There's a reason everyone's talking about Couscous Express, a new restaurant in town. Everything about it evokes the unexpected, from its focused regional North African cuisine to its bulk couscous available by the pound to its peanut butter-based date shakes — all of it packed into a quirky little space on 19th Street and McDowell. The date shake in question is unlike any other; no ice cream here, just a drink highlighted by natural date sweetness, peanut butter, and nutmeg. It's different. Somehow, it works, always leaving us wanting more.

Arizona's desert landscape is gorgeous. We don't think there's anyone who could argue against that. But where is the best spot to gaze upon the desert's beauty? One visit to the patio at Talavera Restaurant at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North and the answer will be clear. If the sun is setting just beyond the mountains to the west, and the sky is filling with pinks and reds, you won't even have breath to say anything. Phoenix's skyline will be visible in the south — just enough to remind you of where you are but far enough away that you could also easily forget.

Readers Choice: Sanctuary on Camelback