I just found out that one of my favorite places in central AZ is closing: the wacky, gorgeous, always-fun Monsterland Bar & Grill.
http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/dining/articles/20130111monsterland-mesa-closing-party.html
This place opened as a Halloween haunted house, added a bar, added music and parties, and then a restaurant. The spooky vibe carries over in twisty entryways, gravestones, animatronic werewolf heads, servers (and guests!) in costume, and a giant Grim Reaper statue standing guard over a Tarot deck table. The theme parties here were remarkable: Dr. Who, Steampunk, sci-fi, and horror film homages, to list a few. This was the perfect place to either unwind after an evening at a local life-hack lab, or wind up after a sedate and introspective crawl through the Mesa Art Center’s amazing fine craft and art exhibits. The drinks were good and the bar food excellent.
Monsterland should have been celebrated much more by local geeks, writers, and sci-fi aficionados. It should have weathered the economic disaster, becoming as famous a destination as another favorite, Milwaukee’s former speakeasy turned espionage-themed ”Safe House’: http://www.safe-house.com/
Sadly, that was not to be. If you’re in the Mesa, AZ area before or on 1-19-2013, check it out. The Closing Party begins at 9:00 pm, has a $5 cover, and a ‘Thriller’ theme. Come raise a glass to the grim-n-goofy, before the recession kills yet another treasure that didn’t last nearly long enough.
http://monsterland.com/