Eat Outside the Box
Dawson Fearnow
Who says you can’t have Happy Hour on a weekend, or savor a traditional Sunday Brunch seven days a week?
It’s a Family Affair
Grassroots Kitchen & Tap, Twisted Grove Parlor + Bar and Wally’s American Gastropub are a collection of popular neighborhood hangouts all founded by chef/owner, Christopher Collins. Each restaurant is a little different, but you can’t wrong with Grassroots’ modern Southern fare, or Twisted Grove’s multiple outdoor dining patios, house-made pastas and killer craft cocktails. Most important, all three offer daily happy hour with discounted drinks and great grub.
Meet me at the Market
Nestled in the scenic mountain foothills of north Scottsdale, Market Street Kitchen has cooked up a diehard following for its wood-fired rotisserie meats, including a whole-roasted “Beast BBQ” every Wednesday. Not to say that herbivores won’t be happy here with options like Fried Green Tomatoes and Vegan Zucchini Noodels plate. But what really makes MSK special is the daily Happiest Hour menu (3-7pm), boasting everything from $5 bar bites and $3 canned beer, to $7 cocktails from their award-winning list. PS: There’s also a ‘secret’ cocktail menu tucked into a book behind the bar, just ask. www.marketstreetkitchen.com
Take it to the Bank
Founded inside a former 1950s post office (hence the name), Postino WineCafé has grown into a beloved micro-chain with now seven locations, including stylish spots in both downtown and north Scottsdale. Don’t miss the craveable Bruschetta Boards featuring gourmet ingredients atop fresh-baked baguettes from a certified Master Baker. Wash it all down with Postino’s daily $5 Before 5 p.m. special, including all wines-by-the-glass and craft beer pitchers.
Wake Up Fast
Why settle for fast food breakfast when you can grab a quick, hearty and fresh-cracked meal at Scramble in Scottsdale? This stylish spinoff of the Phoenix original features the same all-day breakfast and lunch menu, where you order at the counter and then either take your food to-go or settle into the colorful dining room or the dog-friendly patio. Winners here include the signature Brizzas, or breakfast pizzas like the smoked Gouda and applewood bacon, or the Morning Scramble featuring locally made Schreiner’s sausage.
Wake Up Happy
A Colorado cult favorite, Snooze an A.M. Eatery invaded Arizona a few years back armed with an irresistible combination of an all-day, every day brunch menu and house-made, from-scratch ingredients. Tucked inside the upscale Kierland Commons shopping center in north Scottsdale, Snooze’s strong coffee drinks (or boozy Bloody Marys) are a great way to perk up your morning. But don’t sleep on the six different types of Eggs Benedict like the spicy Chilaquiles Benedict with barbacoa beef and roasted poblano hollandaise. Plus repeat after me: choose your-own pancake flights, like a heavenly Blackberry SubLIME, Sweet Potato and Pineapple Upside Down pancake combo.
Recognized for crafting clear, compelling and impeccably researched content, Dawson Fearnow is a marketing copywriter and an award-winning freelance reporter (guess which one pays the bills?) based in Phoenix, AZ. A longtime travel junkie and food fanatic, when he’s not crisscrossing the state in search of his next favorite dish, Dawson is daydreaming about scuba diving in far-away places.
