Recommended places

These are some of my favorite spots in, around, and out of town.

 

I get around

Whether they’re restaurants, hangouts, or vacation spots worth visiting, trying new things and seeing new places is one of the things Nicole and I love doing. We’ve (hopefully) made believers out of our kids, too.

Over the years, this routine has helped me cultivate a long list of worthwhile destinations. Of course, these are primarily in and around Phoenix, since that’s where I call home.

I’ll continue to update these recommendations as I go, potentially even add some write-ups about them. But for now, since my website is still 🚧 under construction, you’ll have to wait on all the fancy links and details—sorry!

 
 

Contents

🍜 Restaurants
I love to eat all types of food, fast, slow, and in between.

🥃 Hangouts
Enjoy some of my go-to hangouts.

⛳️ Activities
Whether outdoor or indoor, give these activities a try.

🛍 Stores
I’ve got shopping in the bag.

💻 Places to work
Got a laptop and need to get stuff done? Drop-in.

🛏 RnR
Every now and then, we need a good massage.

🏝 Destinations
These are a few of my most frequented vacation spots.

🏆 Top 10
I’m happy to share my most notable faves.

🍜 Restaurants

I love to eat all types of food, fast, slow, and in between.

  • Binkley’s Restaurant

  • Bourbon and Bones

  • Cafe Monarch

  • Carolina’s Mexican Food

  • Chipotle

  • Clever Koi

  • Cowboy Ciao (sadly, now out of business)

  • Essence Bakery Cafe

  • Five Guys

  • FnB Restaurant

  • Glai Baan

  • Harumi Sushi & Sake

  • Hot Noodles, Cold Sake

  • Krua Thai Cuisine

  • Ladera Taverna y Cocina

  • Little Miss BBQ

  • Lucky Boy

  • O.H.S.O. Brewery & Distillery

  • Salty Sow (dang you, COVID!)

  • Sushi Style

  • Postino

  • Restaurant Progress

  • Snooze A.M. Eatery

  • The Vig Arcadia

  • Virtù Honest Craft

  • Zinc Bistro

🥃 Hangouts

Enjoy some of these go-to hangouts on your next evening out.

  • Ambassador Fine Cigars

  • Churchill’s Fine Cigars

  • The Grey Hen Rx at Century Grand

  • JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

  • The Little Woody

  • Lux Central

  • Magnum's Cigars Wine & Liquor

  • My backyard

  • Rough Rider

  • The Wandering Tortoise

  • Wren House Brewing Company

⛳️ Activities

Whether outdoor or indoor, give these activities a try.

  • Alamo Drafthouse (still great elsewhere, but no longer in PHX)

  • AMC Theatres

  • Casino Arizona at Talking Stick Resort

  • Bowlero Christown

  • Golfing—anywhere

  • iFly

  • Playing board games—yep, 🤓 nerd alert!

  • Top Golf

🛍 Stores

I’ve got shopping in the bag.

  • Amazon

  • Article Furniture

  • Bespoke Post

  • Bonobos

  • Buck Mason

  • CB2

  • Jack Mason

  • The Scottsdale Quarter

  • Shinola Detroit

  • Target

  • West Elm

💻 Places to work

Got a laptop and need to get stuff done? Drop-in.

  • AZ CoWork

  • Canyon Ventures

  • CO+HOOTS

  • The Department

  • Galvanize

  • Serendipity Labs

🛏 RnR

Every now and then, we need a good staycation, massage, or pampering.

  • The Boulders

  • The Camby

  • The Camelback Inn

  • FOUND:RE Phoenix Hotel

  • Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa

  • Hotel Valley Ho

  • Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa At Gainey Ranch

  • Twins Barber Shops

  • Romana Barbershop

🏝 Destinations

These are the favorite places in the world I frequent or have visited.

  • Amsterdam, Netherlands

  • Cape Town, South Africa

  • Coronado, California

  • Disneyanywhere

  • Kyoto, Japan

  • Las Vegas, Nevada

  • Park City, Utah

  • Paris, France

  • Scotland highlands

  • Sedona, Arizona

  • Venice (or any city, really), Italy

🏆 Top 10

Enjoy my absolute faves, with the caveat that I’m excluding my favorite destinations. Choosing entire cities feels unfair to the rest of these places.

  1. Magnum's Cigars Wine & Liquor

  2. Hillstone

  3. The Department

  4. The Boulders

  5. The Little Woody

  6. My backyard

  7. The Grey Hen Rx at Century Grand

  8. Clever Koi

  9. Binkley’s Restaurant

  10. Cafe Monarch