Back in the day — read: pre-kids — we came to the Camelback Inn for long, luxurious visits to the hotel spa. We love that spa. Hot rock massages, thick white robes, and a crystal-blue pool with the prettiest view of Camelback Mountain. We sat outside and ate the hotel's signature yellow gazpacho. And we were happy. Then we had kids. And we were happy, but in a much more, um, complicated way. To say the least. So now, when we need to steal back a tranquil moment or two, we pack the whole family in the station wagon and head to the Camelback Inn. The spa is definitely out, which is why we're so glad to have Rita's Kitchen. This place reminds us of the hotel coffee shops of our own youth, casual outposts in fancy-pants places where the waitstaff is patient and the menu's kid-friendly, but the sweet life's still on display. We can have that same cup of gazpacho while our kids frolic on the nearby grass hills, dance to live music, and munch chicken strips (with healthy veggies and fruit on the side, if you can wrestle the fries out of their grubby paws). Add a glass of sangria, a roaring fire (when seasonally appropriate), and that view of Camelback Mountain — and we are happy.Readers' Choice: