Hotel Valley Ho Blog | Things To Do in Phoenix/Scottsdale and Much More

Macayo’s Mexican Grill in Scottsdale

If you love Mexican food, put Macayo’s Mexican Grill & Cantina on your to-do list. Macayo’s opened their first location in Phoenix in 1946. Now the family has 12 restaurants in Arizona and two in Las Vegas. They are known for their delicious Mexican cuisine made with locally grown ingredients, including their own farm-fresh chilies. I got to sample the new menu at their remodeled Scottsdale location and it was amazing. New favorites include the Fried Avacado, Jicama Shrimp Tacos, and Bosio’s Shrimp with chipotle sauce.

Tasty Bites at the Arizona Taco Festival

The sixth-annual Arizona Taco Festival promises delicious drinks, live music, lucha libre wrestling, and 100,000 tacos. The fun happens at Salt River Fields on Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Taste the creations of 40 competing taco teams, cooking up $2 tacos made with chicken, pork, beef, seafood, veggies, and even dessert.

Don’t miss the legendary Tequila Expo …

Craft 64 Pizza in Downtown Scottsdale

The new Craft 64 in Downtown Scottsdale boasts a former Pizzeria Bianco chef, Horacio “Lachos” Hernandez, who spent 17 years working with pizza master Chris Bianco! Chef Hernandez is putting his own spin on pizza. Almost all of their ingredients are locally sourced. Produce is seasonal and fresh from McClendon’s Select Farm, and their 35 beers and most of their wines are from Arizona.

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MERCI French Cafe & Patisserie

Last week, a friend took me to lunch at a little café tucked away in a strip mall on the northeast corner of Indian School & Miller Road, near Downtown Scottsdale. MERCI French Cafe & Patisserie occupies the space where Scratch, another French restaurant, was a few years ago. It turns out that the new owners and chef are the same ones who ran Scratch, and I think the food is better than ever! The vichyssoise (cold potato and leek soup) is amazing and perfect for a warm Arizona summer afternoon. Their …

Chef Richard Garcia’s Favorite Local Restaurants

No one knows food better than a chef! That’s why we asked our own Chef de Cuisine Richard Garcia of ZuZu about his favorite spots around town.

Where do you like to go for barbecue?

Rudy’s. They’re based in Albuquerque and have two locations in the Valley (one in Chandler and one in Goodyear). They have the best brisket, I haven’t seen anyone else come close!