Itinerary and Restaurant Suggestions first week of Jan

[Sno0909]

Originally Posted by Bondurant

If your itinerary does not include Chino Bandido your itinerary is wrong.

They want to enjoy their time here, not spend it in the bathroom. I live right down the street from this place, and that would be a hard no for me.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

The only critique I have of your proposed itinerary is that Day 3 has you making a long trek to the west side for factory outlets that you can find anywhere. I'm not sure it's worth the trip unless you do something else there. A hike at White Tank Mountain Regional Park or a visit to the World Wildlife Zoo might be good.

Thanks for sharing your food list. I'll have to give some of those a try.

I agree with you on the factory outlet near Westgate. I suppose if you lived here, why not. the Op might as well stay on the East side of town.

Re: World Wildlife Zoo. They have a plethora of animals not commonly obtained at any zoo. That's good news. The bad news is many (not all) are out their element to such an extreme that it's downright cruel. All too often, the landscape for the animals are 4X worse than a typical zoo which isn't saying much. Let's not forget what some of the animals have to live through in such a hot environment (near zero vegetation in their specific exhibit). I was there watching them feed the animals. I watched them feed a wide variety of animals scraps identical scraps that are the farthest from what they would normally eat. All and all, I was disgusted with how the animals were treated. It's about quantity versus quality.

Saying all of this, I am not a tree hugger. But that specific zoo won't get another nickel from me. Also, they are pros about being persnickety about the exact details on using their coupons. They are jerks in business and jerks to the animals. Sorry for the rant as I am not a fan of that place.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Sno0909

They want to enjoy their time here, not spend it in the bathroom. I live right down the street from this place, and that would be a hard no for me.

Or the Op could wait in line for an hour for some White Castles in Scottsdale.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

Re: World Wildlife Zoo. They have a plethora of animals not commonly obtained at any zoo. That's good news. The bad news is many (not all) are out their element to such an extreme that it's downright cruel. All too often, the landscape for the animals are 4X worse than a typical zoo which isn't saying much. Let's not forget what some of the animals have to live through in such a hot environment (near zero vegetation in their specific exhibit). I was there watching them feed the animals. I watched them feed a wide variety of animals scraps identical scraps that are the farthest from what they would normally eat. All and all, I was disgusted with how the animals were treated. It's about quantity versus quality.

Saying all of this, I am not a tree hugger. But that specific zoo won't get another nickel from me. Also, they are pros about being persnickety about the exact details on using their coupons. They are jerks in business and jerks to the animals. Sorry for the rant as I am not a fan of that place.

The Phoenix Zoo is definitely better, but I was trying to come up with west side attractions. Hiking in the White Tanks should be harmless to all species as long as leave-no-trace principles are followed as much as possible.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

The Phoenix Zoo is definitely better, but I was trying to come up with west side attractions. Hiking in the White Tanks should be harmless to all species as long as leave-no-trace principles are followed as much as possible.

No harm done on your part. My rant was a PSA for those who care about how cruel the animals are treated.

[timothyaw]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

Thanks for sharing your food list. I'll have to give some of those a try.

I agree with you on the factory outlet near Westgate. I suppose if you lived here, why not. the Op might as well stay on the East side of town.

Re: World Wildlife Zoo. They have a plethora of animals not commonly obtained at any zoo. That's good news. The bad news is many (not all) are out their element to such an extreme that it's downright cruel. All too often, the landscape for the animals are 4X worse than a typical zoo which isn't saying much. Let's not forget what some of the animals have to live through in such a hot environment (near zero vegetation in their specific exhibit). I was there watching them feed the animals. I watched them feed a wide variety of animals scraps identical scraps that are the farthest from what they would normally eat. All and all, I was disgusted with how the animals were treated. It's about quantity versus quality.

Saying all of this, I am not a tree hugger. But that specific zoo won't get another nickel from me. Also, they are pros about being persnickety about the exact details on using their coupons. They are jerks in business and jerks to the animals. Sorry for the rant as I am not a fan of that place.

I'm not a fan of zoo's period. But what you described is absolutely disgusting. People should know the real horror and treatment of animals at zoo's. Animals are not here for our entertainment, but to be left alone and protected in their natural habitat.

