Rail Life Pic Of The Week – The Wet Spot is a post from: Rail Life

So, I shot this pic back in mid-March at a place many of you have probably visited.

Anyone know what the name of the bar was in mid-March or what the name of the place is today?

Hint: Some of you might be shocked to know that the place recently changed their name…

Remember, Rail Life has a Phoenix Light Rail Group on Flickr. Basically, we want to share some of our pictures from the community and allow people to add their pics (or videos), as well. These can be light rail related, but we also want pics or videos of your favorite spot, restaurant, sports team, community, event etc.

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Uno Mas Margarita Por Favor is a post from: Rail Life

I don’t know a lot of Spanish, just a few words. I can count to 10, and I know a couple of phrases that really have no gentlemanly value to them, but I have been known to say an enthusiastic, uno mas margarita, por favor! on occasion.

When I heard the news from our friends at the city of Tempe that Loco Patron is coming to Mill Avenue, I thought, muy bueno!

From the press release, I read that Loco Patron has leased nearly 5000 square feet of space on the ground floor of the Tempe Gateway building. Yep, the very same building where Allstate Insurance recently announced plans to take up shop. Sounds a bit ironic, doesn’t it? You know what else sounds ironic? Waste Management is moving into the same building. Waste Management and Tequila? There has to be a joke in there somewhere, right?

Being a past recipient of multiple “best of” awards for their margaritas, I think Loco Patron will fit in just fine on Mill Avenue. Being a Margarita fan, I’m certainly willing to give them a try.

“Loco Patron will take over an ideal southeast-facing location in the eight-story, 260,000-square-foot Tempe Gateway building at the corner of Third and Mill, adjacent to the Tempe Light Rail stop. The restaurant will feature a sports bar as well as a patio bar where customers will be able to enjoy Loco Patron’s award-winning cocktails and Mexican fare.” – City of Tempe

How cool is this location for a Margarita joint? Seriously, it’s a few feet from the light rail station on Mill Avenue at the northwestern corner of Mill and Third Streets. Pretty cool.

For the past several years, there has been somewhat of a void between the lake and the Mill Avenue District. With this year’s re-opening of the Flour Mill where we will see special events, and with the new outdoor patio and bar coming to Monti’s in the near future, the “transition” between the lake and Mill is getting better and better.

With a projected opening of “early Fall 2012” for Loco Patron, along with a new bar / patio at the Casa Vieja, Canteen Modern Tequila, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, and Restaurant Mexico all rockin’ Mill Avenue, I think it’s a good time to say… “uno mas margarita, por favor!”

Margarita pic by Kim Wood

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Desert Eagle Brewing Coming To – Mesa is a post from: Rail Life

Downtown Mesa is getting a microbrewery and it will be open before the end of the summer. Yes, really.

Desert Eagle Brewing Company is said to open by July of  2012, which is a few years before trains will be heading past their location at 150 West Main Street. Desert Eagle will join Four Peaks, Dave’s Electric Brew and The Phoenix Ale Brewery as brewers located close to the light rail line. Sleepy Dog on University (east of McClintock) is another close one, but it’s a bit of a hike even if it is a really cool place. The light rail line is becoming a real destination for some serious beer action.

Once the light rail line opens in Mesa in 2016, Desert Eagle will be conveniently located between two stations. The closest stations will be at Country Club and at Center Street, each will be just a short trip no matter how you slice it.

I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again in the future, but the new Mesa section of the light rail line has a TON of potential. Anyone that knows anything about transit oriented development knows that this part of town is perfectly situated for transit riders. And, quite possibly, for beer drinkers.

“The 4,000-square-foot establishment will have room for 49 patrons in a tasting room. A beer garden along Main Street will seat about 50 people.”

A beer garden along Main Street in Mesa. My, how times are changing. Studies and discussions with residents and business owners have determined that this area is a great fit for a brewery.

When they open, Desert Eagle will have two or three of it’s own brews along with some other craft beers.

How ironic that we hear of the opening of Mesa’s first microbrewery on the same weekend of the Great AZ Beer Festival in Tempe.

