See below for my Arizona Blog Post Part 2: Flagstaff!

My first Arizona blog post focused on the veggie-centric flavors of Phoenix along with its delightful cocktail scene. This blog post will focus on the veggie-centric flavors of Flagstaff. Flagstaff was kind of an accident. We were going to stay in Sedona but lodging in Sedona was insanely unaffordable so we explored nearby options and realized that Flagstaff wasn’t too far away, yet much more affordable. I also heard stories of Flagstaff’s natural beauty so it was an opportunity to explore a place I usually wouldn’t explore.

Flagstaff is a quaint, charming college town amongst lush green mountains with a Pacific Northwest vibe, but it was 50 degrees colder than Phoenix so my body was in shock. Who wants to deal with 40 degree weather in May?! I certainly don’t. In a matter of 45 minutes we went from a more desert-like geography in Sedona that was about 75 degrees to a mountainous green area that was 40 degrees upon arrival at night. I wanted to cry.

I grew accustomed to the 100 degree Phoenix weather and was flabbergasted by how 45 minutes can make such a difference when it comes to the terrain and temperature. While I do think Flagstaff is worth visiting if you’re a nature lover, I would bring more layers for those chilly hikes! Thank heaven for hot coffee and spicy food because they all helped distract me from the cold.

Check out my Arizona Travel Blog Post Part 2: Flagstaff below, which focuses on satiating vegetarian eats and adorable coffee shops.

Food

Delhi Palace Flagstaff

After a hike in the cold and driving through Bearizona, we worked up an appetite – big surprise! While I didn’t think of Flagstaff as a destination for Indian food, I was wrong! Delhi Palace has amazing Indian food – better than anything I’ve had in North San Diego county. Everything was delectable and appetizing. They serve complimentary papadum with cilantro chutney to munch on while you’re agonizing over what to order. I love when I get complimentary papadum!

We ordered the Baingan Bartha, Paneer Masala, and Mushroom Bhaji with a side of garlic naan and achar. The Baingan Bartha consisted of meticulously roasted eggplant in a comforting, light tomato sauce. The Paneer Masala was divine as the paneer was more flavorful than I usually remember paneer being and the sauce was a rich, tomato butter sauce. I could bathe in this sauce, it was so good. The Mushroom Bhaji had a prominent chili-pepper sauce but it was the least impressive dish compared to the other two. Prices were reasonable and portions were big. If you can only eat one meal in Flagstaff, go here!

Old Town Creperie

As we were walking throughout downtown Flagstaff with our dog on the first day, we realized we barely had any dine-out/in options because heaters weren’t being used on the patios and we couldn’t bring our dog inside so we were cold and desperate. I was starting to get hangry but fortunately I saw this adorable creperie in a random alley and knew that I’d be okay. They were incredibly kind and had a sheltered patio that was dog-friendly! I had a Margherita savory crepe and was satiated! I want to go back and get a sweet crepe.

Coffee

Macy’s European Coffeehouse

Since Flagstaff is a charming college town, there is quite an assortment of high-quality coffee shops. It was about 55 degrees and breezy so we wanted some hot coffee to warm us up before a hike. We went to Macy’s European Coffeehouse. I had a gorgeous honey cinnamon latte with oat milk and we shared an order of the vegetarian biscuits and gravy. The vegetarian biscuits and gravy was incredible! The biscuits were flaky and the gravy was creamy and super flavorful without any animal sausage. They also provided warm service to make me feel even cozier!

Late for the Train

It was time to go back to the warmth but we needed to wake up before our drive and hike so we stopped at Late to the Train. This coffeeshop was bustling and they had a sunny, large patio that was also dog-friendly! I had an iced mocha and the espresso in it tasted fresh and bold without the mocha being too sweet. We also had their spinach-egg croissant, which was the perfect fuel for our last hike of the trip. The croissant was fresh and flaky with incredibly flavorful, sautéed spinach. It was a great note to end our Flagstaff trip on.

Beer

Dark Sky Brewing Co.

I am more of a wine/cocktail drinker but Flagstaff is a brewery kind of town so when in Rome. It was hard to fit anything else in my stomach after our filling Indian dinner but it was our last night in Flagstaff so we decided to go to Dark Sky Brewing. I am not much of a beer drinker but there are quite a few breweries in Flagstaff so I wanted to try a specialty of this mountainous town. I had a lighter, Shandy-esque beer that was fruity without being too sweet. I really wanted to try their pizza from Pizzicletta but I hope you do for me because it smelled very good.

• Our weekend in Flagstaff came to an end and it was time to return to 100 degree weather in Phoenix on our way to San Diego. If you like lush, green forests and hiking, go to Flagstaff. I also thought Bearizona was quite a treat as it’s a 30 minute drive and you get to see animals out in the wild! Your ticket also goes towards helping save wild, endangered animals so it’s a win for everyone. I hope you enjoyed my Arizona Part 2: Flagstaff blog post!
• Hungry for more travel recommendations? Check out my travel posts here.