52 MEGALOPOLITAN LIFE SEPTEMBER 25, 2025 | WWW.BESTOFPHOENIX2025.C0M | BEST OF PHOENIX 2025 negro chatting it up with a lobbyist over coffee at Lola’s. Plus, the food and service options within the 100-year-old shopping center’s iconic golden brick walls make it a trip worth it on its own. You can savor First and Last’s incredible focaccia sandwiches or get a haircut at Salon RO5 while you stake out an appearance of your favorite, or least favorite, local pol. e e e B E S T M E D I A DY N A S T Y ABC15’S INVESTIGATIVE TEAM If once is happenstance and twice is coinci- dence, three times defies any explanation other than: They really are that good. While other once-fearsome media outlets around the Valley serve up investigations as only an occasional treat — like salami for cats, except to curb abuses by government and big busi- ness — ABC15 still treats investigations like the essential public service (and attention- getter) they are. This year, for the third time since 2021, the jurors for the prestigious Peabody Awards recognized ABC15’s coverage of shady, discriminatory and down- right deadly policing. This year, it was for a 32-part series about the Department of Justice’s findings into the Phoenix Police Department called “Policing Phoenix,” led by Dave Biscobing and Melissa Blasius. The Peabodys are a storytelling award, broadly; each year they go to just 30 recipients across various categories, most of which are non- news. For a local broadcaster to win one is a bit like being struck by lightning. To win three in five years? Elite — and more than that, vital. e e e B E S T C O M M U N I T Y R A D I O S TAT I O N KRDP COMMUNITY RADIO 90.7 FM LISTEN2KRDP.COM In an age when Phoenix’s airwaves are ruled by corporate giants with multimillion-dollar budgets, it’s the smaller grassroots and community-oriented broadcasters that matter more. Case in point: KDRP, the inde- pendent low-power FM station that punches well above its wattage. Since signing on the air in 2022 as Arizona’s only Black-owned station (its parent company is local nonprofit Desert Soul Media), KDRP has been giving East Valley and south Phoenix listeners the most eclectic mix on local radio. Its sonic palette is anything but predictable: blues, soul and heavy doses of jazz, as well as Indig- enous music, old-school reggae and other genres you won’t catch anywhere else on the local dial. The station’s weekly shows are just as bold. “HipRawk Nation” spins rap and electronica from across the globe, while “Earth Riot Radio” takes on climate change with punk rock tunes and comedy. KDRP’s programming also gives a signal boost to BIPOC and marginalized voices through programming like “Native Talk Arizona” and Ramses Ja and Q Ward’s award-winning “Civic Cipher.” KRDP’s signal may not be the strongest, but its impact booms across the Valley. e e e B E S T R A D I O C O M M E R C I A L S TOPDOG LAW TOPDOGLAW.COM We know this one is going to be controver- sial. Lots of folks around town can’t stand the seemingly inescapable series of ads from the central Phoenix law firm. And to be honest, we used to be one of them. Then we leaned into the absurdity. The characters in TopDog Law commercials can’t catch a break; they’re racing hellcats with their wife when someone pulls out in front of her, they’re hit by a drunk driver on a rainy Saturday night, they just wanted to go to the grocery store but now they’re paralyzed from the waist down. The hype man, er, commercial announcer, tells the story with increasing vocal intensity, crescendoing into the answer to all these unfortunate situations: “TAHHP DAWWG LAWW.” Part slam poetry, part “Trapped in the Closet,” the TopDog Law commercials are now a highly anticipated part of our daily commute. e e e B E S T B O O K S E T I N P H O E N I X ’THE STORY THAT WOULDN’T DIE’ CHRISTINA ESTES CHRISTINAESTES.COM Christina Estes draws on her more than two- decade career as a TV and radio journalist, most recently at KJZZ, to write mystery novels featuring Jolene Garcia, a persistent TV reporter. The second in the series, “The Story That Wouldn’t Die,” came out this past August, and like the first one — “Off the Air,” released in 2024 — our fine city is spot- lighted to the point that it’s virtually a char- acter. Estes name-drops locations and businesses ranging from Arcadia to Yama Sushi House, with