I always enjoy passing on the Phoenix Update. Living here, I like to see what is happening. December certainly has a lot.

What’s New in Greater Phoenix?
December 2010 Going into 2011

HIGHTLIGHTS FROM THIS MONTH’S EDITION

• Greater Phoenix will host several BCS bowl games
• Celebrate the seasons with activities from several valley attractions and resort packages
• Several annual events return to the Valley including P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon,
Waste Management Phoenix Open and Barrett Jackson Auto Auction.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Introduces its first ever non-stop service to Montréal. Sky Harbor now offers non-stop service to Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. November 6, 2010 marked the first day of non-stop air service between Phoenix and Montréal. The seasonal flight is operated by Air Canada and will run on Saturdays and Sundays until April 30, 2011. This is part of Sky Harbor’s continued effort to strengthen and develop service to international destinations.

Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport opened a new terminal that was funded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as part of the 2009 Military Airport Program. The newly constructed $8.9 million terminal is a freestanding 25,000-square-foot building that provides for two more gates. The expansion will help meet the growing demand triggered by Allegiant Air, LLC. Currently, the airline offers non-stop air travel to 28 cities with new routes expected to be announced before the end of the year. The airport provides a convenient alternative for passengers flying in and out of the region and serves as a gateway to the East Valley communities including Mesa, Gilbert, Gila River Indian Community, Queen Creek and Apache Junction

RESORT NEWS

The Westin Phoenix Downtown is set to open in March 2011. It will be the second Westin to open in Phoenix. Located just one block of the Phoenix Convention Center in the 26-story Freeport McMoRan building, the hotel will occupy nine floors with 242 rooms and offer all the amenities and services known by the Westin brand. Guests can look forward to a tranquil urban retreat with stunning city views.

Celebrating the holidays in the desert is much more than what you would expect this season.  In the storied setting of theArizona Biltmore, get ready for holidays that are incredibly festive and filled with the spirit of the season – with the added bonus of nice weather rather than snow and ice. Among the many activities during the Holiday Season are: Snowy Movies – Classic Holiday/Christmas movies shown on Squaw Peak Lawn with a snowy finale; Marshmallow roasts on Squaw Peak Lawn; Holiday Cooking Classes for kids & adults; White Christmas Brunch; Mailbox in the lobby for letters to Santa – each letter is $1 for Make-A-Wish Foundation; Holiday Tea (traditional Afternoon Tea with a holiday theme Thursdays through Sundays).

AAA has announced its annual list of Arizona’s finest restaurants and resort destinations, honoring 68 Arizona establishments with Four Diamond status for 2011.  The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa and their signature restaurant deseo, are proud to be honored as two of these establishments.  This honor represents the eighth consecutive year that both the Resort and dining outlet have been presented with this award.  AAA Four Diamond establishments make up just 3.5 percent of the 58,000 AAA/CAA Diamond Rated lodgings and restaurants throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.  To be evaluated, properties must first meet the auto club’s requirements to become AAA Approved®. Four and Five Diamond award winners represent the upper echelon of Arizona’s resort and restaurant industry. The Club has awarded the Diamond status for the past 26 years.

Smart Meetings magazine, the industry’s premier resource for meeting professionals, announced The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa as one of the winners of its seventh annual Platinum Choice award.  Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa is also proud to again be among the top meeting facilities in the western region to receive this award. This prestigious award recognizes excellence in service and amenities among meeting facilities in the Western U.S., Canada and Mexico. Out of thousands of qualified properties, only 100 are chosen. Winners earn this recognition by providing the best in ambience, amenities, facility quality, guest services, meeting space, restaurant and dining facilities, staff attitude, technical support and recreational activities. They’re chosen by our readers who vote for their favorites over a two-month period, with additional input from our editors and industry experts.

This December, the River Ranch at Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort will have arts and crafts, s’mores and trivia.  And, don’t forget a visit to St. Nick accompanied by Mrs. Claus and a few of their elves at Rico’s American Grill for breakfast, photos, food, fun and games.

