What's New

Every year I scour the state of Arizona to track down what's new and noteworthy. There are always great new hotels and restaurants to be discovered, new tour companies that have started up, and museums that have opened or expanded. Occasionally there are even new parks or other natural areas to be explored. Inevitably, I also discover that a few old-favorite restaurants, shops, and such have gone out of business. Worse still, I sometimes find that places I once liked no longer make the grade and have to be taken out of this guide. Following are some of my discoveries.

Phoenix, Scottsdale & the Valley of the Sun

The Scottsdale Waterfront is finally done, and it looks great. I have to tell you, I was hugely skeptical about the whole idea for years. I mean, it's just an irrigation canal. How sexy can they make it? Sexy! Canalside walkways with cool fountains, great restaurants packed in side by side, bars full of beautiful people, great little designer boutiques (www.shopthemix.com). What's not to like? There's even free underground parking. Check it out; it's at the corner of Scottsdale and Camelback roads.

If you're looking for a reasonably priced hotel with a pool and tennis courts, try the Grace Inn, 10831 S. 51st St., in Phoenix (tel. 800/843-6010 or 480/893-3000; www.graceinn.com). This place isn't new; but it's in the process of upgrading its rooms, and the new rooms are beautiful.

There's bad news for all you fans of haute cuisine: The Phoenician resort's long-revered Mary Elaine's has served its last foie gras, as has La Hacienda, the upscale Mexican restaurant at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort. However, plenty of good new restaurants have opened in Scottsdale to replace these two.

A little bit of Las Vegas landed in Scottsdale in 2008 with the opening of Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak, 7575 E. Princess Dr. (tel. 480/585-2762; www.michaelmina.net), at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. This hip steakhouse is expensive, but it's worth it.

From the same people behind Phoenix Postino wine bar, La Grande Orange pizzeria, and Chelsea's Kitchen (three of my favorite local restaurants, by the way), comes Radio Milano, 3950 E. Campbell St. (tel. 602/956-6600; www.radiomilanobar.com), a casual, neighborhood Italian restaurant with a hip aesthetic.

I'm sure you're familiar with aperitifs, those drinks you have before dinner. Well, local restaurateur Peter Kasperski wants you to learn all about traditional European after-dinner drinks at Digestif, 7114 E. Stetson Dr., Scottsdale (tel. 480/425-WINE; www.digestifscottsdale.com), his new restaurant in the Scottsdale Waterfront's SouthBridge development.

On the same block as Digestif, haute cuisine and haute couture cohabitate at Canal, 7144 E. Stetson Dr., Ste. 250, Scottsdale (tel. 480/949-9000; www.canalaz.com), a restaurant obviously designed for women diners but surprisingly popular with men as well.

A block or so away from these two restaurants, you'll find Fine's Cellar, 7051 E. Fifth Ave., Scottsdale (tel. 480/994-3463; www.finescellar.com), where you can enjoy wine-country dishes from around the world while sitting surrounded by racks and racks of wine.

When you don't feel like eating in another restaurant, but do want a good dinner, grab some gourmet to go at Dish -- A Food Experience, 8977 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale (tel. 480/584-6190; www.mydishmarket.com). I wish I had one of these on my commute.

Because it's a college town, Tempe is ground zero for budget restaurants in the Valley of the Sun, and one of my favorites is Café Lalibela, 849 W. University Dr., Tempe (tel. 480/829-1939; www.cafelalibela.com), which serves spicy Ethiopian food.

Strolling mariachis, courtyard performances of traditional Mexican dances, clowns entertaining the kids, and great Mexican food. You'll find all this and more at Tradiciones, 1602 E. Roosevelt St. (tel. 602/254-1719; www.tradicionesrestaurant.com), a sort of Disneyland version of a Mexican restaurant. When you're done eating, you can wander the aisles of the affiliated Hispanic supermarket next door.

In the side-by-side communities of Carefree and Cave Creek, chef Kevin Binkley has recently been delving into the science of molecular gastronomy, and from his laboratory, I mean his kitchen, are emanating Arizona's most boldly innovative dishes. If you're willing to trust a mad scientist in the kitchen, then be sure to eat at Binkley's, 6920 E. Cave Creek Rd., Cave Creek (tel. 480/437-1072; www.binkleysrestaurant.com), or his casual Café Bink, 36889 N. Tom Darlington Dr., Carefree (tel. 480/488-9796).