classics like Haji-Baba, Miracle Mile Deli and Pizzeria Bianco all making cameos. As a reader, it’s a thrill each time she mentions a familiar street, land- mark or other location, and for those who don’t recognize every spot, maybe it’ll spur an exploration. The Phoenix fandom would be moot if the stories sucked, but lucky for us, Estes’s creative writing talents are impressive. Her characters are well-drawn, the dialogue is snappy and the plot moves along at a page-turning clip, with the ideal number of twists and turns. We’re already eager for the third one, which she’s working on. e e e B E S T T I R E L E S S A D V O C A T E THE DANELLE PROJECT In a dingy strip mall in central Tempe you’ll find Danelle Plaza, which some DIY heads have dubbed the city’s “last cool place.” It garnered that unofficial label thanks to the efforts of a homespun, wacky collective of artists who — led by Rob Moore, under the banner of the Danelle Project — revitalized the mostly abandoned lot and its buildings near Yucca Tap Room. Since 2016, it’s been filled with weird, eccentric art and hosted exhibitions and events that have made it a cornerstone of the Valley’s arts community. Notably, both masters and beginners come together on its unique playground to control the space. That environment was consciously fostered by the Danelle Project, which relinquished control of the plaza to a nonprofit called the Tempe Art and Music Coalition as the developers planned to bring major changes to the lot, including adding housing units. But as the baton is passed, Danelle’s legacy of making space for all artistic visions and keeping the space community-focused will live on. e e e B E S T A R T M U S E U M PHOENIX ART MUSEUM 1625 N. CENTRAL AVE. 602-257-1880 PHXART.ORG Phoenix Art Museum is a cultural institution you shouldn’t sleep on. In fact, when you can, make a day of it. Its permanent collec- tion and temporary exhibitions in many mediums — and many featuring mixed media — are multilayered. They highlight artistic talents and global perspectives, serving as windows to international cultures and subcultures. Sometimes they’re magical installations like Carlos Amorales’ “Black Cloud.” Inspired by the migration of the monarch butterflies, the gallery is covered with a swarm of paper moths. Educational programming parallels the exhibits through lectures and films. The museum is a spot for entertainment, including live music perfor- mances and vibrant First Friday events. While it’s not a designated museum for kids, beyond all the exhibitions and permanent collections that the young ones can enjoy, there are plenty of specific events for little ones. e e e B E S T A R T G A L L E R Y LISA SETTE GALLERY 201 E. CATALINA DRIVE 480-990-7342 LISASETTEGALLERY.COM Celebrating 40 years as a successful art gallery is a win unto itself; the art business can be fickle and not always storm-resistant. Lisa Sette has managed to survive by having an eye for fascinating work. Even making a significant move from Old Town Scottsdale to midtown Phoenix didn’t have an negative impact — where she goes, art patrons follow. We have seen such artists as Mark Klett, Angela Ellsworth and Mayme Kratz evolve. Sette doesn’t rest on any laurels, though; new work is presented regularly, such as Benjamin Timpson’s, which emphasizes the intense artistic processes the gallerist and her team have a knack for finding and show- casing. Timpson’s artwork, for example, is strategically crafted from a most delicate source — butterfly wings. e e e B E S T A N N U A L A R T E V E N T CHAOS THEORY 521 W. VAN BUREN ST. 602-231-9585 Once a year, on the first weekend of October, Legend City Studios in downtown Phoenix opens its sleek doors to a slew of attendees for the annual exhibition orga- nized by artist Randy Slack. The event is always brimming with people, and it’s a whole vibe. The show usually includes artists who have been previous participants, many of whom have had their original creations hoisted upon the walls for viewing since the very beginning, 24 years ago. Slack keeps his eyes open for newbies to the show and works in art that catches his eye. His own large-scale paintings are always in the mix, in the same spot, adding more of that element of familiarity. Like anything labeled as “chaos,” the surprise can come from the guest list as much as
