Encanto 9 Golf Course

So you’re sick of the grind — the tough morning commute, the uptight boss, the boring gig. And you like to whack the little white ball around now and then. Then why wait for the weekend, when there’s so many other things facing you? The Encanto courses may not be as challenging or as beautiful […]

Encanto Golf Course

There’s nothing like passing a summer day at Encanto, where the greens are flat as prairieland and our confidence is as high as it gets. Except for a few thirsty-looking trees, there’s little to get in our way except the carts and bodies of other players. Fore!We love Encanto’s treasure of esteem-building par threes and […]

Encanto Park

The 200-plus-acre municipal park near the city center includes picnic areas, walking paths, a lagoon and two golf courses; “Encanto” is Spanish for “enchantment.” Various special events and sporting activities are scheduled throughout the year.

English Rose Tea Room

When you can’t afford a trip to jolly ol’ England, you can take a short drive to the English Rose Tea Room in Carefree. Afternoon tea is the shop’s specialty, featuring over 30 varieties of loose leaf teas. French press coffee and hot chocolate are also on the menu for those would prefer to indulge […]

Enoch’s Sports Lounge

Enoch’s Sports Lounge is nowhere near as ancient as its Biblical namesake, but the amicably scruffy dive on the edges of Peoria has seen plenty of mileage since opening around two decades ago. Most noticeably, its formerly fire engine-red carpet is now a threadbare salmon from years of the Enoch’s faithful’s feet padding around the […]

Enroute Coffee and Tea House

Coffee options at the Enroute Coffee and Tea House are heavy on the espresso, and the handcrafted, small-batch cold brew is infused with nitro. In addition, the shop offers 24 loose leaf teas options (the house favorite being peach white), and a house drink called a lotus (a plant-based energy drink).

Epic Wings

Though a couple of dozen locations of Epic Wings has been kicking around California since 1982, the west Valley has hosted one location since 2019. This quick-service eatery in Glendale offers standard wings (original Buffalo wings means the bone-in kind) in garlic Parmesan, and honey, they are good. The garlic is not overpowering, while the […]

Eric’s Family Barbecue

Hungry for ‘cue in the West Valley? The meats smoked in salvaged propane tanks behind Eric’s are the best you’ll find. The chefs at this joint smoke the old-fashioned way, meaning without the assistance of gas, a labor-intensive method that raises the ceiling for how good marquee cuts, such as brisket, can be. Inside the […]

Ernie’s Restaurant and Bar

Yes, the intersection of Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard is just that – an intersection – but it’s also a classic Valley drinking and dining destination, and a history lesson as much as it is a dining district. So, let’s dive in – and that first dive is Ernie’s Restaurant and Bar. This family-owned sports […]