Yesterday we met Wayne Scalaro, who’s tended bar at the Rokerij for more than a decade and once got laid thanks to George W. Bush. Today he shares with us the recipe for his Prickly Pear Margarita, a drink Scalaro says is a smooth cocktail great for the summer heat…
The tender: Wayne ScalaroThe bar: The Rokerij (6335 N. 16th St., 602-287-8900) The pedigree: Scalaro began bartending at restaurants owned by his parents in Portland just before he was old enough to drink, though by his own admission he “pretty much drank everything” before he was of age. After moving…
The Spot: The Arrogant Butcher, Cityscape, 2 E. Jefferson #150, Phoenix, 602-324-8502The Hours: 3 – 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Bar only. The Details: The Arrogant Butcher is another one of Sam Fox’s “concept” restaurant. The idea behind this particular concept is “urban grill meets updated comfort food.” While the…
Beer: 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. Style: Black IPA ABV: 10.8 percent I wasn’t kidding when I said black IPAs were everywhere. Adding to this growing group of uncooperatively-colored and hoppy brew, Stone Brewing Co. recently released their Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA to celebrate 15…
Yesterday we met Mary Melton, director of beverage for P.F. Chang’s — all of them. Today she shares with us the recipe for the Dark & Spicy. New for the restaurant’s happy hour menu, it’s a twist on an old classic, the Dark & Stormy. “It’s my favorite drink of all the…
Would you drink a Pants on the Ground Porter? How about Boom Gueze the Dynamite? The internet influences everything these days, and memes are the vehicles by which it does so. No one knows why certain YouTube videos and other messages on the internet become so popular (we’re still waiting…
The tender: Mary Melton The bar: P.F. Chang’s China Bistro (multiple locations) The pedigree: Melton found her first bartending job post-college, at an airport in Kansas City. After working her way around several bars and restaurants in that city, she moved to San Diego, where she ventured into restaurant and…
The Spot: Soi 4 Bangkok Eatery, 8787 N. Scottsdale Rd, Paradise Valley, 480-778-1999 www.soifour.comThe Hours: 5 – 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.The Details: @font-face { font-family: “ＭＳ 明朝”; }@font-face { font-family: “ＭＳ 明朝”; }@font-face { font-family: “Cambria”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Cambria; }.MsoChpDefault…
Beer: Negro NitronBrewery: SanTan Brewing Co. (8 S. San Marcos Place, 480-917-8700)Style: Black IPAABV: 7.3 percent The Black IPA is so hot right now. As in fashion, music and baby names, trends in the craft beer world progress rapidly. Last year, Belgian IPA was the tits, and lately it seems…
Yesterday we met Jon Doholis, bar manager at swanky neighborhood restaurant and wine bar Cork. Today he shares with us the recipes for not one but two vegetarian cocktails, the Carrot Cosmopolitan and the Celeri-addict, added to the restaurant’s menu for August to celebrate Vegetarian Month. The vegetarian cocktails make…
The tender: Jon Doholis (Bar Manager)The bar: Cork (4991 S. Alma School Road, 480-883-3773) The pedigree: Doholis has been involved in the food industry for most of his life — he got a start working at a restaurant in Kansas City at 16, lived with a chef roommate for a while,…
The Spot: Gallo Blanco, 401 W Clarendon Avenue, Phoenix, (602) 274-4774www.galloblancocafe.comThe Hours: 3- 6 p.m., everyday. The Details: The Clarendon Hotel’s eccentric in-house eatery offers an awesome daily happy hour menu that includes a total of 6 appetizers ranging as low as $3 to $6, such as their award winning…
Beer: Tramp Stamp Brewery: Clown Shoes Style: Belgian IPA ABV: 7 percent “Tattoo on the lower back? Might as well be a bullseye.” – Jeremy Grey, Wedding Crashers Another newbie to the Arizona desert, Clown Shoes is actually contract brewed through Mercury Brewing Company in Ipswich, Mass. They are their…
Yesterday we met Ryan Nishijima, who pours beer and wine at Cave & Ive’s in Arcadia. Today he shares with us the recipe for the G-Spot. Because Cave & Ive’s doesn’t have a license to sell hard liquor, the owners had to get creative with their cocktail menu. The result…
The tender: Ryan NishijimaThe bar: Cave & Ives (4247 E. Indian School Road, 602-955-1924) The pedigree: Like many others, Nishijina started bartending when he went to college, working at a local T.G.I.Friday’s. After he graduated, Nishijina took his skills international, tending bar on cruises to the Mediterranean, Hawaii and the Caribbean…
The Spot: Sapporo, 14344 N. Scottsdale Rd., North Scottsdale, 480-607-1114www.sapporoscottsdale.comThe Hours: 11 a.m. – close, Monday through Friday, and 3 p.m. – close, Saturday and Sunday, all summer long. The Details: The 10-year-old North Scottsdale destination for quality sushi, teppaniaki and young professional tail celebrates our sweaty butts by extending our…
The beer: Life & LimbThe brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co./Dogfish Head Craft BreweryStyle: American Strong AleABV: 10.2 percent Craft beer is a funny business, wherein traditional ideas about competition and market domination are thrown out with the spent grain. Rather than attempting to destroy one another, contending breweries often join…
Screw the pooch, happy-hour is man’s real best friend– or the real man’s best friend. Whether it’s a standard happy hour or a reverse, any time is a good time to eat, drink, and be merry at a discounted price. But a daytime happy hour– as in, all-day or before…
Yesterday we met Francisco Alcaraz, master distiller at Patron and the man who designed the process for making the high-class tequila. Today he shares with us the recipe for the Rose of Patron, a complicated yet beautiful and complex beverage…
The tender: Francisco Alcaraz The “bar”: Patrón Spirits Company The pedigree: Alcaraz may not be a bartender, but he certainly tends to the entire alcoholic beverage industry. The master distiller for Patrón, Alcaraz was born in the small town of Tamazula de Gordiano and educated at the University Guadalajara, where…
The Spot: The Garage Public House, 4855 East Warner Road, Ahwatukee, (480) 940-6455www.publichousegarage.comThe Hours: 3- 7 p.m., 7 days a week. A reverse HH is also offered from 10 p.m.- 12 a.m., Sunday through Thursday. The Details: @font-face { font-family: “ＭＳ 明朝”; }@font-face { font-family: “Cambria Math”; }@font-face { font-family:…
The beer: The VermonsterThe brewery: Rock Art BreweryStyle: American BarleywineABV: 10 percent Normally, I like to introduce you to new beers in this space. There’s been no shortage of choices in that regard — tons of great breweries have been entering Arizona lately. But while some grow and expand, others…