For beer lovers in the Valley, life is getting better all the time…

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Have You had An Ncounter On Mill Yet? is a post from: Rail Life

Ncounter on Mill Avenue has been open just shy of two weeks and has already become a huge hit with a LOT of people. Yes, I am definitely one of those people. In fact, I have been to Ncounter the last two days in a row and can tell you that the place serves up some mighty fine grub. Check out this grilled cheese sandwich called the Melt Down. I can assure you, my photo doesn’t do it any justice. They take jack, cheddar, swiss, american and cream cheese, add jalapenos, BACON, tomato and grill it on 12 grain bread. Oh, so good for a cheese freak like me!

The Melt Down at Ncounter

Breakfast at Ncounter is something we all need to make a regular part of our lives. I know this because I have been to T.C. Eggington’s in Mesa a BUNCH of times because of their stellar food and awesome service. The people at Eggington’s are involved with Ncounter so you know they have engrained their know how of a good thing. Another reason I know the breakfast at Ncounter rocks is because I have just about drooled over the plates of food I have seen this week. The pics on their web site also tell a pretty sweet story. It won’t take me long to verify this, I can assure you.

In addition to my Melt Down, I have tried the focaccia roma-chicken, the natie bomb and the tuna melt. Yes, it’s good to go with some of the cool chicks from work so that you can steal mooch off of their plates. My buddy Paul had the ham stack but wasn’t gonna let me anywhere near it. :)

The rest of the menu needs to be explored a little more, as well. Smoothies, salads, omelettes, etc. all sound great. The “breakfast cocktails” part of the menu hasn’t gone unnoticed, either. ( Bloody Marys, Mimosas and more )

Oh, they have coffee and pastries, too. The red velvet cupcake really doesn’t suck. My friend Bill ordered one yesterday when we were there and I had to snag a taste. Nothing says manly like two dudes sharing a red velvet cupcake, right?

Located at 310 S Mill Avenue, Ncounter is one of the most light rail friendly locations along the line. In fact, it’s directly across from the light rail station at 3rd and Mill, you can’t miss it. If driving to Mill, you can park in the garage just West of Ncounter or on Mill OR in the parking lot on the East side of the road.

Having a good breakfast and lunch spot is something many people have been wanting for a long time, and from the crowd I saw at lunch today, it looks like this place is going to do just fine.

Once the weather breaks again, I am pretty sure we will be organizing some more “hikes” up A Mountain. For those of you unfamiliar with the drill, we meet at what was once Mill’s End Coffee and is now the MUCH improved NCounter, and then hike A Mountain with a bunch of friends. I’m pretty jazzed to have a cool spot to hang out with friends.

More info:

See Ncounter on Facebook:

310 South Mill Avenue – Southwest corner Mill and 3rd St

Tempe, AZ 85281

Ph: 480.968.9288

Hours: Monday – Sunday 7am – 3:05pm

I have added Ncounter to our “Light Rail Drinks” map which shows cool places for a drink or a cup of coffee. Seems like a good fit. :)

View Light Rail Drinks in a larger map

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The DawgFather Grill – It’s Good To Be The King is a post from: Rail Life

So, I found another great place to eat along the line recently. If you haven’t been to The DawgFather Grill, you are missing out.

While at The DawgFather, I met Chef Arty and learned about his love for what he does, his awesome culinary history and about this very cool little hotdog joint.

Have you ever wanted to be the “King of Dawgs” in your neighborhood? Do you think you can eat 5 1/2 pounds of hotdog goodness? You have GOT to check out the King of Dawgs food challenge!

Here’s the deal. To be the King of Dawgs, you have to eat this monstrosity that is oh-so-good but oh- so-ridiculous that no one has been able to conquer, yet.  Take a huge 24” french baguette and pile on SIX 1/4 pound dogs ( that’s 1.5 lbs, if you are counting ), add 1 pound of grilled steak, 1/2 pound of grilled peppers and onions, 1/2 pound of cheese sauce and throw in a pound of tater tots for fun. Now, sit down and try to tackle this beast in a half an hour to become the King of Dawgs. Watch this short video below to hear chef Arty explain the contest and talk about your winnings. Don’t forget, if you finish in 1/2 hour (without hurling) the meal is FREE! So far, 7 people have tried and seven people have failed!

