With the beginning of a new month come new restaurants to spice up your night out. Whether you want hot dogs, ice cream or a unique drink, the newest establishments are here to cater to you. Here are the youngest downtown places to get some grub:
Arturo’s Diner
Where: 924 E. Roosevelt St. (10th and Roosevelt streets)
Hours: Sunday-Thursday: 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; Friday/Saturday: 5 p.m.-12 a.m.
Menu: rooseveltdiner.com
Pricing: Averages $5-$10 per item
Arturo Garcia has been serving hot dogs in parts of downtown Phoenix for almost 30 years. Now he’s taking his dog-making enterprise to what used to be to Roosevelt Diner, also remembered as Welcome Diner’s original location. Garcia is originally from Hermosillo, Mexico, which he has dubbed the “Sonoran hot dog capital.” With time living in Chicago as well, Garcia knows a thing or two about hot dogs. Another secret to the new joint’s menu: Every hotdog, from the “L.A. Giant” to the “Nothing New York,” is based on a dog Garcia and his wife, Mara, ate in that city. Dedication, my friends.
Lacuna Kava Bar
Where: 821 N. Third St. (Third and Garfield streets)
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday/Saturday: 10 a.m.-12 a.m.; Sunday: 10 a.m.-8 p.m
Menu: www.lacunakavabar.com/menu
Price: $4-$10
This is not your average bar. For starters, this 18-and-up establishment serves no alcohol, so rejoice, my underage Arizona State University students. The signature drink, Kava tea, comes from the root of a Polynesian shrub. It’s still a popular drink in Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga and Hawaii. The drink produces a mellow and relaxing buzz lasting a few hours. Drink it with coffee. Drink it with pineapple juice. Get it frozen in a kava colada. Bula!
Monroe’s Hot Chicken
Where: 45 West Jefferson St. (First Avenue and Jefferson Street)
Hours: Monday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.’
Menu: www.monroeshotchicken.com
Price: $10-$14 for a main plate
According to the Arizona Republic, Monroe’s Hot Chicken will focus exclusively on Nashville-style spicy chicken. They’re not kidding about spicy, either. According to the menu, you’ll have to sign a waiver before selecting their hottest option, appropriately called “What the Cluck!” Larry “LoLo” White, owner of the LoLo’s Chicken & Waffles chain of restaurants, is spearheading this new endeavor, which is already receiving glowing (or should we say … searing?) reviews.
Coming soon:
Fatty Daddy’s
Where: 888 N. First Ave. (First Avenue and Roosevelt Street)
Hours: TBD
Menu: fattydaddys.com (Scottsdale location)
Although details are still up in the air, it’s confirmed this Scottsdale-based gourmet ice cream parlor is planning a Phoenix expansion this spring. Serving photogenic scoops, macarons and cookies straight from an Instagram page, Fatty Daddy’s also prides itself on its (almost famous) Cookie Cups. One thing’s for sure: Roosevelt will be getting a little sweeter.
Contact the reporter at Rebecca.Spiess@asu.edu.
