Scottsdale Blog - Things to do in Scottsdale, Arizona

Green by Design Awards Celebrates Eco-Friendly Business Practices

Josh Kenzer — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:25:28 +0000

The Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau revealed the winners of the Green by Design Awards at its Quarterly Update Meeting on Nov. 3 as part of its sustainability initiatives. Orange Tree Golf Resort, Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch, Desert Botanical Garden and O’Neil Printing were recognized for exhibiting outstanding sustainability practices.

The Scottsdale bureau acknowledged participants in three categories: Green, Greener and Greenest. The Green category recognizes businesses that created green projects, programs or campaigns; while the Greener designation is awarded for improvements on pre-existing efforts. The Greenest category is for companies that practice both green initiatives and offer green products or services.

GREEN AWARD WINNER
Orange Tree Golf Resort won in the Green category for installing a solar water heating system, which dramatically reduces natural gas emissions, for use in their on-site laundry and housekeeping area as well as for 20 guest rooms. It is estimated that the resort will decrease their associated natural gas bill by 50 percent and eliminate approximately 100 tons of carbon emissions annually. In six months, the company hopes to expand this green practice to all guest rooms.

GREENER AWARD WINNER
The Greener award was given to the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch for its ongoing improvement of green practices. The resort’s most recent sustainable projects include a 12,000-square-foot solar hot water system and the installation of a “cool roof” system. Thus far, the Hyatt has achieved proven results from the solar hot water system of up to a 41 percent reduction of natural gas within a given month. They are now serving as a model for other Hyatt properties.

GREENEST AWARD WINNERS
Two leading companies were recognized with the Greenest award – the Desert Botanical Garden and O’Neil Printing. The Desert Botanical Garden implemented a wide array of recycling and waste reduction programs not only to reduce their waste but also to help educate the public and act as a voice in the community. The Garden’s composting of green waste is eliminating around 180 tons of waste from a landfill annually. In addition, they offer numerous programs and classes to the public, an increasing number of which relate to sustainability.

O’Neil Printing strives to maintain an eco-friendly environment within the workplace and helps clients decrease their carbon footprint by providing eco-sustainable products and coaching clients toward greener options. According to an O’Neil recycling partner, in the second quarter of 2009 alone, O’Neil’s recycling program saved 2,157 trees, nearly 900 thousand gallons of water, almost 50 thousand gallons of fuel, over one-half million kilowatt hours of electricity and almost 400 cubic yards of landfill space.

“The Scottsdale bureau is proud to recognize these companies working to preserve our environment,” said Vice President of Marketing Lauren Simons. “The Green by Design Award winners have shown their dedication to enriching our community and protecting our future.”

A total of 14 companies submitted for the Green by Design Awards, including: Bio Waste Systems for Food Waste Separation and Collection, Dixon Golf, Enterprise Technology Services, Grayhawk Golf Club, i-o Data Centers, John’s Refrigeration, Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa, PlanetEarthPromotions.com, Thunderbird Artists and Symfonic Marketing.

Jean-Georges Vongerichten on James Beard

Dawson Fearnow — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:43:26 +0000

Famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten recently rolled through Scottsdale to take part in the James Beard Foundation’s Celebrity Chef Tour. Beforehand, we sat down with this French-born culinary superstar inside his J&G Steakhouse atop The Phoenician resort to talk about James Beard, his favorite foods and the restaurant with the finest Valley views. (Hint: It has Jean-Georges initials in it.)

Aside from the James Beard event, what brings you to Scottsdale?

To check in [at J&G Steakhouse], make sure everything is up to par, as well as make a few changes to the menu. Now that we have been open for a year, it’s a good time to evaluate the menu. Everyone has their favorite items at certain restaurants; they will go to this restaurant for this and that restaurant for that, we all do it. So you have to be very careful about taking someone’s favorite off the menu.

So what’s your favorite menu item?

Personally, I really enjoy the tuna tartare. And of course the meats are all top quality. But I think it’s the condiments and sides that set us apart. We put a lot of thought into them.

How long have you been involved with the James Beard Foundation?

For a long time now. I was first invited to cook at the James Beard House in 1986 or 87. That was before I had opened my own restaurant, and was still cooking at the (now defunct) Lafayette Restaurant at the Hotel Drake.