This March the Wigwam Golf Resort will transform to the Valley’s MLB spring training headquarters. Located just minutes from five of the Phoenix area’s MLB spring training stadiums, baseball fans from across the country will make the Wigwam their home base for pure spring training fun. Surrounding stadiums host Cactus League teams including the LA Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals and the Cincinnati Reds.  For the 2011 season, “Play Baseball at the Wigwam” will be offered for the month of March. Each weekend, guests can take a swing at Home Run Derby, enjoy a Sunset Poolside Movie and live entertainment and dancing into the night.  Daily activities for all ages will include team t-shirt decorating, relay challenges, pool games and a teen gaming room. Starting at $259, the resort is offering a “Spring Training Steal Third” package that includes a third night free, with the purchase of two. The resort intends to unveil the completion of a $7 million rejuvenation project. Spring training fans will be able to enjoy the resort’s new main pool with separate kids and adult zones, including two new waterslides and water play features; an outdoor plaza for entertainment, al fresco dining and bar/lounge; and all new restaurants focused on fresh locally-grown produce and products featuring menus and concepts developed by celebrity chef Chris Bianco.

The Sheraton Crescent Hotel in Phoenix has teamed up with Samuel Adams to host 3rd Thursdays LIVE, a series of outdoor live music performances to benefit Ear Candy Charity every 3rd Thursday. Ear Candy Charity is a non-profit organization that assists children in gaining access to a musical education and creates culturally enlightened members of society.

Ring in this New Year’s Eve toasting to 2011 poolside at W Scottsdale where the hip hotel is offering its annual New Year’s Eve package complete with two tickets to the hotel’s big bash. A traditional “Carnival”-inspired celebration complete with a full samba band and dancers, capaweta performers, rooftop firework display and midnight “W” drop awaits. This special offer, only available for Dec. 31, also features a split of champagne in-room, complimentary valet and two invitations to the hosted pre-event reception in W’s Living Room. Room packages start from $499.

Hotel Valley Ho is once again celebrating the New Year with a retro-themed bash. This swell soiree, titled “Guys And Dolls ‘Til Sputnik Falls”, will feature dancing on the Café ZuZu patio, dinner at ZuZu, and a champagne toast on the rooftop at midnight for those coming for dinner. Swing in the New Year on the ZuZu patio where DJ P-Body will be blending music new and old. Party-goers are encouraged to dress in vintage style. ZuZu will be offering a four-course menu created just for the evening, with pairings from sponsors Veuve Clicquot, Moet & Chandon, and Belvedere Vodka. ZuZu staff will have their hair and makeup done to look oh-so-fifties, enhancing the retro vibe. For those wanting to sleep off the evening in mid-century modern comfort, Hotel Valley Ho is offering exceptional room rates.

It’s not often that celebrity is the “dish du jour,” but Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain is serving up exactly that.  The resort’s new Hollywood Bites series aims to let area locals and resort guests feast on both delectable food (courtesy of resident celeb, Chef Beau MacMillan) and conversation with film and TV movers and shakers. To date, the program has hosted talent including Jerry Zucker, director of such legendary films as the spoof, Airplane! and the heartbreaker, Ghost, his wife Janet Zucker, producer of Fair Game with Sean Penn and Naomi Watts and Philip Rosenthal, creator and executive producer of Everybody Loves Raymond.  The ongoing series will continue in 2011 with Hollywood heavy-hitters – names to be revealed in the new year.

In January 2011, Royal Palms Resort and Spa will introduce Languages of Love, a resort-wide festival of the senses honoring Mediterranean countries that provide the inspiration for the resort’s architecture, design, gardens, and ambiance, food and spa treatments. Create luxurious memories for each romantic vacation or Romantication™ with new romantic offerings and programs. Romance will be fashioned in the style and language of love of these romantic Mediterranean countries: France, Italy, Greece and Spain.

As part of Driftwood Hospitality Management’s company-wide initiative to maximize technology to enhance guest satisfaction, the Fiesta Resort Conference Center, just launched a new user-friendly mobile site that can be accessed from any smart phone or browser-enabled mobile device. This new service powered by MobiBook™, one of  TRAVELCLICK’s Mobile Solutions, allows travelers to make a new reservation, change an existing reservation, obtain more information about the resort, or get directions to the property from anywhere in the world.

ARTS, CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

Greater Phoenix will play host to several BCS bowl games. The 22nd annual Insight Bowl will be played on December 28, 2010 at Sun Devil Stadium and includes a match-up between the third pick from the Big 12 Conference and the third or fourth pick from the Big Ten Conference, after the BCS selections. The 40th annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will be played on January 1, 2011 at University of Phoenix Stadium and includes a match-up between the Big 12 champ and another top team in college football. After the four BCS bowl games are over–the Rose Bowl, The Fiesta Bowl, The Sugar Bowl and The Orange Bowl–the BCS Championship game will be played. The 2011 Tostitos National Champion of College Football will be determined right here in Greater Phoenix. This will mark the second time that the National Champion under the BCS system’s stand-alone game will be played in Arizona. The last BCS Championship Game was in Phoenix (specifically, Glendale) in 2007.

