If you're looking to escape, skip the bar scene and enjoy some quiet time at Singh Meadow. This 70-acre former golf course located on 1490 East Weber Drive provides a place to relax, enjoy a picnic, indulge in yoga, and eat farm-to-table food.
You enter into the farmers market shop to displays of fresh vegetables — on our visit, it was broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, and beets. Don't hurry. Linger and discover unexpected treats. To the left of the main entrance, there is a place to sample apple butter, garlic spread, tomato jam, candied ginger, and freshly baked bread.
If you rather cheat a little for breakfast, the almond croissants and cinnamon rolls are the best kind of morning pleasure. Cookies are an option too, if your sweet tooth wants to experience even more fun.
Emerge from the quaint market to a blanket of green. You can hang out on the patio, where there are comfortable tables and chairs, or lay out a blanket and let the kids run. There is a serene pond on one side, while the other half of the meadow sports a volleyball net and several stations for corn hole games. You don’t have to participate in an activity, but instead can choose to lounge in Moroccan-style beds — yes, beds right there on the green, where the entire family can eat, relax, and enjoy some quality time.
Don't miss the cafe, featuring made-to-order juices. We tried a delicious pomegranate-pineapple-mint concoction that looked as good as it tasted. (All ingredients are toxin-free and fresh.) There were several lunch options available, such as salads assembled from seasonal vegetables, warm pizzas, and a divine goat cheese with pickled beets and herb toast.
As I enjoyed my cinnamon roll and juice, I had a conversation with Ken Singh, owner of Singh Meadows. He told me it was important for him to "establish a place that offered nontoxic options” with living soil. Several patrons interrupted us, wanting to say hello and converse with him like friends meeting after a long separation. (There actually was one — Singh's original property, Singh Farms in Scottsdale, stopped hosting a farmers market months ago.) With a big smile, Mr. Singh says, “compassion is important.”
He didn’t have to convince me. I sensed it the moment I stepped into Singh Meadows.