Cave Creek (Old West dining) is a food day trips in Phoenix.
Cave Creek is a 40-minute drive north into the high desert, an Old West town of retro diners, saloons and patio kitchens just past the edge of north Phoenix.
Tip: Big Earl's Greasy Eats fills a converted gas station; the desert town pairs a meal with a ride into the foothills.
Chandler's Wild Horse Pass is a 30-minute drive south to Kai, Arizona's only AAA Five Diamond restaurant, on Gila River Indian Community land in the desert.
Tip: Book Kai weeks ahead for a Wednesday-to-Saturday dinner; the resort setting makes it a half-day trip.
Tucson is the first US UNESCO City of Gastronomy, a two-hour drive south for Sonoran hot dogs, El Charro's century-old carne seca and deep Mexican cooking.
Tip: El Charro Cafe, opened 1922, is the country's oldest family-run Mexican restaurant; pair it with a Sonoran dog cart.
Old Town Cottonwood anchors the Verde Valley Wine Trail, a 90-minute drive north for tasting rooms and Main Street kitchens you can walk between on foot.
Tip: Crema Craft Kitchen does the brunch; Alcantara Vineyard runs a free weekend shuttle from the Cottonwood visitor center.
Sedona is a two-hour drive north for red-rock patio dining and nearby Verde Valley wine, with Uptown restaurants and tasting rooms out in Cornville.
Tip: Most wineries sit 20 to 30 minutes out in Cornville and Page Springs; book a tasting-room shuttle to drink and drive safely.