▼ Café Taco Time The Arizona Taco Festival is back, this time for real. BY TIRION MORRIS T Elias Weiss Last Call The Golden Margarita closed amid liquor license woes and community complaints. BY NATASHA YEE T 22 he Golden Margarita has closed its doors after a battle over its liquor license, following turbulence with its Roosevelt Row neighbors. The business operated as a Mexican restaurant by day and raucous nightclub come sundown. It opened in September 2020, taking over the vast space formerly inhabited by Paz Cantina at East Roosevelt and Third streets. Along with serving food and drinks, the bar hosted live musicians and televised UFC fight nights. A table next to the DJ booth served by scantily clad “bottle girls” went for around $1,000 before factoring in liquor costs. There have been numerous reports of violence in and around the bar since its opening, including an allegedly homo- phobic attack on a gay couple in April 2021, according to the Arizona Republic, and a January 2 shooting. The Golden Margarita was also plagued by rumors that staff were going unpaid or had to wait “six weeks without pay,” according to an anonymous Better The Golden Margarita was named after its signature cocktail. Business Bureau complaint filed in September of 2021. The business was owned and managed by Saraj Gem Ray, a promoter who has connections to many Old Town Scottsdale nightclubs through his concierge service, Scottsdale Nights. There, he plans events and books bottle service for those looking for a good time at popular Scottsdale clubs. The Golden Margarita’s headaches continued in July 2021, when the city of Phoenix recommended disapproval of its liquor license, following a similar recom- mendation from the Phoenix Police Department. “The police department disapproval is based on a history of non-compliance related to prior liquor licenses held by the applicant, including failure to meet the required percentage of food sales and the presence of an employee intoxicated while on duty,” according to documents from the July Phoenix City Council meeting. The battle for the license wore on for months until the restaurant finally closed. After almost a year of fighting for its liquor license and collecting complaints from local residents, The Golden Margarita said goodbye to its customers. In a series of May 9 Instagram posts, the restaurant’s account thanked supporters of the Golden Margarita, including “guests, tourists, residents, staff, purveyors, city officials, all first responders and PD and the military. We are excited for what’s next.” he Arizona Taco Festival was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was rescheduled for fall 2021. Then it was bumped out to the spring. And then it was canceled again. Now, organizers have yet again announced plans to bring back the festival, with promises that it really will happen this time. There’ll be some big names and a new location to boot. The Arizona Taco Festival 2022 is scheduled to take place on November 12 and 13 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. This year, it’ll take over Bell Bank Park in Mesa, rather than its previous location of Salt River Fields in Scottsdale. Celebrity chef Aaron May will make special appearances and host the festival this year. He’s “inviting his taco brethren from the world of sports, TV, food, and film,” according to a press release. “I’m going to make this year’s taco fest into a full Taco-Palooza of epic proportions. I might even get in the wrestling ring with the Luchas!” May said in the release. The annual taco competition is set to take place, inviting local taco makers to fight for the Top Taco title and prize money. The festival will also feature a tequila passport, allowing customers to sip samples from a collection of more than 100 agave spirits. Lucha libre wrestlers will take the stage, dolled-up dogs will walk in the Chihuahua beauty pageant, and fans of spicy food can test their tastebuds at the hot chili pepper eating contest and hot sauce expo. Other entertainment includes a Taco Drag Queen Contest and Day of the Dead Wedding along with performances from local mariachis, bands, and DJs. Tickets to the festival cost $15 and are available online. General admission tickets are good for entrance into the festival. Tacos are purchased at each vendor. Arizona Taco Festival November 12 and 13, 2022 aztacofestival.com 1 Legacy Drive, Mesa JUNE 16TH– JUNE 22ND, 2022 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com
