Sugar Bowl with Ava
I’m back on my interview grind! It’s time for you guys to meet a very special person in my life: Ava! The other day, Ava took me and a few of our friends to Sugar Bowl in Old Town Scottsdale. For spending my whole life here, I’ve never actually been to Sugar Bowl, so this was a perfect spot for Ava to take us.
Ava’s hidden gem, Sugar Bowl, is a quintessential restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale that prides themselves on their ice cream, sundaes, floats, etc. I’ve lived in Phoenix for my whole life, but I’ve never actually been to Sugar Bowl before! My family has talked about bringing my sister and I for a while now, but we’ve never made the trip out to try it. I’m always down for ice cream, so I was elated that Ava asked us to join her! After we got seated, I immediately started reading through the menu. Though they do offer real food, we were really in it for the ice cream, etc. so I got to work trying to pick something fun. Sugar Bowl has a variety of ice cream offerings, but a sundae felt particularly fitting for this outing. I landed on the “Sugar Bowl Treat Banana Split”, which contains a split banana, vanilla and chocolate ice cream, strawberry, pineapple, whipped cream, and maraschino cherries. That’s a lot to comprehend, but I was ready to take on the challenge. Suffice to say, I wolfed it. Ava and some of our other friends split some other treats, but I’m not quite sure what they ended up picking.
After 67 years in business, Sugar Bowl has really made a name for itself in the Valley. The restaurant is a destination for tourists and locals alike, and for good reason! The ice cream is amazing, and the immediately recognizable exterior is a tough one to miss. Sugar Bowl opened on New Years’ Eve 1958, and has stuck with the bubble gum pink color scheme since! An arcade and event space has been added more recently; Sugar Bowl Fiesta takes up the space immediately next door. We popped in to play a round of air hockey, but that was about all the exploring we did on that side of the restaurant.
Ava and her family moved to Phoenix from Chicago when she was four years old and she’s called it home ever since! Currently, Ava is a student at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, but the two of us got to know each other very well during her time at Shadow Mountain. Right now, she’s planning on majoring in Statistical Science, but she’s looking to add a second major like Public Policy or Computer Science. Duke holds a special place in her heart, Ava and her brother both attend the school, and their Dad also went there. Ava has been having a blast during her first semester away at college, but of course I really enjoyed getting to see her while she was home for winter break. Ava was a DAAPS student while at Shadow Mountain and has been very helpful in giving me tips and recommendations for my DAAPSTONE project this year as she knows all about the process!
Ava chose to take me to Sugar Bowl because her and her family have come here many times. “I just love the charm of it… I have so many memories of playing arcade games with my brother in the other room.” The restaurant ties in well with her love for Phoenix as a whole, she thinks that the city is a very unique place; “I just like that everywhere you go you can find a completely different vibe.” Ava especially loves exploring Downtown Phoenix, noting that there’s always something fun to do. She also mentioned her love for Old Town Scottsdale — where she took me today! Some of her best memories are shared exploring all the things Phoenix has to offer with her friends and family.
Since my sophomore year, Ava and I have shared some amazing memories! Many lunches, dinners, late nights, school dances, etc. have all been made more enjoyable with her around. It’s been hard not having her nearby, but it’s been so much fun watching her succeed in college!
In one of the quickest responses I’ve gotten, Ava would bring Taylor Swift’s discography with her to a deserted island.
