started in an unconventional place — a dorm room in Pennsylvania.

In early September, the newest location opened inside Kitchen United Mix, 7127 E. Shea Boulevard, Scottsdale.

Former UPenn student and New York native Seth Berkowitz and his roommates were up late one evening studying when they decided a snack was in order. While they usually settled for takeout, the group was looking for something sweet — and was disappointed when they couldn’t find any open shops.

“Based on this universal need — the midnight snack — Insomnia Cookies was born,” Chief Marketing Officer Tom Carusona says. “The first shop opened in Syracuse, New York, in 2006, and there are now more than 200 locations nationwide.”

Berkowitz said that his first location was near UPenn and he chose Syracuse because of the convenience. The shop was so popular that he opened three Insomnia Cookie shops next, all around the same time.

Berkowitz was majoring in finance,

Insomnia Cookies was created out of the need for a sweet midnight snack by UPenn student Seth Berkowitz.

(Photo courtesty of Insomnia Cookies)

which helped prepare him for what was to come, especially in building the brand and helping him run the business.

Insomnia’s name is a nod to the latenight sweet-cravers — Insomnia keeps

One of the CookieLab creations was this assortment of vibrantly decorated

treats. (YouTube)

most of its stores open until 1 a.m. and can be picked up or delivered right to your door.

The menu has an array of classic and deluxe cookies, as well as seasonal options. Past limited-time flavors include bananas foster, blueberry cobbler, red velvet and pumpkin spice.

It has even offered breakfast-themed cookies, like cereal and milk, blueberry pancake and everything bagel cookie (that one comes with cream cheese icing).

Classic cookie flavors include chocolate chunk, double chocolate chunk and snickerdoodle — but there are more than 12 flavors to choose from. Even better, Insomnia also offers ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, cookie cakes and “dippers,” which are cookies that come with spreadable icing. There are also vegan and gluten-free options.

“We would like to share the recipes, but those, we keep secret,” Carusona says. “We’re always baking up exciting new flavors.”

In June of last year, Insomnia Cookies unveiled a new research and development department called CookieLab, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. CookieLab experts use the space to develop new flavors and desserts, which allows Insomnia to release cookie creations throughout the year.

What’s even more remarkable about CookieLab is that it has a “secret” passage (behind a bookcase) inside the Passyunk (Philadelphia) location where guests can pick up goodies from a secret menu or create their decadence by picking their favorite dough, mix-ins and toppings.

While there are no plans to build a CookieLab in Arizona, there are three locations to choose from.

In addition to the Scottsdale location, one is steps from Arizona State University on University Drive in Tempe, and another is in Tucson.

Insomnia Cookies offers more than 12 flavors on top of ice

cream sandwiches and more. (Photos courtesy of Insomnia Cookies)

“Scottsdale was a perfect next step to expand the footprint of the brand in Arizona. We’re so excited to join the Scottsdale community and look forward to making some new Insomniacs,” Carusona says.

The Scottsdale location hours vary, but pickup during the week is from 11 a.m. to midnight, and 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Delivery starts at noon and is offered until midnight during the week and 1 a.m. on weekends. 

Insomnia Cookies

Kitchen United Mix, 7127 E. Shea Boulevard, Scottsdale insomniacookies.com

REMEMBER When Flashback 2021-22

What’s new, different, gone and coming soon

By Joan Fudala

Wow. Another year of COVID-19 impact and a “new normal” lifestyle.

There’s always something going on in Scottsdale, but layer in the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, since March 2020, and we’ve experienced too many changes to keep track of adequately. Here are just a few things new, different, gone or coming in our dynamic and ever-adapting city. Enjoy all Scottsdale has to offer, but remember: Get vaccinated, mask up, keep your social distance… and shop/dine local.

New

“The Continuous, Evolving New Normal…” due to the COVID-19 global pandemic: initial vaccine distribution and booster shots; social distancing; wearing face masks everywhere; Zoom meetings; quarantining; working remotely; capacity limits at events, virtual, outdoor and/or drive-in concerts, church services, family gatherings and events; menus via QR codes; shortages on all kinds of consumer products; staff shortages.

Restaurants: Clever Ramen at SkySong on McDowell Road; Slice Eat and Whataburger on Thomas Road; Belle’s Nashville

HonorHealth dedicated its Bob Bove Neurosciences Center on its Osborn campus.

