Anyone who's ever eaten at Rancho de Tia Rosa knows the feast is as much for your eyes as it is for your stomach.

With an invitation that seems to resound with a hearty “All Aboard,” the Arizona Big Train Operators have announced their Annual Spring Open House Railway Tour. For the 2013 Tour, 22 members — including seven stops in Mesa, two in Chandler, four in Sun Lakes, two in Gilbert and another in Gold Canyon — will open their large-scale backyard railways for the public to view and enjoy.

The restaurants Fiamma Trattoria at The James Hotel in Scottsdale and Rancho de Tia Rosa in Mesa have two very distinct — and dissimilar — looks: The former is modern with a punch of bold fabric, the latter is a colorful, eclectic tribute to old Mexico.

Who knows better than a culinary professional the best places to eat in the East Valley?

Who knows better than a culinary professional the best places to eat in the East Valley?

No matter how old some people get, trains have the ability to awaken in them a childlike delight.

These aren’t your ordinary model trains.

Phoenix has First Fridays and Tempe has Final Fridays, but Saturdays belong to Mesa.

Despite his humble farm beginnings, T. Dennis Barney has emerged as a powerful figure in the East Valley. As a major landowner and developer, he is helping to shape the region into a buzzing, seamless metropolis.