Scottsdale, When It Sizzles

When I was growing up in Tucson, a two-hour drive through the desert from Scottsdale, the giant saguaros, with woodpeckers and wrens hidden in their crevices, held me most in thrall. Later I fell under the spell of the whortleberry cactus, with its star-shaped, jasmine-scented flowers, and then the Gila monsters, lizards that look like tiny dragons. Years afterward, this sense of wonder was reawakened when some of my husband’s family moved to Desert Mountain, one of many gated residential golf communities that have sprouted in the high Sonoran Desert, on the northernmost border of Scottsdale, over the past ten years.

Scottsdale proper is part of Greater Phoenix — the 515-square-mile city that was just named the fifth largest in the United States — but recently this 32-mile-long, taffy-stretched rectangle has become its own Wild West success story. Take downtown. Once a kitschy tourist attraction of hitching posts and boot stores, the 756-acre area now blooms brighter than cacti in springtime, thanks to a $2.5 billion infusion of funds from public and private investors; there are forty-two residential towers, 102 art galleries, a dozen new luxury hotels and more than 100 restaurants, several of whose chefs have won James Beard Foundation Awards. Still more impressive than the numbers, though, is what they represent: a thriving urban center in an otherwise sprawling metropolis.

Fashioning a soul for this city isn’t the only thing driving continued efforts to carve out a central downtown; so is keeping growth in check. To this end, Scottsdale officials have ruled that one-third of the desert within its borders must remain open space. Moreover, any new development must prove that it has adequate water for a hundred years. “Scottsdale and the Southwest will not only lead the architectural movement of the 21st century but serve as a blueprint for sustainable and successful cities to come,” says architect Vernon Swaback, one of the last apprentices to study with part-time Arizona resident Frank Lloyd Wright. I hope, with all the exuberance of the childhood years I spent here, that he is right.

Hotels

Since the Arizona Biltmore debuted, in 1929, Scottsdale and the surrounding areas have been renowned for luxurious resorts. During the past fifteen years, the high-end hotels have become even more upscale, adding “romance concierges,” Asian spas and oversized private villas. Here’s a sample of my favorites.

The Intimate Hideout As befits a hotel with a director of romance, more than a thousand anniversary celebrations have been held at the 119-room Royal Palms Resort & Spa, an elegant Spanish colonial-style retreat on almost nine acres at the foot of Camelback Mountain. Industrialist Delos Cooke’s former mansion remains at the center of the property and is now surrounded by forty-four casitas, a Mediterranean spa and bougainvillea gardens. Double rooms from $399, casitas from $479. 5200 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix; 800-672-6011; royalpalmsresortandspa.com.

The Grande Dame With 647 rooms, a 150-acre golf course, nine swimming pools and twelve tennis courts, the Phoenician redefined over-the-top opulence when it opened, in 1988. All the rooms are outfitted in rich materials (crushed velvet, dark woods), but the best accommodations are found at Canyon Suites, sort of a boutique hotel within a hotel. Each of its sixty guest rooms comes with a private pool, a personal concierge and a chauffeur-driven Mercedes to take you wherever you want to go. Double rooms from $460, Canyon Suites from $1,500. 6000 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale; 800-955-7352; thephoenician.com.

East Meets West The Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain occupies fifty-three secluded acres on the mountain’s northern slope. In 2001, the resort added twenty-four spa casitas, twelve of which have sunken living areas and outdoor soaking tubs, and, in 2002, a 12,000-square-foot Asian-themed spa. There are also six überluxe homes built on terraces high on the hillside, all with private pools and unobstructed views of Camelback and Paradise Valley. Casitas from $465, homes from $3,500. 5700 E. McDonald Dr., Paradise Valley; 800-245-2051; sanctuaryaz.com.

Retro Chic Once a hideaway for Hollywood stars (Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner were married here in the 1950s), in 2005 the Hotel Valley Ho completed an $80 million renovation that pays tribute to its original midcentury design. The rooms are laid out in rows on two stories; they’re basic and small, but many have modern touches, like circular soaking tubs in the living areas. The one- and two-bedroom condominiums in the residential tower are larger and much more lavish, with full kitchens and marble bathrooms. The best part? You can walk to downtown Scottsdale. Double rooms from $259, condominiums from $499. 6850 E. Main St., Scottsdale; 866-882-4484; hotelvalleyho.com.

