BEST PLACES TO EAT OUT FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER IN THE VALLEY

  Not feeling like cooking or cleaning at home this year? Across the Valley, you'll find a plethora of delectable Thanksgiving feasts at the city's finest resorts and restaurants. Whether you're a visitor or simply prefer to skip the kitchen chaos, these meals are certain to delight your taste buds for Thanksgiving 2023:   Thanksgiving Buffet at Hilton Phoenix Resort at the Peak  Nov. 23 Enjoy all the fixings of a Thanksgiving dinner, plus some classic resort favorites including penne pasta, shrimp cocktail and more.  Price: $55 per adult | $25 per child | Free for children 5 and under   Rooftop Thanksgiving at The Renaissance Phoenix Downtown  Nov. 23   -@renhotelphx Phoenix weather is lovely around Thanksgiving time, so what better place to enjoy the holiday than on the rooftop of the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel? The DTPHX skyline and the surrounding mountains will give you plenty to look at while live music plays as you enjoy a Sonoran Desert thanksgiving.    Thanksgiving Buffet at The Arizona Biltmore's Gold Room  Nov. 23   @arizonabiltmore The Biltmore’s Gold Room is the setting for a Thanksgiving buffet fit to rival the delight of the beautiful venue itself. The elegant Gold Room, the resort’s original dining hall, will be presenting an incredible Thanksgiving celebration to suit any age and palate, full of delicious options such as a raw bar, a carving station and a great range of classic kid’s favorites.    Thanksgiving at Medieval Times  Nov. 23   @jwalker80 Enjoy a four-course feast and witness a spectacular live performance of Medieval tournament games, authentic jousting and exciting sword fights. Medieval Times’ noble guests feast on garlic bread, tomato bisque soup, roasted chicken, sweet buttered corn, herb-basted potatoes, the pastry of the Castle, coffee and two rounds of select beverages. Price: $47.95 for Adults | $33.95 Children 12 & under   Thanksgiving Dinner Cruise  Nov. 22- Nov. 24   @lakepleasantcruises How does Thanksgiving dinner at sunset on beautiful Lake Pleasant sound? Enjoy a relaxing 90-minute sunset dinner cruise, featuring a delicious buffet-style Thanksgiving dinner with a full-service bar. The menu will feature sliced turkey with stuffing, creamy mashed potatoes with turkey gravy, and green beans with sauteed bacon and onions, among other decadent dishes. The cruise sells out early. Reservations are recommended. Price: $85 per adult | Children 4-12 $55 | Infants $10   Thanksgiving Dinner at Renata's Hearth  Nov. 23   -@renatashearth Renata’s Hearth will be serving up a magnificent family-style feast where the spark of Latin heat brings fresh taste to classic dishes. The highly trained chefs have curated a distinctive spread of dishes from pluma al pastor marinated in achiote with guajillo and citrus to seared diver scallops  with a rich mole verde and patatas to smoked turkey brined in sidral mundet, and much more.    Thanksgiving at Royal Palms  Nov. 23   @royalpalmshotel Ditch the prep and dishes in your kitchen and gather round at T. Cook's for a culinary feast, enjoying time with your loved ones. Plan your turkey day at Royal Palms Resort & Spa with options to fit any schedule and cravings, including breakfast, a prix-fixe menu, or limited bar and lounge menu. Price: Adults: $175 | Children ages 6-12: $75 | children under five: free   Thanksgiving Brunch at Andaz Scottsdale  Nov. 23   @weftandwarpaz Let the chefs cook for you this Thanksgiving. Gather with friends and family at Weft & Warp to enjoy agave brine turkey, pumpkin ravioli, a raw bar, and more.  Price: $130 per person | $60 per child 7-12   Three-course Thanksgiving Dinner at MATCH Market & Bar at FOUND:RE Phoenix   Nov. 23 Celebrate Thanksgiving with a three-course meal at FOUND:RE Phoenix Hotel. The menu will give visitors several options to choose from for each course. Vegans and vegetarians will be happy to have delicious dishes prepared for them, such as stuffed acorn squash and carrot ginger soup with coconut milk. For those looking for more traditional Thanksgiving fare, FOUND:RE will have smoked turkey breast with stuffing, and a cranberry pecan salad, among other dishes. Reservations are welcome. Price: $59 per person FOUND:RE Phoenix Hotel   Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet at CIELO Restaurant  Nov. 23   @cieloscottsdale Enjoy sage butter basted turkey, prime rib, mushroom soup, refreshing salad, vegetables, and of course different types of stuffing with a sensational dessert station to end, or begin the night. From 11am-1pm, catch the early bird deal of $90 per person, or 1pm-7pm, join us for $110 per person and children for $45.  CIELO at ADERO Scottsdale    Thanksgiving Celebration at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess  Nov. 23   @fairmontscotsdl The Fairmont is offering a bountiful Thanksgiving brunch, where four dynamic restaurants and five talented chefs will come together to present a feast in the Palomino Ballroom. Dine in luxury with chefs from Bourbon Steak, La Hacienda, Toro Latin Restaurant & Rum Bar and Ironwood Kitchen. Each chef will bring their own unique culinary talents and themed menus to the table.  Price: $144 per adult | Children ages 6-12 $64 | Free for children 5 and under  Fairmont Scottsdale Princess    Thanksgiving at Ember at the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort Nov. 23 Come celebrate Thanksgiving with a six-course Thanksgiving dinner featuring Chef Matthew Brake’s delicious and innovative menu offerings at this award-winning fine dining establishment. Price: $85 per guest Ember at the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort    Thanksgiving at Rustler's Rooste  Rustler's Rooste may be known as a steakhouse, but don't miss out on a special thanksgiving dinner at the famous "beef and brew with a view." At Rustler's Rooste, you can either order a dinner for 8-10 guests or select from a baked ham dinner, a prime rib dinner, or a sauteed shrimp dinner. A kids menu is also available. Make sure to book ahead before all the reservations are gobbled up.    VEGETARIAN/VEGAN THANKSGIVING DINNERS Thanksgiving Dinner at Giving Tree Cafe  The Giving Tree Cafe  will prepare an organic, plant-based, soy-free, gluten-free and seed oil free Thanksgiving Feast at their Phoenix location on November 23rd. The Thanksgiving day menu includes stuffed roasted acorn squash, yukon gold mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, jalapeno corn bread muffins, and much more. The meal is $45 for adults and $16.95 for kids 12 and under.  Learn more about local vegan/vegetarian restaurants in Phoenix here.   Souce: Visit Phoenix 

