We ate, sipped and engaged in thoughtful conversation.
By Jennifer R. Farmer
Quite honestly, I wasn’t expecting this. I fully intended to visit bakeries, but we also had the opportunity to check out so many fabulous restaurants. Here’s a list of the ones that filled our palates and our hearts.
- The Spotted Donkey. We loved the Spotted Donkey Cantina at the Boulders Resort. The staff was friendly, the food was amazing, and the conversation was engaging. This was our second or third visit at the cozy cantina, and it is included in our list of “must visit” when we’re in the area.
- The Breakfast Club in Scottsdale. On our last day in Phoenix, we dined at The Breakfast Club, which came highly recommended from a friend. We loved the atmosphere, the freshly squeezed orange juice, and our appetizing meals. With this popular attraction, we found that if we didn’t arrived before 9 am, we would not be able to enjoy this local and tourist favorite.
- Soul Café in Scottsdale. My favorite restaurant this trip was the Soul Café. The brussels sprouts, brie and apples, and meat loaf was great. My co-parent enjoyed the shrimp and grits and our daughter loved the chicken fingers. More than the food, we loved dining and conversing with our friends Cari and Zoraida Jackson. This restaurant earned such high marks that our daughter asked, and I obliged, to eat at the restaurant twice over our short visit.
- Wildflower. We enjoyed breakfast at this upscale yet accessible eatery. We ate, sipped and engaged in thoughtful conversation. It was honestly so much fun. The best way to characterize this gem is food with flair. I enjoyed their meatballs and ricotta cheese, as well as avocado toast – an interesting combination, I know. Yet the palate wants what the palate wants. I also appreciated the convenience of this restaurant; rather than being seated, placing an order, and waiting for one’s meal, you order at the counter, grab your own drinks and then seat yourself and wait for your food. This allowed my family to get in and out, and on with our busy schedule.
- Lilibet’s Cakery & English Tea Room. Previously 21 Cupcakes, Lilibet’s Cakery & English Tea Room was simply divine. It is an on ramp to the finer things in life. I can’t wait for my daughter and I to fully experience this restaurant. The tea room is beautifully designed and one could be forgiven for thinking one were in London rather than Arizona. While we couldn’t sit for tea, it is definitely on the list for places we’ll try the next time we’re in Scottsdale/Phoenix. The cookies were buttery and delicious, however.