As if three bowl games are not enough college football, local fans will get a chance to see top athletes compete in an all-star game Jan. 23 at Sun Devil Stadium. The inaugural Eastham Energy College All-Star Game, announced Monday by Arizona Sports Group LLC and Steve LeVine Entertainment, will feature 90 players split into teams coached by Joe Moglia, president/head coach of the Virginia Destroyers in the United Football League, and Daron Roberts, a secondary coach with the Detroit Lions. Coaches from Arizona high schools and junior colleges likely will help out as well. Tickets will cost between $8-30 with half the proceeds to go to Arizona charities.

The 8th annual P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon & ½ Marathon will take place Sunday, January 16th, 2011. The fast, flat and scenic course will give runners a first class tour of the desert cities of Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe. Runners can rock to the sounds of live, local bands playing every mile of the Marathon & ½ Marathon courses, along with enthusiastic cheerleaders to keep participants moving. The event concludes with a post-race concert and finish line festival. A two-day Health & Fitness expo kicks off race week at the Phoenix Convention Center on Friday, January 14th and Saturday, January 15th. The expo will feature over 100 vendors featuring the latest in running gear, nutrition and training tips.

Annually sporting the largest crowds on the PGA TOUR, the Waste Management Phoenix Open has gained legendary status on TOUR for being unlike any other golf tournament. Yes, the Phoenix TOUR stop is different from all the rest, but what makes it so? It starts with the unbelievable golf played by the likes of Kenny Perry, JB Holmes, Aaron Baddeley, Phil Mickelson, and Vijay Singh on the beautiful TPC Scottsdale and ends with the biggest galleries on TOUR. Enjoy this fan favorite event January 31-February 6, 2011.

The newly opened CityScape project in downtown Phoenix offers a special holiday treat for Phoenix citizens: a frozen ice skating rink, open daily to the public. The rink will join a Holiday Tree and vivid displays of holiday lights and ornaments, rekindling a downtown seasonal tradition that has been dormant for several years.

Live Nation is proud to announce a five-year sponsorship agreement with Comerica that includes the naming rights for the downtown Phoenix theatre previously named Dodge Theatre.  The building will now be called Comerica Theatre. The first show at the newly named venue was Jerry Seinfeld. Seinfeld was the first comedian to ever play the Dodge Theatre, and now the first ever to play Comerica.  The venue will continue to play host to an array of performers in coming months.

The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in North Phoenix continues to garner awards and accolades, affirming the museum’s dynamic new role in the cultural life of Phoenix, the Southwest, and indeed the world at large. MIM received the Arizona Republic/azcentral.com’s Best 4th Annual Critics Choice Award for “Best New Museum.” This honor was announced by Republic Media, parent company to azcentral.com, the Arizona Republic, and a variety of other prestigious local publications and websites. The Phoenix New Times also named MIM the “Best New Museum of 2010,” praising the museum as “a beautifully open and inviting space” and “a gem in the desert.”

The Heard Museum, one of the United States’ finest centers of American Indian arts and cultures, recently won two grants to help support free school admission for students to tour the museum during field trips. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, a tribe located near Phoenix, awarded the Heard $75,000 to support school tours, while the Orange County, California, Community Foundation’s SL Gimbel Foundation Fund also recently gave a $7,500 grant to support student programming. School tours are an essential element in the Heard’s educational mission, and on average, more than 11,000 students come to the museum each year. School tours help Arizona school students learn about the arts, cultures and history of local Indian tribal communities. The tours are also crafted to conform to Arizona state educational standards regarding both academic standards and instruction about tribal communities.

For the first time, Holidays at the Heard is happening on New Year’s Day. After the parades, bring family, friends and out-of-town guests to the Heard for Holidays at the Heard Museum. The event includes two fun-filled days of dance and music performances, artist demonstrations, films, fry bread and, of course, the museum’s 10 exhibit galleries. The Café will offer special treats for hungry visitors.

