Best New Restaurant and Best Happy Hour
Avalon
Providing a feast for the eyes and taste buds, Scottsdale’s new Avalon, a double award-winner according to our voters, dishes up Contemporary American Coastal cuisine in one of the city’s most stylish dining rooms. Seafoodies and carnivores alike will find a dish to dig into like lobster ravioli, blue crab risotto, Colorado lamb osso bucco and bacon-wrapped pork tenderloins. Avalon’s happy hour, especially, is something to write home about: Instead of greasy onion rings, the eatery’s happy hour menu features Korean barbecue spare ribs, polenta-stuffed prawns and refreshing cocktails at petite prices. 480.656.0010, www.avalon-scottsdale.com.
The Herb Box
This adorable eatery/market, with two North Scottsdale locations, boasts a hearty yet healthy lunch selection of salads, wraps and sandwiches. Out-of-this-world eats that’ll boost your midday mood include the coconut shrimp salad, the turkey, apple and Swiss cheese wrap, and the addicting sweet potato chips (you can even buy bags of these chips to go). www.herbboxcatering.com.
Most Glamorous Place to Party
Kasbah Pool Bar & Grille
Whether you want to nosh on a dozen types of fries with your sweetie or indulge in custom sips from the cocktail cart with a bunch of friends, Kasbah is a fun spot to unwind in sumptuous surroundings. 480.627.3200, www.icmontelucia.com.
Best Place to Watch the Big Game
Fox Sports Grill
With more than 50 TV’s and bar food that includes Hawaiian poke and chipotle pork sliders, Valley sports fans like to stop by The Promenade to catch their favorite team in action. 480.368.0369, www.foxsportsgrill.com.
Best Cougar Bar
Blue Martini
The people who frequent this Phoenix-based martini bar are as sleek and sexy as the drinks, like the fruity The Good Life and Fly Me to the Moon. 480.638.2583, www.bluemartinilounge.com.
Best Gay Bar
BS West
This Old Town club has long been a favorite in the Valley gay scene, thanks to amazing signature drinks and killer daily specials. Sunday- and Thursday-night karaoke is another big draw to this 22-year-old hotspot. 480.945.9028, www.bswest.com.