Desert High For a true desert experience, stay at the Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa. Enveloped in 1,300 acres of Sonoran Desert, with javelinas, jackrabbits and coyotes roaming the grounds, its 160 casitas nearly disappear into the landscape of dry arroyos and gigantic 12-million-year-old granite boulders frozen in gravity-defying positions. The two eighteen-hole golf courses are reserved for resort guests. Casitas from $249. 34631 N. Tom Darlington Dr., Carefree; 866-397-6520; theboulders.com.

Classic Elegance The Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North, in the foothills around Pinnacle Peak, was once the site of the Crescent Moon Ranch, a retreat for cereal heiress Lois Kellogg Maury. Today regional art hangs in the lobby, and 210 cushy rooms and suites are spread across forty acres. The famous Troon North Golf Club is right next door, and guests get first choice of tee times. Double rooms from $475, suites from $845. 10600 E. Crescent Moon Dr., Scottsdale; 800-513-5055; fourseasons.com.

Meet Your Match White cotton chandeliers that resemble woolly sheep adorn the lobby of the new ultrahip Mondrian Scottsdale, designed by Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz. Rooms are small and tastefully appointed; dim lighting and the three bars leave no doubt that this is a place for singles. Double rooms from $255. 7353 E. Indian School Rd., Scottsdale; 480-308-1200; mondrianscottsdale.com.

Bring the Little Ones Families staying at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch won’t even notice the rooms (oversized but underdesigned) once they get a look at the outdoor adventures for kids. There's a two-and-a-half-acre water playground with ten pools, a three-story waterslide, four cold plunge pools and a sandy beach. While Camp Hyatt Kachina takes children out to explore the flora and fauna of the desert, adults can luxuriate in the 21,000-square-foot Spa Avania, each of whose lounge areas features different music and lighting. Double rooms from $359, suites from $897. 7500 E. Doubletree Ranch Rd., Scottsdale; 800-554-9288; scottsdale.hyatt.com.

Restaurants

Fifteen years ago, the dining scene in the Scottsdale area consisted primarily of a few decent Mexican restaurants and some chains. Now the Greater Phoenix region is an exciting culinary destination that boasts five chefs who have won the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award for the best chef in the Southwest. And by the end of the year, restaurateur Peter Kasperski, who owns Sea Saw and Cowboy Ciao, will cut the ribbon on five additional restaurants, in the canal-side downtown Waterfront district.

Downtown Scottsdale What the tiny tapas-style Sea Saw lacks in ambiance it makes up for in drama: fourteen of the twenty-six seats are situated around the open kitchen, so diners can watch as James Beard winner Nobuo Fukuda works his magic. His Japanese specialties include seared tuna tataki in a Pinot Noir reduction with roast-beet puree and whitefish carpaccio with ginger, yuzu juice and roasted-garlic oil. 7133 E. Stetson Dr.; 480-481-9463.

Next door to Sea Saw you'll find Cowboy Ciao, with Western-chic decor and cuisine that combines Mediterranean and Southwestern influences. Don't leave without ordering the legendary Stetson chopped salad with smoked salmon and a "Ciao mix" of Asiago, black currants and pumpkin seeds. Cowboy Ciao and Sea Saw share a wine list of more than 3,000 bottles; those who can't decide on one vintage can opt for a tasting of several. 7133 E. Stetson Dr.; 480-946-3111.

If you're in town for more than just pleasure, the cavernous Olive & Ivy, in the Waterfront district, is a prime spot for power lunching. The menu runs the gamut from braised short-rib sandwiches to unusual salads and savory flatbreads, so even the pickiest eaters will find something to satisfy. The raucous bar is especially busy during happy hour and on weekends. 7135 E. Camelback Rd.; 480-751-2200.

At Taggia — in the new FireSky Resort & Spa, the Kimpton Group's first Scottsdale hotel — chef Claudio Urciuoli's burrata is the best I've ever had. Fish is flown in fresh from the Mediterranean. If there's more authentic coastal Italian food in Scottsdale, I haven't tasted it. 4925 N. Scottsdale Rd.; 480-424-6095.

