Old Town Scottsdale boasts a bounty of exceptional culinary destinations, from lavish cocktail bars and quaint wine-tasting rooms to award-winning restaurants and delightful dessert spots. To experience all that Old Town has to offer, lace up your walking shoes and pack your appetite. Here is a suggested itinerary for a memorable foodie night on the town.
Stop 1: The Wine Collective of Scottsdale
Start your journey at The Wine Collective, where you can sip on a rotating selection of Arizona wines by the flight or glass. Popular flights include “Rose All Day” and “Just Trust Me,” a selection of red, white and rose wines curated by the wine concierge to match your palate. The Wine Collective also offers meat and cheese pairings and other savory appetizers, along with local Carolina’s Chocolate.
Stop 2: Citizen Public House
Next, visit Citizen Public House, a locally owned, New American restaurant in the heart of Old Town. Munch on bacon fat heirloom popcorn or order up owner Bernie Kantak’s acclaimed Original Chopped Salad, a bewitching blend of smoked salmon, couscous, arugula, pepitas, asiago cheese, currants, dried sweet corn and tomatoes, draped in an elegant buttermilk-herb dressing.
Stop 3: FnB
Stroll across the street to FnB, a charming farm-to-table concept helmed by James Beard Award winning chef, Charleen Badman. Known around town as the “Veggie Whisperer,” Badman prepares exquisite dishes with seasonal produce and offers a tidy menu of ever-changing fish, chicken, beef and pasta dishes. Pair your dinner with a selection from FnB’s extensive Arizona wine list or from the restaurant’s assortment of non-Arizona produced wines. (Note: Advance reservations highly recommended)
Stop 4: Buzzed Bull Creamery
Top off your meal with hand-crafted ice cream at Buzzed Bull Creamery, just across the scenic Waterfront bridge. Order custom blended cups and cones from a slate of more than 30 flavors either “buzzed” (alcohol-infused, adults only) or “non-buzzed.” All ice cream is flash-frozen with liquid nitrogen and made while you wait.
Stop 5: The Ends
For a nightcap, visit The Ends, a restaurant and bar inspired by the travels of the late Anthony Bourdain, where you can belly up to the bar and sip on a traditional old-fashioned or a cherry-pistachio negroni before you turn in.
Guided Food Tours
If you’d rather have an expert plan your culinary adventure, Lip Smacking Foodie Tours will customize a tour of Scottsdale’s top restaurants and bars for any occasion, be it a romantic dinner or a bachelorette party for 12; and Arizona Food Tours offers three-hour walking tours of Old Town that visit the best of Scottsdale’s storied eateries. Join a Taste of Old Town Tour; Scottsdale Wine Tour; Sip and Sample Happy Hour Tour; or a Scottsdale Progressive Dinner Tour. They also put together private tours for groups of seven or more.
Whichever way you choose to explore Old Town’s vibrant culinary and cocktail scene, bon appétit!
