Not since the Galleria opened on the other side of Scottsdale Road has there been such a buzz about a mini-mall in the Valley. That's because Fred Unger — the guy behind the remods of the Royal Palms and Hermosa Inn — is the mastermind behind the explosion of good taste anticipated to open this fall on the south side of the canal that separates Old Town Scottsdale from, for lack of a better geographical description, the land of Scottsdale Fashion Square. Not only will this project unite the two parts of downtown (with a bridge, hence the name), it will feature an array of restaurants (starting with the Dean and Deluca-esque FoodBar, which has already been open awhile) and — and this is where we get all tingly — a bevy of independent boutiques. That's right, independent. You want the Body Shop and Victoria's Secret? Go to Fashion Square. The Mix promises to be all things groovy and classy and clever, and so far, from what we've been hearing on the street, Unger will deliver. He's teamed up with boutique queen Jennifer Croll, and the list of tenants keeps getting longer. We've heard whispers about vintage couture and a candy bar. Our favorite part? We barely recognize a shop name we hear, because none of these is a retail outlet you've already seen in a dozen malls across the country.

We can't wait to get into The Mix.