Urban Dare is the team race that’s part photo hunt, part trivia and part dares. Teams of 2 must solve clues to find checkpoints throughout the city. To move on they must take photos or perform dares to earn passport stamps. Each team must determine their own route to the checkpoints. Most teams will cover about 5 to 7 miles and finish in about 3 or 4 hours. The Urban Dare challenge is to be the first team to cross the finish line after successfully completing checkpoint dares and getting required photos.

If you've always wanted to do the Amazing Race but haven't had the chance to, here's your one-day Amazing Race!  [Note: The race is in no way related to the Amazing Race.]

Urban Dare Scottsdale is on March 29 at 12 pm, and registration is $90 per team and each entrant will get an Urban Dare t-shirt that they have to wear during the race.  or visit Go here to registerUrbanDare.com for more details. 

We've been to dish once and loved the food.  I think it's decently priced for the fare.  It's a nice place near where we live so I'll definitely be checking this Fun Friday one of these Fridays.

Lululemon Athletica Scottsdale Showroom
7051 E. Fifth Ave. Suite # E
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Grand opening this Thursday, December 20 from 5pm to 9pm, with food, wine, music, yoga demonstrations, and shopping for the new designs. RSVP at scottsdale-community@lululemon.com.

They're having a complimentary yoga class on Saturday, December 22, from 9am to 9:45 am. First 25 guests will receive a complimentary yoga mat. Following the class, guests can enjoy breakfast and complimentary chair massage till noon.

What are you waiting for yogis?

It was pretty late when we went, probably just over an hour before closing and it's one of those nights when we procrastinated to cook and finally decided to just go out and get dinner over with. We could've just bought from Dish's wide selection of gourmet food-on-the-go, but who wanted to clean up at home? Not us that night.

After finally finding the entrance to the restaurant from inside the market (it was at the left corner), it was a whole other place because it was very dark compared to the market. When we sat down, I told my D (boyfriend) that it reminded me of Olive & Ivy, except that Dish places equal importance on dine-in and dine-out, where was O&I has a smaller gourmet shoppe and the restaurant vibe is hip (and is open till late unlike Dish). Dish is a bit more casual to me, too.

There weren't a lot of people in the restaurant on Monday night and our server was pretty much at our dispense. Service was excellent and our server was very friendly and patient with us (we couldn't decide and we were busy going through the new cookbook we bought).

For drinks, D had beer and I had french-press coffee (I'm not too big on Italian coffee and I didn't like it...not their fault, though). For our meal, we had their herb roasted chicken with saffron rice and veggies, and pork roast with some balsamic reduction. The pork roast originally had a different side that D doesn't eat, and our server gladly replaced it with saffron rice. It was a really good meal. I couldn't praise my herb chicken enough--very flavorful, tender, and juicy. I didn't finish the whole thing (it was two jumbo leg-and-thigh) and I took it home. It was still awesome the next night. D polished off his plate!

I'd have to say that the menu was limited but there are some unique offerings that you won't find in your neighborhood diner. They make it sound gourmet on paper and they do taste good, and reasonably priced in my opinion. If you drink wine, and order appetizers with your main course, it'll probably cost you around $30-$35. It would be great for weeknight dinners when you don't want to eat at home, but still want a nice, decent meal. I can't say much about the market --- we'll try that next time!

My Dish Market
8977 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85253
(480) 584-6190
www.mydishmarket.com

[Image Credit: Logo snapped from the My Dish Market website.]

The McDowell Sonoran Convervancyis offering 6 public hikes this December, all led by experienced conservancy guides. You don't need to make reservations, but be sure to be on time as hikes begin on the dot at 8:30am. Call the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy at 480-998-7971, ext. 100 for more information. Or visit their web site at www.mcdowellsonoran.org to find the description of the hikes and the schedule.

Don't forget to gear up with sturdy (closed toe) shoes/boots, sunscreen, hats, snacks, and water.  Happy hiking!

Yes, I know this isn't entirely a Scottsdale thing, but they did pass through Scottsdale, according to insider info. This inspiring event is held in the Valley every year. This year, more than 2,100 men and women participated in the Arizona 3-Day Walk and they were able to raise whopping record total of $5.7 million!  We went there to give hugs and encouragement to the walkers, especially to 3 wonderful women close to us.  It was an explosion of pink, and of love and inspiration.  Congratulations to the participants for an awesome job of raising funds for breast cancer research.  You make us proud!

We went to the Arizona State Fair last Friday and had lots of fun...and food!

The fair runs until the 4th of November so be sure to go!  There's still lots of event coming up, including Howie Mendel.

Parking is a pain.  If you want to park near the fair, be ready to shell out $25.

On Fridays, Oct. 26 and Nov. 2, adult admission is just $5 before 5:00 pm. Discount at admission gates.

AZ State Fair
19th Avenue & McDowell Rd. in Phoenix.

Updates will be short and sweet, if at all.  I'm in Hawaii to attend my best friend's wedding.

Well, ask and you shall receive.

Yesterday I got an email from FoxRC (owner of Olive & Ivy, and Sauce among others) about a cooking class to be held at The Green House , that restaurant in the neighborhood whose logo reminds me of Frank Lloyd Wright [the resto actually pays homage to architect Henry Greene]:

On Wednesday, October 24, Chef Michael Stebner will conduct a Fall Harvest cooking class. Enjoy a three course meal with wine pairings for $55 per person from 4:00-5:30 pm. Space is limited, so call early for reservations.

Unfortunately I won't be able to make this event because of prior commitments. Boohoo. But you can still make reservations if you're quick enough to dial their number

Contact:
The Greene House
Kierland Commons
15024 N Scottsdale Road Suite #100
Scottsdale, AZ 85254 [map]
P: 480.889.9494