It’s that time of year again when the wildlife at the Phoenix Zoo gives way to wild lights during ZooLights, the largest holiday light display in all of Arizona. More than 3.5 million lights will be glowing and 600 glimmering animal light sculptures, unique only to the Phoenix Zoo, will swing through trees, hide in bushes, hop across lawns, and sparkle in places where they’re least expected. ZooLights runs November 25 – January 9, 2011 nightly at the Phoenix Zoo. New this year: a 150 foot long polar slide for winter tubing without the snow; a life size, 3D lion and oryx displays; new sea-life displays on the Arizona Trail and exciting new Music in Motion light show and more. Plus, enjoy old time favorites such as Jengo, horse-drawn wagon rides, carousel and camel rides.

Arizona Science Center is the place to be in 2011! From new films in the Dorrance Planetarium and IMAX Theater to a new featured exhibition. Journey into Phoenix History is also now on exhibit at Arizona Science Center. Arizona Science Center presents this exhibition integrating history and science with historical artifacts from the city of Phoenix and the Salt River Valley region. They will also be unveiling their new & improved lobby and main entrance as well as The W.O.N.D.E.R. Center.

The Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2005, Monty Python’s Spamalot, will visit the fair cities of Mesa and Phoenix on Feb 15 – Feb 16 at Mesa Arts Center and Feb 17 – 20 at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix. Lovingly “ripped-off” from the internationally famous comedy, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python’s Spamalot tells the legendary tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and their quest for the Holy Grail. Monty Python’s Spamalot features a chorus line of dancing divas and knights, flatulent Frenchmen, killer rabbits and one legless knight.

For nearly four decades, the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company has been recognized throughout the world for offering only the finest selection of quality collector vehicles, outstanding professional service, and an unrivaled sales success. From classic and one-of-a-kind vehicles to exotics and muscle cars, Barrett-Jackson attracts only the best. The World’s Greatest Collector Car Events™ have captured the true essence of a passionate obsession with cars that extends to collectors and enthusiasts throughout the world. In addition to the amazing vehicles, attendees enjoy a lifestyle experience featuring fine art, fashion, and gourmet cuisine. In every way, the legend is unsurpassed. This event takes place from January 17-23, 2011.

Wine and art come together for a good cause with painted barrels along the Verde Valley Wine Trail. Wine barrels turned into artist’s canvases have been painted and sprinkled around Cottonwood, Sedona, and the Verde Valley in one of the most unique public art projects anywhere.  Forty Painted Barrels are on display in wineries, tasting rooms, and businesses and all of the barrels will be auctioned off with proceeds going to support the Yavapai College Viticulture Program located in Cottonwood. Since the Verde Valley is a very artistic community, the Painted Barrels provides a great opportunity for visitors to connect with very talented artists.

GOLF

The Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa is holding the Valley of the Sun Phi Alpha Delta Charity Golf Tournament on Nov. 20.The proceeds from the tournament will be donated to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Phoenix, which provides help for the homeless and working poor; food and clothing for those in need; as well as shelter for the homeless; and medical care for families. The entry fee includes the tournament, lunch at the resort’s upscale Meritage Steakhouse, a raffle and awards ceremony.

The Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa is offering a great Arizona Golf Escape now through Dec. 31, 2010. The package includes room accommodations for two, daily breakfast for two, unlimited golf for two and roundtrip airport transfers. The Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa is the only Arizona resort with access to five golf courses and is home to the Southwest’s only 54 holes of championship golf.

The Fairmount Scottsdale Princess is partnering with the TPC Scottsdale to create Golf Fit, a luxurious, cutting-edge golf vacation designed to help golf travelers play their best while having fun and relaxing in one of Scottsdale’s most celebrated golf environments. To start, a Willow Stream Spa personal trainer works with the golfer to access his or her balance, agility and core strength to determine areas for improvement. The package also includes overnight accommodations, 30-minutes of golf instruction with a TPC Scottsdale teaching professional, followed by a round of golf, a special Golf Fit, lunch at The Grill and a 60-minute Golf Performance massage at Willow Stream Spa. The Golf Fit, package is available now through December 31

SPA

Relax with Holiday-inspired Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes therapy at Agave, The Arizona Spa at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa. These fall and holiday inspired treatments will help spa-goers get ready for a night out or simply give their head, shoulders, knees and toes some tender-loving-care. The Agave Spa is proud to offer free monthly wellness clinics on the first Tuesday of each month. Guests will enjoy a variety of spa topics dedicated to improving their well being and promoting a healthy lifestyle.

