My sister Janet came to visit last week, which also happened to be her birthday.  While I could recommend plenty of restaurants, she's a vegetarian and it was important to me that there were lots of good options on the menu for her too.  I asked my community on Nextdoor.com and was so thankful for the many helpful responses on vegetarian friendly restaurants near the Old Town area.  It was such a great list, I felt it needed to be shared.  So here we go!  In no particular order:

Old Town Scottsdale:
1. FnB - a classy joint, think Farm to Table.  I'd recommend making a reservation here.  We went for her birthday, on a Wednesday and the restaurant was booked.  We did get to sit at the bar though and just LOVED it.  Other notes from fellow neighbors: FnB Chef Charleen Badman is the Wizard of Veggies. Order a lot of sides to share—there is nothing quite like it. And owner also put Arizona wines on the national map.
2. The Herb Box - if you haven't been here in the last year, note that it moved across the street to the old 5th & Wine location.
3. Cornish Pasty - tons of vegetarian options!
4. Barrio Queen - my personal favorite Mexican restaurant.
5. Original Chop Shop (also there is an Arcadia location)
6. Malee’s Thai Bistro - delicious, vegan and vegetarian options.
7. Kaleidoscope juice bar - they also make smoothies,  avocado toast & vegetarian breakfast burritos. 
8.  Modern Market
9. Farm&Craft (also Central PHX location)
10. Simons Hot Dogs - yes they have vegan hot dogs and regular!
11. Totties Asian Fusion
12. Brat Haus - really great beer menu here too.
13. The Little Thaiger
14. Arcadia Farms - really cute little breakfast & lunch spot
15. Salads to Go - salad drive through (also Mesa and PHX locations)
16. Olive & Ivy
17. ​Wok 'n Roll


Central Phoenix, Tempe, & North Scottsdale Choices:
18. Blanco - Central Scottsdale
19. Hillstone - get the veggie burger- Phoenix
20. Green New American Vegetarian - Tempe
21. Udupi Indian Vegetarian & Vegan Cuisine - Tempe
22. MAD greens - 3 locations: Central Scottsdale, Central PHX, & Tempe
23. Fresh Mint - N. Scottsdale
24. Pita Jungle - multiple valley locations 
25. Hummus Express - Tempe
26. Loving Hut - Tempe
27. Flower Child - Central PHX & N. Scottsdale


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Ready to take on the task of landscaping your pool space? One of my favorite parts of living in Arizona is all the pools! You generally don't realize the importance in the types of trees you use until it's too late. Let's go over a few rules the trees around your pool should follow that will provide minimal upkeep and provide the best aesthetics. 

• The trees you choose should have minimal leaf drop and are not overly messy. You want to avoid cleaning seeds, fruits, flowers, and dead leaves as much as possible. This task can get tedious. 
• Choose trees that have shallow root systems. Some tree roots can cause cracks in the concrete and cause problems with the plumbing. 
• Choose trees that can be preferably moved around in large growing containers.
• Go with a tree that matches the theme of your decor, weather that's tropical, Japanese, Mediterranean, desert oasis, etc. 
• Pick a tree that doesn't block a view you may want to keep when it's fully grown. 

Below, we'll list top 7 of our favorite trees to use throughout your pool landscaping. We recommend these trees based on their root system and the minimal amount of shedding in their leaves and fruits. Choose from one below that will match the theme of your decor:
1. Palm Trees
2. Citrus Trees
3. Banana Trees
4. Japanese Maples
5. False Cyprus
6. Floss Silk Tree
7. Fruitless Olive Trees
In addition to trees, potted plants with beautiful flowers are a nice addition.  If your pool is in direct sunlight, but sure you have an umbrella that you can move around as well for some afternoon shade while relaxing in the pool.

Cheers!