Shaken & Stirred by Megan Finnerty

Suns make Happy Hour a slam dunk of fun

Megan Finnerty — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:32:05 GMT

The typical career trajectory of a professional basketball player leaves little time to pursue alternative occupational options.

Generally, in high school, when they're old enough to get an after-school job, practices, studies and conditioning sessions help them to become skilled players. Upon graduation, for at least a year before they become eligible for the NBA draft, they go to college, where practices, conditioning sessions and studies are even more intense.

So the odds are low that one of the Phoenix Suns pouring your drink Saturday night might have once toiled for tips as a waiter, host, bartender or any other food-service worker.

Active and former Suns will be the servers at the 13th annual Suns Celebrity Waiters Happy Hour.

Starting at 6:30 p.m. on Market Street at DC Ranch in Scottsdale, the players will showcase their customer-service skills, mixing drinks, delivering dishes and clearing tables, all to raise money for the Suns Nite Hoops charity.

Guests will mingle with players, the Gorilla mascot and members of the Suns Dancers as they enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres, beverages from Stolichnaya, Camelot Wine and Budweiser, as well as a silent auction, a variety of games and entertainment. Fans can play blackjack sponsored by Casino Arizona, featuring Tom Chambers gaming vouchers, as well as play basketball, and pose for pictures with Suns players past and present.

This party is always one of the best of the fall and winter social season, as well-heeled fans geek out over their favorite players, scrambling to get a drink served by Amaré Stoudemire or waiting in a long line for an autograph from Leandro Barbosa.

The happy hour is worth attending if you'd like to see just what kind of athletic skills are common between professional basketball players and servers. Think strong arms, fast legs, nimble feet.

Proceeds benefit Suns Nite Hoops, a non-profit organization offering life skills, educational advancement and job readiness to at-risk young men and their families by providing them with positive alternatives to drugs, gangs and violence.

Details: Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $75 at 602-452-5515 or sunsnitehoops.org or $100 at the door. VIP tickets are $250 and include access to the Locker Lounge, catered by the Herb Box, and the private after-party at Escape Lounge.

Drinks at Talavera play with fire

Megan Finnerty — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:25:04 GMT

Now that all the Phoenix-based Twitters seem obsessed with posting messages about how cold it is in the Valley, it's time to talk about cocktails en flambé.

Two of the most spectacular, and best-tasting in the Valley are at Talavera at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North, and both involve Bacardi 151 rum poured into an oversize, sugar-rimmed snifter and lit on fire.

Charmingly, the drinks combine the class of an elegant evening out, with the fun and pseudo-danger of mixing alcohol with fire.
The two new cocktails, the Spanish Coffee and the Caramel Apple, debuted in October, but it was still way too warm to think about sharing them with you.

Talavera manager Anthony Kinn said they were developed as a way to encourage diners to linger for dessert, and to bring an element of excitement to the upscale dinner experience.

“We wanted to bring back the flamed tableside drink,” he said. “It's definitely a wow. There's not a time when we don't make it at one table and then two or three or five others order it, too.”

The Spanish Coffee is a mix of Cointreau, Kahlúa and French-press coffee, topped with a serving of whipped cream and a drizzle of Crème de Almond. The sugar on the rim is caramelized by the burning Bacardi before the coffee and other alcohols are added, and the glossy sugar drips down the glass, giving it a luxe look.

The drink is sweet and strong and would be a fabulous indulgence on the Onyx bar patio where the views overlook the Sonoran Desert and the city to the south of the resort.

The Caramel Apple starts out with the same flaming rum, only cinnamon is sprinkled into the fire, throwing sparks and flashes into the dim dining room. Then Captain Morgan Spiced rum is added, along with a sharp, sweet apple-flavored liqueur called Applefest and homemade cider infused with clove, anise and nutmeg. This is all topped with caramel whipped cream. It's super-good and super-sweet and both drinks are outselling some of the traditional desserts.

Each drink is $16.

But if that's a bit much, the Four Seasons hosts a surprisingly affordable happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. every day. You can indulge in $5 Beefeater gins and other quality liquors, along with $4 beers, and $5 gourmet small plates (jicama crab tacos are must-trys) in one of the most stunning settings in the Valley. The views are stupendous and the ambiance is singular. Just in time to celebrate the holidays, this is a luxury in which anyone can afford to indulge.

Details: 10600 E. Crescent Moon Drive, Scottsdale, 480-513-5049, fourseasons.com/Scottsdale.

Substance over style reigns at St. Francis

Megan Finnerty — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:23:02 GMT

The first thing you should know about the new farm-to-table, chef-driven restaurant St. Francis is that it's not in Scottsdale, and that's part of what gives it such charm.

Just as Scottsdale has the market cornered on glitz and self-conscious swank, Phoenix has become a destination for a kind of rough-around-the-edges elegance. In refurbished buildings, along untidy streets, on once-desolate corners, independent restaurants and bars have sprung up, paying more attention to the food, the drink, and possibly, the musical playlist, than to the apparel of the patrons or the pedigree of the interior designer.

You've got to come to central Phoenix to indulge in this kind of slightly yuppie hipness, but it's worth the drive down Camelback Road.

St. Francis is one of those restaurants and bars, run by chef Aaron Chamberlin, where patrons feel like they're in a singular, vaguely urban setting, being attended to by people genuinely concerned about substance over style.

Chamberlin puts out a seasonal menu of carefully composed comfort food dishes, made with mostly local ingredients, served in a straightforward style.

At the bar, which is flanked on one side by a rolling garage door that serves to make the space indoor-outdoor, bar manager Gina Rohlfsen makes drinks using syrups made in the kitchen and vodkas infused at the bar.

She does a grape-infused vodka that makes every other seem better suited to Saturday morning cartoons than to a Saturday night out. The grape flavor is ethereal and subtle, rather than saccharine and leaden. Try it.

The bar's one misstep is that the drink menu has not been updated to reflect the lower temperatures (at least at night) and the craving for spice, warmth and richness that comes with the circling of Thanksgiving on this month's calendar. If it were still September, when the restaurant opened in the brilliantly renovated midcentury Harold Ekman building, then I could more easily appreciate the inclusion of lemon verbena on the menu, or the insistence on having the namesake cocktail involve lemonade.

But Rohlfsen said the drink menu, like the food one, is supposed to be seasonal, so I assume she'll be subbing out some drinks soon. That said, the ones she has are well-balanced, thoughtfully composed and creative.

My favorite is the Plum Blossom, made from orange vodka and plum wine with a little soda water, and filled with discs of seasonal fruit, whether grapes or plums, and basil pieces. The drink is intensely floral as opposed to herbal, and the basil adds a tang that keeps the drink from being too sweet. With the floating fruit and herbs, it's a pretty cocktail that one could drink all day.

The Prickly Ricky is a magenta pink wonder made from tequila, prickly pear syrup, citrus juice and a splash of Stella Artois. It's a complex, unexpected drink even non-beer drinkers will find compelling. It's a charming, Sonoran-centric riff on a Ricky Ricardo, which is, essentially, a margarita with a shot of beer.

For cooler nights on the patio, choose the Dark and Stormy, made from Gosling's dark rum, ginger beer, house-made simple syrup spiced with clove, black pepper and anise, and a squeeze of lime. It's rich and deep and sweet and tastes like a dark fall night.

