Quilt Shop Hops: Northern Arizona

landscape designs on quilts — Picture Piecing quilts by England Design Studios at the Quilt, Craft + Sewing Festival.

What’s a Quilt Shop Hop?

In case you’re not familiar, you can think of a quilt shop hop as kind of like a pub crawl, only with less alcohol and a lot more fabric.

Different quilt shops in a region will participate with demonstrations, prizes, and fun activities. You “hop” around to the different ones. Instead of tickets or admission, you can purchase a single passport that allows you to join in the extra festivities at each shop.

Fabric banner — Banner project via Quilt N Sew Connection, Prescott Valley.

Northern Arizona Shop Hop

The Northern Arizona “Beat the Heat” Shop Hop is actually going on across northern Arizona through today (Saturday, July 29).

To join in, you just start in any of the 6 participating shops and buy a passport for $5. That gets you entry into prize drawings and a 10% discount on merchandise, as you visit the rest of the shops (or as many of them as you’d like).

The Plan

My mom wanted to go check out that Northern Arizona Shop Hop, so we hatched a plan to make a day trip while I was visiting her recently.

The plan was to time our two-hour drive from Phoenix so we’d arrive as the shops were opening. We wouldn’t get to all of them, but we might be able to go to 3 or 4 out of the 6, and then get back to her house in time for Phillip and I to drive home to Tucson (two hours in the opposite direction).

What actually happened was a different story – more on that in a minute.

While the day did not go as planned, I had looked up a bunch of stuff about the shops ahead of time. And had done some deep dives into Google Maps street views of our destinations, because even map apps can be confusing!

Let’s Go to the Hop

In case you’d like to plan your own Northern Arizona quilt store expedition (during a shop hop or not), I wanted to share the information I found about the shops I was planning on going to.

Before you drive across the state, it’s always a good idea to check AZ511 for road closures because of construction, weather, wildfires, etc.

highway — Exit to Chino Valley, via Google Maps.

Start here!

Take the I-17 north out of the Phoenix area.
When you get to Cordes Junction, peel off onto AZ-69 North (take exit 262 for Cordes Lakes) towards Prescott.
You’ll get to Prescott Valley first, and that’s where you’ll find the first two shops on our list…

Trails going through a park. — One of the town trails via Prescott Valley Parks + Recreation.

Prescott Valley

In case you’re not familiar with the area, yes, Prescott Valley is a different town than Prescott, which is almost 100 years older!

Via Quilt N Sew Connection. — Via Quilt N Sew Connection, Prescott Valley.

1. Quilt N Sew Connection

Open Mon-Fri 10am-5pm / Sat 10am-4pm
Contact [email protected] / Facebook / (928) 775-9580

Find them at 6546 E. Second St., Suite A, Prescott Valley

From Cordes Junction, stay on AZ-69 for about 30-40 minutes.
Take a left onto Valley View Drive – which may look less like like a street and more like the entrance to the Mattress + Furniture Gallery parking lot.
Quilt N Sew Connection is in one of the Santa Fe style buildings on Second Street, across from the Post Office.

2. ClothPlus Quilt Shop and Home Decorating Fabric Shop

In their words:

“A great selection of quality quilting fabrics, battings, books and supplies,” as well as “a passion for batiks!” On the home decorating side, they carry an assortment of upholstery fabrics for both DIYers and pros – and (heads up, cosplayers!) they also have an entire foam department.

Open Tue–Sat 10am-5pm
Contact: [email protected] / (928) 772-5010

Find them at 6479 E. Copper Hill Dr., Prescott Valley

From Quilt N Sew, cross AZ-69 and turn onto Copper Hill Drive.
ClothPlus is in a warehouse-looking building on the south side of the street.

Prescott

Prescott’s Courthouse Plaza is home to craft fairs, festivals, and lots of other outdoor events! It’s surrounded by a town square full of quirky shops and restaurants, historic hotels, and old-timey saloons. We were hoping to be there by lunchtime.

