(flickr) We went to Hanny's on Saturday night. It is aesthetically nice, as is the standard Phoenix manner of modernist restaurants. It is in an old department store and keeps some of that feel by having old designer names
on the walls. The food wasn't that great, there was fried onions on everything, including the salad, which was odd. The menu is also limited and focused more on gourmet pizza than sandwiches. I suspect the place is good for happy hour, but not so great for dinner or lunch. Considering it is the same folks as who run AZ88 it was disappointing. AZ88 is way better in menu and feel.
(flickr) Postinos is a wine bar and restaurant best known for its bruschetta. It has a big porch and in typical Phoenix style, a modernist design with large windows that open the entire restaurant up to the elements. Postinos is from the same group of restaurants as La Grande Orange, Radio Milano and Chelsea's Kitchen. It was originally a post office; hence its name. It is one of my favorite restaurants in Phoenix; I go there often.
Read
a review of Postinos on
Phoenix Eats Out.
The Valley Ho is a mid-century modernist hotel in Scottsdale, that is kind of inversely hip for its very 60s decor and culture. The Valley Ho has a good breakfast restaurant in the Cafe ZuZu, it also has a large and sprawling bar lounge which is good for having a few drinks and catching up.
(flickr) The Valley Ho is a mid-century modernist hotel in Scottsdale, that is kind of inversely hip for its very 60s decor and culture. The Valley Ho has a good breakfast restaurant in the Cafe ZuZu, it also has a large and sprawling bar lounge which is good for having a few drinks and catching up.
Previous Valley Ho photograph.
Before we headed off to the Origins Symposium we ate dinner at La Bocca, a new wine bar come pizza/sandwich place on Mill Ave in Tempe. Mill Ave backs on to ASU so is usually pretty lively but doesn't have the upscale bars or restaurants of Scottsdale. This seems to be trying to bridge that gap between student poverty and loutishness; and Scottsdale wealth and champagne drunkeness.
(flickr)
We went to
Coup Des Tartes last night for dinner. It is set in a house with an outdoor seating area. The cramped nature of the 50's style house reminded me of the restaurants in Kurmond, Kurrajong and other parts of the Blue Mountains. Far is more traditional than the light style of the modernist Phoenix restaurants. I had lamb shank. The food was excellent. Not a restaurant I would go to every week or fortnight but certainly one adding to the longer cycles.
Go here when you want breakfast, brunch or a casual dinner.
The Daily Dose leans toward the tavern or pub side of feel and presentation. The food is more pubbish than restaurant and there is a strong selection of drinks of all kinds.
Also consider The Vig
Experience When you enter the Daily Dose it is like entering a long cave. It is dimly lit. There is a long bar, high tables and booths as well as a small patio out the front. The food is like a pub menu but upscale. The Daily Dose has a very good breakfast and brunch menu.
Patio There is a small patio out the front with about eight tables or so. The patio fronts onto Scottsdale Rd.
Parking There is no parking unique to the Daily Dose but there is plenty of parking down Main St heading east.
Website The Daily Dose does not appear to have its own website.
Map In Old Town Scottsdale just south of Indian School. North of the garishly pink Sugar Bowl and just to the south of the Starbucks on the east side. The Daily Dose is kind of tucked away so keep an eye for it when you are going there for the first time. The patio is probably the easiest way to spot it.
Go here when you want to have a casual dinner with friends or when you are downtown.
Maizies Cafe is a good place to catch a quick bite. It has a nice atmosphere and pleasant staff. There is a mix of seating; high chairs, bar area, lounges and cafe tables and chairs. The food is good and there is a strong selection of drinks.
Also consider Postinos on Central or
Lisa G's
Experience Maizies has a nice atmosphere and pleasant staff. There is a mix of seating; high chairs, bar area, lounges and cafe tables and chairs. The food is good and there is a strong selection of drinks.
Patio Maizies has a large patio area with cafe like tables and seating.
Parking There is not much parking around Maizies and it can be difficult to find a spot. There are about fifteen spaces in front of Maizies and the next strip mall to the south has about the same number. Behind there is apartments with tow-away signs. It tends to be luck that offers up a parking space.
Website Maizie's Cafe & Bistro Menu No link.
