Beyond Entrepreneurship: Places to eat, drink local by CO+HOOTS Midtown

by | Jan 25, 2018

We’ve come a long way in the business of food. Whereas microwave meals and fast food once saw their heyday in the office, and campfires were all the craze among busy Neanderthals, modern entrepreneur meals are bringing creative phrases to coworking spaces before the words even hit the dictionary:

“I had work during Friendsgiving, but my coworker got turducken on Grubhub.”

“Just used UberEATS to order a gluten-free nitro cold brew straight to my desk.”

“Did you know Postmates delivers poke bowls and venti Frappuccinos?”

As innovators who #GSD, we at CO+HOOTS love seeing tech meet food, almost as much as we love having food meet our taste buds. But sometimes, it’s an experience and affordability you’re after — not convenience and delivery fees. Here’s a list of some of our go-to local spots near CO+HOOTS to ensure deliciousness is accessible to you any time:

 

Breakfast/Brunch

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but if you miss it, you’re in luck. Café Tranquilo (0.5 mi) is within walking distance and fàme caffe (1.2 mi) is a short bike ride away, and both serve breakfast all day long. We recommend the chilaquiles — at both locations — for the unique versions of a classic Latin American dish.

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The recently opened Elly’s Brunch & Cafe (1.4 mi) is our newest crush.

Lunch

It’s no secret that Cohootians are pretty obsessed with Plaza Cafe & Grill (0.3 mi). We hold biweekly walks to lunch there. We cater from them. And we always know they have a bit of literally everything for everyone — even if you’re craving teriyaki bowls, quesadillas and mozzarella sticks all at once.

If you’re looking for more of an adventure, bike over to Gadzooks (0.7 mi) or head to Zookz (1.4 mi) a couple light rail stops north. They have similar names, but you’ll never forget the magnificence of the former’s custom enchiladas or the beauty of the latter’s round sandwiches.

There’s also Phoenix Burrito House (1.1 mi), which for burrito lovers is a place of worship.

 

Coffee Break

If you love social enterprises like us, The Refuge Cafe (1.7 mi) is for you. A bikeable distance away, it supports local charities with every cup of coffee you purchase! We also love bettering the environment by grabbing a good Black and White from Lux Central (0.8 mi), which is accessible on foot, bike and the light rail — no need to drive. Lux is always open until midnight or later, but when you need to pull through a true all-nighter, Urban Beans (0.6 mi) is open 24/7 with the best all-vegan toasted marshmallow lattes around.

Dinner

Macayo’s used to be right next to us. Now, Woody’s Macayo (0.2 mi) is still basically right next to us. Did you know we ate 789 mini chimis in a year once? You could say we’re pretty satisfied — even though we’re always saving room to have chocolate chimis for dessert.

Pho is just as close to Cohootian hearts. It was the center of our second longest general Slack discussion of 2017, which has crowned Pho Noodles (0.7 mi) as the undisputed champion of local pho. Looking for the Italian kind of noodle? Take the light rail to Central and Camelback to head into Sauce Pizza & Wine (1.4 mi) and always get the All Natural Strawberry-Basil Lemonade.

And there’s no way we can go to Ocotillo (0.5 mi), which also has a coffee bar open in the mornings, TOO many times. Once you go there, you’ll never want to leave. The only time we do is when they close.

 

Dessert

Our sweet tooth is never too far from us. You can easily bike from CO+HOOTS to two of our favorite shops with no time wasted. Churn (1.6 mi) offers fresh ice cream selections — order the S’mores Sundae to bring the blowtorch out — while Nami (1.8 mi) offers delectable vegan pastries and tSoynami soft serve.

 

Bar

At the end of a long day, we all know you deserve a drink. You don’t need to travel too far. The Clever Koi (0.6 mi) is more than a ramen haven, as it offers drinks that range from craft cocktails and wine to beer and sake. For a wider selection of beers, we suggest Huss Brewing Company’s Uptown Phoenix Taproom (1.5 mi), where the famous Koffee Kölsch is just two light rail stops up. If you’re in the mood for wine, you can bike or light rail to Oven+Vine (1.6 mi), where happy hour goes from open to 6 p.m. Then there’s First Draft Book Bar (1.5 mi). Beer + Wine + Books? Heaven.

Want to explore the Valley beyond midtown Phoenix? Head to bit.ly/cofoodie for a “tasteful” map of more of our favorite food destinations.

Happy eating, drinking and supporting local!