Phoenix Arizona Hot Spots
September 17, 2008 – 1:28 am
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Traveling In Our Fabulous World – Plenty of Bright Spots in Phoenix
After leaving West Hollywood, a place we told you about in two recent columns, we drove to Phoenix, where the weather was HOT. In the daytime it was 115, but at night it cooled down — to around 110!
We checked into the Arizona Sunburst Inn, 6245 N. 12th Place (800-974-1474, www.azsunburst.com), which is convenient to all of the major gay bars and businesses. The inn was sold about a year and a half ago, and Tim and James have remodeled and really changed the decor and ambiance. They have done a wonderful job, and they are great hosts, making you feel like you belong.
The room furniture is very masculine. All rooms face the swimming pool, and they also have a Jacuzzi. Breakfast is ready in the morning whenever you want it. The inn has Wi-Fi for guests and a public computer for those who did not bring a laptop with them. They offer clothing-optional sunbathing and spa. This is the only place to stay when visiting Phoenix!
There are dozens and dozens of restaurants in Phoenix, but one of our favorites is Marcellino Ristorante, 1301 E. Northern Ave. (602-216-0004, www.marcellinoristorante.com), which has to be one of the finest Italian restaurants we have had the pleasure of dining in. If you want true Italian cooking in an exciting atmosphere with servers who are the best, then dine there. The owners, Sima and Marcellino Verzino, are as good as they get. Marcellino is the chef, and his beyond-fabulous wife, Sima, is the hostess who really is the mostest! Call for reservations.
You can’t dine at the same restaurant every day, so try Ticoz at 5114 N. Seventh St. (602-200-0160, www.ticozofarizona.com,).To say that it is wonderful is an understatement. Chef Holly creates the finest entrees and desserts. Ticoz has a great ambiance, wonderful service and the food presentation is as good as it gets. It has a great Saturday and Sunday brunch special, and the restaurant is always packed. They make some of the finest drinks in the city. Be SURE to save room for dessert. Trust us on this one.
The owners also have another restaurant not too far away — Switch, 2603 N. Central Ave. (www.switchofarizona.com). They serve wonderful food there as well. It has a completely different look about it, which is good. Way too many restaurants all look alike.
There are a lot of gay bars in Phoenix for whatever you are into. Favorite bars include Charlie’s (the cowboy bar), Amsterdam (downtown), Oz, Wild Card, and we particularly enjoyed the Kobalt at Park Central, which has a piano bar sometimes.
Besides the large bars, Phoenix also has a lot of neighborhood bars. It also has a couple of bath houses, the Flex and the Chute.
The best place to find any bar or business in Phoenix is in the Arizona Pride Guide (www.arizonaprideguide.com). This informative guide is free and covers the entire state. Go to the Web site to order one.
There are a lot of wonderful museums, galleries and shopping in the Phoenix area. The Antique Marketplace, 4025 N. 16th St., sells a wide range of antiques. Next door is the Root Seller Gallery & Apothecary, which sells a large variety of artwork, books, cards, herbs, music and more.
There are literally hundreds of arts and cultural destinations throughout greater Phoenix. The Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Avenue, (www.phxart.org) has an outstanding collection of more than 17,000 works of American, Asian, European, Latin American, Western American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. Its popular exhibitions feature artists such as Rembrandt, Norman Rockwell, Annie Leibovitz and Monet. The internationally acclaimed Heard Museum downtown ( 2301 N. Central Ave., www.heard.org) is one of the best places to experience the myriad cultures and art of Native Americans of the Southwest.
Phoenix is surrounded by many suburb cities, and our favorite is Tempe. It is the home of Arizona State University and is one of the most progressive cities in the nation. Check out its Web site at vibranttempe.com and click on “LGBT in Tempe.” The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has its international headquarters at Taliesin West in Scottsdale, and tours are conducted daily. The foundation was established in 1940 as the repository of the life work of Wright.
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