102 FUN & GAMES BEST POOL HALL MAIN STREET BILLIARDS 1749 E. MAIN ST., MESA 480-969-7898 MAINSTREETBILLIARDS.COM Cue fanatics swear by this long-running Mesa pool hall, and it’s not hard to see why. Main Street Billiards takes a high-volume approach to the lowbrow fun of shooting stick, boasting a ridiculous 36 tables. Their quality matches the quantity: You’ll find 19 9-foot Diamonds, 16 7-foot Diamond bar tables and even a heated Gabriel carom table. The staff keeps them spotlessly clean and in peak condition, with no rips in the blue felt and zero wobbles throwing off your game. Distractions are also minimal, save for a lone foosball table. Local pool pros and regulars haunt the place, including the colorfully named and ostentatiously dressed Speedy Pete. Yet rookies are always welcome, and games on the 7-foot Diamonds are as cheap as a buck apiece. Even better, Main Street stays open crazy late, racking and cracking until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. i i i BEST CURLING HOUSE RULES 7232 E. FIRST ST., SCOTTSDALE 480-269-0388 THEHOUSERULES.COM Curling is a cinch. If you ever care to make an Olympic team, this is your game. How hard can it be, after all, to slide a rock across ice? Right? Wrong — that shit is hard. We know because we tried it at House Rules, the Old Town Scottsdale bar and restaurant that serves up a tantalizing menu of games and sports. If you get tired of sucking at curling, House Rules offers axe-throwing, duckpin bowling and other pastimes from around the world. Toast a win or drown your sorrows with a craft cocktail, then fill up on elevated pub fare like Hatch green chile smash- burgers and Buffalo chicken pizzas. Then go back to practicing your curling. Keep at it, and maybe we’ll see you battling Norwegians and Canadians for Olympic supremacy in eight or never years. BEST BOAT RIDE DESERT BELLE CRUISES 14011 N. BUSH HIGHWAY, MESA 480-984-2425 DESERTBELLECRUISES.COM Folks with boats know how good they have it. In Phoenix, we make do. Our desert loca- tion makes every opportunity to sail (or, you know, cruise a lake) outrageously special. Desert Belle Cruises gives guests an 80-minute tour (give or take) of Saguaro Lake northeast of the Valley. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife as the captain spits facts about Arizona history and the local flora and fauna. There’s a small snack bar on board, but lines get long and the tour is short, so queue up early or skip it. You can get a drink when you disembark, but the real refreshment is the delicious views of the smooth water and the harsh-but-hand- some surroundings. i i i BEST ADULT SKATE NIGHT GREAT SKATE 10054 N. 43RD AVE., GLENDALE 623-842-1181 UNITEDSKATES.COM/GREAT-SKATE Anyone who complains they don’t know where to meet grown-up friends needs to memorize three simple words: adult skate night. Great Skate rocks disco lights, a polished wood floor and unapologetically retro decor to transport you back to middle school — minus the zits and brokeness. Every Thursday night from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m., you’ll find grown-ups gliding through a world of neon and nostalgia while DJ B-Dash spins hip-hop, R&B, funk and house music. Take a breather with a slice of pizza, challenge your friends in the arcade, then lace up for another lap. Some skaters come to show off their footwork. Others are just happy to make it around the rink without grabbing the wall. Either way, you’re among friends. BEST CASINO TALKING STICK RESORT 9800 E. TALKING STICK WAY, SCOTTSDALE 480-850-7777 TALKINGSTICKRESORT.COM Talking Stick Resort is a Swiss Army Knife of a destination at the edge of Scottsdale where you can gamble, dine, golf, relax or catch a national touring band or comedian. The sprawling poker room is a standout with plenty of tables to welcome beginners who might otherwise find casino tables intimidating. The army of slot machines offers options for those who like to stick to the screens. Once you’ve had your fill, grab a bite at a restaurant serving Mediterra- nean fare, New Orleans-inspired dishes or a taste of the Southwest. And breathe easy: Unlike many casinos, this entire property is nonsmoking, so you won’t return home smelling like a campfire. i i i BEST GO KARTS ANDRETTI INDOOR KARTING & GAMES 1712 S. COOPER ROAD, CHANDLER 623-303-7223 6263 N. 99TH AVE., GLENDALE 623-299-7529 ANDRETTIKARTING.COM Gagging on gas fumes? Not here. Andretti Indoor Karting’s superfast Ecovolt GT elec- tric cars emit nothing but your happiest screams. Drivers race around a cool multi- layered track like they’re in a live-action play session for Hot Wheels, in modern, comfy karts that ride far smoother than the gas-guzzlers of yore. Kids ages 4 to 7 can take a spin in mini karts. Afterward, take a break in the arcade, in the laser tag course or in the glow-in-the-dark bowling alley. Or if you just want to focus on breaking your personal record, buy a three-race pack for $69, pull your helmet on and hug those curves as you stomp the accelerator. BEST BOWLING LET IT ROLL BOWL & ENTERTAINMENT CENTER 8925 N. 12TH ST. 602-944-4401 LETITROLLBOWL.COM This bowling alley is a time warp to an era when people weren’t glued to their screens. It’s an anachronistic hangout and commu- nity hub where, yes, you can bowl, but also play in the arcade, drink with friends, sing karaoke and even buy vintage sports jerseys. Walk down the line of bowling lanes and you’ll see a group of friends laughing hysteri- cally because they can’t seem to hit a pin, while one lane over is a team so serious they could be “Big Lebowski” extras. Let It Roll is the ultimate third space for Phoenicians of any age and an overall blast, with themed weekend nights and occasional live enter- tainment in the bar. i i i BEST ICE-SKATING ICE DEN SCOTTSDALE 9375 E. BELL ROAD, SCOTTSDALE 480-585-7465 ICEDENSCOTTSDALE.COM If a rink is good enough to be the training ground (or ice, in this case) of an NHL fran- chise, it’s probably a pretty good place to skate. While the beloved Arizona Coyotes might be gone (RIP), the team’s former training home still stands in North Scotts- dale, a stone’s throw from the Loop 101. Ice Den has 150,000 square feet of ice and entertainment, with an on-site Mountain- side Fitness Platinum Center gym to boot. It’s where to take your kid to play hockey or learn to figure skate, and the open public skating sessions draw all ages and skill levels for spins around the rink. Once you’ve gotten your fill of the ice, head to 18 Degrees, Ice Den’s in-house restaurant, for a burger and a beer.