Beer, Wine & Spirits in Scottsdale

If the name 5th and Wine doesn’t give away the restaurant’s specialty, maybe the wine barrel guarding the front door might. Or possibly the selection of more than 40 wines available by the glass, including reds and whites from around the world and 5th and Wine’s very own sangria. Those libations––along with specialty cocktails such as a black-cherry manhattan or root-beer martini––complement a menu of seafood, steaks, and burgers made with beef, elk, and bison patties.

Inside the 60-seat dining space, arched beams frame the room and a chalkboard wall displays daily drink specials and upcoming sets from local musicians. In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, comfy couches and chairs carve out a post-meal lounge area, along with a murphy bed for guests who know which window to punch. Additionally, a 40-seat tasting room indulges guests with red leather chairs and the aroma of an old-fashioned popcorn machine at work. Diners can also enjoy their meal on the courtyard patio where an awning shades meals during the day and strings of lights brighten up the night.:m]]

Nestled within 18,500 square feet and designed by award-winning architect Will Bruder, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art's quintet of galleries—formerly a cineplex's five theaters—have hosted changing and permanent exhibitions of art, architecture, and design since 1999. The outdoor sculpture garden features acclaimed pieces such as James Turrell's experiential Knight Rise skyspace and James Carpenter Design Associates' Scrim Wall. After viewing the art outside, visitors can return indoors to explore furnishings and jewelry in the shop or examine work by local youth in the young@art gallery. The museum's Visions Teen Program continues to nurture burgeoning talent, pairing teenagers with visual-art teachers and visiting artists. Adults can also enrich their artistic know-how at lectures and workshops until they are able to draw a perfect circle with a pencil still tucked behind their ear. The museum's lounge fosters artistic communities through events ranging from screenings of international art movies to art-making sessions.

Beneath the gaze of the numerous chimps painted on Nimbus American Bistro N' Brewery’s walls, the Tuscan-based brewery's craft beers mingle with gourmet versions of pub favorites. Chef Josh Tomczyk and his kitchen crew simmer fresh seafood and meats in beer-based sauces before transforming them into burgers, pasta dishes, and steaks. Their wood-fired oven bakes artisanal pizzas, pairing with specialty cocktails or pints of Nimbus pilsners, stouts, and ales. In the expansive dining room, warm lights and vibrant brewery-inspired murals dazzle eyes from the ceiling, and rows of tables and booths scatter the hardwood floors. A patio hosts outdoor dining, welcoming patrons to bring along their dogs or goldfish disguised as dogs. The restaurant hosts special events throughout the week, including pool tournaments on Tuesdays and live entertainment on Saturdays.

There are no marketing gimmicks or cutesy names for menu items at Sevens’ Bistro. When preparing for their August 2012 opening, the owners kept their sole focus on delivering simple, mouthwatering American fare, and it paid off. Though modern light fixtures, tiled accent walls, and a neon-blue bar transform the dining space into a chic hangout, the spicy beef sliders and caprese grilled-cheese sandwiches deliver accessible takes on comfort classics. An Ahab-like obsession with hunting down fresh ingredients leads to plates of ginger-glazed miso salmon and bowls of creamy tomato bisque. Not content to remain a happening lunch- and nightspot, Sevens’ Bistro serves breakfasts of custom omelets and four variations on eggs benedict, including a meat lovers’ version layered with prosciutto and jalapeño bacon.

Barney’s Boathouse imports the party atmosphere and culinary traditions of New Orleans and Key West into its three-story restaurant and bar. The menu merges traditional Cajun dishes such as fried alligator tail and crawfish with classic pub cuisine, including eight creative burgers and six shareable pizzas. Beyond tropical flavors, the bar cultivates a beach-party vibe every night with regular trivia contests, live DJs, and votes to cast dining partners off the island.

On Rare Earth Pizza and Wine Bar's outdoor patio, servers transport hand-tossed pizzas and glasses of wine in the flickering glow of outdoor fire bowls. Conversation buzzes as guests take in views of technicolor sunsets and the surrounding landscape of Pinnacle Peak. Inside, they can sidle up to the tall wooden bar to take a look at hand-chalked specials, or gather around tables to take turns singing lists of gourmet ingredients from the menu.