Nightlife in Avondale

Jester’z offers up game-based and family-friendly improv, featuring absurd scenarios capable of loosening up straight-laced librarians and splitting the sides of hardened motorcycle gangs. The performers make up situations and details as they go along, and what hilarity emerges is a result of training, audience suggestion, and underlying psychological issues. Experience this comedic instability firsthand at a Jester’z show. The show's 10 p.m. start time coupled with the clean laughs make the experience equally ideal for filling awkward silences during first dates and preventing awkward outbursts during after-hours office outings.

This intimately outfitted hot spot specializes in an unintimidating wine list and a stellar selection of small plates and sandwiches. Grape guzzlers of all varieties will find satisfying sips with Centro's extensive wine list. Wines by the glass start at $7, and complements abound on a complete menu of plates sized for sharing. The goat cheese and slow-roasted tomatoes crustini sedates testy taste buds with a jet-setting serving of chevre, slow-roasted tomatoes, parmesan, and olive oil ($9.50), and the mixed olive bowl allots for the recommended daily dose of olives ($6). Graduate from grade-school tomato-soup soakers to Centro's sophisticated grilled cheese, which elegantly entwines fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, tomato, and arugula ($9.50) or the lulu's press with Vermont yellow-and-white cheddar, jack cheese, and tomato ($9).

At Stand-Up, Scottsdale! bellies ache from a rotating selection of nationally known comedians seen on Comedy Central and late-night talk shows. The intimate 180-person venue, where such local legends as David Spade got their start, beckons a cast of talented funny persons that changes regularly. Voted Best Comedy Club this year by Arizona Foothills magazine, the ha-ha hot spot has recently hosted performances by noted names including Dana Carvey, Frank Caliendo, and Norm Macdonald. With a recent appearance on Spike TV's "Bar Rescue," they now boost a full menu of pub-food appetizers and entrees keeps would-be hecklers otherwise occupied, and Wednesday evening open-mic nights allow rookie comics to test their mettle.

WineStyles showcases the diversity found throughout California's wine country at a small wine bar on the Coronado peninsula. More than 300 wines line its shelves, including national and international varietals sourced from small, boutique vineyards. Most bottles cost less than $25, and the shop also sells customized gift baskets and wine-lover accessories such as T-shirts, bottle openers, and fireplaces for dramatically hurling a glass into.

Live music underscores weekly wine tastings, where guests sample and learn about different wines from resident experts. The list of house wines includes fruity and bold reds, such as malbec, and creamy whites, including chardonnay. WineStyles also stocks a selection of craft beers from Germany and all over California for beer lovers.

The Chaos Comedy Improv troupe spins lightning-quick thinking into tapestries of cachinnation during Saturday-night showcases of unscripted comedy. A vibrant, quick-witted cast evicts any lingering drama from the Dearing Acting Studio stage, giving audiences a reprieve from all non-laughing matters as they munch on house-popped popcorn. Upcoming performances vary wildly, as the troupe never plays the same show twice or forgets to wear random clothing found in a back alley. Fans of unadulterated imagination can rejoice that Chaos Comedy keeps the laughs family friendly.

Whether they’re celebrating gridiron victories or a fastball-filled afternoon spent with America’s pastime, Sports Grill 101 fuels fandom with a smorgasbord including stuffed hoagies, sizzling calzones, and Italian eats. As the sights and sounds of sportsmanship fill the bar’s television, diners bond over baskets of wings, savor topping-flecked slices of house-made pizza crust, or toast successful touchdowns, home runs, or goalie-mask-decorating workshops with a frosty beer fresh from the tap.