3. Prescott Quilt Works

In their words:

A new full-service quilt shop with “a curated selection of both traditional and modern fabrics, patterns, and supplies.” Their goal is “to inspire and help you create your vision while having fun from start to finish.”

Open Tue, Thr-Sat 10am-4pm / Wed 10am-6pm

Contact [email protected] / Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest / (928) 515-2276
Find them at 1781 E. AZ-69, Suite 29, Prescott

Get back on AZ-69 North until you spot Frontier Village Shopping Center on your left.
Prescott Quilt Works is a couple doors down from Sportsman’s Warehouse.

Stars come out at dusk over a valley. — Overlooking Chino Valley in Northern Arizona at sunset. Via Discover Chino Valley.

Chino Valley

If we had time to squeeze it in, this would be our final stop of the day.

antique sewing machine on an old sewing table — Antique sewing machine at Sew-n-Sew Fabric in Chino Valley.

4. Sew-n-Sew Fabric, Notions + More

In their words:

“This store has been a dream of mine for over 30 years and to see it come to fruition has me beyond words. Our goal is to provide a one stop shop for all your basic sewing needs.”

Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm

Contact [email protected] / Facebook / (928) 636-3769
Find them at 1120 S. Hwy 89, Suite E. Chino Valley

Get back onto AZ-69, but prepare to take a pretty quick right.
Exit onto AZ-89 North.
Go through like 6 traffic circles. Make sure you’re still on AZ-89 when you come out the other side of each one!
At the stoplight intersection with Rt 2 S, make a U-turn. (Where are those traffic circles when you finally need one?!)
Sew-n-Sew will be on the right, in a strip mall with a blue roof.

Quilter's Quarters, Cottonwood — Quilter’s Quarters shop, photo by Paula Fleming via Google Maps.

Cottonwood + Flagstaff

The other two participating shops that we knew we wouldn’t be able to fit into our day trip…

5. Quilter’s Quarters, Cottonwood

6. Odegaard’s Sewing Center, Flagstaff

blossoms — Vine blooming during the summer in the Mesa Urban Garden.

How Our Day Actually Went

Usually, going to Northern Arizona in the summer means cool weather instead of Phoenix heat.

However, as the shop hop got closer, the whole state seemed to be scorching. Even in the high country, they were expecting temps of 98-100, which is not cool. But cooler than Phoenix by about 20 degrees, so that’s something.*

I checked in with Mom.

Me: If it’s hot up north, do you still want to go?

Mom: Sure!

Mom remembered she had a doctor’s appointment scheduled for the morning of our trip. It would mean heading north a bit later, but we could make it work if the appointment didn’t go too long.

Me: If we leave straight from your doctor’s office, do you still want to go?

Mom: Sure!

The appointment went too long. It was midday before Mom finally reappeared in the waiting room. We started talking about if it made any sense to try to drive up just for the afternoon. Then Mom had an idea.

Mom: Instead of making a long drive, do you want to visit a couple nearby quilt shops and then go see the Barbie movie?

Me: Sure!

That was a plan that worked out perfectly. The Barbie movie was great! And I’ll fill you in on the Phoenix-area (East Valley) stores we visited in the next few weeks.

Barbie pink fabric from Elkhorn Quilt Company. I took the photo at the Quilt, Craft and Sewing Festival.

*Temperatures were around 37 Celsius in the normally-much-cooler northern Arizona region. Hot. But slightly less hot than the Phoenix area, where it was 47 C!

May 25, 2023April 9, 2026

An Artisan Market on Tucson Summer Nights

The Summer Night Market is starting up again, so I’ve updated the links and info in this post. There are now over 60 participating vendors! The Market happens from 6-10pm the last Friday of the (Tucson) summer months – May through September.

2023 dates are May 26, June 30, July 28, August 25 + Sept 29.

—S

Jordana Saletan of Little Rabbit Jewelry — Jordana of Little Rabbit Jewelry

Tonight is the monthly Summer Night Market at the Mercado San Agustin (MSA) Annex here in Tucson. (You may have seen it on the summer Happenings List.)