The Forbes Four-Star Centre for Well-Being at The Phoenician warms up to both fall and winter with the return of its seasonal spa program, featuring a trio of unique services that relax as well as rejuvenate.  Available now through January 6, 2011, each treatment serves as a complement to the resort’s published spa menu. On-the-Go Facial Glow — $59, cleanse, tone, exfoliate or mask, and hydrate the skin with this popular 25-minute service.  It is ideal for those who are trying to stretch time between their full-service facials, or who just need a quick refresher. Pep in Your Step — $99, revitalize and recharge with this 50-minute treatment, which begins with a massage of the back, neck and shoulders.  Next, indulge in a salt scrub of the feet, followed by a cooling peppermint lotion foot massaged. Stress Express — $99, this 50-minute journey is led by our intuitive meditation guide and focuses on freeing the body and the mind of tension and stress.

Alvadora Spa Director, Michelle Kinney, has created new couples’ rituals using lavender, verbena and rose aromatherapies atRoyal Palms Resort and Spa. From January through March, Alvadora Spa will offer its Fluers de Roman (Flowers of Romance) Ritual, designed for romance and loving connection. The 90-minute ritual for two begins in the Acqua Dolce villa with a lavender, verbena and rose-infused body scrub on duo heated stone tables while water gently cascades from above. An outdoor eight-foot waterfall shower provides a final rinse and is followed by a romantic, candle-lit bath for two in the Acqua Giardino tub. A gentle lavender-verbena-rose aromatherapy massage and a glass of Rose Champagne complete the ritual.

This December Spa Avania at Hyatt Regency Scottsdale has created two incredible specials.  The Peppermint Twists Manicure/Pedicure features a warm soak of peppermint essential oils, a detoxifying peppermint scrub, a moisturizing peppermint cream, topped off with a Peppermint Mocha Latte from Canyon Market.  Or you can indulge yourself in a full body experience with the Sugar & Spice Hot Stone Massage.  Warm basalt river rocks combine with a custom blend holiday aromatherapy to gently ease stress. Finish your day with a Sugar & Spice Latte.

The Boulders Resort is offering a new treatment that draws from holistic eastern techniques to improve a player’s golf game. The “Pin to Pin” golf acupuncture treatment, created by the resort’s Golden Door Spa experts, is exclusively for golfers.  The 80-minute “Pin to Pin” treatment blends acupuncture, hot stone therapy and therapeutic massage with a concentration on the muscles engaged during the golf swing. This eastern healing is a new acupuncture golf treatment that can improve your game.

DINING

The first-ever Arizona Wine Week, hosted by the Arizona Wine Growers Association, brought together the best winemakers from across the state. They tasted, they competed and in the end- they celebrated. Arizona Stronghold Vineyards staged a successful coup d’état in the Arizona Republic Wine Competition hosted by Sportsman’s Fine Wines & Spirits. The awards spanned two categories, the Arizona Growers Cup, for wine produced from local grapes and the Arizona Winemakers Medal, for wine produced in Arizona. Announced at the Arizona Growers Reception, Stronghold won Gold for their renowned Rosé in the Grower’s Cup division for their ’09 Dayden. Following suit, Stronghold took Bronze in the Grower’s Cup for the ’08 Mangus and the ’09 Bonita Springs Site Archives Chardonnay.

District American Kitchen and Wine Bar has recently launched their new winter menu focused around seasonal ingredients. Guests are quickly picking favorites such as Tepary Bean Hummus – made with the Tepary bean which is indigenous to the southwest, Mama’s French Onion Burger – a play on 60-70s popularity of French onion dip in meatloaf and burger recipes and of course our seasonal Pumpkin Whoopie Pies served with a Bourbon malt shake! They are looking forward to sharing their kitchen with friends new and old this holiday season!

The House at Secret Garden is a wonderfully intriguing location for a restaurant.  It is housed in an old Spanish mansion that was built in the 1920’s.  It features patio dining and an Urban Barn wine bar for cocktails. The restaurant prides itself in highlighting organic and local ingredients in everything they make, including their drinks.  The lively atmosphere of The House is matched by the creativity of its food, especially in its cocktails and desserts.

