ALL ALONG THE FOODIE TRAIL

ALL ALONG THE

FOODIE TRAIL Local culinary offerings on an award-winning food tour

By Kate Wallace

Get a taste of Arizona wines at local wine bar, Garage-East

Mesa, Arizona has a rich agrarian heritage, one that is still very much alive and well. The Fresh Foodie Trail,® a linked collection of farms and gourmet food experiences in Mesa and the surrounding area, has been celebrating the yearround harvest, showcasing everything from extra virgin olive oil, peaches, heritage grains, citrus, fresh baked goods, local produce, desert blossom honey, Arizona wine, farmers markets and so much more.

Many of Arizona’s top chefs forage with the area’s farmers and source local goods for their notable restaurants to showcase the Foodie Trail farms on their seasonal menus. The Southeast Valley is highly regarded as a gourmet gateway to Greater Phoenix, and visitors can find a map to the participating businesses online. freshfoodietrail.com

Italian roots at Arizona’s only family-owned and operated working olive mill and farm where olives are grown and pressed to produce high-quality extra virgin olive oil. Nestled at the base of the San Tan Mountains, an area known for its fertile soil, this flood plain region is famous for its flavor-rich fruits and vegetables. After a tour and tasting of oils, olives and tapenades, guests are invited to dine at the mill’s Tuscan-inspired eatery featuring fresh gourmet sandwiches, as well as soups, salads, gelato, homemade pastas and espresso. The mill’s standout feature is their giant brick oven featuring savory and sweet pizzas.

Arizona winemakers Todd and Kelly Bostock of Dos Cabezas fame joined forces with Brian and Megan Ruffentine and opened Garage-East, a local winery located in Agritopia. Visitors can taste all of Arizona’s unique varietals or ask for a custom blended glass of wine straight from the tap. This charming tasting room features live entertainment

Experience a 300-acre peach orchard when you overnight at The Cozy Peach trailers

on the weekends and offers a full menu of seasonal treats from local food vendors. Pair a curated charcuterie board with their selection of white, red, pink and green wines (yes, green!). Garage-East is also known for their breakfast wine made with local Arizona citrus, much of it from Agritopia’s on-site citrus orchard.

Arizona has deep roots in the citrus industry. Stop by B&B Citrus Farms and enjoy complimentary tastes of the season’s harvest while shopping and shipping a variety of grapefruits, lemons and oranges back home. Visitors love to taste and walk the grounds of on-site citrus orchards while taking in the fragrant orange blossoms each spring. Right next door is Jalapeno Bucks, featured in Food & Wine magazine’s ‘Best Barbecue in Every State” ranking in 2020. Homemade salsas, overstuffed burritos and the best brisket and pulled pork BBQ around can be enjoyed here.

At Schnepf Farms, visitors can pick their own veggies, fruit and even flowers for the dinner table. Their u-pick gardens change by the season but feature every type of produce under the Arizona sun. Fresh baked pies and pastries are available for take away at the Farm Fresh Bakery. Farm-to-fork fans can plan an overnight stay at The Cozy Peach, the farm’s on-site glampground featuring a dozen refurbished vintage trailers.

Little ones can have fun on the trail when they download the Fresh Foodie Trail® GeoTour. Geocaches have been placed at ten stops on the trail, and lucky treasure hunters can get access to exclusive foodie trail stickers, recipe books, souvenirs and more. VisitMesa.com

Taste award-winning BBQ tucked away inside one of Arizona’s oldest orange groves

Dine al fresco at the Queen Creek Olive Mill on Mesa’s Fresh Foodie Trail®