Arizona is fast becoming an in-demand foodie destination with top chefs and top tables earning accolades and praise from across the nation and now, visitors seeking to bring home memories via their taste buds can hit the road and enjoy nearly a dozen culinary-focused attractions on Arizona's Fresh Foodie Trail.
Developed by Visit Mesa, the destination marketing organization for Arizona's third-largest city and its surrounding regional communities, the Fresh Foodie Trail is a new self-guided driving route that guides visitors as they plot and plan incredibly tasty food-filled road trips in the Greater Phoenix metropolitan area. Stops include a citrus grove, olive mill, peach orchard, dairy farm and even a flour mill – all offering tours and tastings paired with education on locally-grown Arizona goods.
“Travelers are becoming more and more food obsessed when they visit a new city or destination and they are focused on every aspect of dining from preparation to presentation. We know that the culinary experience visitors are seeking goes well beyond just a taste,” said Kimberly Freer, senior vice president of marketing for Visit Mesa. “In Mesa, the food stories we tell are about quality and enjoying something that can only found on our trail. When you tack on the epicurean knowledge shared with visitors during say, the cold-pressing demonstration at the olive mill or while walking the heirloom wheat fields with our local farmer, it is priceless.”
The Arizona Fresh Foodie Trail is presented in a new Agritourism Guide for those heading to the southwest and is available for download at www.VisitMesa.com. The guide maps out each of the culinary attractions and highlights farmers markets, food truck events, and includes a local dining section with restaurants that feature locally-grown and locally-sourced items on their menus. The guide also includes information on food-inspired events, the area's craft brewing scene, and a seasonal guide to u-pick produce.