Dramaburger x Melrose Art collab — Emily lighting up the Melrose Macramé booth (more of Jessica’s macramé and Emily’s lights in the top/featured photo)

A few dozen vendors bring their handmade goods and set up around the shipping container shopping center – along with food trucks and a DJ. Of course, the regular shops, restaurants, and bar stay open too.

Tap and Bottle pop-up Bar — Rebecca tending the Westbound pop-up bar

I wrote about all the food and beverage options over on Tucson Foodie, so I hope you’ll go check that out!

moxie and sassafras booth — Moxie and Sassafras booth

For now, I thought I’d share a few photos from the Night Market in June.

Nicole and her friend Paola at the BYNDbooks booth

Updated May 2023.
Originally posted July 2021.

Links to Etsy shops have been converted to affiliate links. Etsy purchases you make after clicking them earns a small commission that helps this site without costing you anything extra!

May 20, 2023April 9, 2026

Stolen de Kooning Painting Restored to Tucson Museum

University of Arizona Museum of Art (UAMA) entrance — University of Arizona Museum of Art today.

“The art heist went down without a hitch in only 15 minutes.”

–Maria Woodie, ArtistsNetwork

The Crime: Tucson 1985

The University of Arizona Museum of Art (UAMA) wasn’t even open yet the morning after Thanksgiving 1985, when an employee arrived to find a man and a woman already waiting outside. The gregarious couple managed to talk their way in, following the employee into the building.

University of Arizona Museum of Art in 1982 via Gannett.

The woman, wearing a red jacket and a scarf in her hair, chatted up a security guard, while her mustachioed partner went upstairs toward one of the museum’s most important works.

Woman-Ochre had been in the museum’s collection since 1958. It was unceremoniously taken off exhibit when this Black Friday visitor hacked the canvas out of its frame, rolled it up, stuffed it under his jacket (or somewhere), and made a hasty exit with his accomplice.

de Kooning frame — The empty frame of the missing de Kooning painting via UANews.

The two were peeling out of the parking lot with the painting before anyone at the museum realized what had just occurred. Back then, the UAMA didn’t have security cameras, and there were no leads. All they had was testimony from the few eyewitnesses, police composite sketches, and an empty frame.

sketches of art thieves at UAMA — Composite police sketches of the thieves, along with the empty frame they left behind. On display at UAMA’s Restored exhibition.

UAMA put the theft insurance money they received from the state into getting surveillance cameras and otherwise tightening up their security.

Possibly unrelated, but the university has also renovated the area, so you can no longer pull a car right up to the front of the museum.

Periodically, UAMA would remind the public of the missing painting. Staff held out hope for its return, but they really didn’t know if they’d ever see it again.

And, for over 30 years, they didn’t.

Willem de Kooning with Woman I, c. 1952 — Willem de Kooning with Woman I peering over his shoulder, c. 1952. By Kay Bell Reynal, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

The Origin: New York 1955

“Beauty becomes petulant to me. I like the grotesque. It’s more joyous.”

– Willem de Kooning

The painting they had stolen was Woman-Ochre by Willem de Kooning, who is considered to be one of “the twentieth century’s most influential artists.” He was a contemporary of New York abstract expressionists like Arshile Gorky, Franz Kline, Jackson Pollock, Ad Reinhardt, and Mark Rothko.

Jackson Pollock painting — Jackson Pollock, Number 20 (from 1950), painted on the back of a game board.

Woman-Ochre is part of the controversial series of Women paintings de Kooning did in the early 1950s. Described by some as “aggressive” or “violent,” they were too abstract to be considered portraits, but the recognizable human forms meant they weren’t abstract enough for de Kooning’s avant-garde friends.

Woman-Ochre painting by Willem de Kooning — Woman-Ochre by Willem de Kooning, 1955.

Perhaps his refusal to fit neatly into categories is part of what has kept people intrigued by de Kooning’s art over the years. His works are “among the most marketable in the world.” In 2016, his piece Interchange sold for $300 million, making it the world’s most expensive painting at the time. The University of Arizona (UA) estimated Woman-Ochre itself to be worth $160 million in 2005.

