Downtown Phoenix at the Sheraton Phoenix

The carefully selected wines truly enriched each course, and brings to mind the longstanding cliché, “Wine is best enjoyed with food.” The space is small and intimate and a dress code is required for dinner. A collared shirt for men, and active wear clothing not appropriate.

The following morning we visited Kahvi Coffee and Café in the Roosevelt Row Arts District, and what a wonderful way to start the day. Owners Jordan Taylor and Julian Wright have created a chic coffeehouse and meeting place for Phoenicians, offering high quality beans, a tasty menu, and live music. My Kahvi breakfast was several yummy pastries, a perfectly prepared French Toast plate sprinkled with tangy berries, and topped with a spoon of whipped cream, and lastly a vanilla latte coffee.

Fortified, we browsed the Roosevelt Row Arts District with scads of shops, restaurants, cafes and boutiques, and the MADE Art Boutique with a hundred or more handmade items created by local artists. Via Uber it was a 10 minute drive from Roosevelt Row to downtown Phoenix and Pomo Pizzeria. We quickly learned that the pizzeria is Arizona’s first and only APN (Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani) and VPN (Verace Pizza Napoletana), meaning the pizzas are made in the traditional methods of Napoli, Italy, where pizza was born, using a Blast-Cooking process in a wood burning oven. I adore pizza and ordered a small Burratella, made with mozzarella, burrata, hot soppressata, chili threads, honey drizzle and basil. It was divine with a soft crust and bursting with flavor.

A Driverless Ride

Riding in a vehicle without a human driver was a first for me and it’s certainly not for those who like to be in control. Regardless, it was strange and at first I was a bit tense wondering if the driver ever becomes confused or bored, but it was a short and flawless ride back to the Sheraton. Later I realized why no one was staring at us. Weymo in 2022 began serving the public with driverless rides from Phoenix Sky Harber International Airport to downtown, the first and only autonomous airport service of its kind in the world, and has expanded to the Greater Phoenix area.

Via Uber we explored the Melrose District, an established and popular one-mile-long LGBTQ neighborhood located on Seventh Avenue between Indian School and Camelback Road, and in my observations with some of the city’s best antique and art shops, bars, dining opportunities, patio cocktailing, and dancing scenarios. Tagged The Curve by Phoenicians, rainbow flags flying, the Melrose atmosphere reminded me of Key West, with the many unique and high-end boutiques.

Sealife at The OdySea Aquarium

Peter, my Sales and Marketing Director, was remarkably excited about the upcoming Phoenix trip when he researched our itinerary and was surprised to find a huge aquarium in the desert. Peter loves everything about the ocean, is an excellent swimmer and snorkeler, a huge fan of aquariums, and in his home is an 800 gallon reef tank with fish that are friends. It was an entertaining and informative blast sharing the fifth largest aquarium in the country with Peter, gazing at 370 distinct species and some 70 exhibits. A highpoint was sitting in theater-style seats while slowly revolving past sea life. OdySea is the world’s only revolving aquarium and with a helpful narration it’s something not to be overlooked, and ideal for the entire family. It was a busy and enlightening day and time for dinner at the hotel’s Carcara restaurant, orchestrated by Executive Chef John De Souza and Chef de Cuisine Angy Dykstra, their menu influenced by the Southwest and Sonoran regions. We started with a loaded guacamole that offered layers of taste with a finish like a fine wine, and a side of lightly charred tomato salsa with a slight kick and tangy on the tongue. Peter ordered a Fork Tender Short Rib with ancho chile jus, queso chihuahua, a rich and buttery Mexican soft white cheese, a base of polenta, and a sweet, spicy and savory heirloom tomato chutney sauce. For dessert we shared a Carcara Cheesecake Trio comprised of mango, strawberry and orange cheesecake pops. We noticed superior service throughout the restaurant, patio dining is a choice, and a large and healthy Chestnut Oak tree in the center of the dining room establishes a southwest ambience.

It was Saturday, and at the lavish Carcara brunch we met Chef Angy Dykstra who has been cooking for Sheraton 25 years, hired in 2010 when she earned an associate degree in culinary arts from the Phoenix Art Institute, and loves the classic southwestern cooking essentials. We enjoyed a trio of homemade scones made by the pastry chef on site, and a creamy local honey yogurt.

Shop & More Package

With a little research we became familiar with the Shop & More program. The hotel has created for guests and Phoenicians the Shop & More Package where with an overnight stay guests receive a $50 gift card from the Meet ‘n’ Greet Phoenix area merchants, to shop at the historic Mercantile indoor marketplace where 80 plus local artists, creators, salons, and designers have their boutiques. It’s absolutely a VIP shopping experience with many handmade, one-of-a-kind items. Visitors said the Merchantile is one of Arizona’s top shopping destinations, and after some browsing, I purchased a cool hat, a Mexican handmade top and a swim coverup.

Cocktail Bliss

Our Phoenix farewell evening began at Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour, and strangely enough with one of the country’s largest non-alcoholic selections. After years in London, Ross Simon has created an award-winning cocktail bar and menu, creating a style little seen in the top lounges. I ordered the Lovefruit Medley, a house-infused strawberry and pineapple vodkas, mixed with fresh watermelon, lemon and hibiscus juices sweetened with a touch of strawberry candy syrup, and served over crushed ice. Dinner was recommended at Little Rituals on the fourth floor of the Residence Inn/Courtyard Marriott, which happened to be next door from Bitter & Twisted Little Ritual is another award-winning cocktail bar and restaurant with elevated cocktails using the finest ingredients and contemporary expertise. Someone said, “It’s not a cocktail bar, it’s a happening.” We enjoyed freshly baked Parker House Bread with chartreuse vanilla butter, the classic Lamb Lollichops with fingerling potatoes and black cardamon yogurt, and a childhood favorite, a plate of Market Mushroom Mac and Cheese. It was a new taste, as was the cabbage and cucumber salad with peanut sauce and chili oil.

Sunday was getaway day, and before heading to the airport I stopped by the Windsor neighborhood to experience the Windsor Restaurant’s Sunday Brunch. It’s tagged a neighborhood restaurant with a wonderful patio, and a place where you feel at home. The brunch was over-the-top with house smoked salmon, an array of fresh salads, and selections for the kids

Irrefutable Phoenix

Researching the city for my readers, Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the country, young and vital, with a median age of 34.5. Noted among the sunniest cities on the planet with over 85 percent of daylight hours sunny, and Greater Phoenix listing an implausible 185 golf courses. Greater Phoenix also consistently ranks among the nation’s top cities in the number of Five and Four Diamond, and Five and Four Star, hotels and resorts, and a bonus for travelers, the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is dubbed America’s Friendliest Airport. I found the city complete with abundant outdoor adventures, to be a brilliant star in a meandering desert.

Quail Lodge & Golf Club quaillodge.com

8205 Valley Greens Drive

Carmel, CA 93923