We were sitting in our hotel room after a day of skiing at the snowbowl and it occurred to me that…read moreI should check the day's events in town. ... and what do you know! A tree lighting at Heritage Square was set for that evening and it's only .5 miles from the hotel we always stay at when we come up north. We are up here 2x/month, so the area is fairly familiar, even though we've only begun this tradition a month or so ago. We have small kids (4 and 6) and figured this would be the perfect family even. I love tree lightings, specifically in smaller towns. Scottsdale's is just... BIG. Maybe too big to get that locals feel. Plus, you don't even need a jacket there. With a chill in the air and dusk settling on the square, Santa drove by and got out of the firetruck. He found his place and moments later, the tree was lit! My son was singing Christmas songs the entire time... which caught the attention of a local college journalism student who asked us for an interview. When we finished, we enjoyed complimentary hot cocoa, crafts and cookie decorating, courtesy of local businesses and restaurants. We finished off the night with a local pizza joint down the street. This area is surrounded by quaint hotels and cute shops and restaurants. It's definitely the cutest little part of Flagstaff. Only gripe? It's paid parking anywhere within a 1/2 mile of downtown. Save yourself a bit and attempt to walk from your hotel, if possible. for such a small town, it's annoying to pay for parking (but I do understand that in a tourist town, they need a revenue flow...).

This public space is located in the heart of Downtown Flagstaff and is where people gather for live…read moremusic and other special events. Heritage Square is surrounded by a number of restaurants and retail stores. Events are free and include a variety of activities like open-air movies, art festivals, summer concerts and fitness classes. I have walked through here on many occasions over the years. I usually have a coffee in hand from one of the nearby coffee shops. I like coming here when they have live music. Different areas of Heritage Square pay homage to Flagstaff's culture and history. The railroad, Route 66, Lowell Observatory and ranching are all represented here on plaques and benches. The space where live music takes place is where the old Empress Theater once stood. There are also actual rocks from the Grand Canyon near the flagpole.

The best pizza I've had since I was in Italy. Fabulous service. Amazing food! I will definitely be…read moreback. In the meantime ,I'll be dreaming of this pizza.

This was our first time here and it was so good! One of the best pizza places I've been to. They're…read moreVPN certified and the pizza really was comparable to the pizza I've had in Italy. We got the Farmers and the Di Fungi. The farmers, we added sausage and it was perfect. The Di Fungi was good as I love mushrooms but I wish there were a LOT of mushrooms on it. I was expecting the whole pizza to be covered but this just seemed like I did an add-on of mushrooms instead of ordering a pizza that's literally called "di fungi." The service was quick, and the server was really attentive to refills on our drinks. We actually noticed their happy hour menu was really good so we came back the next day and we got the margarita pizza, marinara pizza, and the stracciatella. I love that their happy hour was every day -weekends included! The pizza was just as good as the day before. The stracciatella was good but I probably wouldn't get it again.

Walking around downtown Flagstaff needs an occasional break. Just on the southeast corner of San…read moreFrancisco St and Route 66 is a interesting sculpture surrounded by a nice sitting area with trees, benches and a set of bike rails. Just to the south, the railroad tracks still whirl with trains, and the impact of this beautiful sculpture is felt all the more. I was wandering around and looking to stop and rest when i found this well shaded area. But the centerpiece of the tiny park is a beautiful sculpture called "The Gandy Dancer", a tribute to the crews who laid and maintained the railways over the past two hundred years. The benches and trees are a nice touch, allowing someone to chill out and stay out of the sun, which even at 75 degrees can burn in the thing mountain altitude of Flagstaff's 6900 feet locale. If you are walking around downtown and want to see a tiny bit of history out into a nice public work of art, take a short trek to see the "Gandy Dancer" sculpture and enjoy the nice cool breeze in the tree shaded area as you do.

Great value for money, the food choices were not stingy at all, and plenty of wine choices for…read moreevery taste level. Lines were reasonable and there were shady spots to sit. I would bring a blanket next time and dress more casually. So far this is the best food festival I have been to in Arizona.