What was that first experience like? I hear the James Beard House kitchen is very small.

Well, it’s a brownstone in the middle of Manhattan, and it hasn’t changed much at all since James Beard lived there. It’s like cooking in a museum and yes there’s not a lot of room, so it can be very challenging. But it’s a fantastic way to get your name out there, especially for chefs from outside of New York.

Growing up in western France, when did you become aware of James Beard and his influence on American cuisine?

I first learned about James Beard in Boston, which was my first stop in the U.S. But it wasn’t until I moved to New York that I really learned about his influence here. Today, the Foundation has really become a big deal in the food industry. The awards are like the Oscars for us.

So what’s next your next project?

As part of my relationship with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, I will be opening Kauai Grill at a new resort in Hawaii. We’ll serve lots of local fish and vegetables. We call it vacation food. And then I’ll open a second J&G, called J&G Grill, inside a new ski resort in Deer Valley.

Speaking of J&G, what inspired you to take over the former Mary Elaine’s space at The Phoenician?

It’s really a beautiful space. Mary Elaine’s was great for its time, but it was time for a change. I’m very pleased with the way it turned out. But it’s really about the view. It’s the best view in town, no?

Calling All Classic Car Lovers!

Kelly Tope — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:05:44 +0000

Westworld of Scottsdale presents Goodguy’s 12th Annual Southwest Hot Rod & Custom Car National. This show features over 3,000 hot rods, custom cars, muscle cars & trick trucks thru ‘72. These cars will all be showcased November 20-22 at WestWorld of Scottsdale.

This giant outdoor car show will also include a swap meet, vendor & manufacturer exhibits and more. With fun for the whole family like a Model Car Show and free model make and take, come out and enjoy gorgeous cars and beautiful weather.

Ticket prices start at $17 for adult tickets and $6 for children (ages7-12). For more detailed information on times, parking and tickets purchases please visit www.southwestnats.com or call 925-838-9876.

Green Street Scottsdale is Just Around the Corner!

Kelly Tope — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:55:11 +0000

Part celebration, part art exhibit, part music festival, and all environmentally friendly, Green Street Scottsdale will celebrate the city’s sustainability efforts on Nov. 12. The free event will kick off with a special ArtWalk in the Scottsdale Arts District at 7 p.m. along Main Street and Marshall Way in downtown Scottsdale. The event continues at the SouthBridge and Scottsdale Waterfront districts with a live Latin Jazz concert, organic beer tastings, eco-friendly public art installations and interactive exhibits that highlight Scottsdale’s green projects.

The Green Street Scottsdale ArtWalk will feature artist demonstrations with recycled and reusable materials and live music from local bands. Meanwhile, the SouthBridge and Scottsdale Waterfront areas are set to feature interactive exhibits highlighting the city’s most dynamic sustainability initiatives.

Green Street Scottsdale also will throw some Latin flavor into the eco-friendly mix. The Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts’ free Latin Jazz concert will be at Southbridge and all event participants can “live la vida Locavore” while they enjoy specialty cuisine made with local and organic ingredients from a Scottsdale vendor. An outdoor beer garden on the Marshall Way Bridge will provide samples of some of the world’s tastiest organic brews, courtesy of DRAFT Magazine.

Transportation options will be available to those who take the Valley Metro Light Rail to the Priest and Washington station in Phoenix. From there, the free and eco-friendly Scottsdale Trolley (they run on biodiesel) will pick up attendees to take them to downtown Scottsdale. The trolley will run from 5 to 11 p.m., and there also will be plenty of hybrid taxis from Discount Cab for guests wishing to extend the festivities later into the night.

For more information, maps, featured artists, demonstrators and participating galleries, visit www.greenstreetscottsdale.com. With all this good, clean, green fun, who could resist?

Join Norm from Cheers at The Big Pour

Josh Kenzer — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:18:01 +0000

Every man’s bar buddy, George Wendt, aka “Norm,” will grace a barstool at The Big Pour, Sat., Nov. 14, at Scottsdale Waterfront. George graciously accepted the invitation to visit fans, sign his new book Drinking With George, participate in a beer seminar and hoist a few in the process.

