Excellent weekend for nightlife, and super cheap happy hour

Christina Milian (Credit: Brian Kelly)

Even in this economic downtown, Scottsdale nightlife is still something to talk about.

This weekend, I attended the presentation of the UnScene Photography Tour at the Mondrian Scottsdale sponsored by 944 magazine.

And I was incredibly impressed. The free event out by the pool was swanky, well-attended and hosted by singer and actress Christina Milian, who was, of course, promoting a new single.

The exhibit featured photos by national talent, as well as local newsmakers including restaurateur Sam Fox and football insider and sports personality Jay Glazer. Sheriff Joe Arpaio was supposed to participate in the show, from which the photos were sold to raise money for various charities, but his people said they "forgot" at the last minute.

I can only imagine.

But, the point of this is to just say that the next time you hear about a 944 event, bother to put your name on the list. The crowd was stylishly dressed, the decor was sophisticated and the art was beautiful. It was exactly the type of event that Arizona's starry November nights are made for.

Also this weekend, I got drinks and dinner at Hanny's, the downtown Phoenix sister restaurant to AZ88. In the massive old Hanny's department store building, the new restaurant and bar from Karl Kopp is an austere, clever space and worth the trip to the big city. The menu is totally different from AZ88's, but some of the staff will be familiar. The bathrooms are even more buzz-worthy than the neon ones you've come to love, and everything from the purple leather tongue couches to the glass-topped elevator shaft to the "beauty hallway," is slightly more idiosyncratic and just as captivating as the Old Town restaurant.

Lastly, I've found what I think might be the city's cheapest, and possibly nicest, happy hour.

Now that it's open at the Shops at Gainey Village, the classy seafood restaurant McCormick and Schmick's is a must-visit for its $1.95 happy hour bar food menu.

Offerings include Willapa bay oyster shooters, a half a cheeseburger with fries and spinach and artichoke dip. For just a little more, you can score buffalo wings, a cheese quesadilla or Thai peanut satay chicken. The hours vary, but it's a safe bet that if you show up during traditional happy hour ones, you'll be in luck.

Details: Hanny's, 40 N. First Street, Phoenix, 602-252-2285; McCormick and Schmick's, 8777 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-998-2026, mccormickandschmicks.com.