House in Cliff, New Mexico behind a fence with a "no trespassing" sign. — The Alters’ home in Cliff, New Mexico. By Cheryl Evans/The Republic.

The Discovery: New Mexico 2017

“…if the thief has kept the painting, he or she eventually dies, and the surviving family finds the painting and tries to sell it. The painting is returned — but the process can take decades.”

–UANews article written in 2015, when Woman-Ochre’s whereabouts were still unknown

In 2017, a retired public school speech therapist named Rita Alter passed away in Cliff, New Mexico, a town of under 300 people. Her husband, Jerry had passed a few years before, so their nephew was left in charge of dealing with the house and eclectic estate.

A tile-covered pyramid, one of the random assortment of possessions the Alters left behind. Image Courtesy of David Farley via Arizona Republic.

Most of the furniture and some other household items were sold as a lot to Manzanita Ridge Furniture + Antiques in nearby Silver City for $2000.

Manzanita Ridge Antique Store — Manzanita Ridge Furniture and Antiques via their Facebook page.

That included an intriguing mid-century painting that was found awkwardly hanging behind the Alters’ bedroom door. Once it was on display in the store, people started asking if it was authentic and offering huge amounts of money for it.

de Kooning hidden behind a door — Woman-Ochre hung behind the Alters’ bedroom door. Photo on display at UAMA’s Restored exhibition.

Puzzled, store co-owner David Van Auker removed it from the floor and began researching the painting. The search turned up articles from the 30th anniversary of Woman-Ochre’s theft, which UA publicized to keep the missing work in the public eye.

One UANews article from that time basically called it: “Usually, a stolen painting gets returned to a collection in one of two ways. The thief may try to sell the piece shortly after the heist and get caught. This often takes only a few years. But if the thief has kept the painting, he or she eventually dies, and the surviving family finds the painting and tries to sell it. The painting is returned — but the process can take decades.”

David picked up the phone and called UAMA. “I think I have a piece of art that was stolen from you guys….”

Manzanita Ridge Co-Owners — The Co-Owners of Manzanita Ridge Furniture + Antiques. Photo on display in UAMA’s Restored exhibition.

A few days later, museum staff made the 3-hour drive from Tucson to Silver City to authenticate the painting. They were moved to tears when they realized it truly was the piece that had been missing for so long.

“The thieves actually committed two crimes that day. First, they stole an important signature painting from the University’s museum collection. They also stole more than 30 years of access from the public and scholars across the world, depriving them of the opportunity to appreciate, learn from and be inspired by a significant artist.”

–Kimberly Andrews Espy, UA senior vice president for research, in a UAMA statement

How did it get there in the first place? There’s evidence to suggest that the couple who owned the New Mexico home where the de Kooning was found were the ones who had made off with it all those years before. Since they’re both deceased, they won’t get a jury trial. However, we know the pair was in Tucson the day before the heist, celebrating Thanksgiving with family. And they do bear a resemblance to the police sketches made shortly afterwards.

Police sketches of the suspects in the 1985 de Kooning heist and a photograph of Jerry and Rita Alter at Thanksgiving dinner. — Via ArtNet: “A police sketch of the suspects in the 1985 de Kooning heist released shortly after the crime took place, and a photograph of Jerry and Rita Alter at Thanksgiving dinner in Tucson the day before the robbery. Image courtesy of the police department and Ron Roseman.”

UAMA offered to purchase the painting from Manzanita Ridge, but they refused to accept any money for it.

Instead, they only asked for the gold frame it was found in, so “they can display it in tribute to the incredible story,” and for the painting to be “safely returned to the people of Arizona.”

Aerial view of the Getty Research Institute. Via the Getty blog.

The Restoration: Los Angeles 2019-2022

They didn’t steal [Woman-Ochre] from the museum, they stole it from all of us. From everyone.”

–David Van Auker, the antique store co-owner who found Woman-Ochre

It turns out that violently wrenching an oil painting from its canvas, rolling it up, and then stuffing it under your clothing are not recommended art preservation techniques.

