Sedona is one of those places that’s always been on our must-visit list; but for whatever reason, we never quite made it there.

Well until this past Easter weekend when we finally took the plunge and headed west. But this time, stopping seven hours short of Los Angeles and landing in Phoenix before road-tripping to Sedona.

The spectacular views we heard about definitely checked out. I don’t think I’ve been to a more beautiful Easter service with that stunning Red Rocks backdrop. We saw everything up even closer the day before on one of those pink jeep tours. A lot bumpier than I expected but truly magnificent landscapes all the same.

What really surprised us about Sedona, however, was how good the food was.

A dear friend of mine has spent quite a bit of time there—it’s her Arizona happy place—and made sure to tell us about her favorite restaurant Elote Cafe. So I tried to make a reservation six weeks ahead of time, assuming that would be far enough in advance, but nope. Every table was spoken for.

Now you know an eatery is exceptional when all the spots are spoken for six weeks in advance. But it turns out, they had a waiting list. They’d let us know by 2:00pm if anyone had cancelled. And lucky us, someone did.

My friend did not oversell how tasty Elote was. They serve the eponymous street food, which we tried as an appetizer (incredible!). We also ordered the fried goat cheese fritters because, hello, fried cheese (also delicious with a light salad on the side). For the entree, I ordered the vegetarian Chile Relleno that’s pictured here (scrumptious!) and Will ordered the pork cheeks. Considering his empty plate, I’m guessing he enjoyed them. For dessert, the server suggested the tequila pecan pie served in a mini cast iron skillet with homemade vanilla agave ice cream.

Full disclosure: I am not a lover of pecan pie, which I know is basically Thanksgiving sacrilege. But it’s a little cloyingly sweet, and while I’m a pecan lover, it’s a lot of pecans. But this rendition changed my mind. It wasn’t too sweet and with the addition of the ice cream, there was a better balance. It was still super rich, so Will and I maybe finished half of it. But wow, this is how you do pecan pie!

We also loved our Friday night dinner at Dahl & Di Luca Ristorante Italiano. It had a cozy romantic setting, phenomenal service, and incredibly flavorful Italian food. As a lover of seafood, I ordered the Cioppino, a fisherman’s stew with a tomato broth and clams, mussels, crab, and cod. The accompanying bread was perfect for dipping. Before the main course, we sampled the arancini, which were melt-in-your-mouth good. And for dessert, the lemon cheesecake, soaked in a bit of homemade limoncello, was the perfect sweet ending.

We also enjoyed a mid-day bite at 89Agave Cantina where Will and I shared some incredible Baja shrimp street tacos and house-made tortilla chips. Another morning we had a totally craveable breakfast at Crema Craft Kitchen + Bar in nearby Cottonwood. If you enjoy pumpkin pancakes as much as I do on occasion, order some because they are phenomenal (as is the cappuccino).

Ending the trip on a memorable note was some of the best pizza I’ve had in a long time at Pisa Lisa. Which is also kind of fun to say…Pisa Lisa. Anyway, they served up the perfect Neapolitan pie (we ordered Da Dorothy, which was a little spicy thanks to a smattering of picante peppers) and Caesar salad with tangy lemon-caper dressing. To end the meal, we shared the tiramisu which rivals my all-time pick-me-up that’s not from Italy at Cossetta in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Anyone who knows me knows that’s high praise because I’ve spoken rapturously about that tiramisu for years. As it turned out our server at Pisa Lisa had made the super creamy version herself. Always fun when you can thank the pastry chef for her magnificent creation in person.