In the Bowl, one of Capitols Hill’s best Thai restaurants and one of Seattle’s best restaurants in general is located in a district that’s filled with some of my favorite places to eat or grab a drink, Olive Way. I’ve been to this restaurant a half dozen times, each time expecting more and more from the food and the service. And each time I have been rewarded, this place never ceases to cool the burning desire for excellent Thai food in a city filled with Thai restaurants all purporting to have the best food around. This place truly has it. And the best part is In the Bowl is a vegetarian establishment.

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If you find yourself in the illustrious, yuppie city of Scottsdale, Arizona, then you already know that it is posh at its finest. The city typically fashions itself after Beverly Hills, California, however, it is void of a beachfront. At the same time, the city of Scottsdale hosts some of the finest restaurants in the country, some of the most luxurious, and signature shopping centers, and is also home to one of the best sushi joints you will ever find, Stingray Sushi in South Scottsdale, Arizona!

The place is set just south of Camelback Rd—a major thoroughfare through the city, right off 2nd street. It is tucked away, but the decadent patio that sits street side is the easiest way to find this sushi eatery. Once you walk in you will see a really nice bar to the left, and plenty of seating to the right, as well as a sushi bar. The interior is dimly lit and romantic, featuring rustic Japanese artworks and bronze statues.

The presentation at this place is one of a kind.

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The Long Wongs restaurants in the state of Arizona have a rich history in this region, and have become world famous for hosting some of the best chicken wings that can be found in the world afar. There are still numerous locations spread throughout the state, some franchise and others that are privately owned. When at Long Wongs, two things are known to be fact: you will drink great beer, and you will enjoy the best damn chicken wings that your tongue will ever taste; seriously!

The main theme at most Long Wongs is dive-bar feeling, and even though they may not look the most presentable inside, once you taste their wings you are hooked for good. However, contrary to the prevalence of this theme, there is one location that sets the par for the course and is indeed the best Long Wongs in the Valley!

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If you head to the southern part of Scottsdale, Arizona, which is now referred to by the locals as Old Town Scottsdale, the cross streets of Miller Road and Camelback Road, on the southeast side, will lead you to a hopping sports bar and grill called Zipps. They serve all sorts of food, burgers beers and offer plenty to do including more than fifty TVs blaring different sporting events, and plenty of great draft beers on tap, as well billiards, darts shuffleboard and more!

They serve a few premium beers on tap as well. Including Blue Moon, which can be bought during happy hour for about $6 per thirty two ounce serving; not a bad deal at all. They also make most mix drinks, and they serve coffee, iced tea and soft drinks. But the main theme at Zipps is their famous burgers.

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Take the 260 East from Payson and head into the White Mountains in Northern Arizona and you will soon find yourself nearing the historical Highway 373. Dubbed by many as the “Road to Nowhere” because it is one of the few highways in the country that dead ends as it leads up the White Mountains. But, stay on this historical Highway 373 for long enough and you will find yourself in Greer, Arizona, on Main St. Take Main St. a few clicks east up the side of the mountain and look to your right and you will find the Molly Butler Lodge, and the Molly Butler Bar and Grill.

The Location
This location is very historical. Molly Butler was actually one of the first bar and grills that officially opened in the state of Arizona, and is the longest running establishment of its kind in the state, that has not changed names or closed. In fact, the Molly Butler has been open since 1910, which is nearly for a hundred years now.

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If you find yourself in the East Valley of Arizona for a night out on the town during the weekends, or even the weekdays, there is one older, live music venue that has got you covered. The Stray Cat Bar and Grill features a decent menu, seating for nearly 200 patrons, and offers live music seven days per week. Generally speaking, they charge about a five dollar cover to get in the door, but that means that you can enjoy five or more bands playing that night, for about a dollar per band, and there are always drink and food specials.

The food is decent: your run of the mill bar food with a bit of flare. I recommend their cheeseburger sliders, they cost about seven bucks and are delicious, and some of the better bar sliders that you will have. Pitchers of beer range from seven to ten dollars, depending upon whether they are domestic or import, and the place offers a shuffleboard table and several billiard tables in the back.

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Tempe Marketplace is a brand new, master planned, outdoor shopping mall that is literally enormous. Spanning nearly two square miles and sitting in between the 101 Free North and 202 Freeway West, on the Tempe and Scottsdale border in Arizona. Tempe Marketplace is a huge mall that host hundreds of stores and some damn good, signature restaurants. If you happen upon this mall, check out Lucille’s Barbeque and Smokehouse, which is literally smoking hot, has plenty of great eats on the menu, and offers traditional, country cooking and barbeque at its very best!

When you walk into Lucille’s you will notice that the place is very Southern, and the hospitality and customer services matches par with the traditional Southern fervor. Even the paintings on the wall, the lamps on the tables, and the plates and glasses that they serve food and drink in are very traditional Southern. The place is best known for their massive menu of all things country BBQ.

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If you find yourself in downtown Tempe, Arizona, and no matter what night of the week it is, and you love live music, then there is one club that is certainly going to appease your senses: The Last Exit Bar and Grill. Located off Southern, this hopping club hosts the hottest bands in the state, offers a decent bar menu of good grub and eats, and has some pretty damn decent drink specials and selections that you can choose from. You can visit them online HERE – and see what they have on the calendar for this week, should you be in the area and are looking for something to do.

When you walk into the Last Exit, you will notice that there is really nothing special at all about their location; they are kind of dug into the back of a complex that really hides an awesome club, and if you did not know that it was there, you could easily drive by the place unknowingly.

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Located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, conveniently close to many of the hangover-inducing establishments around roadway, Saley ha always been able to deliver excellent crepes day in and day out. Whether you need a little medicine for your night of binge drinking or are looking for a cute, quaint, and very reasonably priced bite to eat, Saley has it all.

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One of the city’s best Japanese Izakaya’s is Wann, located in Belltown on Second Street and Lenora. I had the pleasure of dining here about a week ago and was thoroughly impressed with the atmosphere, excellent service, wonderful entrée and appetizer selection, and very reasonable happy hour prices. If you’re looking for great sushi after work or even a comfy, culturally authentic restaurant to bring a date to, Wann is your place. It’s close proximity to downtown Seattle really makes it an excellent choice no matter where you’re headed in town.

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