The DawgFather Grill serves up  New Your style dawgs, cheese-steaks, burgers and italian beef. The food is good, the people are nice and the place is cool. You need to check em’ out!

Located near the light rail station at Central and Camelback, the DawgFather  Grill is easy to get to from anywhere along the line. For now, they are talking about allowing people to bring in their own beer and wine. How fun would that be? BIG thanks to my good friend Kerry for meeting me at the DawgFather for lunch this week! :)

View Light Rail Drinks in a larger map

See what the New Times had to say about the DawgFather.

You might as well check out the DawgFather Facebook page, too…

To get a feel for what you will be up against, check out the video below of one man trying to become the King of Dawgs. It’s cool to see cameo appearances by local friends Jose 602 and Ninky! :)

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Tempe Tavern Set To Open May 6th is a post from: Rail Life

I remember it well… My friend Shane and I were standing on the platform of the light rail station at McClintock and Apache in early 2010, looking at a “For Lease” sign. Of course, we had some great ideas for that space and hoped someone would do something really cool with it. Just a short time went by and I saw a new sign, one where the City of Tempe had posted a Public Hearing Notice for the Tempe Tavern.  The hearing date was to happen on March 2, 2010, it sounded like a good fit, to me.

After the painstaking wait of over a year, the new Tempe Tavern is opening tomorrow, May 6, 2011. Last week, I stopped by with my friend Jack and spoke with Rob Tasso who is opening the tavern. Rob told us of some of the cool things planned and showed us around the building. The building has been nicely renovated, permits are in place, they are ready to start serving food and the beer taps are ready to rock.

Without a doubt, the Tempe Tavern is convenient for light rail riders.  They are located directly across from the station, it’s about as close as you can get. I wonder if they will have super fast service for people trying to time the trains. Heck, if you have 15-20 minutes between a train on the weekends, you probably have plenty of time on a hot summer day to throw back a frosty cool one! :)

The Tempe Tavern is located in the historic White Dairy Barn property built by E.M. White in 1918. and is the only known river cobble building remaining in Tempe.  Their street address is 1810 East Apache.

Expect to find reasonably priced pints on tap ranging from $2 to $3-$4 craft beers and more. Rumor has it that Rail Life and crew will be there from 4-6 pm for an opening day happy hour. You should join us!

This week is kind of a “soft opening” that will be followed up with a grand opening party in the coming weeks. We’ve been told that the live music will begin in another week or two. We will try to keep up with the upcoming events and let you know what we hear, but you might want to check out the Tempe Tavern Facebook page for more details.

The owner is nice, the place is ready and the location is convenient. Check em’ out, they are cool!

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Rail Life Pic Of The Week – Keep On Truckin’ is a post from: Rail Life

Have you checked out food truck Friday’s yet? For the past few months, there have been food trucks gathering at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market bringing a bunch of good food at reasonable prices.

The trucks set up in the parking lot at the Market and kind of surround an area where tables and chairs are set up for people to sit. It’s a cool way for people living, working and studying downtown to meet and grab some lunch with friends.

The Downtown Phoenix Public Market is located at Central and Pierce which is just a few blocks south of the light rail station at Central and Roosevelt or just a few blocks north of the light rail station(s) at Van Buren / 1st Avenue and Central. ( see the light rail map below )

The food trucks set up each Friday between 11am and 1pm.

Remember, Rail Life has a Phoenix Light Rail Group on Flickr. Basically, we want to share some of our pictures from the community and allow people to add their pics (or videos), as well. These can be light rail related, but we also want pics or videos of your favorite spot, restaurant, sports team, community, event etc.

View Phoenix Valley METRO Light Rail in a larger map

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Vitamin Train Arrives at CityScape is a post from: Rail Life

Today is the grand opening of Vitamin T at CityScape in Phoenix. Originally scheduled to open last month, Vitamin T has arrived. Their style is authentically good grub served up with authentically good spirits. I have called Vitamin T a hole in the wall in a great location. The place is small and doesn’t have much room to sit but it is definitely one to put on your “I need to check it out” list.