And, lastly, you must try the Almond Margarita, a mix of lime, lemon and orange juices, as well as blanco and almond tequilas. Served tall over ice in a salted glass, the drink has layers of flavor and a warm, sweet depth that makes you wonder why all margaritas don't taste like this. It's just so very, very good.

Details: 111 E. Camelback Road, Rd, Phoenix. 602-200-8111, stfrancisaz.com

Drink for charity Saturday night

Megan Finnerty — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:23:53 GMT

There are three great reasons to drink for charity Saturday night:

Rock and roll: First, you can check out Eric Hutchinson at the GivingTree Rock Block concert in front of the Upper Deck in Old Town Scottsdale.

From 7 to 10 p.m., locals the Groove Merchants will perform, along with Chad Hollister, and metal cover band Hair Force. Hutchinson will close the show. He's best known for "Rock and Roll" and has been named an AOL "About to Pop" artist, Yahoo! Who's Next Artist, MSN "One To Watch" Artist and a "VH1 You Oughta Know" artist.

The concert will benefit Future for Kids, an organization that mentors at-risk youth, and the national V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Valley-based companies Oregano's Pizza Bistro and the BillingTree are covering event costs, so the entire $25 ticket price goes to the charities. The basic ticket includes dinner from Oregano's. VIP tickets also can be purchased for $125, and includes premium seating both inside and out, food, cocktails and meet-and-greets with the musicians.

Details: 7 to 10 p.m. 4224 N. Craftsman Court, Scottsdale, mybillingtree.com/rockblock.

Beer and poker: At the nearby Draft magazine's Big Pour, there's a charity poker tournament to benefit Desert Stages Theatre. On the final night of this three-day drinking festival, there's a $100 buy-in tournament followed by a concert by Everclear. Created in 1995, the Desert Stages Theatre started out practicing in a parking lot at Scottsdale and Shea, and now produces full-fledged shows. The buy-in includes free food, drinks, a special raffle and an auction.

Details: 7 to 11 p.m. at the Scottsdale Waterfront, 480-483-1664, draftmag.com/bigpour.

Gourmet food, Top 40 music: More than 1,000 guests are expected at the 26th annual Noche de Gourmet at the Tempe Center for the Arts, a semiformal event pairing top-tier Valley chefs with microbreweries and wineries.

The Active 20-30 Club of Phoenix hosts this event to raise money for the Children in Need Foundation, which provides money and services for various children's charities in the Greater Phoenix area. Restaurants such as Chelsea's Kitchen, Barrio Cantina & Grill and Il Terrazzo are participating at the event on the shores of Tempe Town Lake. Katie Raml, anchor of ABC 15 news, is the emcee, with music from the high-energy cover band Static, the official house band of the Phoenix Suns. (I saw them at a W Scottsdale party once, and they're pretty impressive.)

Tickets can be purchased for $75 to $100 at nochedegourmet.com VIP tickets cost $200 (currently $150 online) and include access to the VIP area on upper floors, as well as a champagne toast and bourbon and tequila tastings.

Details: 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, phoenix2030.com/events/noche.

RA Sushi shakes it up with new cocktails

Megan Finnerty — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:31:27 GMT

The music is loud, the sushi inventive and the drinks sweet.

RA Sushi is better known for its deafening rock and roll, party-friendly cocktails and irreverent attitude (condoms, rather than matches on the bar), than for offering up cosmopolitan flavors.

But Alex Summer, the nationwide chain's beverage director, has made this annual cocktail menu update one that moves the restaurant toward fresh ingredients and more complex flavors. In the latest new era, bartenders muddle ingredients and make their own fruit purees, new things for the high-volume trendy restaurant and bar.

“The general public has a higher expectation of what they're looking for in food and drinks. People are looking for fresher ingredients, fresher flavors, they're more educated about what's out there,” Summer said.

The revamp also includes the addition of $7 tapas dishes, the reduction of the wine list by 40 percent, to better offer higher-quality wines, and the addition of new fusion dishes such as the “tasty-tasty” chips and salsa, a mélange of spicy tuna mix and salsa, avocado and cucumber, served with fried wonton wrapper “chips.”

Favorite drinks such as the Mango Martini and the Pamatini are still on the menu, and they dominate the Monday through Saturday happy hours.

The breakout new favorite is the Shiso Naughty martini, a drink that proves just because the flavors are more sophisticated, the humor isn't. It's a mix of Skyy pineapple vodka and X-Rated liqueur with yuzu-infused sour mix and muddled Japanese shiso. The drink is sweet and vibrant and has a minty-basil flavor from the shiso that elevates it above the typical girly drink.

“Flavors are more botanical, rather than herbal on this new menu,” he said.

The Strawberry Soju Sunrise was my second favorite, but possibly only because the name is less cute than the Shiso Naughty. It's a mix of muddled strawberries, Ty Ku Soju, soda water and yuzu-infused sour mix.

The flirtily named Buddha's Kiss is a mix of Suntory Zen Green Tea Liqueur, 7UP, Skyy passion fruit vodka and yuzu-infused sour mix. The neon green drink is served tall over ice and is pleasantly refreshing, tart and sweet.

Details: Locations Valleywide Valley-wide at rasushi.com.

BLT Steak, foodies bash benefits children

Megan Finnerty — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:23:13 GMT

Typically, Mondays mean the end of the weekend's parties.

But Monday, BLT Steak at the Camelback Inn is hosting its first anniversary party and you're invited. And, OMG, is it going to be a great one.

The understated steakhouse has teamed with Valley-based foodie social group Foodies Like Us to throw an affordable, but decidedly glamorous dinner and cocktail party benefiting the Children's Miracle Network.

The Foodie group is a collection of Valley food obsessives who like to make friends while trying new restaurants and new foods and geeking out with behind-the-scenes tours, chef-hosted dinners and wine tastings, etc. And you can start attending the super-friendly parties by checking them out at foodieslikeus.com.

Or you can just mingle with them and the roughly 500 other guests expected at the BLT party where everyone will indulge in roasted pig, braised swordfish, short ribs, foie gras and the restaurant's signature large popovers. (They are the size of a woman's shoe, but taste like the goodness of a woman's love.)

BLT executive chef Marc Hennessy said he plans to roast “a number” of pigs, which are his favorite creatures to cook.
“I am a huge fan of the animal, it's my favorite thing to cook. I love pork,” he said. “But the night is all about the great comfort food that American people love—it's what BLT is all about.”

And while all that sounds tasty, I'm most looking forward to indulging in the four Prohibition-era cocktails designed by Camelback Inn director of beverages Trudy Thomas. Thomas is a cocktail queen. Every one of her drinks is so well-balanced as to defy easy description. Instead, one must reach for esoteric metaphors, perhaps ones even worse than that woman's shoe one a few paragraphs up.

“I love Prohibition-era cocktails,” Thomas said. “It's something I love studying and to me, they fit a steakhouse, these classic cocktails.”
She'll serve a Dark Storm, her version of a Dark and Stormy, a dark, rum-based cocktail, served tall, over ice, that is epic in its complex richness and mix of sweetness and gingery bite.

There will also be the BLT Manhattan, a drink she calls the “Cowboy Killer,” made with Maker's Mark, a dash of bitters and sweet vermouth, but set apart with Grand Marnier-soaked cherries.

