By the time painter and illustrator Shela Yu was 11, she was drawing fairies and mermaids on her bedroom walls. Today, most of the 32-year-old Chinese American artist’s work lives in sketchbooks, PDF files and as murals emblazoned on building façades. Her painting has a kinetic yet calming energy. “I like watching clouds move across the sky,” she says. “I like the way incense smoke scatters across the room. There’s a natural movement that I...
City of Phoenix park ranger Samantha Nickel is uniquely qualified for taking on the crowds at some of the city’s hiking hubs. Nickel draws upon her experience in corrections, caregiving and airline bag wrangling for her current position in the city’s East Park district, which includes Camelback Mountain, Piestewa Peak, Dreamy Draw and Papago Park. Being able to work diplomatically with diverse populations in busy, physically demanding outdoor conditions comes naturally to the native Arizonan...
About 12 people die each year within Grand Canyon National Park. Avoid being one of them during your summer adventures with How Not to Die at Grand Canyon, a first-aid pocket guide written by Thomas M. Myers, M.D., and published by Grand Canyon Conservancy ($6.95). Myers has been a physician at Grand Canyon Clinic since 1990 and outlines prevention and first-aid tips for the natural wonder’s top 12 hazards, from heat illness to rattlesnake bites....
Jason and Josh Duren are the 'cider bros' behind Cider Corps cidery in Mesa.
All the news that’s fit to nosh. Going Underground: After vaunted subterranean tiki bar UnderTow relocated to the building that houses its sister bar, Platform 18 at Century Grand, Valley cocktail fans had a lot of questions. Chief among them: What was to become of UnderTow’s awesome original underground space below Sip Coffee & Beer Garage in Arcadia? At last, we have an answer. Sip owners Josh Katz and Maurice “Moe” Murillo have teamed up with Becky hard seltzer owner and mixologist Sheldon Wiley to open 36 Below, a “fully immersive cocktail lounge.” Where UnderTow let guests virtually...
Against the backdrop of a black and white Day of the Dead mural, and with a three-piece mariachi band serenading us, two friends and I grabbed an outdoor patio table to chow down on the hugest taco the three of us had ever seen. It was the grand opening of Eat My Taco, and as we dined under brightly colored papel picado banners, I felt a sense of certainty that I’d definitely be coming back...
There was a day when Mexican food here in Phoenix meant just one thing — an Americanized hybrid cuisine that generally involved globs of yellow melted cheese. I’m not complaining. I grew up on the stuff, and I still love it to this day. But it’s pretty cool that over the past 20 years or so, we’ve been introduced to more and more regional specialties that demonstrate the vastness and nuance of Mexican cooking —...
If you’ve wondered what your preteen is doing on TikTok or worried about the impact of Instagram on your teen’s psyche, you’re not alone. Phoenix entrepreneurs Jeff Gottfurcht and Derek Jackson created Cyber Dive to monitor their own children’s social media. “It helps keep them safe – and keeps you in the know about what your child is being exposed to and exploring,” Gottfurcht says. Cyber Dive is free and works on any device. cyberdive.co
When it comes to nuns, none are more colorful than the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The “charity, protest and street performance organization” of drag queens facilitates all sorts of fun dialogue, and on Saturday, May 29, the Grand Canyon Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will host a virtual “Interesting AF AZ” event on Facebook. Host Sister Mimosa Romero will be joined by Cody Wagner, author of the award-winning LGBTQ+ trilogy, The Gay Teen’s Guide to Defeating...
Our five biggest takeaways from the weekend in sports.
Be safe and responsible while outdoor recreating this summer by respecting fire restrictions in the forests.
THE SCENE It’s a blessing and a curse when you specialize in something and do it so well that people struggle to think of you doing anything else. Nobody knows that better than Daily Dose Kitchen & Bar owners Matt and JenLyn Long, who have been killing it at the breakfast and lunch game so long that most people don’t realize they now offer dinner at their Midtown location. And not just dinner – a traditional happy hour (3-6 p.m.), as opposed to their Mid-Day Happy Hour I wrote about last year. I...
There’s a little local love in some big-box retailers lately. Phoenix pet food startup Red, White & Chew’s dog treats – made with chicken, brown rice, sweet potatoes and beets – are available in Walmarts nationwide and on Amazon. The patriotic moniker is a nod to the company’s goal of returning jobs to the U.S. and to its charitable partner, the Gary Sinise Foundation, which serves veterans and first responders. redwhiteandchews.com
Summer is here, and with it, our oppressive heat. Cool down with a trip up to Prescott to see what’s new. La Planchada Prescott’s first modern taqueria and tequila bar was an instant hit when it opened in February. A fun environment combined with an upscale Mexican menu – featuring green chile tequila chicken tacos and brisket tacos – makes La Planchada one of the most exciting new places in town. Tequila and mezcal cocktails...
Eight years ago, Ali Nervis met his business partners, Henry Dickerson and Dominic Clark, when they were selling T-shirts and jewelry at small business events. “We share a lot of the same values in terms of why we’re in business – family, community and self-sustainability,” Nervis says. With their wives, the trio launched Archwood Exchange, a monthly swap-meet affiliated with the Buy Black Marketplace movement, in 2016. Their latest project: Straw & Wool, a hip...
