The swankier, quieter end of the long, rectangular stretch of land occupied by The West’s Most Western Town, North Scottsdale is home to tony resorts, luxury shopping and restaurants galore – all the amenities of Old Town, without the clamor. And you might spot a baller at brunch.
Itinerary: Self-Care in North Scottsdale
Is a day of pampering self-care or self-indulgence? Why not both? Head to North Scottsdale for a day of sensual pleasures after you’ve had your basketball fix.
- 10 a.m.: Breakfast at Press Coffee
Break your nightly fast with Caprese avocado toast and a cortado made with Fair Trade, locally roasted coffee beans at the Scottsdale Quarter location of this beloved local coffee chain. presscoffee.com - 11 a.m.: “Pour One Out” (A candle) at Candle Chemistry
This Scottsdale Quarter olfactory factory invites guests to “invent a scent” and pour their own candles. Not feeling creative? There are plenty of finished candles available for purchase. candlechemistry.com - 12 p.m.: Lunch at etta
Last stop in the Quarter: etta, the lighter, brighter companion concept to Old Town’s dark and sultry Maple & Ash steakhouse. Get the house-baked focaccia and the lumache alla vodka. ettarestaurant.com - 3 p.m.: Spa Day at Sisley-Paris
A bit of Paris in Scottsdale? Mais oui! The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess resort’s spa-within-a-spa offers white-glove attaché services and treatments like the Supreme Anti-Aging Facial. scottsdaleprincess.com - 7 p.m.: Dinner at The Americano
Glitzy cocktails, spendy wine and gluttonous pastas make for an incredible end to a day of hedonism. Celebrity chef Scott Conant’s opulent, Italian-inspired steakhouse always stuns. theamericanorestaurant.com
Margs & Guac Crawl
No afternoon nosh screams “Southwest!” like every Mexican restaurant’s power throuple: chips, guacamole and margaritas. These versions are a little more upscale than your average cantina’s.
- The Mission – Kierland
Chef Matt Carter’s famed tableside guacamole is topped with crunchy, earthy pepitas and crumbly, salty cotija. With an electric magenta prickly pear margarita, it’s a classic Arizona pairing. themissionaz.com - SOL Mexican Cocina
Order guacamole “naked” (classic) or get funky with the Granada (pomegranate, green apple, peanuts and red beet chips). Either way, we love the tangy, spicy blackberry ginger margarita to go with. solcocina.com - La Hacienda
Traditional guac is great, but we love the esquites version – full of sweet corn and cultured cream – at chef Richard Sandoval’s Fairmont Scottsdale Princess eatery. Pair it with the pleasantly bittersweet blood orange margarita. scottsdaleprincess.com
Souvenir
Frank Lloyd Wright Store
One of the best boutiques in the Valley isn’t a boutique at all, but the on-site Frank Lloyd Wright Store at Taliesin West. Bring a bit of the legendary architect’s winter residence home with you with this colorful, geometric-patterned Saguaro Forms embroidered pouch. shop.franklloydwright.org
Art Excursion
Cattle Track Arts Compound
This artist colony – set on 13 acres off McDonald Drive – dates back to the 1930s. It’s still home to about 10 artists, whose studios you can visit and whose works decorate nearby Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows. cattletrack.org