And two lovely pink drinks round out the offerings—the Blood Orange Pisco Sour (a revelation in a coupe glass) and the Clover Club, a gin-based drink involving raspberries, bitters and lime, sort of the Cosmopolitan of its day.

Details: Tickets are $30 at foodieslikeus.com or $40 at the door. Dinner is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. 5402 E. Lincoln Drive, Scottsdale.

‘Real Housewives' star shares her reinvention tips

Megan Finnerty — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:19:56 GMT

Reality-TV star Vicki Gunvalson is one of those “have it all” women.

She's an entrepreneur, mom, workout fanatic and wife. And the fifth season of her TV show “The Real Housewives of Orange County” premieres tonight on Bravo.

She's got a book coming out. She's on the cover of a Valley magazine, and she's launching a line of premium denim, called Vicki Lynn, at department stores later this month.

But Gunvalson is coming to Blue Martini Lounge Friday night to have a few cocktails and talk about how having it all and doing it all makes her more like you than you would think.

See, Gunvalson has time-management issues. For four years on national television, she has toted a laptop everywhere, worked late, texted constantly and generally shown herself to be hardworking but also out of balance.

So Gunvalson, 47, a resident of Coto de Caza, Calif., brought on Scottsdale-based personal coach Mike Lindstrom to develop a mission statement for her life and to help manage her priorities more effectively.

These efforts, and the return of the series, have put her on the cover of Valley magazine Perfectify, and she's celebrating the launch of the November issue tonight with Lindstrom.

“I'm very, very, very busy, and he's trying to help me make some changes to better my quality of life,” she said. “I'm not quite where I want to be, but he's helping me get there with my kids and making time for my husband and helping me focus on what's really important in my life.”

In the magazine, Gunvalson talks about empowering women to be financially independent and how her company, Coto Insurance & Financial Services Inc., has become a magnet for women across the nation who are reinventing themselves professionally. These also are the topics she touches on in her new book “More Than a Housewife.” Expect her to touch on these at the bar, too.

Lindstrom, who has been coaching athletes and business people for 12 years, will talk about taking Gunvalson's brand “to the next level,” and how he “focused on Vicki the person and Vicki the professional” and other topics easily summarized in bulleted talking points.

The number one thing that we installed right away was a sense of purpose,” he said. “When you're tied to purpose, you're always focused on that. She has to ask herself, ‘What do you want? Why do you want it? And what are you going to do to get there?'"

Show up Friday night to find out what her answers are—and what yours might be.

Details: 8 p.m. to midnight at CityNorth, 5455 E. High St., Phoenix, 480-638-2583, bluemartinilounge.com.

Cocktail-centric happenings during Scottsdale Fashion Week

Megan Finnerty — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:14:16 GMT

Scottsdale Fashion Week takes over Old Town this weekend with a series of runway shows, parties and meet-and-greets.

But if you can't make it to the Thursday night wearable art walk, or the double-runway fashion shows Friday and Saturday at SouthBridge at the Scottsdale Waterfront, there are a few more cocktail-centric happenings I'd like to recommend.

Most fashionable afterparty: Because I love any excuse to dress up and hang with über-fashionistas, I am most excited about the party being thrown by the Phoenix Art Museum's Arizona Costume Institute's new young person's chapter, ACI Nouveau. The soiree at the Mondrian Scottsdale will be in the upstairs Red Bar and will feature free champagne from 10 p.m. until midnight, so don't be too fashionably late.

Two signature cocktails will be served, the Velvetini and the Nouveau, but organizers are keeping the design of those two drinks secret. Vintage fashion expert and shop owner Robert Black will dress a series of mannequins set up throughout the space to add to the elegant ambience. Expect an impossibly well-dressed crowd and a lot of double-cheek air kisses.

Details: 10 p.m., 7353 E. Indian School Road, Scottsdale, 480-308-1100, mondrianscottsdale.com.

Most fashionable cocktail: Wildfish Seafood Grille has created a specialty cocktail exclusively available during Scottsdale Fashion Week, Thursday through Saturday.

The Catwalk Cosmo, $10, is a mix of Ciroc Vodka (as endorsed by P. Diddy), triple sec, a squeeze of lime juice and a splash of cranberry juice, all topped with Lunetta Prosecco. Although the Cosmo isn't the most innovative choice for a specialty cocktail, it's a knowing one, as the pink drink became synonymous with stylish women when the ladies of “Sex and the City” ordered them habitually through the first few seasons of the hit HBO series. It's a clever nod to the patron saint of super-chic workaday women—Carrie Bradshaw—that any fashionable woman will appreciate.

Details: 7135 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale, 480-994-4040, eddiev.com.

Most nearly naked fashion show: Beach Bunny Swimwear launches its 2010 collection Friday night in a fashion show with the trendy women's boutique Amy Inc. at Acua Restaurant and Lounge. The ever-chic DJ Bazilia will spin and hors d'oeuvres will be available. Scottsdale-based Amy Inc. will show its fall and holiday collection. The fashion show is at 7 p.m., and then at 8. Newport Beach, Calif.,-based swimwear designer Angela Chittenden will host a meet-and-greet in her nearby boutique at the Mix Shops.

Details: 7144 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, 480-423-2303, beachbunnyswimwear.com.

Creative pumpkin carvers aid leukemia patients

Megan Finnerty — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:49:00 GMT

Few people are really good with knives.

Julia Child comes to mind.

And Martin Yan of another PBS cooking show, “Yan Can Cook.”

But Pearl Sushi Lounge & Bomber Bar is raising the stakes this week as it invites guests to carve pumpkins and drink at the same time. For the second year in a row, the Old Town Scottsdale bar is hosting its Pinot and Pumpkin Carve Off, this time to benefit children fighting leukemia.

The fun started Tuesday and runs through Saturday, from 4 p.m. to close. For $15, guests get a pumpkin, two glasses of Pinot Grigio or Pinot Noir, and all the tools necessary to create a really great gourd. Last year, the contest attracted more than 50 people who felt confident mixing sharp utensils and liquor.

This year's most creative carver will win a framed, limited edition print from Stuart Black, worth more than $750, from the Pangea Gallery on Marshall Way. Other prizes include a Baltic amber necklace worth $100, also from Pangea, and gift certificates to the restaurant.

All of the money raised will go to two families in Scottsdale with children fighting leukemia to help cover health-care expenses.

Details: Pearl Sushi, 4252 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale, 480-94 7327

Shake! ending five-year run

Megan Finnerty — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:19:09 GMT

After a five-year run, Saturday night at the Rogue Bar in Scottsdale is the last night of Shake!, the weekly dance party for rockers, hipsters and others who hate to wash their hair.

DJ William Reed has been hosting the rock-and-roll dance party with help from a host of other DJs, including Kevin the M.O.B., Dirty Dave, DJ Funkfinger, Prince $$, Death to the Throne and guest DJs including BCAD, Jared Alan, Sleazy Sean and countless others.

Photos: A look back at Shake!

The night was important to the Valley nightlife scene because it finally gave people a place to dance to classic, indie and electro rock. Reed brought in important people in the rock and dance scenes to DJ, including members of the Misshapes, Le Tigre, Peter Bjorn and John and Andy Rourke of the Smiths. Reed hosted over-the-top theme nights and had a regular photographer there to capture all the absurd fashions and skanky shenanigans. He gave hundreds of people each Saturday night a reason to tease their hair, put on skinny jeans and drink incredibly cheap booze in a dark and sweaty room.