Anyone wishing to linger over lunch heads to Arcadia Farms, housed in a 1950s cottage surrounded by a flower garden. Should you need a sweet reason to stick around, try the mouthwatering desserts, like the coconut baby cake, which is meant for one but could easily serve six. Lunch only. 7014 E. First Ave.; 480-941-5665.

Sit on the patio and smell the snapdragons at T. Cook's, the Royal Palms' romantic restaurant. Maine-lobster ravioli with truffles is among British chef Lee Hillson's specials, as is scallops with fava-bean puree, but the dish I like most is his paella, full of seafood, spicy sausage and saffron. 5200 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix; 602-808-0766.

Michael Rusconi, executive chef at the historic Lon's, at the Hermosa Inn, presides over a mostly American menu with entrées like free-range chicken, rack of lamb and grilled beef tenderloin. Delicious as it is, the food is overshadowed by the lantern-lit outdoor patio, at the center of which is an enormous drooping 100-year-old Lysiloma, supposedly the second-oldest tree in Arizona. The wine room contains more than 6,000 bottles and seats up to twelve for a five- or six-course tasting menu. 5532 N. Palo Cristi Rd., Paradise Valley; 602-955-7878.

You may have seen chef Beau MacMillan, from Elements at the Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, on the Food Network's Iron Chef America; he became a bit of a household name after beating Bobby Flay in the battle for the tastiest American Kobe beef dish. You'll occasionally find his rendition in the lineup here, along with mustard-glazed salmon and udon. 5700 E. McDonald Dr., Paradise Valley; 480-607-2300.

The global cuisine at Mosaic is a combination of American, Asian and Indian influences. On a good night, chef and owner Deborah Knight may be making her clever Crazy Foie You (pepper-seared foie gras and a banana-Brazil nut crouton in an Amarula reduction), or you can tuck into something as simple as grilled mahimahi. Tables in the sparingly decorated room are spaced far apart to facilitate intimate dinners, and the wine list features more than 600 vintages. 10600 E. Jomax Rd.; 480-563-9600.

The Painted Horse Restaurant offers some fiercely creative dishes: the cinnamon Muscovy duck confit could be served at the most expensive restaurant in New York; the tower of Dungeness crab, tomatoes and microgreens is as architectural as it is satisfying. 10989 E. Dynamite Blvd.; 480-585-8499.

Art and Architecture

Architect Will Bruder designed the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (7374 E. Second St., Scottsdale; 480-874-4666; smoca.org), a minimalist building that includes a public "skyspace" created by artist James Turrell. From inside SMoCA's circular concrete atrium, you can watch the desert sky change colors by the minute through the keyhole opening in the ceiling. It's better than a painting. The Heard Museum, in Phoenix, with one of the most comprehensive collections of Native American fine arts and crafts from tribes throughout North America, has ten galleries that marry traditional works with contemporary art. In June the Heard relocated its Scottsdale branch (32633 N. Scottsdale Rd.; 602-252-8848; heard.org), moving its Navajo rugs and intricately beaded moccasins to the 325,000-square-foot Summit at Scottsdale shopping center.

The most exciting time to visit the 100-plus galleries clustered within one square mile of downtown Scottsdale is during Art Walk, held every Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m., when the owners, artists and collectors come out to play.

With its vaulted ceilings and concrete floors, the Bentley Gallery (4161 N. Marshall Way; 480-946-6060; bentleygallery.com) provides an uncluttered backdrop for minimalist paintings and large-scale nonrepresentational sculpture by such artists as Martin Mull, Jennifer Bartlett and Dale Chihuly. The Calvin Charles Gallery (4201 N. Marshall Way; 480-421-1818; calvincharles.com) began life as a modest Asian-antiques shop; today it showcases a wide variety of contemporary art from China, Taiwan and Vietnam, as well as pieces by modern masters from Europe and the Americas. American works from the '40s and '50s are the focus at Cline Fine Art (7144 E. Stetson Blvd.; 480-941-1811; clinefineart.com). On one visit I saw a $95,000 Elaine de Kooning canvas, along with paintings by Theodore Waddell and Jim Cook. Western art is alive and well at the Legacy Gallery (7178 Main St.; 480-945-1113; legacygallery.com). In February, owners Brad and Jinger Richardson added a contemporary-Western floor—with work by Tal Walton, Donna Howell-Sickles and others—to their extensive traditional collection (on a separate level). An auction is held every spring; last year more than $8 million worth of art sold in four hours.