More than just the Territorial Cup could be at stake in ASU-UofA rivalry game

  ASU and UofA's final season of Pac-12 football hasn't had many highlights for the Sun Devils, but they have a chance to end their season on a high note by upsetting an unexpectedly strong Wildcats team. Driving the news: ASU and UofA play their annual rivalry game at 1:30pm Saturday at Mountain America Stadium. State of play: The Sun Devils have struggled through a 3-8 season, while the Wildcats have been the surprise of the conference this year, going 8-3 and climbing to No. 16 in the AP rankings. Yes, but: The rivalry game is a different animal as far as ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham is concerned, and whatever happened before this week is irrelevant. "There's two seasons when you play at ASU. There's the first 11 games and that's one season. And then there's the team-down-south week and that's entirely another season," he told the Arizona Republic. The intrigue: There's more at stake this year than who takes home the Territorial Cup — UofA has a shot at making it to the final Pac-12 championship game, but the only way for that to happen is for the Wildcats to beat ASU. Even then, the Wildcats still need No. 15 Oregon State to upset No. 6 Oregon on the Ducks' home field on Friday. The No. 5-ranked Washington Huskies have already punched their tickets to the conference title game. Who to watch: Backup quarterback Noah Fifita stepped in as UofA's starter on Sept. 30 after Jayden de Laura suffered an ankle injury. Since, the Wildcats have gone 5-2 and are on a five-game winning streak. UofA wideout Tetairoa McMillan has 976 receiving yards, the third-most in the Pac-12, and nine touchdowns, which is tied for fifth. Of note: The Pac-12 nixed its north and south divisions last year and refashioned the conference championship game so it features the top two teams. If the Pac-12 South still existed, Arizona would be leading it. UofA's only appearance in the conference title game was in 2014, when the Wildcats lost to Oregon. Context: This is the first time since 2014 the Wildcats have been ranked going into the rivalry game. ASU and UofA were both ranked that year. The last time ASU defeated a ranked Wildcats team for the Territorial Cup was 1992. UofA leads the rivalry 50–45–1, largely as a result of the Wildcats' 20-2 record to start the rivalry from 1899-1948. The big picture: ASU and UofA will join the Big 12 next year, as will fellow Pac-12 teams Colorado and Utah. Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington will join the Big 10 next year, while Cal and Stanford become ACC members. It's unclear whether the Pac-12 will completely dissolve or reconstitute itself with new members. A superior court judge in eastern Washington last week awarded Oregon State and Washington State, the conference's last two teams, control of the Pac-12 and its assets.       Source: Jeremy Duda | Axios