For you war-bird buffs, I've added a Mesa museum dedicated to World War II aircraft. The Arizona Wing Commemorative Air Force museum, 2017 N. Greenfield Rd., Mesa (tel. 480/924-1940; www.arizonawingcaf.com), not only has lots of old planes on display, but, if you've got the money, you can actually go up in Sentimental Journey, a B-17G bomber.

If you're strolling around Tempe, be sure to wander over to the Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Pkwy., Tempe (tel. 480/350-2822; www.tempe.gov/TCA), which is on the shore of Tempe Town Lake and has a small gallery that mounts interesting exhibits.

Central Arizona

In Sedona, there are a couple of good new Mexican/Southwestern restaurants that you should be sure to try while you're in town. On the second floor of the King's Ransom Sedona Hotel, Café Elote, 771 Hwy. 179 (tel. 928/203-0105; www.kingsransomsedona.com), should not be missed simply for its delicious namesake corn dish. More upscale Mexican food is on the menu at Barking Frog Grille, 2620 W. Hwy. 89A (tel. 928/204-2000; www.barkingfroggrille.com), a restaurant with a split personality. One side of the restaurant is a family-oriented casual Mexican dining room, while the other side is far more sophisticated and serves very creative Southwestern fare.

As you drive into Sedona on Arizona 179, you will now drive through numerous roundabouts. Keep an eye on the traffic in the circle; they've got the right of way. Also, expect delays; the massive road-improvement project that added the roundabouts isn't over yet.

The Grand Canyon & Northern Arizona

Over the years, I've spent a lot of time in Nepal. In fact, I wrote the Frommer's Nepal guidebook, so I was thrilled to learn of Flagstaff's Himalayan Grill, 801 S. Milton Ave. (tel. 928/213-5444; www.himalayangrill.com). Order the momos, thukpa, or chau chau, all of which are Tibetan dishes.

Tucson

I hate feeling cramped in hotel rooms, and that's why I've always liked Embassy Suites hotels. (Yes, I like having a bedroom and a living room.) So, in this edition, I've added a couple of Embassy Suites in Tucson. Embassy Suites Tucson-Paloma Village, 3110 E. Skyline Dr., Tucson (tel. 800/EMBASSY or 520/352-4000; www.tucsonpalomavillage.embassysuites.com), is a new hotel at the best and busiest intersection in the foothills. This place has a great location and is considerably less expensive than nearby resorts. Stay at the Embassy Suites Tucson-Williams Center, 5335 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson (tel. 800/EMBASSY or 520/745-2700; www.tucsonwilliamscenter.embassysuites.com), and you'll feel like you're in Mexico.

Even though my doctor has warned me about eating red meat, I'm a sucker for barbecue, and when I'm in Tucson, I always try to have a meal at Brushfire BBQ, 2745 N. Campbell Ave. (tel. 520/624-3223; www.brushfirebbq.com). Five flavors of sauces, great sides, and messy fries are all on offer. I think I need another napkin.

Don't tell my wife, but I've found true love. At least, that's the name of the restaurant. Vero Amore, 3305 N. Swan Rd., Ste. 105 (tel. 520/325-4122; www.veroamorepizza.com), pulls some of the best pizza in Tucson from its brick oven. What's not to love about thin-crust pizza this good?

McClintock's, 3755 W. Conrad's Way (tel. 520/579-2100; www.mcclintocks-restaurant.com), inside the exclusive Saguaro Ranch luxury housing development, is like no other restaurant in Tucson. First you drive through a tunnel under a mountain, and then you pick up your escort (not that kind of escort, a pace-car sort of escort to the parking lot). When you finally arrive, you'll think you've landed in some sort of cactus-studded Land of Oz. This is what a 21st-century dude-ranch dining room should be.

At the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Rd. (tel. 520/883-2702; www.desertmuseum.org), the "Life on the Rocks" exhibit has finally opened after years of slow construction (all the rocks had to be made by hand, a process that usually takes millions of years). The exhibit, with its artificial boulders that were cast from actual rocks, has lots of live-animal displays geared toward toddlers and young children. Adults who want to see some of these displays have to get down on their hands and knees!

Southern Arizona

If you find yourself driving between Tucson and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, be sure to make a detour in the small town of Sells, which is on the Tohono O'odham Reservation. Nine miles south of Sells, in the community of Topawa, is the Tohono O'odham Nation Cultural Center & Museum, Fresnal Canyon Road (tel. 520/383-0201), a small but well-designed museum dedicated to the Tohono O'odham people.