Alter Ego – Slightly upscale hotel restaurant serving all meals. We haven’t been back in a few years but its notable for being the place Joel and Lauren decided they were dating, so, uh, maybe make a pilgrimage to this sacred site.

108 E University Dr, Tempe, AZ 85281

Artichoke Basile’s – New York-style pizza chain known for large portions and an incredibly rich artichoke cream pizza. One of Joel and Lauren’s favorite places to go after hours of thrifting. Several vegetarian options, including the artichoke slice.

Multiple locations - $/$$

Brick Road Coffee – Cute local coffee shop that is incredibly supportive of the local queer community. Tasty selection of drinks and snacks.

4415 S Rural Rd #10, Tempe, AZ 85282 - $

Cartel Coffee – High-quality local coffee/tea chain that does their own roasting. Multiple locations, but if you want to wander around a downtown for an afternoon, the Tempe location is probably best.

Multiple locations - $

Cocina Madrigal – High-quality Mexican food at a super reasonable price located south of downtown Phoenix. Several really good vegetarian options.

4044 S 16th St, Phoenix, AZ 85040 - $/$$

Daily Dose – Joel’s favorite diner/brunch restaurant in Phoenix. High-quality diner brunch classics at a super reasonable price point.

Multiple locations - $/$$

Feringhee – Really nice modern Indian food and cocktails. Pretty upscale place but very unique menu and flavors. If you like Indian food and wonder what a fine dining version would look like, this is the place for you. Joel and Lauren have been multiple times. Several vegetarian/vegan options.

3491 W Frye Rd, Chandler, AZ 85226 - $$$

Four Peaks – Award-winning brewery serving classic American staples. Their beer has won a number of regional awards, if that’s your thing. Can be hard to get into on weekends.

1340 E 8th St #104, Tempe, AZ 85281 - $$

Ghost Ranch – High-quality Mexican classics and a nice cocktail selection.

Green: New American Vegetarian – A poorly named restaurant: everything is actually vegan. Don’t let that stop you meat-eaters though – they serve up dozens of American classics that are indistinguishable in taste from the real deal.

Multiple locations - $/$$

Haji Baba – Simple but tasty Mediterranean food tucked inside a Middle Eastern market. Site of the date where Joel and Lauren really hit it off. Many vegetarian/vegan options.

1513 E Apache Blvd, Tempe, AZ 85281 - $$

Joe’s Real BBQ – Longtime Gilbert Arizona BBQ joint Joel used to go to frequently as a child. Located in the heart of downtown Gilbert if you want to do some sight-seeing. Some vegetarian/vegan options like pulled jackfruit but it’s not their focus.

Little Rituals – Award-winning cocktail bar with an ever-rotating list of custom drinks. Nice view of Downtown Phoenix from the windows and good selection of snacks.

132 S Central Ave 4th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85004 - $$/$$$

Loving Hut – Local vegan restaurant chain serving a mix of Asian and American dishes. Food is all really tasty and affordable plus there’s the fun drama of sitting at a table surrounded by tchotchkes and spiritual iconography slowly realizing that the chain is owned by a cult. Not a weird cult, but a cult nonetheless.

Multiple locations - $/$$

Old Town Taste – Award-winning Sichuan food that leans a little more authentic than Szechwan Noodle. If you like lots of spice and a variety of menu options, this is the best Chinese places, if your tastes lean more American-Chinese, check out Szechwan Noodle. Multiple vegetarian/vegan options.

1845 E Broadway Rd, Tempe, AZ 85281 - $/$$

Pedal Haus – Award-winning brewery in the heart of downtown Tempe. Very good traditional American food and large variety of Arizona-brewed beers.

730 S Mill Ave #102, Tempe, AZ 85281 - $$

Pie Snob – Bakery offering high-quality pie and cheesecake slices. Joel attempted to bring Lauren’s family here when they first met but messed up the hours, forcing them to pursue several other dessert options.

Multiple locations - $

Poke2U – Joel used to manage this Poke/Korean BBQ restaurant for several years. Is the food still good? Probably yes. Will they remember him? Probably not. Will mentioning him get you a discount? Definitely not. Bowls can be fully customized to be vegetarian/vegan.

414 S Mill Ave, Tempe AZ 85281 - $/$$

Quartz/The Cave – Fancy cocktail bar with truly special drinks themed after different birthstones. Call ahead to get reservations in their backroom, which has a menu with drinks themed after different deserts of the world. No food menu here but some great options nearby

341 W Van Buren St Suite B, Phoenix, AZ 85003 - $$/$$$

Salad N Go – Phoenix’s best fast food choice, a quick-service chain offering high quality salads, wraps, and drinks. These are not the best salads you’ll ever have but the prices are super reasonable and you can find these anywhere you are in the Valley.

Multiple locations - $

Snakes and Lattes – Boardgame café in downtown Tempe with hundreds of games and an extensive food/drink menu. They have sommeliers who can recommend games tailored towards your interests/group size and can very quickly teach the rules to get you going.

20 W 6th St, Tempe, AZ 85281 - $/$$

Superstition Meadery – Downtown Phoenix restaurant serving dozens of varieties of award-winning mead. The food is great too but trying a flight of honey wines is a really fun experience.

1110 E Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85034 - $$/$$$

Szechwan Noodle – There’s a lot of good Chinese food in Tempe and Mesa but this unassuming strip mall eateries provides one of the best balances of quality and price and makes their noodles in house. Multiple vegetarian/vegan options.

3330 S Price Rd, Tempe, AZ 85282 - $/$$

Testal – Unique Mexican restaurant serving Chihuan-style Mexican food. Deep flavors in all their dishes and a great selection of vegan options that are just as savory as their meat. Joel’s favorite Mexican restaurant in Arizona, but that could just be because he’s a poser.

1325 Grand Ave Suite #1, Phoenix, AZ 85007 - $

Valentine – Award winning pastries, brunch, and dinner, with many menu items incorporating traditional Arizonan ingredients. Also home to a cute vintage furniture store in the back. Multiple vegetarian options.

4130 N 7th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85013 - $/$$

Venezia’s Pizza – Local pizza chain offering sit-down or to-go slices. Make sure to eat it hot: one of the best slices in the Valley. Multiple vegetarian options and several fake meat options for your slices.

Multiple locations - $

Schedule

Arrive

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Dinner

Party!