place it’s held in our hearts since it opened. The cocktail bar designed to look like a 19th-century ship’s hold serves up some of the best atmosphere and most inventive drinks in town. The menu reads like a maritime fable, and includes classic tiki drinks and wild creations from the mixology team. Despite the move, some things are still the same at UnderTow: reservations are strongly recommended, and be prepared to disembark the ship after 90 minutes. But we stay there as long as we can to soak up the surroundings. And we’re looking forward to when the UnderTow crew adds another ship to the fleet: A second location is scheduled to open in October at Gilbert’s Epicenter at Agritopia. Best Game Bar LEVEL 1 ARCADE BAR 60 West Vaughn Avenue, #107, Gilbert 480-687-1192 level1arcade.bar Did someone say pinball? Tucked away in downtown Gilbert’s Heritage District is the new nightspot Level 1 Arcade Bar. Inside, it’s all retro. The bar is checkered and the bar top glows neon pink. More often than not, throwback jams play over the speakers. Each pinball machine at Level 1 has a camera that displays the game on a TV screen mounted above the machine. Everyone can watch, and pinball becomes the communal experience it was always meant to be. But Level 1 is way more than just pinball. They have more than two dozen other arcade games (think classics like Centipede and Mortal Kombat), a full kitchen, and a bar with on-theme drinks like Jose Dirt, Hadouken, and Son of a Glitch. Level 1 also has rotating weekly features, a happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m., and daily specials such as Token Tuesday and Throwback Thursday. Best Place to Take a Drink Geek KHLA 218 East Portland Street khlaphx.com Behind the dark bungalow that houses local foodie favorite Lom Wong, under- neath swinging lanterns, is a small black building with a white tiger. There, you’ll find some of the most exciting cocktails in the Valley. Khla is a celebration of Southeast Asian flavors concentrated into a cocktail program built by some of the best in the Valley. Tyka Chheng, Colton Brock, and John Sagasta initially joined forces to create Baby Boy at The Pemberton, and Khla is their latest creation, with Chheng heading the cocktail program. The menu is heavily influenced by his personal life and draws on flavors that aren’t typical of Phoenix cocktails. Expect galangal-infused honey, tamarind, ube, a vegan take on fish sauce, and Thai tea-infused bourbon, to name a few. So if a cocktail in a coupe glass with a floating slice of dried citrus is getting boring, Khla is precisely the place to be. Best Blues Bar WESTSIDE BLUES & JAZZ 17045 North 59th Avenue, #104, Glendale 602-761-6816 westsideblues.com Not too long ago, any discussion about the Valley’s best blues bar seemed to center exclusively on either The Rhythm Room or Char’s Has the Blues. Both spots are hallowed and esteemed, but once Westside Blues & Jazz in Glendale came along, the conversation changed. Opened in 2021 by Paul Vincent Perez and Cindi Jackson, two lifelong devotees of the genre, the venue has become a favorite spot to catch live blues and R&B four nights a week. It oozes style and class with a speakeasy-like ambiance, a stage backed by a red brick wall, and Chesterfield-style seating. The joint’s popularity has only grown since its debut, as has its roster of local blues performers. Legendary bluesman Chuck Hall, Grammy-nominated guitarist/ vocalist Charles “Cros” Mack, and R&B/ funk act Moe Flavour now gig at Westside Blues & Jazz on the regular, and thanks to the primo acoustics, you’ll hear every single riff they play clearly. When you factor in the attentive staff, a deep selection of libations, and the fact there ain’t a bad seat in the house, it’s likely you’ll never sing the blues after spending an evening out here. See a Metal Show Best Place to THE NILE THEATER 105 West Main Street, Mesa 480-494-7580 theniletheater.com The Nile Theater in Mesa is one of the Valley’s most versatile venues, easily hosting great concerts by bands in a variety of genres, from pop and punk to electronic dance music. Where the place really shines, though, is as a metal venue. And since the pandemic, it’s become the biggest hot spot for heshers and headbangers in town, as its calendar has been largely occupied by such genre heavyweights as Deicide, Allegaeon, Symphony X, Decrepit Birth, and fittingly enough, Nile. The venue’s 850-person main room is conducive to metal shows, as its long, rect- angular shape causes the sound of rip- roaring riffs and relentless percussion to deluge the audience like a tsunami. Plus, it’s also the preferred venue for prominent local promoter 13th Floor Entertainment. Downstairs, the basement-level space The Underground offers a different, but equally suitable, vibe for gigs. The exposed pipes, 239 SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 | WWW.BESTOFPHOENIX2022.C0M | BEST OF PHOENIX 2022