(Photos by Joan Fudala)

Kitchen, Yellow Spruce Roasters, Reserve, Buzzed Bull, The Hot Chick and STK Scottsdale in Old Town; Pinkberry at Scottsdale Fashion Square; Cat’s Pajamas Bistro on Scottsdale Road; Lone Spur Café on Scottsdale Road; Z’Tejas, FroYoMaya and Campo Italian at Mercado del Lago Plaza on Hayden; Macayo’s Pima Crossing on Shea; Etta, Beard Papa’s cream puffs and Pressed Juicery at Scottsdale Quarter; I Heart Mac & Cheese at 16500 N. Scottsdale Road; The Italian Daughter Cucina + Cocktails; The Buzz Eatery + Treats at Kierland Commons; Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant at The Promenade; Butters at Scottsdale 101; Ling’s Wok Shop at Hayden Peak Crossing/ Grayhawk; De Babel Authentic at 14884 Pima Road; Famiglia Modern Italian Trattoria at 17025 N. Scottsdale Road; Oscar’s Taco Shop at 21811 N. Scottsdale Road.

Tourism/recreation: Senna House Scottsdale – A Curio Collection by Hilton Hotel on Camelback (former site of Don & Charlie’s restaurant); Sisley-Paris Spa at the Scottsdale Princess Resort; Aiden by Best Western at Scottsdale North hotel at Loop 101/Shea; Jet Aviation fixed-base operator at Scottsdale Airport; major facility expansion of Ross Aviation fixed-base operator at Scottsdale Airport; Landmark Theatre and Puttshack to open at Scottsdale Quarter; Puzzle Rides scavenger hunts in Old Town.

Retail/services: Scottsdale Selfie on Scottsdale Road; Native Art Market, Change Clothes and Phat Scooters in Old Town; Lucid Motors, Alo Yoga, Dior, Desert Dae Boutique, Rolex, Golden Goose, Versace, Fashionphile Selling Studio at Neiman Marcus, Blue Nile, Psycho Bunny and Goodlife at Scottsdale Fashion Square; Sanderson Lincoln Boutique, TopComp Homes, CC Patio, Parachute, Purple, Urbana, Levi’s,

Yeti, Peloton, Liz Modern Asian, Junk in the Trunk, Fabletics, Buckle and Brilliant Earth at Scottsdale Quarter; Recreational marijuana shops (with a new job skill: budtender); Arizona Window and Door on Redfield; Arctic Spas Scottsdale on Northsight; Naturepedic Organic Mattresses at 18529 N. Scottsdale Road; Pet Dental on Hayden Road.

Business: City of Scottsdale processed 803 new business licenses during FY 20-21; Cavasson/Nationwide mixed-use campus opened on Hayden at the 101 and includes Nationwide and Choice Hotels offices; Karma Scottsdale dealership in the Airpark; Cirrus Aircraft at Scottsdale Airport; Spaces workspace at Scottsdale Quarter; LifeStance Health Group Inc. relocated its corporate headquarters to Scottsdale from Bellevue, Washington; Thinkzilla Consulting Group opened at SkySong; Anuncia medical technology company relocated to SkySong from Massachusetts; Desert Insurance Solutions opened in the Airpark; TrustBank of Arizona on Scottsdale Road; Jabz Boxing opened on Scottsdale Road.

Education/Youth: St. Catherine of Bologna Performing Arts Center on the Notre Dame Prep campus opened.

Arts/culture: Lighthouse Artspace opened (with the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit in fall 2021); Ravenscroft performing arts venue in the Perimeter Center and its Jazzbird Lounge debuted; German culture center Treffpunkt reopened in the Airpark.

Health/wellness: Action Behavior Centers opened to serve families with an autistic member; HonorHealth opened

Z’Tejas opened a new location at Mercado Del Lago in McCormick Ranch. The Kimsey will be a mixed-use redevelopment on Indian School, incorporating the Triangle Building, which served as rental city hall in the 1960s and honors the Kimsey family.

The Merci Train boxcar, backdrop for Scottsdale’s annual Veterans Day event, was relocated at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, now adjacent to other historic train cars and depots.

its Bob Bove Neurosciences Center on the Osborn campus; Cigna Medical Group opened a health care center at SkySong; Abrazo Cave Creek Hospital opened on Carefree Highway; New Dawn Wellness Center on Northsight; Athlete Chiropractic on Hayden Road.

