2008 Woodie Awards
Vote Absentee
The Monastery is unlike any other bar in the Valley. First of all, the beer is surprisingly cheap, the place is huge, with a distinct Santa Fe-style design and the bartender wears a monk costume. While all of those things are cool, the best part of the Monastery is that you can buy different types of meat, like a cheeseburger for $4 or a half-pound steak for $7.
When you first walk through the doors of Mill Avenue’s Caffe Boa, images of small European cafes and Italian wine bars instantly come to mind as you’re greeted with the scents of olive oil and fresh bread. Locally owned and operated since 1994 by husband and wife team Jay and Christine Wisniewski, Caffe Boa is a little taste of European decadence right here in the desert.
Q-Lounge, a local hot spot attached to the delicious diner, Bobby-Q, is a hidden dance haven. Walking into the club for the first time is like walking into a restaurant, but with a quick right followed by a quick left, you will enter a crowded room of party people.
Strike while the iron is hot – that’s the case for Tempe Marketplace’s San Felipe’s Cantina. It’s currently in that honeymoon period of a newly opened bar: plenty of friendly staff, decent crowds and great prices.
Off the beaten path and deep in the downtown Scottsdale art district hides the hard-to-find Native American and Sonoran influenced Old Town Tortilla Factory. Charming and lovely, the restaurant is built in a 75-year-old adobe home.
Equal parts style and substance, the new Kabuki Japanese Restaurant at Tempe Marketplace is the latest addition to the kind of great sushi you can find in the Valley.
If you're looking to satisfy a late-night craving in the cheapest and chicest way possible, hop in your car and head on over to Zen 32, the swanky spot that offers sushi until midnight and drinks until 2 a.m.
Innovation in party games has been ongoing for decades. Now, we examine old-school lawn games like croquet and bocce ball that are re-emerging as games of the future, as well as regional games like cornhole that are finally making their way to Arizona.
When people think of quality microbreweries, most will probably consider Portland or the California coast, but a microbrewing community is burgeoning in Arizona - and giving the Northwest a run for its money.
Learn how to throw something other than a keg party by trying these popular mixed drinks from the staff of Taste Ultra Lounge, a new chic nightclub in Scottsdale.
Everyone knows Christmas is a time for giving. In this case, Christmas is the time for getting - a buzz, that is.
If you're looking for a Scottsdale bar without all that annoying Scottsdale pretension, then JJ's Sports Cantina is your place. Located a few miles south of the double-digit cover charges of Old Town Scottsdale, JJ's offers old-school, no-frills fun for everyone.
The Melrose Café and Pizzeria has only been open for about two weeks, but it shows some promise, namely the amazing specials they offer. Where else can you get two slices of pizza and a beer for a mere $5? Even though their beer selection is fairly minimal - Bud Light, Budweiser, Corona, Heineken, Michelob Ultra and so on - the pizza makes up for it.
It's either the bar you sprinted to and downed five shots at during half-time at an ASU basketball game or the bar you didn't even notice as you stumbled out of the Sun Devil Stadium toward Mill Avenue in a drunken stupor after a football game.
Think you can find a better sports bar than Santisi Brothers? Fuggedaboutit.
Spike up your Manic Panic mohawk, lace up your Doc Martin's and head to the Valley's hidden punk rock paradise.
The secret to success comes in the realization that presentation is half the battle. That notion is not lost on the staff of the Keg Steakhouse, the newest addition to the Tempe Marketplace shopping mall. The second half comes from the friendly staff and fantastic menu.
The old adage goes, "if you want something done right, do it yourself," and beer lovers in Phoenix's Central Corridor are thankful that Sonora Brewhouse has taken it to heart.
Philly's Sports Bar & Grill in Tempe is already a great place to get your grub on and catch your favorite team in action, but it's about to get a lot better.
Saddle up and ride on over to the hottest bar in the wild, wild West, the Whiskey River Saloon, for a rip-roaring rowdy time.
On the cover of Euphoria Bar and Bistro's menu, it says "a universal embracement of flavor." While it's probably meant to explain the food, it kind of explains the whole atmosphere.
If you’re looking for a place to watch a game in the East Valley, you’d be hard pressed to find a better spot than Fox and Hound. With more than 40 TVs, odds are good that Fox and Hound will be showing the game you’re looking for, and with a kitchen that stays open until last call, you might end up sticking around long after the final whistle.
Does the normal college bar scene leave you seeing red? You'll learn to love the color with dual bars Red Owl and Club Red. Located only two miles from Arizona State University, it's off the main drag enough to be a refreshing break from Mill Avenue but still a convenient drive or taxi ride away.
Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name. Unless you're a North Scottsdale regular, you're probably just another unknown patron at Four Peaks Grill & Tap. But that doesn't mean you can't find any old friends.
The Cell Block/Papillons Too in Mesa offers something for everyone. It is essentially two venues in one, offering all-ages concerts by national touring bands on one side of the venue and a bar on the other side for patrons 21 and older. Vinnie Terrigino, who handles booking duties for the Cell Block, says his goal is to provide a safe, fun environment for underage concertgoers.