Luxury apartment complexes planned for Avondale

The southwest corner of Van Buren Street and Fairway Drive in Avondale. Photo: Jeremy Duda/Axios   The corner of Van Buren Street and Fairway Drive in Avondale is going to get a lot busier soon. Driving the news: Nothing is happening at the intersection yet, but developers have submitted plans for a pair of luxury apartment complexes. Fairway Residences will have 286 units on a vacant, 14-acre lot on the southwest corner of the intersection. Cerro Vista, which will be just east of the intersection on the north side of Van Buren, will include another 249 units. The northern side of the Cerro Vista project will border the Fairway Commerce Center, a planned logistics center on Fairway and Corporate Drive that's nearing completion. Other nearby multifamily housing projects are well underway. Two projects, with a combined 681 apartment units, are under construction on the north side of Van Buren, just west at 119th Avenue. Details: Fairway Residences will consist of multiple two- and three-story buildings with a maximum of 24 units apiece. It will include amenities such as a rideshare pickup and drop-off lane, a greenbelt feature, a clubhouse, pool and spa and a pet amenity space. Cerro Vista will have five buildings of two or three stories with "luxurious urban loft apartments."   The design of the complex is intended to encourage residents to walk in open spaces and "foster connections and relationships among neighbors, while respecting privacy." What's next: Both projects' plans are approved by the city, but engineering permits have yet to be issued and no construction has begun. You tell us: Have you wondered what's being built in your neighborhood? Or wondered about a vacant lot near you? Email us the location and we'll check it out for a future feature!  

8 Valley Turkey Trots to Beat the Food Coma

Looking for a way to stave off the Thanksgiving food coma? Sign up for one of the many Turkey Trots around the Valley for a fun morning run before the main event. Bonus: The registration fees for many of these races benefit local nonprofits. Anthem Turkey Trot Where and when: Anthem Community Center, 8:30am Race length: 5k, 10k and ½-mile kid's run Price: $35-$50 in advance, $55-$65 on race day Fountain Hills Turkey Trot Where and when: Fountain Park, 7:15am Race length: 5k and 1-mile fitness walk Price: $25-$40 online by Nov. 20 Gilbert Turkey Trot Where and when: San Tan Village, 8:30am Race length: 5k and 1-mile fun run Price: $23.95-$32.95. Prices increase after Nov. 19 Mesa Turkey Trot Where and when: Red Mountain Park, 8am Race length: 5k, 10k and 1-mile fun run Price: $20-$35, Register by Nov. 21 Phoenix Turkey Trot Where and when: Wesley Bolin Plaza, 7:30am Race length: 5k, 10k, 1-mile fun run and "tot trot" Price: $10-$50 Run, Turkey, Run! Where and when: The Center on Main in Buckeye, 8:30am Race length: 5k and 1 mile Price: $30-$45 Sterling Grove Turkey Trot Where and when: Sterling Grove clubhouse in Surprise, 8:30am Race length: 5k Price: $45 Thanksgiving Day Classic Where and when: Peoria Sports Complex, 8am Race length: 5k, 10k, 1-mile fun run Price: $15-$50