Woman-Ochre close ups — Woman-Ochre close-ups sent to UAMA after its rediscovery in New Mexico.

When Woman-Ochre was finally found, it was a mess. The paint was cracked and flaking off. Damage caused by the theft was made worse by amateur attempts to repair it and the haphazard way it was stapled and screwed into a new frame. (Also not recommended.)

Art conservator viewing a painting through a microscope — Laura Rivers, Getty paintings conservator, working on the restoration of Woman-Ochre. Via the Getty blog.

The painting was taken to the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, where their team of experts painstakingly assessed and repaired the damage. They were able to use infrared photography and X-radiography to find out exactly what type of materials de Kooning had used to create his painting, so they could treat it appropriately.

Views of the Woman-Ochre painting before restoration. — Woman-Ochre before restoration: under raking light (left), XRF (Macro X-Ray Fluorescence) scan (middle), close-up of cracked paint (right, top), and microscopic paint cross-section (right, bottom) on display in UAMA’s Restored exhibition.

Conservator Laura Rivers spent months cleaning it and using a microscope and small dental tools to reattach tiny paint fragments piece by piece.

Work restoring the painting went on for about 2.5 years before it was ready to be back on exhibit.

Woman-Ochre on display in UAMA’s Restored exhibition.

The Exhibition: Tucson 2022-2023

“I believe art should be where everyone can see it.”

– Edward Gallagher, who originally donated Woman-Ochre to UAMA

After an exhibition at the Getty, Woman-Ochre returned to its Tucson home.

Mark Rothko's Green on Blue and other mid-century artwork at UAMA — Mark Rothko’s Green on Blue (left) and other mid-century works on display in UAMA’s Abstract Perspectives in Mid-Century Art exhibition. You can also see Woman-Ochre (centerpiece of the Restored exhibition) through the doorway on the right side of the photo.

Phillip and I got to see the Restored: The Return of Woman-Ochre exhibition, as well as Abstract Perspectives in Mid-Century Art, which displayed art from de Kooning’s contemporaries, showing the context of his work.

man walks by large abstract painting in a museum — Phillip walks by “Number IV” by Morris Louis, 1957, at UAMA.

Restored wrapped up today, but the Woman-Ochre painting itself will remain on display at UAMA. It will return to museum’s second floor in a gallery that has been renamed the Manzanita Ridge Gallery in honor of the antique store owners who were crucial in its journey home.

Manzanita Ridge Gallery: coming in 2023 — Via Manzanita Ridge Antiques on Facebook.

More to Watch + Listen to about Woman-Ochre…

The Thief Collector: Documentary about Woman-Ochre’s theft and the secret lives of the crime’s main suspects. I got to see a screening with my friend Laurel at UA in October. I’ve wanted to recommend it, but there wasn’t really anywhere you could see it. Now it’s finally available to rent or buy on Amazon! (Not endorsing Amazon but glad this gripping yet thoroughly entertaining doc is getting out there!)
The Recovery: 10-minute video by the Arizona Republic.
Getty PODCAST: For deep dives into the painting and its restoration, listen to The Recovery and Conservation of a Stolen de Kooning + Damaged de Kooning on Display at Last.
Conserving de Kooning: Theft and Recovery: 3.5 minute video by the Getty.

April 15, 2023April 9, 2026

10 Things to Know About Gem Shows in Tucson

Large mineral at the UArizona Alfie Norville Gem + Mineral Museum. — Mineral on display at the Alfie Norville Gem + Mineral Museum.

1. The Tucson Gem & Mineral Show® (TGMS) is the original.

When the Tucson Gem + Mineral Society held their inaugural show in the 1970s, it was the first of its kind, welcoming both professionals and the public. It continues to be the largest gem and mineral show in the world!
Continue reading “10 Things to Know About Gem Shows in Tucson”

July 29, 2022April 9, 2026

Where to Eat Around Tempe, Arizona

Arizona Historical Museum — Arizona Heritage Center at Papago Park

My list of Tempe restaurant recommendations is shrinking.