And I mean that in the best possible way.

But beyond that, Shake! mattered because it gave innovative DJs a place to hone their skills before launching their own new parties.

Now, Kevin the M.O.B. still hosts is Friday night parties at Phoenix's Homme Lounge called Party Foul. Alan has moved on to the incredibly popular Cheap Thrills Saturday night party at the Black Forest Mill. And he's relaunching the fauxShow electro dance party Nov. 6 at Sanctum in Phoenix. Prince $$ will host a ladies-centric Pretty Young Things at Majerle's downtown on First Fridays, along with DJ Funkfinger. And Funkfinger has just been added to the bill at the Obscura Brit-pop and indie dance night at the Ruby Room in downtown Phoenix every second Friday.

As for Reed, he'll be joining Alan at Cheap Thrills on Saturdays, and remaking the Friday night at the Mondrian Scottsdale into a dance party called Harlot.

“Shake! has some significance in that it brought new music to the dance floor,” said DJ Funkfinger, who's served as a regular at Shake!. “Indie music in a dance setting wasn't really around before. Shake! broke a lot of dance music, and had that harder rock-and-roll vibe to it, and they tried to replicate it in Scottsdale, but that never worked really well. It still fills a niche, and it's going to be missed.”

The final party will be a zombie dance spectacular with Prince $$, Reed and Disco Tex.

Details: $5 cover. Rogue Bar at 423 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-947-3580, myspace.com/shakeroguebar.

No shortage of nightlife this week

Megan Finnerty — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:56:30 GMT

So much is going on right now in the Valley's dining and nightlife scene and this week is a big one for Scottsdale.

Here's a look at some of the fun things you can check out today and Thursday, with more to come in Friday's and Saturday's blog posts.

Daily: Halloween cocktails at Bourbon Steak—Get in the spooky spirit with two new Halloween-themed cocktails at Bourbon Steak at the Fairmont Scottsdale.

From now until Halloween, the upscale steakhouse will be serving these innovative drinks as a decidedly adult way to trick-or-treat, both $14 each.

There's the Blood and Sand, made from Johnny Walker Black, sweet vermouth, orange juice and a super-fancy Luxardo cherry. This is shaken and strained into a martini glass. Then the bartender lights a disc of orange rind on fire and drops it into the drink. Pretty slick.

The Corpse Reviver is a mix of Plymouth gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, absinthe and lemon juice. This classic, slightly medicinal, cocktail is shaken and served over ice.

And if the thought of paying $14 for a drink seems frightful, remember to swing by from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. when cocktails are half off.

Details: 7575 E. Princess Drive, Scottsdale, 480-513-6002

Wednesday: Mission Anniversary—The dinner sold out over the weekend, but management at the Mission invites you to drink and mingle with other fans of this upscale Latin restaurant Wednesday after 9 p.m.

The place has much to celebrate, with a series of glowing reviews from every conceivable Valley media outlet, and a name-drop in the New York Times. The restaurant and bar won me over the first time I visited, with its plush fabrics, glowing Himalayan salt-brick wall and scads of candles. And every time I've been back since, it's continued to impress me, with personable service and a commitment to quality cocktails that warms my margarita-loving heart.

Details: After 9 p.m. 3815 N. Brown Ave., Scottsdale, 480-636-5005

Thursday: Crave Arizona Cocktails—Come and try cocktails and say hi to me at the National Top Bar Chef competition and Crave Arizona kickoff party Thursday night. I'll be judging the drinks made by several mixologists during the drink-making competition at this multi-day culinary festival.

The Valley's representative is Michael Bunker from the Mission, who will compete with bartenders from buzz-worthy bars in New York, Portland and Los Angeles, including the Clock in San Francisco. They will have to use at least one of the mandatory liquors (things like tequila, vodka, rye whiskey) in each original cocktail they create, along with a secret ingredient to be unveiled each round. I'm excited but also a wee bit intimidated by my super-qualified fellow judges, including Esquire columnist John Mariani, Arizona Top Bar Chef 2008 winner Steve Dowds of Los Sombreros, and Skyy corporate mixologist Gardner Dunn.

Details: Show up at 9 p.m. The Bridge at the Scottsdale Waterfront, 7135 E. Camelback Road. $25 and that includes two cocktails.

Bloom gets an update

Megan Finnerty — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:11:48 GMT

When he saw the Flirtini on the menu at Bloom, beverage director Regan Jasper knew things had been left unattended too long.

Working for Fox Restaurant Concepts, he'd put that sweet, trendy drink on the menu 10 years ago.

Now he cringes at the thought of it lingering so long.

For a decade, Bloom has been delivering a reliably satisfying, upscale experience, running on culinary and cocktailing autopilot. It was a destination for special-occasion meals and those times when you don't want trends, surprises or any other flashy shenanigans that would annoy your grandma.

But the Valley's dining landscape has become more sophisticated, more crowded and more competitive since the airy restaurant, decorated in (almost-dated) baby blue and chocolate, opened at the Shops at Gainey Village.

So now the place has a slightly updated décor, and a totally revamped menu, one that edits the superfluous and leaves in the best dishes and drinks.

In other words, the flirtini Flirtini is out, the wine flights have been trimmed from 21 to a more manageable 16, and now the chef is making his own pasta.

The new drink menu makes Bloom a legitimate cocktail destination for the first time in years. Its daily happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m., during which all drinks, wine flights and appetizers are half off, makes it an affordable one, too.

But before we get to the cocktails, I must note the following: Bloom has managed to make potato skins chic, something worthy of a woman who prefers heels to flats and champagne to beer. Made with fingerling potatoes, just a smidge of cheese and real bacon, you have to see, and taste, them for yourself.

The Blooming Daisy is the bar's signature drink, made from Belvedere vodka, Grand Marnier, lemon juice and raspberries, and it serves as an elegant, not-too-sweet cocktail that should appeal to almost any palate.

The Tres Flores is a more distinct martini, made tart and refreshing with Plymouth gin, St. Germain elderflower liqueur and hibiscus syrup. It's shaken and served in a glass with a hibiscus-sugar rim.

The Date Night is one of the menu's most ambitious cocktails, made with whiskey, Averna, dates, lemon and honey. The drink is rich, but vaguely medicinal and represents a sharp departure from anything else on menus around the city. It's one to order and make your friends try.

The menu also features updates on the lemon drop in the form of the Elderflower Drop; the margarita in the form of the Blood Orange one; and the mojito, with the Black & Blue one, featuring the requisite mint and lime along with muddled raspberries and blackberries.

The Peach Champagne cocktail is also a standout because it moves beyond the Bellini as a complex, aromatic drink that's perfectly balanced, using Plymouth gin, simple syrup, lemon juice, peach puree and sparkling white wine.

Vote for the Metromix mannequin at Scottsdale Fashion Square

Megan Finnerty — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:44:45 GMT

Her name is Bettina. You can vote for her here.

For several weeks, my roommate tolerated the bald, angular woman-ish thing with the wide-set eyes and the way she stood creepily erect, unmoving, and naked, in our living room.

So he named her.

Bettina is a mannequin created on behalf of Metromix Phoenix to highlight our cocktail and nightlife coverage as part of Scottsdale Fashion Square's festivities celebrating the opening of the new east wing.

