#lategram: 5 Places in the Valley with that Late Night Flow.

News Flash:  Phoenix IS NOT New York!  Shocker!!  Having said this, there are definitely some places  with "that" vibe.  Places that are good, in some cases, good ANYwhere.  Scottsdale has it's place (in the pantheon of douche-bagery). You can definitely get your "boots and pants" on at that one place: MintCakeInternationalMayaThePoolDeckattheWBlahBlahBlah. But sometimes dude/bro is NOT the call.


Merc Bar:

Merc has been keepin' it 100 for YEARS.  This was one of the first places I went to and thought "maybe this town doesn't suck so bad after all."  Great drinks in a dimly lit setting in the Camelback Corridor. Merc is a hit and has been for years!
**pro tip:  check out Merc in NYC...downtown dirty!!


Crescent Ball Room:

Concert Venue? Restaurant? Yes and Yes.  Crescent defies definition and is ever changing.  I've seen Gomez and Bombay Bicycle Club on Tuesday and Thursday and sweated it out to Biggie, Guru and EPMD on a Saturday.  Two different rooms, two different themes, food (read as epic good taco's and burritos) from the people who brought you Gallo Blanco.  Crescent is LUH-JIT!

Side Bar

House Music All Night Long!  Something different happening here nightly  but Sunday Night is about House Music and this old House-Head loves it!  Great Beer selection and cool mixed drinks plus solid late night snacks.  Side Bar is super tiny but that just makes the vibe that much better.

Hanny's

The best overall vibe of any place in the valley.  This place on Friday and Saturday night is the truth! The music, the mix of the crowd, the side of aged prosciutto ever present in the slicer...TRUTH.  Joshua spins Hip Hop, Soul, House...I dare you not to dance...even if no one else is!

AZ 88

Probably my favorite bar anywhere...yup ANYWHERE.  I am not able to be entirely rational about how much I love this place.  I don't think there has been a 3 month period in the last 12 year when I've gone without being perched on a bar stool at this Valley Institution...at least once.  Best Dirty Martini's on the planet (Tito's or Ultimate with Blue Cheese Olives) helps solidify my love for AZ.  But it's more than that.  AZ transcends race, class, and sexual orientation in a way more typical of New York, Paris, Madrid, Rome.  LOVE. THIS. PLACE.

Thanks for reading!

Doc Jay