Mayor Phil Gordon held his monthly Business Coffee this morning at Mi Amigo's in the Arizona Center.  The coffee was free, the restaurant provided a buffet which was free but donations were accepted.  (That was really classy- hats off to the owner and staff at Mi Amigo's - I don't know the owner but he was very gracious - they don't have a breakfast menu but hopefully they will open for Breakfast in the near future)

Anyway, this was by far the best attended Mayor's Coffee gathering thus far (100 to 150 in attendance), probably in part due to the subject matter which was "Metro Light Rail - with a presentation by Metro Light Rail CEO Rick Simonetta.  I have to say I was impressed with Rick's presentation and with hearing his background.  Rick, who was involved with bringing light rail to Atlanta for the 1996 Olympics, said our system will be finished "on budget and on time" which is rare in the light rail world.  He also said that our light rail system is the "nations largest, most complex, starter line ever built".

The Mayor was his usual upbeat, visionary self. 

check out a video of this morning's presentation

Photo was taken with a cell phone camera sorry!

If you are a "First Fridays" veteran, you already know where everything is on Roosevelt and probably on Grand Avenue so this First Friday, do something new and different.  Stop by the Royal Coffee Bar and it's neighbor the Sweet Pea Bakery for some Java and a goodie and check out their "local Artist's work on display".  The 2 establishments are right next door to each other on the corner of 2nd Ave & Jackson in the Warehouse District. 

They have plenty of seating available both indoors and outdoors.

Royal Coffee Bar website

Sweet Pea Bakery website

Well, that didn't take long to hear from one of our readers about one of their downtown Phoenix dining experiences:  Here's what Brent had to say about the Bread Fruit Jamaican Grill at 108 E Pierce St.

I wanted to write to compliment the folks at the Breadfruit for introducing a unique, delicious style of food to the downtown area. I had heard about their recent opening and decided to give this place a try during a recent trip to the downtown area.

Its a small cozy place with a somewhat industrial feel and our waitress was very attentive and friendly. I tried their most popular dish, the Jerk Chicken with coleslaw, roasted corn, roasted pineapple, and a piece of coco bread. Contrary to how it may sound, the portions were actually very reasonable and not overwhelming. The chicken was very spicy with a fruity kick to boot. The bread was very hearty and the pineapple, corn and coleslaw were nicely portioned. I also had a tasty D&G pineapple soda to wash it all down. For dessert, they have a fun Grapenut ice cream which is topped with cherry jello. The dessert was delicious and was a great finish to a great meal.

Along with many of the dishes being quite healthy, there are alot of tasty choices for vegetarians. They serve a curried tofu dish as well as a green salad medley or a veggie pattie sandwich with coco bread. Prices for this place are very reasonable. I only needed 20 bucks for a full meal, drink, dessert, and tip.

So please, try this place out. I promise, you will not be sorry. Check out their website at www.thebreadfruit.com for hours and a full menu. Its restaurants like this that excite me and so many others about downtown's resurgence.

I recently mentioned that we were looking for someone to blog about their Downtown Phoenix dining experiences on this website.  I guess I should have elaborated on that posting a bit more, as I did get some inquiries about the post.  The Downtown Phoenix Journal is really a "community service kind of website" and as such, we aren't looking to add "paid professionals" to our staff.  Maybe what we should do at this stage in the life of this Blog, is ask for you, our readers, to send us an e-mail from time to time if you would like to share a "downtown Phoenix dining experience" with us.  You can reach us through the "Contact Us" tab on the front page of the site or if you see a previous review from one of our readers, you can certainly comment on that. 

Our ground rules for submission are pretty simple.  If you have something good to say about a "local business" we want to hear about your experience and to share that with people.  If you want to be negative about an establishment, we would prefer not to hear from you as that establishment will probably self-destruct without your help if it's really that bad.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,

Lyle P.

August 6th - Improv comedy troupe The Light Rail Pirates will have your sides splitting every Wednesday night at Tom’s Restaurant & Tavern. Check out their swashbuckling comedy styles as you enjoy Tom’s famous food and happy hour specials. This low-impact workout will include 12 ounce and pint curls. Wednesday nights at 5:30 pm, doors open at 5pm. Admission is $5.

For more info visit www.tomstavernphoenix.com

In preparation for its fall opening, the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel is opening a recruitment unit in the Arizona Center.

Called the Sheraton Recruitment Center, it opened on Tuesday, July 15th, in the retail, movie and restaurant complex located across the street from the hotel at Third and Van Buren streets in downtown Phoenix.

"This is an incredible opportunity for people looking to work in the downtown area. With the opening of the light rail at the end of the year and all of the new residential developments in the area, we're excited about the impact this will have in breathing some life into downtown Phoenix," said Cindy Radamaker, director of human resources at Sheraton Downtown Phoenix.

The Sheraton Recruitment Center will be open Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Candidates may also visit www.sheraton.jobs/phoenixdowntown and apply electronically.

The 1,000-room Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, scheduled to open in October, will feature a 3,500-square-foot fitness center and a 4,500-square-foot outdoor pool and sundeck.

You can enjoy good Mexican Food and the music of Mariachi's every Sunday at The Matador in Downtown Phoenix from 10 AM to 1 PM.  The Matador is located at 125 E Adams.  I have not been there myself yet on a Sunday but plan to check it out.  If you have been there, let us know how it was.

The Matador's website

July 18. At Sonoma Casual Dining - 1st Ave & Van Buren. Latinosnow.com presents the valleys hottest bands live every Friday night. D.J. Stixx in the mix hooking up the best mix in Cumbia, Old School, Merengue, Salsa and R & B. All new drink Specials and food served till midnight. $8 cover charge. Free parking after 8 pm entrance is on Van Buren Street

more info at www.latinosnow.com

The Downtown Phoenix Journal is interested in interviewing candidates for Blogging on our site about eating & drinking establishments in Downtown Phoenix.  Interested persons should send us an e-mail using the "Contact Us" tab on the Home Page of the site.

July 16. Improv comedy troupe The Light Rail Pirates will have your sides splitting every Wednesday night at Tom’s Restaurant & Tavern. Check out their swashbuckling comedy styles as you enjoy Tom’s famous food and happy hour specials. This low-impact workout will include 12 ounce and pint curls. Wednesday nights at 5:30 pm, doors open at 5pm. Admission is $5.

Tom's is located on the Northeast corner of 1st Ave & Washington.  602 257 1688

Tom's Tavern website