We can’t believe it’s been open for three years now, since it still feels like a breath of fresh air – or whiff of freshly roasted coffee beans – in an area of town that usually smells more like stale Starbucks. We can only hope that Driftwood’s success portends the opening of more craft coffee shops throughout the West Valley, not just in far-flung pockets.
For nights when you just can’t face cooking dinner, pick up Doughbird’s Family on the Fly to go. For $29, you get a full rotisserie chicken, an ample Caesar salad, a large side (broccoli, mashed potatoes or mac and cheese) and choice of chicken dipping sauce. There’s something for everyone here. No muss, no fuss.
Pilot-turned-“gongster” Lisa Lippincott found physical and psychological healing through sound, and now she leads gong meditations at her serene home. The instruments’ shimmery sounds vibrate through your body, soothing frazzled nerves and stimulating a transcendent consciousness.
How did you spend your time during quarantine? Baking? Gardening? Rolled up in the fetal position in bed? Hey, no judgment. We’ve all watched our fair share of television, but Diane Porter took it to the next level by screenshotting just about every talking head she could find and posting it on Instagram @thatdianeporter alongside her ratings based on their home backdrop (with an emphasis on book collections) and personal style. It’s no surprise that...
The sunrise shines on the yucca plants and birds warble in the palo verde trees as you do warrior pose in the garden’s open-air pavilion. At these beginner-friendly Sunday morning classes, you can soothe your soul, stretch your muscles, experience the elements and maintain social distance on the spacious terrace.
In March, the Arizona Cardinals fleeced the Houston Texans. For a piddling fee (a second rounder and past-prime back David Johnson), they landed DeAndre Hopkins, a four-time Pro Bowl blur of a receiver, with Shop-Vacs for hands and video-game spin moves. Kyler Murray has gained a highly prized new weapon: arguably the best wideout in the NFL.
If you grew up in SoCal – or Yuma, for that matter – you likely have fond memories of slurping thick, sticky and sweet date shakes made from the caramelly fruit of the phoenix dactylifera, which grows plentifully in the Middle East, North Africa and this pocket of the Southwest. Get your fix without leaving town at Sphinx, a date and local goods shop.
Last fall, Valley hot sauce hitmaker Jacob Cutino mixed his best bottle yet. Though it drops only occasionally as a special release allotment, Cutino’s Miso is an umami-kissed wonder. It marries the titular Japanese soybean paste’s famously funky oomph with the fire of jalapeño and ghost peppers, its heat charmed by cane sugar, lime juice and other touches. Mr. Cutino, make this one a regular!
This eccentric emporium has an array of oddities – from animal specimens in jars to human skeletons to taxidermy. Looking for a preserved pig fetus or diaphanized snake? Curious Nature has you covered. Or perhaps you have a small animal of your own you’d like to save. Clean it, put it in a bag and Curious Nature will handle the rest. We’re certainly curious.
If you’re willing to plunk down a few extra bucks for high-quality taco fixings, head to CRUjiente Tacos. Be forewarned: These aren’t traditional street tacos. Think culinary works of art. Winners include seared shrimp with Thai coconut green curry sauce and pork belly with house-pickled kimchi. A little pricey, but worth the splurge.
Crown Public House inherited some British décor when Rose & Crown Pub moved in two years ago, along with the bar’s weekly Wednesday trivia night. The free Team Trivia games start at 6 p.m., and host Ryan Kirsch provides clues to some of the answers through songs. Winners get money off their bar tabs.
From a flock of some 300 Nubian dairy goats, Wendell Crow crafts fresh goat cheese on his fifth-generation farm in Buckeye. It has an unbelievable freshness, depth of flavor and the kind of pleasant barnyard notes that whisk your mind to the hay. (Some local chefs have taken to calling it “goatija,” a portmanteau alluding to similarly redolent Mexican cotija cheese.) Find it at restaurants, resorts and select farmers markets.
Since 1997, Cowtown has been a stalwart of the Arizona skateboarding community, supplying local skaters with boards, shirts and shoes, plus accessories like sunglasses and jewelry constructed out of salvaged skateboard decks. For the past two decades, the skate shop has sponsored the annual Phoenix Am, a contest that attracts amateur skateboarders from across the globe to compete for a $16,000 purse. Cowtown also has a nonprofit arm, Cowtown S.K.A.T.E., which helps bring the joy...
Offers a lofty list of vegetarian pasties filled with savory ingredients ranging from rutabaga and Portobello mushrooms to meatless chicken, plus daily vegan specials.
If you’re anything like us, you’re sick of baking and – to be perfectly honest – you’re kind of sick of your kids, too. Even a 15-minute break sounds like heaven, right? Cookie Brokers is here for you – with adorable custom kits packed with plain sugar cookies and an assortment of colored icings for decorating. We could all use a few carbs right about now.
