The Spot: Stingray Sushi, 2502 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, (602) 955-2008, http://www.stingraysushi.com The Hours: Between the hours of 3 and 7 pm, Monday through Friday. The Details: $5 sake bombers, $4 wine by the glass, $6 specialty cocktails and carafes of sake at half price. A variety of rolls and…
Yesterday we met Matt Duske, the bespectacled former teacher slinging drinks at the trendy Vig Uptown. Today he shares with us a recipe crafted by Brandon Cooper, a fellow bartender who worked with Duske in Seattle. “A lot of times, girls would come in and ask Brandon to make them a…
Young, bookish and personable, it’s not difficult to imagine Matt Duske at the front of a classroom. And it shouldn’t be, since the bespectacled bartender spent two years teaching math to disgruntled high school students. He recently made the change from enriching minds to enriching livers, and has been at…
The Spot: Mucho Gusto Taqueria & Mexican Bistro, 603 W. University Dr., Tempe, (480) 921-1850 http://muchogusto1.com The Hours: Between 3 and 6 pm, Monday through Friday. The Details: $3 booze and $5 appetizers. Choose from the house margarita, house wine, or a Dos Equis draft and snag one of about…
Yesterday we met Simon Alam, the man handling the bottles at Merc Bar. Today he treats us the Caipirinha, a drink he was kind enough to share some history on: “The Caipirinha is Brazil’s national cocktail. It’s made with cachaca, the most common distilled alcoholic beverage. While rum is made…
For eight years, Simon Alam has been something of a legend at Phoenix’s trendy Merc Bar (2525 E. Camelback, 602-508-9449), serving drinks to stars and regular schmucks alike amidst groovy music and lighting so dim you feel like you’re in a vampire coven. It’s an ambiance that suits Alam, as he…
The Spot: Trader Vic’s, 6850 E. Main St., Scottsdale, (480) 421-7799 http://www.hotelvalleyho.com/scottsdalerestaurants/tradervics.html The Hours: Every day of the week from 4 to 6 pm and again from 9 to 11 pm. The Details: Retro-priced apps ranging from $1 (roasted garlic hummus, edamame) to $3 (a variety of surf and turf…
The Spot: PF Chang’s China Bistro (one of eight locations across the valley) 740 South Mill Avenue #140, Tempe (480) 731-4600 http://www.pfchangs.com The Hours: Every day of the week, including weekends, from 3 to 6 pm. The Details: Everything on the happy hour menu is $3 to $6 between 3 and…
Yesterday we met Cafe Zuzu’s Jim Schindel, a skyscraper-sized man who’s a fan of Maker’s Mark and a member of the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild. Today, he utilizes his vast knowledge of spirits to craft a cocktail he calls the Bourbon Smash — a boozy summer drink that combines lemon, mint,…
Tucked neatly inside Scottsdale’s Hotel Valley Ho is Cafe Zuzu (6850 E. Main St., 480-421-7997) — a cool, retro café and bar filled with the music and décor of the ’50s and ’60s. Jim Schindel helms this little spaceship, mixing up quick drinks and making nice with the menagerie of characters that…
The Spot: Zipp’s Sports Grill (one of seven locations across the valley) 3647 E Indian School Rd, 602-957-2112 http://www.zipps-sportscafe.com/ The Hours: Monday through Friday, from 3 to 7 pm The Details: $2.50 well, wine, and domestic beer. $3.00 premium pints and frozen Zipparitas. $3.50 32 oz domestic drafts. $1.50 slices…
The Spot: Cafe Zuzu6850 E. Main St., Scottsdale 480-421-7997http://www.hotelvalleyho.com/scottsdalerestaurants/cafezuzu.html The Hours: Monday through Friday between 4 and 7 pm. The Details: 3 dollar bonanza! Enough to satisfy just about anyone: six fancy cocktails, five appetizers, four beers and four types of wine…
Gummy Bears. Gatorade. Pancakes and orange juice. Aside from being arguably the best breakfast ever, these are just a small sampling of the arsenal of food-reminiscent cocktails Jason Lyons has at his disposal. A fixture at Mill Avenue’s Big Bang Dueling Piano Bar (501 S. Mill Ave., 480-557-5595) for nearly five…
The Spot: The Salt Cellar550 N. Hayden Rd.Scottsdalehttp://www.saltcellarrestaurant.com The Hours: The world is your oyster with daily happy hour and reverse happy hour deals at Salt Cellar: 4 to 7 pm and 10 pm to 1 am. The Details: $2.75 well drinks and domestic draft beers, appetizers ranging in price…
Yesterday we met Corissa Croft from Robbie Fox’s, a Pittsburgh native who loves the Steelers, sunshine and customers who don’t let their Car Bombs curdle. Today she grants us the recipe for the Grape Nerd, a drink that’s a little sweet, a little sour, and tastes just like its candy…
A football fan who enjoys a good microbrew, Corissa Croft may just be the perfect woman. And though still a newbie at Tempe’s Robbie Fox’s Public House (604 S. Mill Ave., 480-642-6442) she’s also not a shabby bartender. The Pittsburgh native can serve drinks, talk sports and do it all with…
The Spot: The Vig Uptown 6015 N. 16th Street602-633-1187www.thevig.usThe Hours: Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 3 till 6 p.m. if you can’t make happy hour they also have great specials on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.The Deal: Half price appetizers, $5 small pitchers of all draft beer and $3…
Yesterday we talked with Phil Podvorec from Casey Moore’s, who knows his customers by name and is a big fan of Motley Crue. Today Podvorec shares a recipe he crafted for a fellow employee who was looking for something fruity and light for summer: the Summer Splash.(recipe after the jump)…
Phil Podvorec is a familiar face at Casey Moore’s Oyster House (850 S. Ash Ave., 480-968-9935), and he should be. The 35-year-old has worked at the Tempe staple for the better part of a decade, serving up drinks and good conversation to day and nighttime imbibers alike. Phil says his…
The Spot: Barrio Cafe2814 N. 16th Street, Phoenix602 636 0240http://www.barriocafe.com/…
Yesterday we met Samantha Dickerson, who tends bar at Cowboy Ciao and Kazimirez World Wine Bar in Scottsdale. Her’s her award-winning recipe for the Rough Draft cocktail. Yesterday, Dickerson explained her view of cocktail craft, differentiating bar tending and mixology. Her choice of words echoed the phrasing of a quality chef:…
Carol Blonder Samantha Dickerson Samantha Dickerson works the front of the house at Cowboy Ciao and Kazimierz, but we found her behind the bar at Kazimierz. Both popular downtown Scottsdale haunts feature well-reputed wine lists, as well as classic and craft cocktails. We heard Samantha had recently entered her first bar competition so we went…