Even before COVID, some favorites from our old neighborhood had already been pushed out by rising real estate prices and new construction.

Phoenix views — View from South Mountain in Phoenix

However, there are still some longstanding gems that are worth a visit when you’re in town. And, since I’ve recently had some Tempe-bound friends looking for suggestions, I thought I’d share a list of the places I tend to point them to. Some of these are technically in Phoenix, Scottsdale, etc., but they are all Tempe-adjacent.

Most restaurants I’ve listed here have ample free parking – which is true of the majority of metro Phoenix.

However, when you’re near ASU/Downtown Tempe, things change. Spaces become scarce, and enforcement officers are quick with the citations. (Remember the rabbit in Zootopia?)

It’s probably the area in the entire state of Arizona where you’re most likely to end up with a parking ticket. So I’ve noted restaurants with trickier parking, as well as including some additional Tempe parking and transit tips at the end of the article.

tempe town lake and park — Tempe Town Lake

Tempe-Area Eats

Tempe Beach Park entrance — Nearby: Tempe Beach Park at Tempe Town Lake

The Chuckbox

Charmingly rough around the edges university student haunt that serves a simple menu of exceptional burgers, chicken, and sides. It’s a strictly cash-only operation that does not accept debit or credit cards.

They take your order and then flame grill it right in front of you. If you want anything besides cheese on your burger, you add it yourself at the condiment bar.

It’s a formula that has worked since my mom and her siblings hung out there when they were in college. In fact, The Chuckbox is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month! I grew up eating there, especially when one of my uncles was in town. As divey as the place may seem now, they’ve actually cleaned it up since I was a kid!

We especially like The Big One (their signature burger) with cheese and a side of fried mushrooms, zucchini, or onion rings.

Open daily for lunch and dinner

Seating indoors + on the patio (on wood crates and stumps)

Located at 202 E. University Dr., Tempe

East of Mill Avenue
Light rail: Veterans Way/College Ave
Streetcar: Ninth St./Mill Ave
Parking: A few designated spaces, but you may need to look elsewhere when it’s busy.

Nearby:

Mill Avenue – college town shopping and bars
Gammage Auditorium – Frank Lloyd Wright designed theater on ASU Campus
ASU Art Museum – contemporary art museum in the Nelson Fine Arts Center
Tempe Town Lake, particularly Tempe Beach Park

Cornish Pasty Co.

Maker of hearty, savory pies from Cornwall, England called pasties (pronounced kind of like “past-ease”) in an upscale pub atmosphere that feels a world away from its strip mall location. Cornish Pasty’s wide variety of fillings include some with traditional ingredients, some of their own invention, and a lot of vegetarian and vegan options.

Open daily for lunch and dinner

Seating indoors + patio

Located at 960 W. University Dr., Tempe

University + Hardy Dr.
Also locations in Mesa, Scottsdale, Phoenix, and a few outside the Valley

Nearby:

Tempe Center for the Arts (TCA) – Theaters, gallery, event space, and a large grassy area where we saw Ballet Under the Stars.
Tempe Town Lake

defalcos deli

DeFalco’s calzone and marinara dipping sauce to-go

DeFalcos Italian Deli + Grocery

Pizzeria, deli counter, and market stocked with Italian staples like pasta, gelato, wine, cheeses, spreads, and olive oil. It was recommended to us by our good friends Michelle and Carlos, who used to live in the neighborhood.

We especially like the Centurion pizza or a calzone with Italian sausage and roasted red peppers.

Open daily for lunch and dinner

Seating indoors + patio

Located at 2334 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale

North of McDowell

Nearby:

Old Town Scottsdale – home of the Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale (under new ownership)
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Papago Park, particularly Desert Botanical Gardens, Hole-in-the-Rock + Arizona Heritage Center
Scottsdale’s Civic Center Park (closed for construction until 2023)
Eldorado Park, where several local business owners collaborated on the Summer of the Waffle event.