Map Maizie's Cafe just south of Camelback on Central.
Go here when there is a long wait at Postino's and you have already handed your car over to the valet service.
Radio Milano is the red-headed step child of the group of restaurants on 40th and Campbell. Undeservedly as it has good food and is a nice atmosphere.
Also consider Postino's on Campbell,
Chelsea's Kitchen and
The Vig.
Experience Radio Milano is the most restaurant-like of the restaurants grouped around 40th St and Campbell. Rather than being a winebar and cafe, or a pizzeria and deli, it is a sit down meal with plate entrees restaurant.
Patio Radio Milano does not have a patio.
Parking The area in and around Le Grand Orange, Postino and Radio Milano is sparse on parking. Radio Milano has a valet service which is the easiest way to park. There is small parking area to the east of Radio Milano but you will be lucky to get a parking spot there. It fills quickly and can only hold about fifteen cars. It is also very tight and there is not much room. Le Grande Orange has a parking area in front of it but that is nearly always full. In off-peak times there is parking at Postino as well.
Website Radio Milano Menu Radio Milano Menu [pdf warning] Map On the north west corner of 40th and Campbell.
Most Popular on South Sea Republic
The articles that have been viewed the most:
Most Popular Restaurants in Phoenix
Phoenix Eats Out is the restaurant review site for
Phoenix,
Scottsdale and
Old Town Scottsdale which lists the modernist and contemporary restaurants, taverns and bars in the greater Phoenix area.
This is the list of the most popular restaurants pages from phoenixeatsout.com that have been viewed the most;
My personal favourite restaurants in Phoenix are
AZ88,
Postinos,
Bomberos with
Grazie,
Humble Pie,
Orange Table,
The Vig,
Fez and others coming close behind. View the complete list with the photo-journalistic style images on
phoenixeatsout.com
Most Popular Hikes in Arizona
Arizona is an outdoor state and has lots of hiking in the city and around the state. Phoenix is unusual for most cities in having several large mountains in the center of the city with great hiking. Anyone who comes to Phoenix has to do the
Echo Canyon trail on Camelback and the
Summit Hike on Squaw Peak or Piesta Peak. The views of the city, suburbs and surrounding mountains are wonderful from Camelback and Piesta Peak.
For more experienced hikers there is the McDowell Mountains in North Scottsdale that has several difficult and strenuous hikes in
Tom's Thumb and
Bell Pass. Alternatively, you can hike the highest mountain in Arizona. At 12,600 feet
Humphrey's Peak is a long and difficult hike.
Alternate Australian Constitutions
Between 2004 and 2009 this site,
southsearepublic.org, was a constitutional blog based on scoop which focused on Australian and global constitutional issues.
One of the strongest aspects of it was the development of constitutions by those involved in the blog. These constitutions are the outcome:
The constitutions were built using principles from Montesquieu's separation of powers, the enlightnment's universal political rights and the ancient Athenian technology of sortition and choice by lot.
Archives For South Sea Republic
South Sea Republic started in 2004 as an Australian constitutional blog in 2004 based on scoop software. It was an immigrative outgrowth of Kuro5hin. The archives for each year since then;
The articles are ordered by views.
Who Is Cam Riley
I am an Australian living in the United States as a permanent resident.
I am a software developer by trade and mostly work in Java and jump between middleware and front end.
I originally worked in the New York area of the United States in telecommunications before moving to Washington DC and
working in a mix of telecommunications, energy and ITS. I started my own software company before heading out to
Arizona and working with Shutterfly. Since then I have joined a startup in the Phoenix area and am thoroughly enjoying myself.
I do a lot of photography which I post on this website, but also on flickr. I have a photo-journalistic website which lists
the modernist and contemporary restaurants in phoenix. I have a site on the
Australian Flying Corps [AFC] which has been around since the 1990s and which I unfortunately
lost the .org URL to during a life event; however, it is under the
www.australianflyingcorps.com URL now.
The AFC website has gone through several iterations since the 90s and the two most recent are
Australian Flying Corps Archives(2004-2002) and
Australian Flying Corps Archives(2002-1999) which are good places to start.
Websites Worth Reading
Websites of friends, colleagues and of interest;
