By Jessica Blake | Member and Kim Rosenlof | Senior Member
When the May sun sets and temperatures cool, downtown Phoenix heats up with a thriving nightlife and restaurants tempting any palate.
Night Life
Grab some drinks and popcorn at FilmBar (815 N 2nd St., http://thefilmbarphx.com), a movie theater specializing in independent films, located a half-mile north of the Hyatt Regency. Indie, foreign, art house, cult, and classic films are shown here in an intimate 70-seat setting. Join the Phoenix chapter Monday, 19 May, to reflect on typography, graphic design, and global visual culture with the movie Helvetica. (See http://summit.stc.org/hotel-travel/optional-tourist-events/ for more information.)
If you’re looking for current release movies, walk just two blocks north of the Hyatt to the Arizona Center (400 E. Van Buren Street, www.arizonacenter.com), where you can see a rom-com or action flick at the AMC 24 Theater and end the night with a nice cool stroll with mint chocolate chip ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery. The Arizona Center hosts nearly two dozen retail shops and restaurants, with eateries ranging from Starbucks and Subway to Kokoro Sushi & Noodle Bar and Café Roma.
Another downtown hub within walking distance of the Hyatt, CityScape Phoenix (1 E. Washington St., www.cityscapephoenix.com), offers laughs with DL Hughley at the Stand Up Live comedy club, live music every Friday night at Copper Blues Rock Pub & Kitchen, and bottomless mimosas for brunch at Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails. Get $2 draft beers from 3:00-7:00 PM at Gypsy Bar and play 40 mega-sized arcade games from Guitar Hero to NBA Hoops to Pac-Man.
Crescent Ballroom (308 N 2nd Ave., www.cresentphx.com) located approximately four short city blocks west of the Hyatt, offers a mid-size music venue and kitchen and is open daily with full bar service. It’s a great place to catch indie and upcoming artists for free and experience downtown nightlife throughout the week.
Hanny’s (40 N. 1st St., www.hannys.net), began as a department store but now serves as a fixture for downtown Phoenix nightlife, offering petite midnight martinis for only $2.50. The deejay booth sits on the highest level looking over the restaurant. Try a specialty Moscow Mule (with vodka and ginger beer) that comes in a copper mug and pair it with a margherita pizza. Stand on the old elevator shaft with only glass between you and a steep drop. Make sure to take a trip downstairs for an eerie surprise.
If you’re looking for something a little more cultural, Cirque de la Symphonie will be in town at the Symphony Hall (75 N 2nd St., www.phoenixconventioncenter.com/venues/symphony-hall), bringing a high-flying Cirque troop with jugglers, contortionists, and strong men. The artists performing this adaptation of cirque performances in front of a full orchestra turn the concert into a three-dimensional piece of art.
For an intriguing and risqué Broadway play, visit the Herberger Theater (222. E Monroe St., herbergertheater.org) for “Venus in Fur” where a young actress auditions for a play based on an erotic novel. Her interaction with the director shows a game of cat and mouse that blurs the lines between seduction and power.
Good Eats
Arizona Restaurant Week starts Saturday, 17 May, and extends through the Summit to Monday, 26 May. Hundreds of restaurants through Arizona, including many of those downtown, will offer special prix-fixe menus that include a starter, entrée, dessert, and sometimes an adult beverage for one fixed price. Visit www.arizonarestaurantweek.com for a list of participating restaurants.
If you’re near the aforementioned FilmBar, head across the street to Angel’s Trumpet Ale House (810 N. 2nd St., www.angelstrumpetalehouse.com). Rated one of the top 10 new restaurants in 2012 by the Arizona Republic, Angel’s boasts 31 taps, 2 nitro taps, and cask-conditioned ales. Its new American eclectic bar food ranges from seasonal homemade pop tarts and Spam sliders to Tuesday night TV dinners.
Hailed by prominent food critics as the best pizza in the world, don’t miss Pizzeria Bianco (623 E Adams St., www.pizzeriabianco.com), located just west of the Phoenix Convention Center in Heritage Square. The restaurant itself is small, but their wood-fired ovens and homemade mozzarella cheese are worth the wait in line.
For American fare, try the District American Kitchen & Wine Bar (320 N. 3rd St., www.districtrestaurant.com) for bacon-wrapped dates with chive cream cheese and maple syrup, Georges Bank scallops, Hudson Valley duck breast, and huckleberry bread pudding sundae. Enjoy live music Tuesday through Thursday.