Del Yaqui

If you’re looking for really good Mexican food near Tempe, I’d send you to this Sonora-style taqueria.

It’s located in El Mercado de Guadalupe along with about a dozen other businesses, which open onto a large central courtyard. (That’s also where you’ll find its seafood-focused sister restaurant, the recently-renovated San Diego Bay.) El Mercado is probably the main shopping center in the town of Guadalupe, and the colorful murals on the outer walls make it easy to spot.

Guadalupe was founded as a refuge for Pascua Yaqui Indians fleeing Mexico after the revolution in the early 1900s. You’ll know you’ve crossed from Tempe into the one-square-mile town when the street names change to Spanish.

Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Seating mostly indoor but there are also a few tables on the well-shaded patio

Located at 9201 S. Avenida del Yaqui, Guadalupe

Inside El Mercado de Guadalupe on the southeast corner of Guadalupe Road and Avenida del Yaqui (which is Priest Drive in Tempe)

Nearby:

Thanks-a-Latte Coffee + Snacks – Opened earlier this year in El Mercado de Guadalupe. I stopped in with my dad, who gave their mango-pineapple smoothie rave reviews!
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church – beautiful mission-style building that hosts religious ceremonies and cultural festivals
Mercado Mexico – shop selling pottery and other Mexican imported decor
South Mountain – hiking at Pima Canyon Trailhead (if it’s too hot to hike, you can drive Summit Road from the Main Entrance)

brunch at the farm south mountain phoenix — Morning Glory Cafe breakfast

The Farm at South Mountain

Urban farm and open space oasis. There is a lot of grass, a shop with locally-made products and unique gift items (Botanica), wedding/event venues, and a restaurant for each meal of the day!

Since this is a largely outdoor experience, parts of it close down in the summer to avoid the heat. Double check the hours before you go during the hottest time of the year, May through September.

All 3 of the restaurants feature organic produce grown right there on The Farm!

Morning Glory: breakfast/brunch at cafe tables with shade umbrellas
Farm Kitchen: picnic-style lunch under pecan trees
Quiessence: intimate dinners with a multi-course tasting menu (reservations recommended)

We especially like Farm Kitchen’s pecan chicken salad sandwiches, coffee, iced tea, and individually-sized desserts.

Seating all outside

Located at 6106 S. 32nd St., Phoenix

South of Southern on the west side of 32nd Street
Parking: mostly in the lot across the street, a few spots near the entrance to The Farm

Nearby:

South Mountain – hiking at Mormon Trailhead (if it’s too hot to hike, you can drive Summit Road from the Main Entrance)
Maya’s Farm, which used to be part of this Farm but has moved to its own space just down the street

Gammage Auditorium exterior — Nearby: Gammage Auditorium

Haji-Baba

Restaurant serving up Middle Eastern favorites plus a market selling baklava, bulk spices, pita bread, kalamata olives, fresh cheeses, henna hair dye, olive oil soap, plus a variety of imported snacks, sweets, and other goodies.

We especially like the chicken shawarma plate! The plate now comes with a small side salad, but you can substitute tabooli (which I recommend). Their garlic sauce is also downright addictive.

Open daily for lunch and dinner (Mon to Sat: 11am–8pm, Sunday: 11am–5pm)

Seating indoors + a couple tables outside

Located at 1513 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe

West of McClintock Dr.
Make sure you go to the restaurant – not their wholesale store down the street!
Light rail + streetcar: Dorsey Ln./Apache

Nearby:

Gammage Auditorium – Frank Lloyd Wright designed theater on ASU Campus
Tempe History Museum + Tempe Public Library

Honey Bear’s BBQ

Family-owned Tennessee-style barbecue joint. Honey Bear’s meats are slow cooked until they’re so tender that (they claim) you could eat them even without teeth!

