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Every year at the end of January, Girl Scout cookie season arrives and gives the next generation of young girls a chance to test out their entrepreneurial skills. This year, more than 6,000 Arizona Girl Scouts are participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program. With fewer opportunities to set up booths and an ongoing emphasis on contactless pickup and delivery, the Arizona Cactus-Pine Council developed new and innovative ways for girls to safely sell cookies....

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For many, trekking to the grocery store or the farmers market during a pandemic can be problematic for a variety of reasons. Maybe you don’t want to be around that many people at once or perhaps you just don’t like other people touching your fruits and vegetables. Enter farm-fresh produce boxes that you can pick up at a specified location or have one delivered to your home. Many programs are under the CSA (Community Supported...

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One of the trendiest pizza styles is still among the most rare. If your engine’s revving for some Motor City-style pizza – famous for its square, drip-pan shape – you’re limited to these three purveyors. The Rec Pizza & Wings Rectangular pizza has a spotty track record among mainstream pizza fans, evoking hazy memories of frozen-aisle Stouffer’s pizzas and similarly uninspiring Little Caesars flashbacks. But make no mistake: Square pie can be divine, particularly in...

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Restaurants realize that sometimes you just need to do it for the ‘gram. Heck, Highball has a whole section of its menu dedicated to Instagrammable cocktails, and there are tons of eateries around the Valley with aesthetic atmospheres and photogenic fare. Here’s a handful to inspire your next hashtag. JOJO Coffeehouse @jojocoffeehouse We featured the mimosa and coffee flights at JOJO on the blog last fall and we still can’t get over how cute the...

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Talking Stick Resort’s new Mediterranean restaurant, Tash, opened on February 6 to great fanfare. The menu fuses food from different cultures, a drink list including everything from margaritas to other popular mixed drinks and incredible views of Camelback Mountain. I got the scoop at a recent media lunch. Location 9800 Talking Stick Way., Scottsdale Opened: February 2021 The Scene Patrons are immediately greeted with commanding views when walking up the stairs that lead to the...

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Finding vegan desserts can be challenging when seemingly everything sweet contains milk, butter or eggs. Luckily, the Valley has a wide range of vegan bakeries and restaurants. Check out these 10 affordable desserts for when you’re craving a sugary, plant-based pick-me-up. Chocolate Hazelnut Pie ($7) At the Giving Tree Cafe, chocolate lovers can indulge their sweet tooth with a rich and creamy pie stuffed with crunchy hazelnuts in every bite. 2024 N. 7th St., Phoenix...

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If UnderTow and Century Grand taught us anything, it’s that transportive restaurant environments enrich the dishes and drinks being served. Downtown-ish cocktail lounge Highball, set in the old SideBar space near the Willo Historic District, is no exception. In fact, Mitch Lyons – former beverage director for the immersive menus at the aforementioned Barter & Shake concepts – is the program manager at this sleek new speakeasy. Lyons has put together a fun cocktail catalog...

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The Haunted Group – the intrepid team behind Verde Valley hot spots Haunted Hamburger and The Tavern Hotel – is once again making waves in the high-desert hospitality scene. This time with a unique, upscale hotel and restaurant in the heart of Jerome. The versatile establishment is worth the two-hour trek from the Valley. Housed in the historical Clinkscale building, which was originally built in 1899, The Clinkscale boasts a bar and restaurant on the...

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My server at the Wrigley Mansion’s onsite restaurant, Geordie’s, tells me that the estate was originally built by chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. as an anniversary gift for his wife. Constructed in 1929, the Mediterranean-style manse still sports some of its original tiles, which were shipped from the family’s factory on Catalina Island and ferried up the small slope by mules. It’s an elaborate tale, one that is not at all surprising now that...

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James Beard-honored mixologist Kim Haasarud has worked with hundreds of liquor brands, restaurants and hotels to create one-of-a-kind cocktail programs across the globe. She established her beverage consulting company, Liquid Architecture, nearly two decades ago and recently created The Cocktail Collaborative (nicknamed “The Lab”), a Phoenix-based nonprofit that serves as a space for budding beverage professionals to hone their mixology skills. Now, she’s helming a homegrown hospitality concept in the heart of Phoenix, with an...

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Downtown Phoenix Inc. is dedicated to maintaining the unique vibe of the city center. Since last summer, it has been supplying small business supporters with free shirts, hats, masks and tote bags through its Buy & Fly program. Now, the organization is creating a little more buzz – by throwing locally roasted coffee into the mix. Through the Buy & Fly initiative, Downtown Phoenix Inc. encourages residents and visitors to support local coffee shops while...

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Scottsdale neighborhood restaurant Humble Pie Pizzeria has a fresh look, a menu makeover and a new chef-owner, Jorge Gomez. Gomez has been a fixture in the Valley for years, helping to open restaurants for LGO Hospitality and Genuine Concepts. Trained at the Culinary Institute of Mexico, Gomez has also competed in Food Network shows – Guy’s Grocery Games and Summer Cook Off. Humble Pie’s second location is in Happy Valley. We recently checked in with...

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Only 10 days remain to purchase tickets for the Valley’s premier foodie fête, featuring an all-star lineup of local chefs, winemakers, brewmasters and mixologists. Like most things lately, that lineup will look a little different this year, as Local First Arizona’s signature event, Devour, will take place on your couch, at your kitchen table or in your dining room. Enter Devour at Home, a COVID-conscious dining experience from the comfort of your own home with...

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Whether you’re looking for a fun setting to celebrate Galentine’s Day or seeking a romantic spot for you and your sweetie, there are a slew of Valley venues offering swoon-worthy dining deals this V-Day. Here are 18 specials around Phoenix – ranging from steals to splurges – that you’ll fall in love with on February 14. Z’Tejas (free) That’s right, these swanky southwestern-style eateries are offering a free dessert this V-Day. When you purchase two entrees, you’ll get...