This is a review of the Third Annual Flagstaff Wine and Food Festival. It was held on June 9, 2012…read morefrom 1pm to 5pm at the Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill Park. It is a beautiful park, surrounded by trees and a very relaxed atmosphere. It is also very intimate and low key, making it easy to get some wine and food from the vendors. The ticket price is $30 which is fair since it is all you can eat and you get 4 wine sampling tickets (although some places don't take your tickets). There were about ten food vendors and the best had to be Cottage Place which served up beef with potatoes au gratin. We were lucky to win tickets through Friends of Coconino County Parks, but I would gladly pay the $30 next year to go again.

I attended Lunafest last March and it is a wonderful, positive event for a great organization…read more Lunafest is a series of short films about women. The films range from sweet stories of relationships to documentaries about the figurs of mannequins. Their is also a silent auction. The proceeds raise money for Girls on the Run, a program designed to help girls ages 8-11 develop positive relationships with each other while raising their self esteem and understanding of issues that affect females as they enter their teen years. I attended this event with several friends and everyone enjoyed it thoroughly. Well worth the cost of $10, plus the chance to bid on a fancy lunch, massage, running shoes, etc.

From the moment we walked in, I knew this place was going to be special. Watching the chef…read morehandcraft fresh pasta right in the front window set the tone before we even sat down. We arrived just before they closed between lunch and dinner, made a reservation for later, and I'm so glad we came back. If the weather is nice, do yourself a favor and request the backyard patio--it's the perfect setting for an unforgettable meal. The handmade pasta absolutely lives up to the hype, but what really surprised me was the service. I wish I could remember our server's name (which is so unlike me--I'm still embarrassed!). She was knowledgeable, attentive, genuinely friendly, and provided the kind of service you'd expect at a fine dining restaurant. We ended up giving her our unused observatory tickets, so hopefully management knows exactly who I'm talking about. If so, she deserves some recognition--she's an outstanding employee. Now, the food... My son ordered the Chicken Alfredo and declared it the best Chicken Alfredo he's ever had. My other son chose the Steak Alfredo and hasn't stopped talking about it since. They both keep asking when we're going back, which tells you everything you need to know. The Italian sodas were also a huge hit with the kids, so don't skip those! I ordered the Calabrian Chile & Burrata Pasta with Peas. Our server warned me that it was spicy. Like most people who love spicy food, I smiled and thought, "I'll be fine." Reader...she was right. It definitely has some heat! Thankfully, the creamy burrata perfectly balances the spice, and I absolutely loved the addition of the peas. It was bold, flavorful, and one of those dishes I'll be thinking about for a long time. Trust your server on the spice level--they know what they're talking about. This is one of those restaurants you'll remember long after your vacation is over. Incredible handmade pasta, outstanding service, a beautiful patio, and an experience that feels genuinely authentic. We can't wait to return.

I cannot recommend avoiding this place enough. We waited an unreasonably long time for our food,…read moreonly for the pasta dishes to arrive completely cold. We also ordered a Caprese salad--a dish that relies on fresh ingredients--but what we received tasted completely unfresh, almost like it came from a can. We sent the pasta back to be heated up, and while we waited, I visited the restroom. To put it delicately, it was a severe biohazard. The toilet was covered in human excrement, and a trash can was overflowing with empty tampon applicators. Sickened, I immediately informed our server. He apologized, but in a strangely unsurprised, apathetic manner--as if this was a regular occurrence. We told him we were leaving immediately, but he still made sure to charge us full price for the subpar salad before we walked out the door. Terrible food, nonexistent hygiene, and poor management. Eat anywhere else.

Mountain Town Market has various markets and pop-ups throughout the year like the City Hall parking…read morelot, Heritage Square, the Hive, and Pine Forest School. Make sure you go to the website to see days and hours, because there are always new dates and locations! It's a gorgeous day, and wonderful to see this market filling the gap of the larger community market. Local music going on too which is fun! Many retailers and food vendors. You can find Proof Bakery, Whipstone Farms., Lillie Mae's Pickles, Tamales USA, Pie Guys, Laughing Goat, Doney Park Coffee, Chocolita, Sunset Crater Farm, Kula Bee, Copper Mountain Confections and so much more! Meg is really trying to grow her markets, so come out and show your support!