The beauty of Phoenix lies in its location. That proverbial oasis in the middle of the desert.
A century-and-a-half ago, settlers put down roots in an arid area today known as “The Valley of the Sun.” In that time, Phoenix has grown from a small farming community to a major metropolitan city.
Located in the Sonoran Desert, Phoenix is the county seat of Maricopa County and the largest capital city in the United States. It is the only state capital with more than a million residents (the area, coupled with its many suburbs, is home to more than 4 million residents).
So, yes, it’s hot. But Phoenix is so much more than tumbleweeds and cacti. The desert is alive; it’s filled with culture, a one-of-a-kind experience and great food and wine. Phoenix truly has it all.
Beckett’s Table
Chef Justin Beckett and his wife, Michelle, became friends with sommeliers Katie and Scott Stephens in 2002, bonding over family-style dinners and wine pairings. One night, they contemplated opening a restaurant and listed all they cherished about their evenings together. In 2010, they opened Beckett’s Table in Phoenix’s Arcadia neighborhood, focusing on fresh ingredients from local farms within 30 miles. The restaurant’s wine list has won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for eleven consecutive years.
Fry Bread House
Founded in 1992 by Cecelia Miller, a Tohono O’odham Nation member, the restaurant offers complex red and green chile stews. But the real highlight is the fry bread — “downy bronze cushions the size of dinner plates,” as the James Beard Foundation described it, available “in both savory and sweet versions.”