[thedreamteam]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

The only critique I have of your proposed itinerary is that Day 3 has you making a long trek to the west side for factory outlets that you can find anywhere. I'm not sure it's worth the trip unless you do something else there. A hike at White Tank Mountain Regional Park or a visit to the World Wildlife Zoo might be good.

Some specific suggestions in response to your questions:

Pizza -- I think Pizzeria Bianco is as good as its reputation, especially now that there are no longer waits of multiple hours to get a table. Adding lunch hours and a second location fixed that problem. I prefer the Heritage Square location, and that address definitely makes sense if you'll be nearby for First Friday. In downtown Phoenix, I also like Pomo and La Piazza. Both serve the traditional Neapolitan style. If far north Scottsdale, I like LAMP. It's near some good hiking trails in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, if you are looking for something to combine with your meal. A new arrival for pizza that is getting a lot of favorable reviews is Myke's Pizza. It's housed inside Cider Corps in downtown Mesa. You could combine that with a visit to the Arizona Museum of Natural History, the i.d.e.a. Museum, or the Mesa Center for the Arts.

Steak -- I'm loyal to Durant's and the Stockyards. Both offer steak with a side of history. The Stockyards is situated closed to the Desert Botanical Garden, the Phoenix Zoo, and Tempe Town Lake.

Burgers -- The Chuckbox for an informal, backyard cook-out like experience in downtown Tempe. Arizona Wildnerness Brewing Company on Roosevelt Row in Phoenix for good burgers with craft beer in an outdoor atmosphere.

Middle Eastern -- Phoenicia or Haji Baba in Tempe for familiar Lebanese foods. Mandhi House, also in Tempe, for Yemeni rice dishes.

Indian -- Indian Delhi Palace is near the zoo and botanical garden. You'll also find Udupi nearby for vegetarian food of southern India

Thai -- Thai Rama on Camelback, Wild Thaiger on Central, Thai Lotus on 19th Ave, and Thai Lahna on Indian School are among my favorites. Glai Baan on Indian School is getting a lot of attention for offering a street-food menu that is an alternative to the usual green/red/yellow curry options.

Vietnamese -- I like Pho Thanh in central Phoenix and Kai Hoan in Tempe; however, the deepest dive into Vietnamese food can be found at Mekong Plaza in west Mesa. Up front, you'll find UnPhoGettable, which is a solid pho joint. Go into the food court however, and you'll be rewarded with places like Hue Gourmet, which offers regional specialties from central Vietnam not usually found in most restaurants. If you're looking for a destination to combine with Mekong Plaza, I'd suggest Riverview Park a mile-and-a-half to the north. It has impressive climbing structures, along with access to the Rio Salado Path for bicycling or walking.

Of course, I've just scratched the surface and probably omitted a thousand things. Enjoy your visit.

Thanks so much for this list! And i agree about Bianco we tried it years ago was def above average pizza and we really enjoyed it, however prob wasn't worth the wait. TBH the pizza we've had at Grimaldi's (although a chain) has been equally good.

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

Pizza -- I think Pizzeria Bianco is as good as its reputation, especially now that there are no longer waits of multiple hours to get a table. Adding lunch hours and a second location fixed that problem. I prefer the Heritage Square location, and that address definitely makes sense if you'll be nearby for First Friday. In downtown Phoenix, I also like Pomo and La Piazza.

He posted the same question on Tripadvisor. My response there was the opposite, that it might be a bad idea to go to the Heritage Square location on First Friday given the potential for a wait. I agree with you that Bianco's reputation is deserved and like Pomo a lot, but I've always found La Piazza PHX disappointing, despite its advocates.

[jlawrence01]

I would start at Dominic Armato's list of 100 top restaurants in the Phoenix area

https://kjzz.org/content/725407/how-...o-his-ultimate


Generally, when I am in the Phoenix area, I eat at Asian restaurants along Dobson Rd. Here are some of my favorites:

Shaanxi Garden - Cuisine of Northwest Chine
Pho Wing Lee - Vietnamese
Hue Gourmet - Central Vietnamese
The Korean food court at Asiana Market
Nan Zhou Noodle House - Hand drawn noodles

I believe that all of these restaurants have websites for more information.