The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa brings a new concept and menu to their Waltz & Weiser Bar and Cantina.  Guests will still enjoy the saloon feel that Waltz & Weiser is known for, but with a new Cantina twist.  A new menu brings Mexican inspired cuisine to the table including Green Chili con Queso, Duck Confit Tostadas and a full Taqueria (taco bar) with choice of Adobo Shrimp, Ancho Chile-Rubbed Beef, or the signature Green Chili Pork Carnitas Tacos.  Waltz & Weiser Whiskey Bar and Cantina will take guests back to the historic mining years of Arizona.  Named after two prospectors in the mining days of Arizona, Jacob Waltz and Jacob Weiser, enjoy fine tequilas and whiskeys and a selection of tacos from their authentic taco bar. According to legend, Waltz and Weiser were sitting in a Mexican cantina one evening when a band of guys began roughing up an old man named Don Miguel Peralta. Waltz and Weiser can to Don Peralta’s aid and in gratitude he invited them to accompany him to his ranch where he gave them the map to Lost Dutchman Mine.  Of the hundreds of lost mines in the American West, the most famous is Arizona’s Lost Dutchman.  Lost deep in the mysterious mountains called the Superstitions, the Dutchman has it all, including embroidered narrations, Apaches that guard its whereabouts, and treasure beyond wildest dreams.

The Terrace Room at Different Pointe of View Restaurant located at the Pointe Hilton Resort is introducing quite possibly the greatest combination for a great food pair: premium liqueur and marshmallow. Homemade liqueur flavored marshmallows will be available complimentary to patrons purchasing drinks in the lounge.  Each marshmallow features a different liqueur flavor and comes with a variety of dipping sauces. The Terrace Room, the restaurant’s lounge on the second floor, includes a large outdoor patio and fire pit for guests’ enjoyment.  While sipping on a drink, be sure to ask about their delicious marshmallows to roast over the fire.  Some of the marshmallow flavors include Bailey’s Irish Cream, Frangelico (hazelnut), Amaretto (almond) and Kahlua (coffee).  The marshmallow flavor, mixed with the restaurant’s ambience as well as caramel, chocolate or vanilla cream dipping sauce, is sure to create a memorable evening.

Seasons 52, the highly acclaimed fresh grill and wine bar restaurant, opened this autumn at Biltmore Fashion Park. Seasons 52 is recognized for its forward-thinking restaurant concept with proven consumer appeal. Known for its seasonally inspired menu and fresh approach to dining, the award-winning concept has capitalized on meeting the demands of sophisticated, culinary-savvy diners. Seasons 52 changes the menu four times a year with weekly fresh features to truly capture the flavors of the season. Each valued patron can be guaranteed the highest quality fresh food prepared without compromising great taste or a rich and complete dining experience. Nothing on the menu is more than 475 calories, from its signature flatbreads and other appetizers, to all entrees and its mini indulgence desserts. Seasons 52’s promise of “a fresh dining experience that celebrates living well” has been consistently praised by restaurant critics across the country and people’s choice awards alike.

BLT Steak at JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa hosts monthly wine dinners that offer guests six prix-fixe courses with wine pairings.  A different Wine Maker is featured at each dinner.  Beginning in January 2011, JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa will feature Alpha & Omega of the Napa Valley with Wine Maker Jean Hoefliger.  Other Wine Makers, including Paul Dolan and John Terlato, are also scheduled to host events

Forbes Travel Guide announced their list of 2011 award winners. Kai restaurant at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa was again honored with Forbes Travel Guide’s highest rating, the Five-Star Award. Kai now stands as one of only 23 Five-Star restaurants in all of North America and the sole restaurant in Arizona to receive this prestigious commendation.

Tuscan Oven makes its debut at Westgate City Center. Tuscan Oven celebrates the tastes and energy of Italy’s spirited city cafes featuring amazing flavors from pizzas to Panini and pasta. The West Valley’s best bartenders offer sinfully delicious drinks and ice-cold beers from the old country and beyond.

Sushi Roku, the stylish Japanese hot-spot located at the W Scottsdale, debuts an exclusive outdoor dining environment called the Red Sun Lounge.  Located atop a dramatic staircase that rises out of an infiniti-edge reflective pool in the center of the sleek Japanese restaurant, the Red Sun Lounge is adjacent to the W Scottsdale’s famed Wet Deck pool area, providing a secluded reprieve for al fresco dining and cocktailing.  The lounge features a special menu that blends traditional favorites with authentic Japanese offerings including shrimp and bacon skewers, yellowtail tartare on crispy rice cakes, and fresh raw items such as oysters on the half shell.  Paired with Sushi Roku’s signature cocktails, TVs that will cover the best fall sporting events and easy access to the Wet Deck, the Red Sun Lounge will offer a fresh approach to dining.
For more information on any of these events or updates, please contact the
Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau Media Department.

Media Contacts: Douglas MacKenzie
Director of Communications
(602) 452-6250
dmackenzie@visitphoenix.com

Trish Hendrickson
Communications Coordinator
(602) 452-6249
thendrickson@visitphoenix.com

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