Grand Opening for The Melting Pot is Wednesday, January 13th!

We have one week until the Grand Opening for our newest restaurant addition to the Citadelle Plaza, but who's counting? EVERYONE IS! We haven't seen this much excitement for an opening of a restaurant in the Valley in a long, long time. You may be asking yourself, why has The Melting Pot stirred it up so much. Well, I'd like to share a personal story that I think reflects why people have such an emotional tie to this restaurant.

The year was 2000 and at the time my husband and I were working long hours. Our three children ranged in age from 12-16 years old, so needless to say, the household was hectic. Trying to get everyone together to enjoy each others' company was a difficult task at best. And spending quality time with the parents was not considered high on the list for the kids!

My middle son's birthday was coming up and I asked if he would like to go out to a nice dinner with the family to celebrate. He said, "Yes, so long as we can go to The Melting Pot!" Now, I'm not sure how he knew about the restaurant, but the suggestion was fine with me...I love The Melting Pot. I made reservations for a Friday night.

My oldest son complained the whole time driving to the restaurant. My 12-year old daughter was sulking in the backseat of the car. My husband was silent trying to drown the noise with the music from the car radio. And then it happened....

We walked into the Scottsdale restaurant. The lighting was soft and the hostess seemed so friendly as she led us back to a cozy booth. Suddenly, the kids starting talking about their day and we discussed the day's current topics. Everyone was cordial to each other. The conversation continued as we enjoyed the slow process of fondue cooking. Below the table, I pinched myself! We had finally found a place that everyone loved and allowed us to spend some quality time together. The birthday chocolate fondue arrived at the table and Laura blurted out, "From now on, let's spend all our birthday dinner celebrations at The Melting Pot!"

This is a story and a sentiment I hear often about this restaurant. We have been hearing similar stories from people who have been attending the Twilight Farmers Markets each Wednesday for the past six months, too. So, at 4:30 PM next Wednesday, The Melting Pot officially opens their doors to the public. Come and reserve your favorite booth today and enjoy some of the best dining in town! You'll be glad you did!

Shopping Spree Winner's a Doll

Let's face it, giving away a $500 shopping Spree to be used anyway a person would like at any of the stores in the Citadelle Plaza is not a hard task! It's a fun part of the job for sure. And having partners like MidFirst Bank is also a very pleasant experience. They provided this shopping spree drawing as well as the ATM machine at the Twilight Farmers Markets this summer. But what made this drawing so delightful was meeting our winner, Nicole at Next Coffee this week.

(That's her on the left)

Nicole Pease came up and introduced herself. She told us a funny story about her husband who said, "you won $50 bucks, that's great, we can go get a pizza!" She said, "no, they said $500!" Now that could be a lot of pizza! But Nicole is expecting a child soon, so we were thinking more about a pampering massage or a personal training session at Oasis or how about a some new earrings from AMG jewelry and design? So many possibilities................

Good luck with your new addition to the family, Nicole, and thank you for attending so many of our Twilight Farmers Markets and making the Citadelle Plaza your family's favorite gathering spot for dining and shopping in Glendale!

Twilight Market Filled with Hot, Sticky, Happy People!

Just over 2,000 people attended the June 24th Twilight farmers Market, even thought the temperature hovered around 100 degrees. The courtyard area seems to keep a gentle breeze blowing through it, for which we were all thankful, especially the cast members for Charlotte's Web from Arizona Broadway Theatre. They were in full costume as they rang the market's opening bell.

The Pongaboys kept the place hopping by playing every one's favorite rock and roll tunes. They really were a fun group.

Equally as hot were the Ambush Make-Overs going on at the back stage area in front of the Haute C store! If you haven't visited the Vivaldi Hair Suites, you really should make a point to stop and see the most upscale hair salon in the state. Each hair stylist has their own room, some with patios!

The hair styles selected for these two women were perfect for the warm Arizona weather:

So many people come each week to do their grocery shopping so they get to know the vendors. You can hear about their farms or just how they make the bread so delicious:

It's fun to talk to the men at the JH Grassfed Beef table. It gets your mouth watering for a big steak:

For the kids, Christopher the Magician with his pet rabbit put on two fantastic shows followed by making balloon animals. Everyone wanted to pet the rabbit:

As you could see, not only the children were mesmerized by some of Christopher's magic tricks:

I love watching kids laughing and really enjoying themselves!

Jobing Arena has a table right next to the information booth. Each week, they have graciously given away tickets to different concerts being held at Jobing Arena. Don't forget to stop by their table and place your name in this week's drawing! Here's one lucky winning couple:

The Twilight Farmers Market really comes to life as the sun sets and the twinkly lights glow through the market umbrellas. Everyone seemed to relax and enjoy the last set the band played or enjoyed dining at Tutti Santi and Corbins bar & grill. Their outdoor patio tables fill up pretty quick!

July 1st Twilight Farmers Market is a patriotic theme:

Opening Bell: Luke Air Force Base Color Guard, Don (from Next Coffee) playing the trumpet

Musical Entertainment: Cracker Jack Jazz Band

See you soon!

Christopher the Magician Performs Tonight!

Tonight is the fourth Twilight Farmers Markets at the Citadelle Plaza and I imagine tons of people will be shopping for fresh AZ produce, dining in our restaurants and dancing to the music from the band 'The Pongaboys'. But I also imagine your children will have a very different take on what to do at tonight's event. Why? Because Christopher the Magician will be performing his amazing act throughout the night, in the children's entertainment area!

If you haven't seen his act, you are in for a real treat! He has performed for years in the Valley and he has a way of captivating the older and younger members of his audience. "He's hilarious", says a friend of mine.

Christopher will have two shows tonight: one at 6:30-7:00 pm following by making balloon animals; and a second show at 7:30-8:00 pm followed by more balloon animal making!

Sure it's going to be hot; we live in Arizona and it's June! So let's all jump in the pool or take a cool shower prior to coming over to the Twilight Farmers at 59th Avenue and Utopia (just two blocks south of the 101 Loop) and have a great time despite of the hot weather. Your kids will thank you!

The Citadelle Plaza is truly Glendale's Gathering Spot! See you soon.