Sweet on the Southwest!

Hungry? I hope so! Because today we’re taking a bite out of my home region, The Southwest, as I share a sweet teats and eats guide to some places to pop by while you’re in the area!

I was born and raised in Arizona, so I was home for the begging of the year visiting fam and stuffing my face! The West Coast / Southwest is a beautiful place – there’s lots to do and EAT besides just in and out (I went there twice but whatever who’s counting). After coming back to NYC for about a week, I ventured back to the SW to the great state of Utah (see my Utah posts here, here and here but then come right back, okay? I’ll wait…) for ski, Sundance and all of the snow! So Today I’m sharing a bit of the sweet spots I found when I ventured southwest! Without further fondue… I mean adieu (no I don’t), let’s dig in!

ARIZONA! Like I said, I was born and raised in this great state, but I don’t get back that often, so when I do I have to split my time equally between trying new spots & stuffing my face with my old favorites:

Favorite Eats in AZ:

The Sugar Bowl – If you like pink and ice cream, look no further than the Sugar Bowl in Old Town Scottsdale! This peony colored palace is a historic ice cream shop and arcade that’s just as darling as it is drool-worthy!
Mac Alpines – Looking for a sweet little soda shop or maybe just want to venture back in time? With about a trillion soda shop flavors and Mac Alpines has you covered
The Fractured Prune – Did somebody say donuts? I DID! This is apparently a donut chain (they might even have one near you!) but I only found out about it when one opened up across the street from my moms house #score! They deep fry the donuts right there, in front of you and their made to order – so you get to eat them while they’re still HOT!!! They have a million trillion flavors, but you can also customize your own, so this DIY Donut Spot is now on my MUST TRY list every single time I venture back home!
Diego Pops – It might come as a surprise to you, but I do actually eat things aside from dessert … well sometimes. An Instagram follower recommended Diego Pops (thank you) while I was in town so I searched the photos to see what I was getting myself into – not only does it have the cutest decor (cactus wallpaper – YAY!) but the food is actually to die for! It’s these cool trendy tacos, with a twist, plus they make their own sauce to top it with … and one is even PINK!
Sprinkles – You don’t have to venture to Arizona for Sprinkles, but if you find yourself in Scottsdale (or maybe after you’ve tried Diego Pops) you should swing by Sprinkles to see the pretty pink cupcake ATM you only thought existed in your dreams (and on my insta feed).

AZ Shooting Location Alert! Looking for a fun place to shoot in Arizona with wall some seriously sweet wall candy? Make sure to pop by the Saguaro hotel in Scottsdale for some crazy bright colors!

UTAH! I don’t know this state the way I know my own, but my tour guide besties sure did! They both went to college here, so we had the time of our lives eating our way through the state!

Favorite Eats in UT:

Swig N’ Sweets – Think sonic, on steroids and sugar cookies so good they’ll hurt your teeth – I’m pretty sure I just got a cavity thinking about them (UHM YUM). I love a good rootbeer, but I got to customize mine here, adding whatever I wanted in it – cream, flavored syrup, you name it so I was one happy camper!
The Chocolate – I visited Utah for the first time about four years ago when my friends were in college at BUY and they took me to “The Chocolate” which was apparently the hot spot – literally! I’ve never waited so long for a pazookie (a pizza cookie) but it was worth the wait! This gooey chocolate deliciousness still haunts me in my dreams!
Pizzeria 712 – Did someone say PIZZA!? We did Pizzeria 712 for dinner one night, but it’s totally not your average pizza place! Here you’ll find some seriously good pies, amazing appetizers and some pretty cool and unique beverages too. We literately ate so much here, I thought we were going to die!
Waffle Luv – After eating at Pizzeria 712 (does that sound like a 90’s boy band name to anyone but me?) we needed dessert… duh! So we found this Waffle place along the road and the girls had heard girl things so we popped in for Dessert Waffles a la mode! Here you can also DIY your desserts, by topping your waff with whatever you would like! I went with cinnamon and raspberries but Kristin got COOKIE BUTTER on her’s which was like wayyyyy better than mine so (naturally) I made her share! They actually have more locations than just UT, even some in Arizona!

More Utah Fun – If eating isn’t enough, try stopping by the Ice Castles (go at night to see them light up) after Tubing at Soldiers Hollow, Skiing in Park City or drive by East High and sing we’re all in this together!

Alright guys, that’s a wrap! I hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory eats, for me it was awesome to relive these great meals and remember these amazing places – it truly was love at first bite! XX