The Farm at South Mountain is one of my favorite spots to enjoy healthy breakfast fare which consists of fresh local produce, herbs, citrus and dairy. I wolf down the Southwestern breakfast burrito with a medley of fresh vegetables on most occasions. Located right next to the organic garden, the outdoor seating area commands instant relaxation.  Even if your eldest child is actively trying to stab your youngest with a fork.

The 12 acre expanse of The Farm includes three separate restaurants. The Morning Glory is, predictably, a breakfast cafe. The Farm Kitchen is the original restaurant, and primarily serves lunch along with morning snacks. With park bench seating under the shady branches of a pecan tree grove, you’ll forget that you are in the desert while enjoying a made-from-scratch treat. The Quiessence Restaurant and Wine Bar is what you think it is: upscale dining. Phoenix Magazine tagged it as “the best restaurant in Phoenix” in January, 2007. Contemporary American farm cuisine is the moniker given to the menu. I don’t know what that means, but the organic, locally produced dishes are amazing.

Other attractions on The Farm include:

The Retreat: Straight from their website, The Retreat invites (by appointment) patrons to “Deeply relax and rejuvenate with massage. hot and cold stones, shiatsu, vibrational essences, facials, tea ceremonies, intuitive readings, healing sessions and more.”

The Artist Studio: Also according to their website, “The Artist Studio at The Farm is a new cultural/educational center working to promote creativity while connecting with deeper values in the natural environs of The Farm. Visit The Cottage, home to ever changing art mediums featuring the fine art of Artist’s in Residence. Relax and enjoy shopping for original gifts created by local artists. In The Studio we offer art classes, writing workshops, educational lectures, youth home school classes, field trips and staff retreats.”

The Doctor’s Office, likewise by appointment only, is home to a resident practitioner of naturopathic medicine.

Maya’s at The Farm is the organic garden which produces many of the fresh vegetables and herbs used by the three restaurants. Named for Maya Dailey, who tends the garden, Maya’s holds a farmer’s market every Saturday between 9 AM and 1 PM. In adjunct to the garden is a greenhouse and the chicken coup (my boys’ personal favorite). Watch those little fingers, though, as the chicken wire enclosure is electrified!

The Farm is a magical place to visit for special occasions as well as laconic Sunday mornings. I have been fortunate to enjoy birthdays, Easter brunch and just-because mornings within its friendly confines, and have never left in a bad mood.

Private parties and weddings are available for booking as well.

Whether you are new to the area, visiting for the season, or one who simply doesn’t often venture outside of your comfort zone in Scottsdale or Paradise Valley, I urge you to make a trip to this special place. The coffee is good, the mimosas are great, and the setting is out of this world!

For hours and upcoming events, please visit The Farm at South Mountain.

6106 S. 32nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85042

Paul Slaybaugh with Realty Executives is your guide to Scottsdale Real Estate. A Scottsdale native, Paul has been selling homes in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Paradise Valley since 1999, and selling the virtues of Arizona living even longer. If you are looking to buy or sell  in the greater Scottsdale area, or just wondering where to get a decent cup of coffee and an omelet, Paul’s your guy.

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Welcome to the Biltmore, destination of choice in Phoenix, Arizona for year-round and seasonal residents alike.  Home to some of the most luxurious Real Estate in the Valley of the Sun, there are cost effective options to be had in this stately gated community just east of 24th Street between Lincoln and Camelback Rd.

Located within The Colony Biltmore subdivision, this approximately 2100 square foot patio home, sits on a premium culdesac lot which sides to common area and the golf course beyond ($60,000 premium per the county assessor).  The view from the rear patio is simply spectacular.

Features include 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, stone fireplace, private spa, 2 car garage, great room with vaulted ceiling, built-in entertainment center and custom wet bar, saltillo tile flooring and appealing contemporary architecture.  The kitchen has been tastefully remodeled with granite counters and stainless steel appliances.  All of the living space is on one level with the exception of an upstairs den/office.  In addition to a jacuzzi, the back patio includes a built-in BBQ and flagstone planters.  Golf course views not enough for you?  How about mountain views as well?

This is Arizona living!

Minutes from the finest restaurants and shopping in all of Phoenix.

Complex features include the aforementioned golf course, tennis courts and a manned guard gate.

Competitively priced at $539,000, this is the best value in the Biltmore!

Please visit us at Scottsdale AZ Real Estate to learn more about this home.

The gray portion of the map represents the Biltmore Golf Course

Not a bad location, eh?

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]]> http://www.scottsdalepropertyshop.com/category-4-test-post/feed/ 0 http://www.scottsdalepropertyshop.com/phoenix-mountain-preserve/ http://www.scottsdalepropertyshop.com/phoenix-mountain-preserve/#comments Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:41:18 +0000 Paul Slaybaugh http://www.scottsdalepropertyshop.com/?p=13 As part of my continuing series of things to do in and around Scottsdale, Phoenix and Paradise Valley, Arizona, today’s edition is devoted to the Phoenix Mountain Preserve.

As the Valley has been beset by rapid expansion and development, political forces have been at odds over the preservation of our native land.  Victories for conservationists have produced a series of preserved mountain areas within the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.  Encompassing approximately 23,500 acres (non-continuous) in total, and open to the public for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding, the preserves offer an amazing opportunity to experience raw Arizona without leaving the confines of the city.

There are seven primary mountain preserve areas in Phoenix:  Lookout Mountain, Shadow Mountain, North Mountain/Shaw Butte, Stoney Mountain, Stoney Mountain South, Piestewa Peak (formerly Squaw Peak) and South Mountain.

This past Sunday, I took the family to the Piestewa Peak preserve area.  Instead of accessing the preserve from the South where there is a direct route up the peak, we decided to stomp around the open area to the North.  Not quite ready for mountain climbing, the boys were much better suited to scampering along the relatively flat trails.  On this day, the desert was surprisingly green and vibrant with undergrowth.  With sunshine on our faces and just the slightest nip in the air, it could not have been a better morning for communing with mother nature.

Look, there goes a group of middle-aged mountain bikers.  Up ahead is a gaggle of high school girls chattering away about nothing and everything.  To my left is a couple with three exceedingly happy Labrador Retrievers.  In the distance to the right, I can even see the silhouette of a man on horseback.

Yet, despite the traffic, I do not feel imposed upon.  The preserve so open and expansive, the mountain vistas so spectacular, that it never feels crowded.  Quite the contrary, we trade genuine smiles with each person we encounter.  Eager for the chance to express feelings of contentment with fellow revelers.  Every eye sparkles.

While fruitlessly trying to teach my toddler to identify a “mountain” and “cactus,” I can only laugh as he instead opts to inspect every single rock at his feet.  Trust me when I say that is a lot of rocks.

An hour later, tired but refreshed, we found our way back to the parking area.  The paved parking lot which I should note was not paved the last time I utilized this point of entry.  In fact there were no restrooms when I was here last either.  What does this tell me?  That it has been far too long.

When you need to step away from the rat race, don’t forget this haven is only minutes away.

For access to this part of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, go West on Shea Boulevard from Tatum.  Follow 40th Street South from Shea until it terminates in the public parking area.  Leave your worries with your car, and enjoy an enchanting day in the mountains.