Frank Lloyd Wright first came to Scottsdale in 1927, to consult on the design of the Arizona Biltmore. Nearly a decade later, he made the city his winter home, building Taliesin West (12621 Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd.; 480-860-2700; franklloydwright.org) when he was seventy-one. Considered one of his masterpieces, the low-lying house, made mostly of quartzite, is now a school for modern-day apprentices. Ninety-minute tours of the 490-acre property depart every half hour daily in the winter.

Top Shops

Scottsdale's best boutiques are small and edited to the tastes of their owners, almost all of whom will tell you their shops are popular among the wives of baseball players who come to Scottsdale for spring training. With the following stores, I'm inclined to believe them.

I love Estilo (7135 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale; 480-664-0365), which stocks sexy body-skimming looks from Norma Kamali and Rachel Palley. High-end Mahsa (7135 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale; 480-990-8811) carries everything from T-shirts to evening gowns, as long as they're the latest styles from Stella McCartney, M. Missoni, Zac Posen and the like. The men's section has Hugo Boss and Subi. A carefully curated collection of pieces by Roberto Cavalli and Byblos is why Iranian owner Mandy Ballor calls her shop, Dolce (8787 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale; 480-609-5114), the "anti-department-store store" Harari (15210 N. Scottsdale Rd., at the Kierland Commons shopping mall, Scottsdale; 480-922-9215) features elegant creations for a more mature clientele from such designers as Rozae Nichols.

To find shoes, I head to Scarpé (20825 N. Pima Rd., in the DC Ranch development, N. Scottsdale; 480-502-4949), a fashionable boutique that sells Christian Lacroix, Pucci and Donald J Pliner. At Jewelry by Gauthier (4211 N. Marshall Way, Scottsdale; 480-941-1707), master jeweler Scott Gauthier handcrafts and custom-designs pieces made with rare and exotic gemstones. His alexandrite rings, which range from $30,000 to hundreds of thousands of dollars, are particular favorites. Owner Lisa Garber creates many of the unique items — such as 18-karat-gold and diamond earring charms — at the upscale Galicia Fine Jewelers (4821 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale; 480-421-9688 and 7609 E. Pinnacle Peak Rd., in DC Ranch, N. Scottsdale; 480-419-1425). Prices run from $200 to $200,000.

Stop by Casa del Encanto (6939 E. First Ave., Scottsdale; 480-947-0400), where Luis Corona and Michael Barron offer as many home-decor items from south of the border as from Europe. There are sterling-silver mirrors from Bolivia and Spain, Italian pottery and even Kenneth Jay Lane pillboxes that double as brooches. Paul Folk, who owns Rustic Stuff (15040 N. Northsight Blvd., Scottsdale; 480-596-0345), travels the world looking for unusual goods, like Turkish lanterns and Brazilian armoires. Interior decorators have purchased the contents of entire rooms at the store for their clients.

To make your shopping easier, enlist Nancy Shina, of Spree! The Art of Shopping (480-661-1080). She will arrange a customized tour with limo service, personal consultations, even Champagne breaks.

Golf Courses

The Greater Phoenix area has the most courses in the country, according to the National Golf Foundation. If you've come to play, don't miss these.

We-Ko-Pa (18200 E. Toh Vee Cir., Fort McDowell; 480-836-9000) has two courses on the eastern edge of Scottsdale on land belonging to the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation: a pristine desert setting with no housing in sight. The private courses at the Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa (34631 N. Tom Darlington Dr., Carefree; 480-488-9009) were designed by Jay Moorish. Some golfers stay here just to play the multilevel rock elevations and take in the long valley views. Many believe the Monument and Pinnacle courses at Troon North Golf Club (10320 E. Dynamite Blvd., Scottsdale; 480-585-5300), which are open to the public,are Arizona's finest. Views of the McDowell Mountains and Pinnacle Peak are so spectacular, it's hard to keep your eye on the ball. The atmosphere at the two courses at the Grayhawk Golf Club (8620 E. Thompson Peak Pkwy., N. Scottsdale; 480-502-1800), in the foothills of the McDowells, is more laid-back than at other clubs—it's almost jovial at times. And yes, that is Phil Mickelson swinging just ahead of you.