The Big Pour, Nov. 12-14, will offer a Saturday “Fan” ticket @ $50 specifically for Norm fans that includes:

Meet & greet with George
Signed Copy of his book “Drinking With George”
15 Pours from a selection of hundreds of craft beers
Everclear Concert

In true spirit of the occasion, George said: “Hope they have a warm barstool for me…plenty of copies my new book and I’m ready to throw some down with Big Pour fans in Scottsdale.”

Wendt, who graces DRAFT Magazine’s November/December cover, will enjoy The Big Pour with other patrons, experiencing a beer lover’s adventure with hundreds of craft beers from breweries across the globe, never before in Arizona.

The Capitol Christmas Tree is Coming from Arizona

Josh Kenzer — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:29:36 +0000

Arizona has been given a grand opportunity to showcase the “Grand Canyon State” with a tree to provide that magic splendor you see each year on television of the beautiful Christmas tree illuminating the foreground of the Nation’s Capitol.

There will be a tree cutting ceremony this Saturday, November 7th in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest near Alpine, Arizona. From there, the tree will make several stops in Arizona before heading across the country to be presented to the President on Monday, November 30th.

You are invited to attend the tree cutting ceremony or stop in and see the tree as it travels through Arizona. For all the details, check out the official website at http://capitolchristmastree2009.org/

Wearable ArtWalk and Wearable Runway Fashion Show

Josh Kenzer — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:26:43 +0000

Scottsdale Fashion Week has confirmed a Wearable ArtWalk gallery line up that spotlights live body painted models, botanical fashions, fashion hounds, couture jewelry collections, and wearable fiber art.

The celebration kicks off on SouthBridge with the Wearable ArtWalk Opening Presentation and Preview Runway Fashion Show from 6-7p.m. where models will showcase exclusive designs on an outdoor runway.

The show will open with Calvin Charles Gallery’s ‘Living Sculpture’ by Deborah Paswaters who will start the runway action with her live body painted models. Ambiance Fleur Eclectics, exhibiting at Occasions! By Design, will close the show with its collection of live botanicals presented as wearable art on fashion models.

Participating Wearable ArtWalk Galleries

Babette | 7051 E 5th Ave
Wilde Meyer Gallery | 4142 N Marshall Way
Cornelis Hollander Designs | 4151 N Marshall Way
Galina Couture | 4151 N Marshall Way
Naked Horse | 4151 N Marshall Way
Calvin Charles | 4201 N Marshall Way
Jewelry by Gauthier | 4211 N Marshall Way
Palavela Home | 4222 N Marshall Way
Gallery Andrea | 7019 E Main St
Xanadu | 7039 E Main St
Occasions! By Design | 7077 E Main Street
Colores | 7100 N. Main Street

Little Black Dress Wines has created a Wearable ArtWalk Passport that will be available at the SouthBridge presentation and the Wearable ArtWalk galleries. Guests are encouraged to wear their own ‘little black dress’ to the event and collect stamps from Wearable galleries for the chance to win two VIP tickets to Scottsdale Fashion Week on November 6 and 7.

The Wearable ArtWalk is free and takes place from 7-9 p.m. in various galleries on Main Street, Marshall Way and Stetson Avenue in downtown Scottsdale. Full details about gallery shows are at www.scottsdalefashionweek.com/artwalk.asp.

Wearable ArtWalk’s musical entertainment begins at 7 pm and includes pop-rock faves Jay & Ash at the Party Before ArtWalk (near the Stetson fashion stage), plus neoclassical pianist Elijah Bossenbroek, the flute sounds of Flavio, and solo singer-songwriter showcase Soliloquies featuring Jeordie and Teneia Sanders.

Throughout the night ArtWalkers will enjoy complimentary samples from the Little Black Dress Wines, Bacon Restaurant, Crudo Café, and Icelandic Glacial Water.

The 3rd annual event is open to the public and is presented by the Scottsdale Gallery Association in conjunction with the City of Scottsdale. Additional sponsors include Little Black Dress Wines, ShowUp.com, and the Scottsdale Downtowner.

Free parking and trolley or carriage rides are available at all corners of the Arts District. For information about future ArtWalk events visit www.ScottsdaleGalleries.com.