City: Scottsdale City Council unanimously approved a long-awaited anti-discrimination ordinance; the Camino Campana interpretive trail dedicated at Fraesfield trailhead in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve named in honor of former Mayor Sam Campana and her extended family; the Preserve’s PimaDynamite trailhead and its Art DeCabooter Amphitheater dedicated; multimillion-dollar rehab of Scottsdale Airport runway finished; Golden Rule tree planted at Civic Center; permanent exhibit at Civic Center Library saluting Scottsdale civic organizations debuted; Thomas Groundwater Treatment Facility dedicated.

People in new places: New people in city office in January: David Ortega as mayor of Scottsdale and Betty Janik, Tammy Caputi and Tom Durham as members of Scottsdale City Council; Julie Cieniawski, Libby HartWells and Zach Lindsay as members of the Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board; Troy Bales is the new Paradise Valley Unified School District superintendent; Mark Kelly as new U.S. senator from Arizona (replaces Martha McSally); Ben Lane appointed Scottsdale City Clerk; Jeff Walther became Scottsdale police chief; Dr. James Burns is executive director of Scottsdale’s Museum of the West; Ivan Gilreath is president/chief executive officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale; Lois Roma-Deeley is Scottsdale’s new poet laureate.

Residential: Revel senior living community on Legacy Boulevard at Pima Road; LivGenerations on Mayo Boulevard; several new multifamily residential communities along McDowell Road.

Other: Juneteenth (June 19) is a new federal holiday; the Arizona Legislature approved sports betting in Arizona; in November 2020 Arizona voters approved Prop 207, the use of recreational marijuana;

a new law exempts military veterans’ pensions from state income tax (but check specifics).

Different

Restaurants: The Herb Box moved from DC Ranch to Shea/Scottsdale Road; Skeptical Chymist at Frank Lloyd Wright/101 was replaced by The Union Jack; The Preserve Tavern has replaced Four Peaks Grill & Tap at Hayden and Frank Lloyd Wright; Cottontail Lounge replaced Shade at the W Scottsdale; The Spot opened in the former location of Moe’s Roadhouse at DC Ranch Crossing; Chez Vous is now Sophie’s Café at The Shops Gainey Village.

Tourism/sports/recreation: FC Rising Soccer moved from temporary SRPMIC stadium to a new soccer complex on the Gila River Community; Hotel Adeline has joined the Marriott Tribute Portfolio brand.

Arts/culture: Civic Center public art is in temporary storage as the area undergoes a major redo throughout 2022; the Scottsdale Historical Museum is temporarily closed during the 2022 Civic Center redo (but the Scottsdale Historical Society remains very active).

City: In November voters ratified Scottsdale’s general plan, updated from the 2001 version; self-serve/staff-less “Pony Express” system debuted at Appaloosa Library; Merci Train Boxcar moved from one location to another at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park; Soleri Plaza is now Solstice Park on the Arizona Canal.

Education: The School of Architecture (TSOA) moved from Taliesin West to The Cosanti Foundation with locations on Doubletree Ranch Road and at Arcosanti; Hohokam Elementary School has been extensively renovated.

Other: Loop 101/Pima Freeway improvements continue; Talking Stick Arena in Downtown Phoenix is now the Footprint Center (home to Phoenix Suns and Mercury basketball teams).

Gone

Restaurants: Rancho Pinot Grill; YC Mongolian Barbeque at The Pavilions; House of Rice on Hayden; Bandera in Old Town; Hot Noodles/Cold Sake; Stratta Kitchen on Hayden; Brunch Café on Scottsdale Road; Creamistry on Camelback Road.

Retail: Thomasville & More clearance store on Scottsdale Road; Carolyne’s Salon at The Promenade; all Fry’s Electronics stores.

Business: GoDaddy Inc. moved its headquarters from Scottsdale Airpark to the ASU Research Park in Tempe.

Razed for redevelopment: Paradise Valley Mall razed for redevelopment (except for Costco, JCPenney, Mesquite Library) as mixed-use PV Town Center.

Folks moving on: interim Scottsdale Community College President Chris Haines will retire in January; PVUSD Superintendent Jesse Welsh resigned in December 2020; city of Scottsdale Presiding Judge Joseph Oclavage will retire in March.

Other: Mowry family historic oak tree (behind The House Brasserie) was removed.