OK, now that it is on your list of places to try, here’s some more good news. You can try it for FREE! Yep, Vitamin T is giving away a free taco this Friday, December 3rd. Yesterday, our friends at the Downtown Phoenix Journal announced the Vitamin T VIP promotion where they will be giving away 100 items per hour THIS FRIDAY. Check the DPJ site for complete details. Hint: Make sure you like Vitamin T on Facebook!

We got a sneak peak at the place recently and thought the menu ( and food ) was really good. Since they open today, you might want to change your lunch or dinner plans to go and give them a try. You don’t have to wait until tomorrow! Check out these tacos in the pic below.

What the heck do vitamins have to do with a Mexican food restaurant? You’ll have to get the full scoop from Vitamin T but I have a pretty good idea. On the menu you will find tacos, tortas and tamales. In addition to these are a few other selections, I might suggest a Sonoran Dog which is wrapped in bacon and combined with some other great stuff.

Vitamin T is located at 1 E Washington Street at CityScape which is near multiple light rail stations and is very easy to get to via METRO.

If tacos, tortas and tamales don’t do it for you, maybe the Vitamin T in the pic below will float your boat! :)

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Dave’s Electric Brew Serving Up A Treat is a post from: Rail Life

So, this weekend is going to be jam packed with a ton of great stuff to do. Halloween is coming and the Devil’s are back for a much needed home game. If you want to really kick off your weekend with a lot of social fun, we suggest heading over to Dave’s Electric Brewpub this Friday night for the best happy hour in town. Not only can you get $3 pints, cheap drink specials and 1/2 off of their happy hour food prices but the one and only Mr. JackAlert is going to be guest bartending! Yep, it’s true! If you follow the fun truck around the valley, you know that Jack drives it. The dude just knows how to rock the RailLife party scene!

Hop on the light rail this Friday and exit at the Sun Devil Stadium station. Dave’s is just south of the Veterans Way and College light rail stop on the corner of 5th and College. Join Rail Life, Jack Smith and the cool crew at Dave’s Electric Brewpub this Friday from 4-7pm for a scary good time!

WHEN: Friday, October 29th from 4-7pm

WHERE: Dave’s Electric Brewpub: 502 S College

WHY: It’s all about a good time!

View Light Rail Drinks in a larger map

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Canteen Modern Tequila Bar Opening On Mill Ave is a post from: Rail Life

Canteen Modern Tequila Bar is opening this Thursday at 9:00PM in the expanding Mill Avenue District. I have been watching the news about what is going on and am looking forward to being there on Thursday to check the place out. I hope you’ll join me! Canteen is the creation of Mill Avenue restaurateur, Julian Wright who is behind another Mill Avenue favorite, La Bocca Pizzeria.

Julian knows Mill Avenue, and he appears to know what people are looking for in this Modern Tequila Bar creation of his. Serving up some of their unique Mexican dishes, the menu is designed to impress and make it hard for anyone to choose what to order. Speaking of choices, Canteen is said to be bringing 120 (maybe more?) tequilas and several choices of luscious margaritas to enjoy.

Located at the southwest corner of Mill and 6th Street (640 S Mill Ave) where other businesses have failed, Canteen is attempting to bring something unique and classic to the table. From what I hear, Canteen will have a modern-rustic look and feel to go with it’s one of a kind menu. One of the great additions to this space that previous occupants didn’t utilize is the addition of a large patio area that will be a great gathering spot for the tequila sipping ( or shooting ) crowds. Seriously, who in these parts doesn’t like tequila and tacos?

Speaking of crowds, I’m sure the Fall opening of the Centerpoint Towers doesn’t bother the folks at Canteen one bit. As Mill Avenue continues to make changes and as new businesses come and go, it will be interesting to see which ones thrive in the Mill Avenue District.

What: Grand Opening, Canteen Modern Tequila Bar

Where: 640 S Mill Avenue

When: Thursday, October 7th at 9:00PM

Why: Tequila

While many say the economy can only handle so many upscale establishments in a college town, there are others that are pretty happy that Julian is going to give it a shot…