She's one of nearly 100 that various artists, organizations, media outlets and fashion-types decorated to reflect their most hype-worthy qualities. Creators include one of my favorite people, the Crafty Chica Kathy Cano-Murillo, a favorite local designer, Soldier Leisure, and glitterati like Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Hub Clothing and Janis Leonard Design Associates.

Bettina is wearing a dress from Buffalo Exchange that I, along with some nimble-fingered friends, covered in cocktail umbrellas topped with glitter. She is accessorized with glitter-covered foam fruit. She is pretty spectacular, if you're into a glittery girl in a pink wig. (Which could also describe me on most Halloweens.) My roommate said she looked like a drag queen. (Also true about me on some Halloweens.) Others simply said she looked better than they thought she would when I announced that I would be undertaking the such a project.

Bettina is all dressed up with someplace to go, but with no one to mingle with. So please go check out her sparkling personality/dress today Wednesday through Sunday at Scottsdale Fashion Square. She and the others will be staring at you, glassy-eyed over the mall.

But if you prefer to mingle with those who can actually drink the cocktails they're holding, Simon Doonan, the creative mastermind behind much of Barneys' fabulousness, will host an intimate question-and-answer session Q&A from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the W Scottsdale Hotel and Residences. The Living Room lobby bar will be filled with those looking to query the author, visual artist and gossip columnist about fashion, style and, well, God-knows-what while sipping complimentary Veuve Clicquot. At some point, someone will surely mention the new shopping-meets-partying package the hotel is launching with the new store.

For $219 per night from Thursday through New Year's Eve, guests of the hotel will receive a personal shopping experience at Barneys, a signed copy of Doonan's book “Eccentric Glamour: Creating an Insanely More Fabulous You,” a $100 Barneys gift card, two complimentary Bellinis at Fred's (the restaurant inside the store), and more.

And, if you really like Bettina, you can vote for her awesomeness here. The mannequin with the most votes will be featured in the December issue of Arizona Foothills Magazine. After the voting, most of them will be auctioned off to raise money for the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.

Details: On display Wednesday through Sunday at Scottsdale Fashion Square, corner of Scottsdale and Camelback roads. Vote here, as many times as you like.

Metro Brasserie says 'happy hour' in French

Megan Finnerty — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:01:29 GMT

It finally happened.

Metro Brasserie, possibly one of the last bars and restaurants in Old Town Scottsdale to hold out on offering a happy hour, has launched one.

This is fab news because the intimate French bistro is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night imbibing, with a consistently satisfying kitchen run by executive chef Matthew Taylor and an innovative bar overseen run by beverage director William DeGroot.

Until now, management has resolutely eschewed discounting their double-digit drink prices.

But now you can get all Francophile about things and indulge in their new daily “Un Trois a Six” happy hour, which runs, as evidenced by the name, from 3 to 6 p.m. And while I think a happy hour that only lasts until 6 p.m. is absurd, given how long everyone's days seem to be, I do love that it runs on Saturdays and Sundays, too.

Draught pours of French beer Kronenbourg is $3, several other draughts, including Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, are $5, along with top-shelf well drinks, including ones made with Ketel One, Bombay and Johnnie Walker, among other brands.

Select appetizers and specialty cocktails are $7 each, including the white peach Bellini, the French 75 and the Ramos gin fizz.

Oysters are only $1 each and all wines by the glass are $2 off, but guests can linger of a complimentary cheese plate if they purchase a full-priced bottle of wine. And this is one of the best, biggest, most elegant cheese plates in the city. I swear I have tried most of them.

Details: 7114 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, 480-994-3663, metrosouthbridge.com.

No bull: Cadillac Ranch revs up the fun

Megan Finnerty — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:26:26 GMT

When Cadillac Ranch opened at Tempe Marketplace, it seemed like an odd fit.

With the trendy, reality-TV-approved Saddle Ranch Chop House just up Scottsdale Road, another hip, countrified bar with a mechanical bull opening in the near East Valley struck me as one mechanical bull too many.

But, apparently, one cannot overestimate the pull of a faux bull that throws people.

Owner Chris Osborn, who's been working in Valley restaurants and bars for more than half his life, has turned the sprawling second-story bar into a destination for weekend dancing, super-cheap happy hours, University of Texas football games and, yes, mechanical bull-riding.

On weekends, the 750-person bar cycles through more than 900 guests a night, drawing crowds with performances from former-marquee names such as Darius Rucker (Hootie, of Hootie and the Blowfish), Puddle of Mudd and Alien Ant Farm, among others. Osborn also credits his Daisy Duke-style go-go girls as a major attraction.

But with a new fall menu of food items and cocktails, he's looking to turn the bar into the kind of place where guests can drink themselves silly one night, and come back for brunch, lunch or dinner the next day to shake it off.

Recently, I tried the bacon wontons, the pepper Jack lollipops, the Long Horn fingers (chicken tenders) and a variety of other dishes that took me on a gastronomic tour of deep-fried places I rarely go. In assembling his new dishes, Osborn proves to be a pragmatic man.

One can imagine him thinking: “People love bacon. They love cream cheese. Fry them in little packets, cover with a chile maple syrup sauce and bingo.”

And bingo, indeed. Everything I tried was on the heavy side of filling, and came out in portions befitting the start of a long night of drinking, but it was also tasty and pleasantly indulgent.

The updated cocktail menu functions in much the same way. Serve familiar drinks that can be cranked out at maximum speed for those four-deep-at-the-bar nights, add a lot of simple syrup and give them funny names so girls will enjoy ordering them, and bingo.

This is how one arrives at the neon-swirled frozen Tropic Thunder margarita, made with various Puckers, liqueurs, bottled mixes and tequila. The tangy, sweet and sour drink tastes of lime, coconut, pineapple and other vaguely tropical flavors. It's one of the bar's most popular margaritas, if that gives you a sense of the average age.

There's also the similarly saccharine, similarly over-the-top Chocolate Covered Cherry-Tini, made with black cherry vodka, Bailey's Irish Cream, cream and grenadine, served in a chocolate-drizzled glass. It's a rich, melted-ice-cream-sweet drink that appealed strongly to the part of me that used to order cocktails based on how little they actually tasted like the liquors from which they were made.

And country music fans will be pleased to hear of the Tim McGraw-inspired “Stars Go Blue” cocktail, which has a flavor profile reminiscent of an Otter Pop. The drink is a mix of raspberry rum, Island Punch Pucker and sweet and sour, served tall over ice and topped with Sprite.

Details: Daily happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. and reverse happy hour from 10 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday with half-off appetizers, $2 to $3 beers, well drinks and frozen margaritas, $5 specialty cocktails.

At Tempe Marketplace, on the corner of the Loop 202 and McClintock Drive in Tempe, 480-894-1111, cadillacranchtempe.com.

Stylish parties show off fall fashion

Megan Finnerty — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:29:39 GMT

Finally, after a summer events season that could be described as anemic at best, the Valley's party season is in full swing.

This weekend alone, Scottsdale hosted the SMoCA Nights party dedicated to selecting Designer of the Year for the upcoming Scottsdale Fashion Week.

The W Scottsdale Hotel & Residences hosted its one-year anniversary party in outrageous “Alice In Wonderland” style.

And, Scottsdale hosted three nights of Phoenix Fashion Week shenanigans at the Hotel Valley Ho, Suede, Axis/Radius and Acua.

