Page 28 December 2014 Valley offers a variety of family holiday experiences Long By Heidi Jaenicke Ignite the spark of the winter season by stargazing underneath the Arizona skies. Stargazing, ice skating, Christmas tree lighting and sipping on high tea are a few of the creative ways one can commemorate this time of year. One can look at the astronomical beauty of the Southwest during Las Noches de lãs Luminarias, a 37-year-old Desert Botanical Garden tradition, running November 29 through December 30. Las Noches de las Luminarias offers garden attendees the chance to walk through the many trails of the park while enjoying the glow of over 8,000 hand-lit lights. Each night throughout this event there will be 10 different performers playing an eclectic mix of music. “Being in Arizona, where you don’t have those physical signs of winter like snow and real cold temperatures, this event really helps mark the beginning of the holiday season and celebrate winter as well,” says Marsha Flynn of the Desert Botanical Gardens. This will be the first year the Desert Botanical Gardens features stargazing for guests with the guidance of professional astronomers from the Phoenix Astronomical Society. If you’re looking for a more prim and proper way to celebrate the holiday, the Phoenician will cater to these cravings with their Holiday Tea, a special seasonal version of their Afternoon Tea, held in the hotel lobby from 2-3 p.m. each day. Running until December 30, diners will have the luxury of sipping on a selection of fine loose-leaf teas and finger sandwiches. Alongside this elegant meal guests will have the option to spoon homemade preserves and Devonshire cream on top of freshly baked scones and choose from a variety of sweets, cut perfectly into almost bite-sized pieces. Great for a group of friends or for a mother and daughter, the high tea is an experience honoring girl time. Fall Movies in the Park pulls out the red carpet instead of the Christmas tree for holiday mall-goers. This event allows the audience to get comfortable in the center lawn of the Biltmore Fashion Park and watch classic movies while embracing the fresh winter air. This gathering is occurring every Friday evening at 7:30 from now through December 12. Arcadia Farmers Market promotes the gift of giving quality produce to neighborhood residents throughout the colder months. Those visiting the market will have the opportunity to enjoy the selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables, holiday inspired baked goods, beauty products and handmade gifts on sale while supporting local businesses. This outdoor market takes place every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., located in the Scottsdale Unified School District parking lot. Sports enthusiasts can swirl around one another instead of the shopping crowds at Arcadia Ice Arena and enjoy indoor ice skating. While some places throughout the Valley host outdoor makeshift ice arenas, this one is the real deal. Whether you’re in the mood for a high- end holiday afternoon or relaxing evening watching movies while sipping hot cocoa, the activities in Arcadia this winter are bound to spread the holiday spirit. (Right) Time for Afternoon Tea at the Phoenician, as they offer a holiday version of their daily 2-3 p.m. tea time. Enjoy with girl friends or the precious young lady in your life.

Page 29 December 2014 Longtime friends create casual, yet cool, pizza hangout By Amanda Goossen At Forge, it’s about much more than just the pizza. When Forge Pizza opened in the Union at the Biltmore Fashion Park in early October, a major void was filled. The Union shopping area, created with local businesses in mind, opened in late 2012 with a flagship restaurant ready to anchor the plaza. When that concept was unsuccessful, the locally driven fairway was missing a major piece of the puzzle. Enter Forge Pizza. With well-equipped owners, a proven concept and a local connection, Forge Pizza is just what the east side of the Biltmore Fashion Park hungered for. Industrial-inspired décor paired with high ceilings and a fabulous outdoor seating area, this new spot should be your go-to place. Flash back a dozen years or so. Friends Michael Karp and Andy Byrnes were Sigma Chi fraternity brothers in New Orleans at Tulane University. They kept in touch as the years passed, each staying abreast of the other’s accomplishments. Michael Karp went on to open the successful Barbacoa and Table 24 in Orinda, California. Both eateries are comfortable, yet chic neighborhood hot spots that bring rave reviews from locals and foodies alike. Andy Byrnes became a renowned local architect, builder and founder of the Phoenix-based design-build firm, The Construction Zone. The two college buddies worked together over time, developing the design of Karp’s Forge 2502 E Camelback Rd theforgepizza.com 3830 E Indian School Rd Phoenix AZ 85018 602-296-4958 • essencebakery.com AWARD WINNING PASTRIES MADE WITH LOCAL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS JOIN US FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND SOMETHING SWEET restaurants with Byrnes knowledge and experience. Throughout the years, Karp would ask his friend to go into business with him many times, but to Byrnes, while he was intrigued, it never quite made sense. It has been said, however, that the restaurant bug, once bitten, is hard to shake. Eventually the men, along with Karp’s partner in Barbacoa and Table 24, Bob Burke, would come together to create Le Bon Temps Restaurants. Le Bon Temps’ first endeavor was Forge Pizza at the Jack London Square in Oakland, California in early 2013, armed with an experienced and top-notch chef. Chef Jeffrey Amber (former executive chef at XYZ, Chow, Moose’s and other San Francisco hot spots, as well as guest chef at the prestigious James Beard House in Manhattan) would take a pizza and beer concept and shatter every expectation. Forge Pizza began with an uncomplicated approach. They wanted to make pizza. The best pizza. They wanted a place for people to hang out, a place to watch the game and eat high-quality food, a place where a casual business meeting can happen just as easily as a family meal after church on a Sunday afternoon. With Chef Jeffrey Amber at the helm of food and beverage, intricate recipes, fresh ingredients and creativity would be at the forefront of the menu. Beer, pizza and burgers would get an upscale, yet unpretentious approach. The pizza is unlike any you will try in this pizza-saturated town. Unleavened yeast is the key ingredient in the dough, giving it a depth about which few can brag. Seasoning sprinkled on the outside crust makes eating even the last bite, a treat. The steel-clad Valoriani pizza oven is not only a fabulous decorative element to the small restaurant; it cooks up a fast and crispy pie. The real star at Forge however, might not be the pizza, but the abundance of other truly delicious items on the menu. Start with Crispy Cheese Curds. Dream up the best bite-size mozzarella sticks you can, with a light and airy batter and luscious gooeyness, served alongside a local craft beer or an ice-cold Coke. Yes, your dream has come true at Forge. Move on to any of the four salads and find a successful dish. My personal favorite is the Crispy Cobb which pairs fresh greens tossed in a red wine vinegar dressing with crispy chicken breast, avocado and blue cheese. More like a deconstructed Cobb salad than the traditional, Chef Amber brings this old reliable dish to the 21st century with massive success. Other Forge faves are the Long Cooked Ribs, Oven-Baked Eggs, Chicken Wings and Brussels Sprouts. And to top it off, Forge has a memorable way to end the meal: soft-serve ice cream. Served in to-go cups to allow restaurant goers the ability to head out after the meal, the menu of toppings was created to satisfy every type of palate. Choose caramel apples or Lucky Charms, magic shell or pistachios. Or go outside your comfort zone and add olive oil and sea salt to the vanilla ice cream and experience an earth shattering combination you never knew existed. You might just drizzle the Italian cooking oil on your ice-cold treat for the rest of your life. (Top left) Pepperoni pizza, (top right) soft serve ice cream, (bottom) Crispy Cheese Curds.