OK so I feel my two years in the area have provided me with some cool experiences. So I thought I’d write what my favorite places are.

Restaraunts:

(All prices are for two people)

The Melting Pot (Ray Rd, Ahwatukee)

Fondue is awesome. If you wanna pay the big bucks, go in and get a full dinner. The Pacific Rim and the Lobster Feast are my personal favorites. (~ $150 with a few drinks)

If you want the best bang for your buck, just go in for cheese and chocolate at the bar. The cheddar cheese and the S’mores chocolate are my favorites. (~ $60 with a drink or two)

Silver Dragon (19th Ave & Dunlap)

For good ol’ Americanized chinese food, nothing beats the quality and price of Silver Dragon. They’ve got great service, great prices, and CRAB PUFFS! I like the Black Pepper Steak, and the Treasure of the Sea is pretty good to. Can never go wrong with their Orange Chicken either. (~ $25 with Crab Puffs and Soda)

Charleston’s (Ray Rd, Ahwatukee)

Great regular American food. They have a great spin on alot of standard recipes, like sandwiches, Steaks, and salads. If you want a nice dark quiet atmosphere, go in on a weeknight and get the shrimp appetizer they recommend. It kicks ass. I usually either get the Chicken Fried Steak or one of their Burgers when I go in, but I haven’t been disappointed by anything I’ve tried yet. (~ $35 with appetizer and soda)

Rustler’s Rooste (Baseline Rd, near The Mills)

A fun atmosphere high up on a hill. It’s a country-style place and its food is the closest you’ll get to driving through Texas. Great homemade biscuits, steaks, ribs, and finger foods. They even have bibs! On a Weekend, they usually have a country band playing live. I usually get the Fajita & Steak combo meal thing (forget the name) and we abuse the Margaritas the whole time. Make sure you take the slide! (~ $70 for a GOOD meal with some leftovers)

Korean BBQ (Bethany Home & 43rd Ave)

Their sushi is great, but their BBQ is fantastic. I go in there probably once a month just for my Dalk Bulkogi cravings. The staffis friendly, it’s got a nice atmosphere, and everything is very clean. Start off with a Miso Soup with some Dirty Ocean Sushi (new item ^^), then move on to their Teriyaki, Tempura, or my favorite, the Korean BBQ. Enjoy an Asahi Japanese Beer or Green Tea if you’re not into beer. Finish the whole meal off with some delicious Lychee ice cream. (~ $45 with leftovers)

Garcia’s Mexican (Peoria & 35th Ave)

I’ve sampled quite a few Mexican places since I arrived here, and Garcia’s is still my fave. I always get the Olivia Sampler and one of their topshelf margaritas. If you go there often enough and tip the way I do, they get you FUCKED up XD. The deserts are good, but I never have enough room. Start off with Espinaca Con Queso instead. (~ $35)

Streets Of New York (35th & Peoria)

Best pizza in Phoenix! They’ve got the flavor I crave (being from Jersey and all) I go in probably once a week for a frosty mug of root beer and a couple slices. Can’t go wrong with these guys. (~ $22)

Luna Pizza (Deer Valley – Loop 101 & 27th Ave)

Second best pizza in Phoenix. The owner’s actually from Jersey herself! Pick up some garlic knots and a pie if you can’t get to Streets. (~ $20)

Other Places

Hot Pink

Yes, it’s a gay night club. But there’s always girls there, and there’s always an upbeat attitude about the place. Ditch the homophobic shirtless fat guys who normally get way too drunk and start fights at your local pub and come out for some pink drinks. I’m suspicious that the bartender might only do this for some of us guys, but my Jack & Cokes have always been nice and strong and the drink prices were bargains compared to other clubs. Just DO NOT dance on the poles unless you want the kind of attention that the clientelle would imply. Learned that the hard way o.O

Myst (7340 E. Shoeman Ln, Scottsdale)

We saw George Acosta there a week or so ago and it seemed really cool. Big crowd and well-dressed bouncers. The dance floor is a little small, but the effects are really cool. Flatscreen TV’s, cool lighting, and jets of cool air surrounded us as we danced. There’s also a nice side-room where we spent awhile playing pool and being served by a friendly cocktail waitress. Suprisingly enough, the table and stick quality were pretty good. Recommended highly… and get on the list! We never woulda got in otherwise.

King Tut’s (1125 E Apache Blvd, Tempe)

If you’ve never tried hookah, you should. I’m not a huge fan of Indian food, but the appetizers I got here were pretty good. The key is the Arabic atmosphere. When you’re sitting around a giant decorative pipe with 5 friends blowing purple smoke, you wanna be sitting on colorful pillows… and that’s all there is to it.

Santisi’s (I-17 & Bell Rd)

Nice small bar. Lotsa TV’s, a great alcohol cabinet, darts, pool tables, and Killian’s on tap! XD Good prices on drinks. Go in on Thursday nights for Karaoke. (PS: the waitresses are pretty cute too)

Chilly Bombers (Bell RD & 50-something-th Ave)

Tiny place that is 60% dance floor… or at least that’s what it turns into around 1am… The Chilly Bomber as you may know is Crown & Red Bull, and that’s the place’s main drink. If you’re in the mood to dance like a goofy white guy … *pauses, looks around* … then come on in, just don’t step on any Scarface-wannabe’s shoes, cuz I’ve almost been in a few fights there with those types.