J seth "Johnny Awesome" A.'s Profile

How have I not yet reviewed Bliss/reBar. I suck.
But Bliss/reBAR doesn't. I have spent many a happy, drunken night here. Amazing patio, food is great, a drink specials. You get 20% off your bill every Wednesday night! Sometimes music is hit or miss. Friday night the DJ was fantastic, I would have stayed all night just to listen to the stuff he was playing.

I'm a historic preservation advocate so I love the adaptive reuse of the houses the bar and restaurant are in.

I crave the eggplant sandwich and the pretzel bread with those delightful dipping sauces. Bottom line, I'm a fan and this is a solid neighborhood bar and restaurant.

Oh yeah... The Strand is a keeper. I expected it to be good, but after I was done with the veggie pizza my eyes rolled to the back of my head and I felt like I needed a cigarette. It was that orgasmic.

All the restaurants along 1st Street are phenomenal, and the Strand fits in nicely. Fantastic, high quality food at very reasonable prices, friendly service in a unique, urban atmosphere. And praise be to whatever deity you believe in that this place is 1) open past 5 pm AND 2) open on Sundays.

I can't wait to go back.

Wonderful fit for Mill Ave considering there was no other breakfast option. Tables were close together and could be easily pushed together in the event you have an encounter (get it!) with a stranger and want to become better acquainted. The restaurant was well staffed with friendly people striking up conversations and answering questions.
Plus the food was terrific. (It reminded me a lot of Local Breeze: fresh, local, healthy.) The coffee is local and comes from Press Coffee. Delicious and it comes with free refills. They also had a large assortment of baked goods and I'm pretty sure I saw someone with a mimosa. I welcome NCounter to Mill Ave and wish them nothing but the best.

Why am I just now discovering this store!? I've looked high and low for a vintage clothing store that carries guy clothes and I was unable to find anything with a large selection of clothes that actually fit. And that are also freakin' cool!

I got a ton of awesome shirts (that fit!) from the 60s and 70s and some bow ties (since I'm totally into bow ties right now). I want to spend my entire Saturday there. I can't wait to go back again and again and again. I love this store.

This place has been in the works on Mill forever and it's finally open!! Hooray!!
The sign on the door says, "We do a-maize-ing things with Popcorn" and that is no lie!
They had a variety of sizes and a large selection of popcorn like: chocolate and peanut butter, cookies and cream, churro, caramel, toasted almond, and my favorite, toasted coconut. I inhaled that little bag as if my life depended on it.

AND while I haven't confirmed with anyone at Madcap Theaters, I was told by one of the people working at Poppa Maize that Madcap will allow people to buy popcorn at Poppa Maize and take it into the theater. Goodbye disgusting movie theater popcorn! It's all about toasted coconut from now on when I see a show.
I wrote in a previous Yelp review that in 2008 the south side of Mill basically died. But now there is new life opening in and around the Centerpoint towers. Finally.
Kudos to Poppa Maize for bringing their business and product to Tempe.

I've lived in Tempe for a long time and I've seen lots or restaurants come and go. I feel like the south end of Mill Ave is finally emerging from the icy grip of the Great Recession. (Remember, that part of Mill pretty much died in 2007-2008.) I'm happy to see new things bringing activity north of 6th Street.

And it's a pizza/beer place with a psychedelic theme: graffiti art adorns the walls, the mascot is a mushroom, and all the names of desserts are double entendres. Tempe IS a college town and Mellow Mushroom will do just fine for these reasons. That and they say they will be open til 2 a.m.

The beer selection was extensive, although the beer I ordered off the menu wasn't available. No biggie. There were lots more to choose from.

I split a 10'' veggie pizza and it was loaded with veggies (and even tofu). I liked the dough, it's made with molasses so it has that darker flavor. The cinnamon sugar pretzels were great too. I took some home and they heated up just fine.

It's a big space and I didn't feel cramped. The windows let in a lot of light and the views are pretty nice. Service was attentive and all the workers seemed to be trained to bus tables even if they were not "their" tables. A couple different people cleared plates and filled up my water and asked if I wanted more beer.

They also have a little walk up section off 7th Street. And I liked the neon sign above the door. I don't eat a lot of pizza, but if I'm ever in the mood I'd go to Mellow Mushroom.

One of the best Yelp events I've ever been to! Loved the Science Center without any kids. (I guess I like anywhere better without kids.) Great crowd, music, drinks, food. Discounted tickets to Body Worlds?! Yes please!
Great job and a big thank you to all who organized and worked at the event.

FINALLY!!! Downtown has a flagship restaurant. There are many fantastic restaurants downtown, don't get me wrong, but to me, The Arrogant Butcher now reigns supreme.

The service was attentive and friendly, and they all looked sharp in their white shirts and skinny black ties.

I'm a fan of Fox's other restaurants and have always been impressed with the food. I had Toast, which was some kind of bread from heaven covered in brie and apples and something else delicious. Then for 6 bucks I got a beer and a shot of Jim Beam. Best happy hour downtown?? I think so.

The location couldn't be better. The patio is a fantastic addition to downtown streets. Now the city needs to develop those hideous empty lots across the street. Inside is open and airy with some areas for private parties and a huge bar.

I could go on and on about how awesome the Arrogant Butcher is. (How I love the name!!) It's modern, masculine, urban, unique, and such a welcome addition to downtown Phoenix.

A true Phoenix gem dating to 1895. And a miracle that it still stands, since Phoenix has a record of demolishing everything that makes the city unique.
You take a step back in time to a different era when you walk through the door. Affordable and worth every minute. To those who say Phoenix has no history, you're wrong.

A highlight of my trip! I even met the mayor of South Beach! Probably the best 20 bucks I spent while I was there.
I'm a historic preservationist and lover of Art Deco and I was like a kid in a candy store. I learned so much, asked a lot of questions, took a lot of pictures and met some great people. I was very impressed and it's great to see a community with so much passion for their history.
I highly recommend this tour.