Refreshingly, the parties were crowded and the crowds were stylish. It felt as though Valley scenesters had been waiting all through our long, hot summer for occasions worthy of their most fabulous fashions.

Friday night, child star-turned-racecar-driver Frankie Muniz was partying at the W Scottsdale, and so was Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. The party also featured a colorful, crazy-pants cake by Tammie Coe Cakes measuring about 6 feet tall and 2 feet wide. The Wonderland-inspired creation served as a spectacular centerpiece while guests indulged in tasty cupcake versions.

But perhaps the standout element of the party was the staircase that had been converted into a rabbit hole that you “fell-up” as you walked up the staircase to the party outside.

Phoenix Fashion Week, as usual, was more about partying than it was about prêt-a-porter. But the series of shows and after-parties were well executed, even if some of the fashions weren't. Guests looked great. Think: patent leather Chanel thigh-high boots, crystal-encrusted bow ties, feathered accessories. And they loved the easy-to-wear styles from local lines such as Rebel Yell, even if I felt a bit been-there, done-that about the tees. The events drew about 5,500 people across the three nights, with the finale after-party cramming 700 into Acua. (And Muniz attended all these shows, too.)

And at the SMoCA Nights event, 10 Valley designers showed styles ranging from totally wearable, convertible jersey dresses to avant-garde, heavily ruffled gowns with coordinating headpieces.

Along with modern artist Nick Cave, Phoenix Art Museum curator of fashion design Dennita Sewell and others, I served as a judge for the show. (I know, I felt outclassed, too.)

It was an honor and a thrilling delight to see so much interesting work from local artists who have strong points of view, and who stick to them so compellingly. I also loved hearing my name said by the emcee, preceded by the words, “Let's hear it for …”

Check out the weekend party pics here on Metromix, then head to azcentral.com/style, where you can vote for your favorite Scottsdale Fashion Week Designer of the Year until Sunday.

Try bartending at Roka Akor mixology class

Megan Finnerty — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:24:19 GMT

This is the best possible way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

And I'm not just saying that because when I went to one of these I was voted the best amateur bartender of the afternoon.

You can try your hand at bartending, or just get your buzz on, from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday as the good people at Roka Akor teach you how to make some of your favorite cocktails at their Shochu Lounge mixology class.

A selection of charming bartenders takes you through the preparation, tasting and food-pairing for several of the Japanese restaurant's most popular drinks, including the Tokyopolitan, Nashi Lani and Kudachi Cooler. They'll The staff also will walk you through the basics of sake and Shochu while you nosh on sushi, butterfish tataki and burgers. Throughout the afternoon, they bartenders come up with excuses to award gift certificates to participants and then they send everyone home with recipe cards and the promises that these drinks will transform their next at-home cocktail party.

But if you're not into day drinking, you can swing by Roka Akor after 9 p.m. to indulge in the chichi lounge's reverse happy hour and to hear the band Eclipse play Top 40 and funk. The four-piece group is led by singer Eloni Yawn, and features a drummer, bass guitarist and keyboardist.

Many of Roka Akor's most popular dishes—including butterfish tataki, hamachi serrano chili roll and the heart-breakingly good $2 Roka Akor burger—are on the reverse happy hour menu. Select cocktails, wines and sakes are $6, and a few beers are $3, making this one of the swankiest and cheapest dates worth getting dressed up for.

Details: $60 per person for the mixology class. 7299 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale 480-306-8800, rokaakor.com.

Hotel Valley Ho rings in fashion season with rooftop show

Megan Finnerty — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:12:44 GMT

It's mid-September and it's time to start trying again, ladies.

All summer, we've been reveling in the low-maintenance looks that 106-degree nights allow us to indulge in. Minis with tank tops, supershort tube dresses and heels, no accessory more challenging, or warm, than a clutch.

But with the Phoenix Art Museum's showing of “The September Issue” last Sunday night and this Friday's rooftop fashion show at the Hotel Valley Ho, it's cocktail party fashion season in the Valley once more.

And about Sunday's party at the museum: It was the best-dressed, most interesting-looking, fabulously styled crowd the city has seen. The sartorial bar has been raised for Valley events, and I can't wait to see all the ways in which women are inspired to dress Friday for the rooftop fashion shows of Isaac Jewelers, Moody Blues and Anastasia's Bath Body Boudoir.

Joe Patti, one of the show's producers, said the hotel has never hosted a fashion show on the roof, and he's excited to be part of something fresh. His company, J Group Media, also hosted the Valley's first fashion show on water at the Hotel Valley Ho's pool two years ago.

“The 360-degree views are so beautiful,” he said. “This environment adds so much to the shows because the Valley really glows at night. It's just something you have to see.”

Models from the Agency Arizona will take to a square runway, with seating in the center and around the sides, three times, every 45 minutes as DJ Mr. P-Body spins, as media personality Super Snake emcees and as specialty Hpnotiq cocktails are served.

Seven stories up, the 3,500-square-foot roof will be converted into the Skyline Rooftop Lounge with Hpnotiq-inspired turquoise lighting and lounge-style seating.

Details: The free event is open to the first 250 who RSVP at jgroupmedia.com or 602-697-3004. 7:30 to 11 p.m. 6850 E. Main St., Scottsdale.

A toast to the end of summer, cool nights on patios

Megan Finnerty — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:58:36 GMT

I can't seem to shake the joy that comes with evenings below 89 degrees.

I just keep fantasizing about all the temperate nights to come, spent on patios all over the Valley, cocktail in one hand, the other, clutching a wrap around my shoulders because there's a chill: it's only 83.

With that in mind, here's a toast to the end of summer with a look at some of Scottsdale's best cocktails, all at places with patios perfect for enjoying the cooler nights ahead.

French 75 at the Estate House
The Magic: Frapin Cognac, fresh lemon juice, rock syrup, shaken, topped with champagne in a flute, $14.

The French 75 radiates sophistication. Tart, bubbly and oh so satisfying, kindly grasp the stem of the champagne flute as you hobnob with a classy-chic crowd at the Estate House's elegant champagne bar, the kind of place that serves a caviar and lobster parfait. The French 75 was originally created during World War I by an American army officer who had the taste for champagne and an abundance of cognac. Voila! The French 75, named after 75-millimeter guns, was born. The drink has since found its way into upper-crust bars around America, and the Estate House makes the best of them.

Hello Kitty at Geisha A Go Go
The Magic: Calpico, strawberry-infused shochu, Sangaria strawberry soda and Smirnoff Citrus vodka, shaken, garnished with a strawberry, $8.

The Hello Kitty martini starts with the non-carbonated, milky Japanese Calpico poured from a bottle decorated with pictures of Hello Kitty cuddling a little strawberry. Strawberry-infused shochu, Sangaria Japanese strawberry soda and Smirnoff Citrus vodka are added and shaken. It's the girliest drink in the city, tasting like the best Bath & Bodyworks lotion smells. In a good way. The cocktail menu features lots of clever, can't-find-anywhere-else drinks, though, and the décor is just as singular.

OG Margarita at Cafe ZuZu at Hotel Valley Ho
The Magic: Partida Silver tequila, Partida Agave Nectar and one lime, shaken, on the rocks, garnished with a generous lime wedge, $10.