Open daily for lunch and dinner

Seating indoors

Located at 5012 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix

Between 48th St. and the 202 Red Mountain freeway

Nearby:

Papago Park, particularly the Phoenix Zoo, Lo Piano Bosque Habitat and other hiking trails
Tovrea Castle at Carraro Heights
Sky Harbor Airport

mekong plaza in mesa az

A few more quick picks…

Some Tempe restaurants I haven’t been to as much or as recently or that I’d just recommend for something specific, but I still feel are worth mentioning:

Cafe Lalibela (849 W. University Dr., Tempe) – Ethiopian restaurant with lots of fans! I thoroughly enjoyed eating there and hope to make it back there soon.

Dilly’s Deli (3330 S. Price Rd., Tempe) – Premium sandwiches and soup. Their cream of chicken noodle soup in a bread bowl is top-notch comfort food.

D’lite Healthy on the Go (125 E. Southern Ave. Suite 101, Tempe) – Nutritious food with a drive-through. The menu includes items like quinoa bowls and vegan protein shakes, as well as classic breakfast burritos and good coffee.

Four Peaks Brewing Co. (1340 E. 8th Street, #104, Tempe) – Original location of a neighborhood brewpub gone national. Besides their well-loved ales and IPAs (i.e. Kilt Lifter, 8th Street, Hop Knot…), they also offer a delicious menu of beer-battered food, as well as salads, burgers, and pizza made with beer bread crust. Free street parking.

Mekong Sandwiches (66 S. Dobson Rd., Mesa) bakes the French bread for their Banh Mi right there in their kitchen. I also enjoy their iced Vietnamese coffee. It’s located in Mekong Plaza, along with an international supermarket, gift shops, a bakery, and eateries featuring a variety of Asian cuisines.

Postino (615 S. College Ave., Tempe) – Wine bar with panini, bruschetta boards, and a tapas-like menu of “snacky things.” Originally opened in an old Phoenix post office, the Tempe location is the Postino Annex at ASU. Parking: Fulton Center Garage ($4/hour) or meters north of 6th Street.

tempe town lake

Transit

Valley Metro runs the transit system throughout the Phoenix area. It includes buses, light rail, neighborhood shuttles (small free busses that run on localized routes), and Tempe’s new streetcar – which is free to ride until May 2023!

light rail

Light Rail

The Valley Metro light rail goes through Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa. It’s especially convenient for getting to/from Sky Harbor Airport, Phoenix Convention Center, and ASU.

I made a video explaining how to ride it, if you haven’t before. Since then, the line has expanded in both directions, but the Tempe stops remain the same. And all day fare is still $4!

park and ride

Park-and-Rides

If you decide to drive to your stop and then hop onto transit, you can park in one of a dozen Valley Metro Park-and-Ride lots located across the greater Phoenix area.

Parking is free all day for transit riders.
There’s no overnight parking. You risk getting towed if your car is still in the lot between 1-4am.

Parking Tips for Downtown Tempe

I don’t feel I can send you off to Tempe without a heads up on parking in the ASU/Downtown area. The main thing is to make sure you’re parking where you’re clearly allowed to. If it’s ambiguous or you don’t see any signs, you could still end up getting ticketed or even towed (it’s happened).

Here are some options.

Parking meters

Use coins or a credit card to pay at the meter or ParkMobile to pay and add time remotely.
$1.50-2 per hour. Free after 10pm, all day on Sundays, and on holidays.
2-3 hour max time limit.
Vehicles displaying a disability placard can park free at meters. (Time limits still apply.)

Public parking garages and lots

Check Downtown Tempe’s online map for locations and rates.
There’s typically not a discount for vehicles with disability placards in garages.
During events like ASU football games, lots may charge higher, flat rates for parking.

chuckbox — Outside of the old-timey cowboy themed Chuckbox

Customer Parking

If you’re lucky, the place where you’re going will have some free parking spots for its customers (“Chuckbox only” parking, for example).
Technically, you’re not supposed to remain parked in these customer spaces and leave the property. I’m not sure how strictly this is enforced, but you might want to park elsewhere before wandering off.

Don’t forget Park-and-Rides! (Details under “Transit,” above.) It’s easy to park in one of these lots, and let the light rail take you the rest of the way to your destination.

no parking — No parking signs in a neighborhood near South Mountain.