Tag: nostalgia

The Uncommon brings 70s, 80s, & 90s nostalgia eatery to Chandler

Baby boomers and Gen X’s will reminisce strolling down memory lane surrounded by life size video games, pinball machines and music from classic rock to new wave at the new eatery and arcade The Uncommon. Downtown Chandler welcomed the opening last month to the sister concept from the Tipsy Egg.

“The amount of detail that has been packed into The Uncommon has been overwhelmingly received with smiles and laughter brought on by the memories of childhood,” said Niels Kreipke, The Uncommon owner. “The space is unrivaled in the Valley and is truly special.”

Common food at The Uncommon

Guests will enjoy scratch made comfort food with an uncommon spin from executive chef Schuyler Estes. The “Sloan Peterson” (Ferris Bueller’s girlfriend) is a smoked salmon BLT, made with avocado and garlic aioli on sourdough bread. The “Inigo Montoya” (of Princess Bride fame) is burger that’s served on a freshly made English Muffin with white American cheese, bacon, pickles, arugula, red onion and garlic aioli. “There isn’t a menu item that shouldn’t be tried here,” said Estes. “A well balanced and perfectly executed blend of offerings is key to the success of this menu.”

The cocktail menu from General Manager Nick Kadkec has as much creativity as the food. Popular cocktails including Poppin Cherry Limeade,” made with Smirnoff cherry vodka, lime juice, Sprite, grenadine and a cherry. The “1.21 Gigawatts,” is made with Basil Hayden whiskey, simple syrup and orange bitters. The “We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat” is a cocktail for two that comes in a blue ceramic fish and is served with Candy Fish and Nerds in the bottom. Over 30 craft beers are on tap from local brewers and throughout the country.

Have fun playing the games including Skeeball, shufflebaord and more in the arcade. A stage for up to 3 musicians to play on weekends with DJs spinning the classics during the week. Currently serving dinner starting at 4 p.m. for all ages The Uncommon becomes 21 and over nightly at 10 p.m. The Uncommon is at 1 E. Boston St. Chandler, for more information and to see the menu visit their website.

Don’t forget to check out my podcast Pulling Corks & Forks: The Podcast with Sandy Wasserman to hear from those in our community. Please subscribe, like & comment.

The Dash Inn re-opens in Scottsdale after 27 years

If you attended ASU from 1967 – 1994 you probably spent some of your parent’s money on beer and food at The Dash Inn. Closed in 1994 by the fourth set of owners the popular dive bar was an institution at Apache & Rural Rd. has re-opened as part of Brat Haus in Scottsdale. The Dash Inn Tribute Room’s owner Dave Andrea is also the owner of Brat Haus and was one of the last owners at the original location. I visited the new location with a very excited ASU alum on the 2nd night it was opened and many local alumni have been strolling down memory lane as the stopped by to remember their college years. Rumor has it when it was billed to a credit card it read “the library”.

“The Dash Inn was a hip joint, and you could see that just by walking in,” said former employee Tom Cole. “Management never gave long-haired waiters a hard time when they applied for work, which gave the personnel and restaurant a look that attracted the counter-culture while its traditional Mexican feel attracted everyone else.”

Andrea uses one of the dining rooms at Brat Haus for The Dash Inn as guests prefer the outdoor beer garden. Guests will find nostalgia and 500 MTV music videos on a rear projection TV and a limited menu of Mexican food. The menu includes the popular secret recipe margarita and cheese crisp with all menu items costing $8 or less.

“Luckily, I had kept all of the old recipes and plenty of pictures to help replicate the details of design, smallware and furniture,” Andrea said. “The Dash played an important role in thousands of people’s happy memories of a simpler time and college life in the ‘70s and ‘80s. It’s been so much fun listening to all their stories as we bring it back.”

The Dash Inn Tribute Room is located at 3622 N. Scottsdale Road 85251. Hours are Wednesday through Friday from 4 p.m. to close and Saturday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to close. For more information and updates check out their Facebook page.