There are only three ingredients in this drink. No sweet and sour mix—all natural flavors with enough subtle sweetness to cut the lime's bite, but without the candy, syrupy heaviness of so many other margaritas. A former employee of the retro-chic resort gave the drink its "Original Gangster" name because it's all back to basics with this one. Presumably, it is not a reference to West Coast hip-hop supremacy.

Espresso Martini at AZ88
The Magic: One shot of fresh Starbucks' espresso, Bailey's Irish Cream, Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka and vanilla crème de cacao, garnished with three espresso beans, $14.50.

Precariously balanced on a silver tray, the generous, brimming cocktail is couriered to your table by a ginger-stepping, white-shirted, black tie-wearing waiter who barely breathes as he nears you. Slowly, slowly draping a cocktail napkin on your table, he then lifts the drink. He lowers the glass at a glacial pace. You stopped breathing a minute and a half ago. The drink finally rests on the napkin. You tip your head down, like a child, like a prayerful pilgrim, to drink, fearful of risking a spill yourself, unwilling to disrespect the balancing act just performed in your, and the drink's, honor.

Pearl Sushi is over-the-top fabulous

Megan Finnerty — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:46:19 GMT

All summer, Pearl Sushi and Bomber Bar has been the destination for post-pool-party mingling for those leaving the Mondrian Scottsdale.

This is because Pearl Sushi is in perpetual party mode, a restaurant and bar that caters to those about to party, recovering from a party or looking for a party.

Nightlife and restaurant entrepreneurs Jimmy and Tammy Carlin run the intimate Old Town hangout, training staff to be not so much servers and bartenders as cruise entertainment directors. More than one remarked that Pearl Sushi is “just really all about having fun.” (Cue giant smile.)

To this end, the place runs perpetual happy hours that vary by day and time. It specializes in an approach to cocktail development that's just shy of absurdist. It serves foods with names that are puns and cocktails with such names as Jell-O Fish, Pulp Fiction and Porn Star.

Among the several cocktails that can't be found anywhere else, the Chocolate Caramel Crunch martini stands out.

A mix of Hershey's Chocolate Caramel International Delight coffee creamer, chocolate vodka and chocolate liqueur is poured into a glass that's been dipped into caramel sauce and then rimmed with Cocoa Krispies.

The drink has a kind of cult following, apparently with those who miss the chocolate-milk fixes that come with childhood, and it's tasty in a Willy Wonka kind of way. But that's the point. This isn't a place that takes itself seriously because it's not catering to a crowd that takes itself seriously.

On the other end of the caloric spectrum is Tammy Carlin's 100-calorie Ty Ku martini, made with the trendy Ty Ku Citrus Liqueur and strawberry guava-flavored Fuze. The milky-looking drink is sweet, but not saccharine-tasting, and has found an audience with those counting calories, which is to say, nearly everyone in a 5-mile radius.

The bombers, for which the bar is named, are clever, gimmicky $4 drinks designed to make any Tuesday night look and feel more like the kind of Saturday nights most often detailed in magazines such as Cosmopolitan or chronicled on shows such as MTV's “The Real World.”

This is how even thinking about having one almost surely leads to having five. Into quaffer, an hourglass-shaped glass, a serving of a sweet, soda-like beverage is poured, followed by a shot of liquor, which floats on top. The whole thing must be downed in one gulp, the burn of the liquor chased by the sweet, cooling second liquid, down the gullet before any single flavor can be registered by the brain.
This is part of the aforementioned fun.

Other adventurous drinks include the Deja Blue, a mix of blueberry vodka, white cranberry juice and blue-raspberry-infused sweet-and-sour mix that's popular with women and is the exact color of a resort pool.

And there's the Pearl Jam, a mix of pineapple vodka, raspberry liqueur and the piña colada-flavored beverage SoBe Liz Blizz, served in a glass rimmed with Pop Rocks. It's better than it sounds, and Pop Rocks are pretty much awesome no matter how they're used.

All the dishes are designed to share and everything is so heavily discounted at different times that it's hard not to see the whole menu as a bargain. Try the calamari salad, which is big enough to split, and only $5. And the Fish Shticks are worth mentioning, not just because they're filling, inexpensive and generous, but because they're as over-the-top as most of the drinks. A spicy crab roll with avocado is fried in tempura and topped with spicy tuna mix and drizzled with red-pepper aoli and sweet soy glaze. It's like ordering sushi at the State Fair.

Details: 4252 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale. 480-947-327, pearlsushi.net.

Posh pool party at Hotel Valley Ho

Megan Finnerty — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:32:58 GMT

It's been a long, hot summer of sun-baked shenanigans. So something slightly more restrained, more lighthearted, seems in order. One can only take so many women teetering around a pool in Lucite heels, so many men flexing their calves to compare new tattoos.

Head to the Hotel Valley Ho, where DJ Mr. P-body will spin classic summer tunes and Top 40 hits at session Saturday afternoons. Show up after 1 p.m., but not later than 3 p.m., when finding a lounge chair will be as hard as finding a natural blonde among those soaking up the UVs.

At this posh pool party, the crowd of 20- to 40-somethings is bronzed and toned, of course, but the MTV Beach House-vibe is nowhere to be found. Rather, the hotel and the DJ cultivate the vibe of a perfect neighborhood hangout.

Birthdays are celebrated as all the sunbathers serenade the men and women celebrating that day. Strangers strike up conversations easily as the lounge chairs are so close, and sun block is so easy to share. And recommendations about whether to get the pitcher of raspberry lemonade or the mojito are shouted from cabana to cabana.

Then, after singing along to Will Smith's “Summertime,” Guns N Roses' “Welcome to the Jungle” and Stevie Wonder's “Superstition,” retire to the happy hour at the adjacent Trader Vic's, which runs from 4 to 6 p.m. every day. You can enjoy Chinese spare ribs, a 6-ounce Maui burger and fries, crispy halibut taco and other samplings from the Polynesian restaurant's menu for only $1 to $3.

Details: Through Sept. 26, 6850 E. Main St., Scottsdale, 480-248-2000, hotelvalleyho.com.

Happy hour at T. Cook's Bar worth a visit

Megan Finnerty — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:07:18 GMT

Rarely does one who writes about nightlife wonder what George W. Bush eats if and when he finds himself in a bar.

But while checking out the new happy hour at T. Cook's Bar, I remembered that the former president stayed several times at the Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Phoenix while in office.

Naturally, the mind wanders.

For example, I can see him going for the rustically but enigmatically named Holes & Sticks, which, it turns out, is just a dish of asparagus fries and onion rings with lemon aioli.

Likewise, it's not hard to see him reaching for the braised beef and tepary bean chili, or the build-your-own Turkish short rib sandwiches.

Regardless, you, too, can dine and drink like the leader of the free world through the end of September, as the bar at the elegant T. Cook's offers half-priced appetizers and specialty cocktails from 5 to 7 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays.

Appetizers including mussels and French fries, lobster bisque with lobster and fennel foam and a chef's selection antipasto palate, range from $5 to $8 each.

Drinks included in the offer, which teetoatler Bush would have avoided, include several that you can only get at this super-luxurious resort.

Some should be considered just on their names alone: Cosmo de Mexicano, Green Gargoyle, Sudden Death and the Grape Lemon Drop.