Sadly we’ve lost: Former Mayo Clinic Scottsdale leader Dr. Richard Hill; former city senior center Director Tim Miluk; former U.S. Sen. John Conlan of Scottsdale; educator and historian Dr. Jose Maria Burruel; legal scholar and Western movie poster collector/donor Rennard Stickland; film critic Julian Reveles; former City Parks Director and Preserve leader Bill Ensign; former city of Scottsdale Human Services executive Dr. Ed Portnoy; former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods; former CEO of America West Airlines Ed Beauvais; Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community artist Royce Manuel; orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tony Hedley; architect Logan Earl Van Sittert; former Paradise Valley Councilmember and Police Chief Peter Wainwright; civic activist Jane White; Valley faith leader the Rev. Dr. Lawrence W. Corbett; political activist/civic leader Claire King Sargent; former teacher and Scottsdale’s First Lady Jackie Drinkwater; Scottsdale City

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Hall volunteer greeter Jacquie Murray; developer/philanthropist Judd Herberger.

Coming soon/ongoing

Restaurants: popular Tucson restaurant EeeGee’s; Chula Seafood at Hayden & Thompson Peak; Ingo’s Tasty Food to Scottsdale 101.

Tourism/recreation: Caesars Republic Scottsdale hotel at Scottsdale Fashion Square; SLS Scottsdale hotel in Old Town; a Hilton hotel at Cavasson; Comfort Suites at Talking Stick; the Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley; Touchstar Cinema to Sonora Village; PopStroke golf experience to The Pavilions; Sky Train link from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport terminals to the rental car center

Events: Pac-12 Conference Baseball Tournament to Scottsdale Stadium in May; ASU will host NCAA golf championships at Grayhawk Golf Course again in May; the Super Bowl returns to the Valley in February 2023; the NCAA will bring its March Madness Final Four men’s basketball championship back to the Valley in 2024.

Business: Via Linda Behavioral Hospital (HonorHealth/Universal Health) on the SRPMIC; Mayo Clinic Phoenix campus expansion, including an integrated education and research building; a Banner Health sports medicine center at Riverwalk; Gainey Business Bank in Gainey Ranch; Scottsdale Community Bank.

City: Bell Road Multiuse Sports Fields Complex, WestWorld Sports Complex and DC Ranch Neighborhood Park coming; major redo of Scottsdale Civic Center (mall) ongoing throughout 2022, adding new amenities; review of Old Town Character Area; widening of Happy Valley Road from

Scottsdale’s Civic Center public park area is undergoing a yearlong upgrade, adding new amenities to the popular event and gathering spot.

Pima to Alma School roads; Miller Road will be extended north from Pinnacle Peak Road to Happy Valley Road; Osborn Road improvements including a roundabout at Osborn and Miller roads.

Education: Kiva and Pueblo elementary schools’ modernization projects underway or imminent; several Maricopa Community Colleges plan to begin offering four-year degrees in 2023.

Developments: Revel Scottsdale senior living community on Indian Bend Road in early 2022; Museum Square at Marshall Way and Second Street; new Papago Plaza mixed-use development under construction; Entrada on McDowell at 64th Street; The Palmeraie at Scottsdale and Indian Bend roads; The Edge at Loop 101/90th

Much of Paradise Valley Mall has been razed to make way for the mixed-use Paradise Valley Town Center. Street; The Miller apartment building on Miller/Sixth Avenue; Gentry on the Green multifamily residential development on Camelback; The Kimsey (redeveloped area including and adjacent to the historic Triangle/Butler building); Marquee office building in Old Town; 14-story apartment building to the southwest corner of Bell and Scottsdale roads (in Phoenix); residential to Cavasson on Hayden at Loop 101; The Quincy at Kierland; Cadence Living’s Acoya Shea senior living community; The Scottsdale Collection in Downtown Scottsdale; The Continental on Scottsdale Road; changes to the Seventh-day Adventist campus to include mixed uses.

Other: Memorial to the Fallen war memorial to the Scottsdale City Hall area; new Arizona Humane Society campus in Papago Park; upgraded exhibits in the Scottsdale Historical Museum when it reopens in January 2023.

Hot-button issues in 2021: Mask and vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 pandemic safety measures; critical race theory and education; audit of the 2020 election; a migrant holding facility in Scottsdale; impact of climate change; regulation of short-term rentals in Scottsdale; affordable housing.

What didn’t happen in 2021: Numerous signature events were canceled/postponed due to COVID-19 precautions (no Parada del Sol parade, Scottsdale Arts Festival, Scottsdale Culinary Festival and a postponed 2020 Scottsdale History Hall of Fame induction dinner); a rare orange lobster wasn’t consumed at Nobu but was donated to OdySea Aquarium; the Suns didn’t win the national NBA championship but came so close… 

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