Studio Time

There’s a great new wine bar that opened recently in my neighborhood called Studio Vino where you can create your own blend of wine. It’s great fun and you can even have a custom label made. It’s in a shopping center on the southeast corner of McClintock and Guadalupe, right between two of the best Italian places in town—Miele’s Bistro and Papa Razini’s. Studio Vino is a great place to go before dinner. It’s also a perfect example of some of the hip, fun and exciting places to discover all around Tempe, not just on Mill Ave. If you’re looking for some great food away from the crowds and now an awesome new wine bar experience, you need to swing by my neighborhood! Check out Studio Vino at studiovino.com

Tempe is featured in the May issue of Sunset Magazine. It’s all about Mill Avenue. Check out the article here: http://www.sunset.com/sunset/travel/southwest/article/0,20633,1735176,00.html

Lately, there have been several restaurants that have opened in Tempe. At Tempe Marketplace, you can try Maria Maria Restaurant for Mexican food. Carlos Santana has had a hand in creating this restaurant concept and if you listen to the music playing during your dinner, that won’t go unnoticed. Cadillac Ranch is a popular spot for nightlife, but their burgers and steaks are great too. And, you can relive your inner-Urban Cowboy on their mechanical bull. La Bocca at 6th Street and Mill is my favorite new place for pizza and bruschetta. If you haven’t had their artichoke and roasted red pepper bruschetta, then you haven’t lived. Seriously.

My office is located on Mill Avenue and for the last couple of days, I’ve seen a ton of Ironman participants. These athletes are amazing. The training that goes into preparing for an Ironman is staggering and the actual event, with a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile marathon is astounding. Now that all of these stellar athletes have descended upon Tempe, I am truly inspired. Not to participate in an Ironman, but to set my sights on a goal and see it through to the end. They prove that their is no limit to what can be done when you set your mind to it. I’ll be at the finish line on Sunday, cheering for a few athletes that I know and shedding a few tears of joy.

I went to the Tempe Music Festival last weekend and had a great time. Tempe Beach Park is such a good place to see a concert and I have proof — the My Chemical Romance show was mentioned online on Rolling Stone’s Web site. Check out this link to read all about it: http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/03/31/my-chemical-romance-shine-some-darkness-in-tempe-for-tour-opener. Tempe’s now hit the big time!

There’s the defending American League West Champion Angels. There’s the undefeated and top-ranked college baseball team in the country at ASU (who beat archrival and the second-ranked U of A Wildcats last night!). There are 11 other Major League teams within easy driving distance, including two division champions and the NL representative in the World Series. Tempe is the center of the baseball universe each spring. Having been to both, Spring Training in Arizona is literally in another league compared to Florida. The weather is better, the stadiums are nicer and it’s much more convenient to see different teams. And Tempe is the best place to get to it all because it is centrally located to all 12 Cactus League teams. Most are within minutes Downtown. And don’t forget the Devils. Few college programs have had the success or the tradition on the baseball diamond as ASU. When it comes to the national pastime, Tempe is the place to play ball.

This week, Tempe was named the “Best Walking City” in Arizona and one of the top 100 in the nation. Very cool.

 Prevention Magazine and the American Podiatric Medical Association surveyed major cities across the U.S. to find the “Best Walking Cities.” Tempe was ranked 66 among the Top 100 Walking Cities in the country. Tempe was given a 95 out of 100, mainly because of having the most people who walk to work, the most people who use mass transit, the amenities in our downtown and the most parks per square mile. To see the results, visit www.prevention.com/bestcities.

I just got off the phone with a friend of mine and we were talking about why we love Mill Avenue so much. This sums it up…She was on the patio of La Bocca, a new restaurant and wine bar, on Saturday. While they were drinking wine and sharing an order of bruschetta, they saw a guy with dreadlocks, riding a skateboard past the patio, carrying a guitar. Recently, I saw one man playing the flute on the corner and another on a rather normal-looking bike, wearing a very unusual headlamp. There’s the regular poetry slams at Mill’s End Espresso and the wafts of live music coming from The Big Bang and The Loft. You can always count on having a good time on Mill, and you’ll never run out of food to try, but the best part about it is the mix of people here. You never know what you’re going to see and I find that inspiring in so many ways. Everyone is welcome…and I’m glad that they enjoy Mill as much as I do.

I think it’s so awesome that Flogging Molly is coming to Tempe for St. Patrick’s Day! They are the type of band that would play Boston on this holiday (big lovers of the green beer you know), but nope, they decided to join us warm weather loving folk in Tempe. This is going to be an awesome show!

If you are anything like me, I often seek new and exciting Mill Ave dining options.  I tire of the “same ol” and enjoy exploring a whole new world of diverse establishments.  Last night I had the pleasure of enjoying a new wonderful food experience – RIGHT in our own Mill Ave back yard.

If you’re willing to walk to Bison Witches or Borders, The Center Bistro – located just behind Borders on 6^th street is a great Organic Bistro and Wine Bar.  For those of you who are vegetarian or vegan, they offer a selection of dishes that cater to your diet needs and for those of us who enjoy a little meat with our food they offer organic free range chicken, beef and salmon. I would say it is a similar price range to Café Boa – if not slightly less expensive, the food is great and if you have the time you could take in a Yoga class!Enjoy!