New: Sertinos Café
Steve and Carla Loper opened Sertinos Café a month ago at 8898 E. Tanque Verde Road (formerly Szechuan Restaurant). The franchise café features breakfast sandwiches, hot and cold sandwiches, soup, ice cream and coffee drinks, as well as a private conference room with an audio/visual hookup and Wi-Fi. Sertinos is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; 760-0651.
New: College Place Cantina
College Place offers resort-like student housing community on eight acres. The public is invited to the new lounge, appropriately called College Place Cantina, at 1601 N. Oracle Road (at Drachman Street). Stop by for the nightly food and drink specials from 5 p.m. to closing, Tuesday through Saturday; the residence can be reached at 740-0100.
Coming Soon
Jax Kitchen (7286 N. Oracle Road) and Dickey's Barbecue Pit (4210 N. First Ave.).
Awards
Readers of Budget Travel recently named Terra Cotta as one of their favorite restaurants in Arizona. (The three others named were in Chandler, Mesa and Yuma.) The playful art and unusual sauces were mentioned at 3500 E. Sunrise Drive; 577-8100.Parents magazine named the 10 best family restaurant chains that mix health and convenience. Sweet Tomatoes is second; Mimis Café is third; Uno Chicago Grill is fourth; Chili's is fifth; and Red Robin is sixth.
More Summer Specials
From Monday through Thursday at La Placita Cafe in the Plaza Palomino, 2950 N. Swan Road, check out the $2 beer, the $4 margaritas and the bottles of wine that are 50 percent off. The offer is good through the end of September; 881-1150. Family dining at Frankie's South Philly Cheesesteaks takes on special meaning with the purchase of any two cheesesteaks and two drinks; the kids' menu is then half price at 2574 N. Campbell Ave.; 795-2665. Ric's Café features a petite filet mignon plus three shrimp with any glass of wine for $20 at 5605 E. River Road; 577-7272.