The Bigger and Better Scottsdale Fashion Square

Mitchell Tay — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:03:23 +0000

For those who love shopping Scottsdale Fashion Square is the mall just for that. The mall recently added a new 100,000 square foot extension to the already ginormous mall, now totalling 1.9 million square feet of retail space. If you’re not aware, Fashion Square is the the largest mall in the southwest so make sure to wear your comfortable shoes handy if shopping for awhile. In the newly expanded wing you’ll find the widely-known Barney’s New York anchored at the end of the mall, with other popular stores such as, Forever 21, H&M, Banana Republic, and J. Crew adjacent to it. While the majority of the major stores have already opened there are still a handful of stores waiting to make their debut. And if you love to eat be sure to check out the two restaurants that opened up in the expansion: Modern Ssteak and Marcella’s Italian Kitchen.

Modern Steak is not your typical steakhouse ambiance. It’s light and youthful with very elegant decor, yet still intimate. My colleague, Melissa, raved about the short rib sandwich and peanut butter cup dessert which she said tasted like “deliciousness.” Modern Steak also has a convenient walk-up window for a quick bite on the run called Modern Burger. It has a fairly simple menu with very reasonable prices. Marcella’s Italian Kitchen is also a moderately priced restaurant that’s not too casual or too fancy. My other colleague, Sara, really enjoyed the restaurant’s lunch specials.

A couple other items to make note of is the new underground parking and valet parking options for convenient access to the mall.

Regardless if you’re just visiting Scottsdale or a local, make sure you have enough hours set aside if you love to shop.

Scottsdale Fashion Week Schedule Announced

Josh Kenzer — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:46:45 +0000

The evenings of November 6 and 7 will be alive with over two-dozen runway shows. The Main Runway will be located on the Scottsdale Waterfront at Scottsdale and Camelback Roads. This New York style tented fashion show will showcase leading fashion designers and tastemakers on an 80-foot runway. Coinciding with the In-Tent shows, an outdoor runway under the stars across the Arizona canal at Southbridge will feature up-and-coming designers. For more information, visit the Scottsdale Fashion Week website.

Friday, November 6, 2009

SouthBridge Open Runway | Show Times (pm):
- 5:30 – Dance Performance
- 6:15 – iuk iuk – Designer of the Year
- 7:00 – Destiny’s Bride
- 7:45 – Twirl Boutique
- 8:30 – Angela Johnson
- 9:15 – Italia Rocks Couture
- 10:00 – Tikini Hut
- 10:45 – Ivon Reyes Couture
Lifestyle Showcase
5:00pm to 11:00pm
Scottsdale Waterfront at SouthBridge
Main Tent Stage Runway
Show Times (pm):
- 6:00 – Kevan Hall
- 7:00 – Zhao Bandi
- 8:00 – bebe
- 9:00 – Escada
- 10:00 – Dillard’s with Celebrity Fashion Stylist Nolé Marin and Designer Eva Franco

Saturday, November 7, 2009

SouthBridge Open Runway | Show Times (pm):
- 5:30 – Nostalgic Boutique and AGA Couture
- 6:15 – Joya Bazaar
- 7:00 – Garage
- 7:45 – RAW by Amelia Walsh
- 8:30 – VMarie Fashion
- 9:15 – Vickilyn’s Closet
- 10:00 – Art Institute of Phoenix
- 10:45 – Pucci Salon
Lifestyle Showcase
5:00pm to 11:00pm
Scottsdale Waterfront at SouthBridge
Main Tent Stage Runway
Presented by Scottsdale Fashion Square
Show Times (pm):
- 6:00 – Banana Republic
- 7:00 – kate spade
- 8:00 – St. John
- 9:00 – CH Carolina Herrera
- 10:00 – Barneys New York

Nick Cave: Meet Me at the Center of the Earth

Josh Kenzer — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:34:41 +0000

Now through November 29th, 2009
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art

Experience the “Soundsuits” of Chicago-based artist and former Alvin Ailey dancer Nick Cave—multi-layered mixed-media, wearable sculptures named for the sounds made when worn. Reminiscent of African and religious ceremonial costumes as well as high fashion, they are made using scavenged ordinary materials—fabrics, beads, sequins, old bottle caps, rusted iron sticks, twigs, leaves and hair—that Cave re-contextualizes into visionary masterpieces.