Drinks range from $5 to $7, unless you order the Margarita Presidenciale Noche, made with Partida Elegante Tequila, Cointreau, fresh lime and Grand Marnier, $49.50. And while the drink does have the word Presidenciale in the name, it was not named to honor a particularly special night spent by the former president, rather the word refers to the fanciness of the tequila.

Details: 5200 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 602-808-0766, royalpalmsresortandspa.com.

Lucky Strike Lanes coming to Phoenix

Megan Finnerty — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:52:27 GMT

The swanky bowling destination Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge is moving into downtown Phoenix's CityScape development, announced RED Development LLC, the company behind the project.

Known for its signature cocktails and celebrity guests, the alley is set to open in the spring of 2010, which is when many of the restaurants, bars and shops in the $900 million space are scheduled to open. Eventually, a grocery store, hotel, offices and a pharmacy will open in the mixed-used development, stretching from First Avenue to Second Street and from Washington to Jefferson streets.

The Phoenix location will be 18,000 square-feet, with a main sports bar area and 12 lanes, four of which will be in the VIP Luxe Lanes lounge area, an element that will only be in four other locations.

Lucky Strike founder Steven Foster said his company considered Tempe and Scottsdale, but he sees Lucky Strike as an independent business well-suited to downtown Phoenix's rough-around-the-edges aesthetic.

“Lucky Strike in our minds is still suited to a downtown, urban, hip, boutique environment,” he said. “We've watched Phoenix grow and morph over the years. And with the RED Development project, we reached the tipping point.”

RED Development managing partner Mike Ebert said his company turned down offers from establishments that focused too much on just drinking or that focused too much on family-style fun. Instead, he's aiming to attract a diverse, stylish crowd of 18- to 45-year-olds.

In more than 18 cities, the 5-year-old chain has brought an element of red-carpet panache to a traditionally blue-collar pastime, as celebs in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami have flocked to the Lucky Strikes in those cities.

In New York City, Gossip Girl's Ed Westwick hosted his 22nd birthday party there recently, complete with a signature cucumber martini written up in InStyle. And in LA, it's where John Mayer Twittered about bowling poorly with Jennifer Anniston this winter. Lucky Strike has also been filmed in episodes of the new 90210 and "America's Next Top Model."

The lanes have lounges with low, cushy seating in some cities, wine bars in others, and they all serve food fit for the velvet-rope crowd, including such small plates as tuna-steak lollipops and fried mac and cheese bites, as well as a turkey brie sandwiches and salads. And in an extra touch of hipster swank, Lucky Strike frequently partners with artists in each market to put local art on the walls and on the projection screens above the lanes.

But possibly the most unexpected thing about the new downtown bowling alley is that it will have a dress code. Among the clothing banned will be athletic wear, including sweats or jerseys, excessively baggy clothing, construction boots and headgear.

Phoenix Suns CEO Rick Welts has been bowling since he was in grade school, but he's most excited about the new lanes because he said they create one more compelling reason to make downtown a nightlife destination.

“It's going to enhance all of the restaurant and entertainment options around,” he said. “We are very much involved in everything to do in downtown Phoenix. And we continue to invest in downtown and continue to believe we're in the early stages of becoming the kind of downtown you see in Denver or Seattle or Portland (Ore.)."

Devil's Martini kicks off football for the chi chi set

Megan Finnerty — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:07:28 GMT

Apparently, football season is starting.

You may have heard. You may even be planning a get-together of some kind to celebrate this annual festival of masculinity, sport and elaborate protective gear.

It's the nation's most popular sport in terms of television viewership, ticket sales and, from the looks of a certain guilty-pleasure reality TV show that shall remain nameless, the number of women willing to try out for the Dallas Cowboys cheerleading team.

And typically, this is where various sports bars would be recommended based on a variety of characteristics ranging from the number of flat-screen TVs scattered about, the awesomeness of their various sports viewing packages, and the affordability of their pitchers of beer.

But anyone can figure out where to sit in a tuck-and-roll booth and watch a game on a TV screen tucked up in a corner somewhere.

I want to tip you off to the new promotion at Devil's Martini in Old Town Scottsdale, where the chi chi nightclub is getting into the football business.

Starting at 4 p.m. Thursday, the sprawling nightclub will open up to show NFL and NCAA games on those evenings, as well as from 10 a.m. to late afternoon on Saturdays and Sundays.

The event kicks off when the University of Oregon takes on Boise State University at 7:15 p.m. Thursday.

Guests can indulge in a massive, $8 build-your-own burrito bar and in $5 Bacon-Marys, which are the signature cocktail of the club's sister restaurant, Bacon.

Garnished with jumbo olives that have been wrapped in bacon, the cocktail is made with Clamato and tons of secret spices.

Details: 4175 N. Goldwater Blvd., Scottsdale, 480-947-7171

944 magazine throws a blowout

Megan Finnerty — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:07:54 GMT

When he talks about throwing parties, Marc Lotenberg of 944 magazine drops the words “synergy” and “brand,” and uses phrases such as “spike in revenue,” and “return on their investment.”

It's not really the come-on you'd expect from the man behind a glossy lifestyle magazine that's filled with models in sexy fashions and profiles of men and women in various cities' nightlife scenes and the hangers-on who support them.

Lotenberg, the 30-year-old CEO and founder of 944 Media, is throwing a party at the W Scottsdale Hotel and Residences this weekend. It's sort of for you, and sort of for his partners.

“A lot of these places that support us financially, they expect us to show them a return on their investment,” he said. “This type of event helps show the value of investing with 944.”

He said expects the hotel to be sold out and the restaurant, Sushi Roku, to be packed.

Perhaps this is the kind of chatter a person engages in while his company is being sued for the last big party he threw.

Lotenberg's 944 Media was behind the biggest bash Scottsdale had ever seen with the 944 Super Village during the 2008 Super Bowl in Glendale. Paris Hilton, Velvet Revolver, 50 Cent and various other celebs showed up for the multi-day outdoor event that featured concerts, a celebrity flag football game, boxing matches and other hype- and liquor-fueled shenanigans.

In March, the production company that helped throw the bash filed a suit to recoup unspecified damages and legal fees, arguing that 944 Media more than doubled the event budget to $2.4 million and gave away close to $1 million in tickets to promote its own interests. The suit said revenue totaled less than $1.6 million.

Lotenberg said he expects this weekend to be more successful.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the magazine is taking over the W to celebrate eight years of chronicling the beautiful people and their favorite bottled waters, cocktails and crystal-encrusted jeans.

The party will feature burlesque dancers, local and international DJs, a live band, a silent charity auction, live painting by local artists and a company making custom Ts.

“We want to bring the magazine to life, that's what this type of party is about,” he said.

The editorial department helped select the talent featured at the bash, unlike at 944-branded events in the past, where entertainment was coordinated by the magazine's party planning arm.

944 is hosting the bash in Phoenix as a kind of homecoming; it's where the magazine launched and where the production is still done. Head offices are now in Los Angeles and all the cities with editions, seven right now, with Atlanta and Detroit to come online by the end of the year, have their own satellite offices.

The weekend's proceeds will benefit Ear Candy, a Phoenix non-profit that provides music education for elementary schools through support of in- and after-school music programs.

Details: 7277 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale. For table and cabana reservations, call 602-405-0099, or to reserve a room, visit WScottsdaleExclusive.com. Cover is $20, and the public must RSVP at 944.com/944is8.