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| - 200th review! And on the last day of December 2008, of all days. 2008 was a great year for Phoenix Yelp but not for Phoenix itself as one local business after another closed its doors and efforts to revitalize downtown didn't do so well. Anyone who attended the downtown pub crawl can attest to that.
I really believe that 2009 can be a better year for Phoenix, though, and I think that the light rail being open (and creating a flow up and down the central corridor) will definitely help. The other thing I think will help is entrepreneurs like Karl Kopp (the owner of Hanny's) being willing to take risks and open businesses that may not necessarily fit the cookie cutter mold of what a "cool" Phoenix establishment should be. I really applaud him for that.
In some sense, opening a business that's different than what people are used to or expect helps you create a cult following--not everyone will like you, but if enough people refuse to listen to the other people who don't like you, you will create a pretty passionate crowd of supporters. I really think that Hanny's will gain this type of cult following and then over time, as similar types of businesses gain a footing in Phoenix, it will become a place everyone accepts. Or that won't happen and I'll pray that enough people start to see the magic so that Hanny's won't be the next business to close!
In case you think that I only like Hanny's because it's different or new, I want to emphasize that I also really liked the food and drinks my husband and I tried. Yes, the martinis were small (my husband had the special Hanny's martini with vodka and gin and I had a French martini), but they were mixed well and at only $5, my husband's was well priced for the size.
We also both thought the food was really well executed. We especially loved the pizza with prosciutto and arugula. The crust was definitely too thin even for "Roman style"--having been to Rome five times, I can tell you that the crust there has a bit more substance to it, but the ingredients on Hanny's pizza were simple and fresh, which I know to be an authentically Italian approach to pizza making. But I can see how you might be disappointed if you are used to very saucy and savory pizza. The pork loin sandwich was also really good--the thinly sliced pork was very flavorful and the bread was nice and crusty. The green peppers were a bit strange, though, as they made the pork taste more Mexican inspired than Italian.
That being said, though, I'm kind of content overall to not try to force Hanny's into a box. What I like about the place is its slight imperfections and its inability to be easily defined. Is it a bar? a restaurant? a lounge? I don't really know, but I don't really care. I think its unique character make it a great destination for those who are looking for something different in Phoenix, and I hope that it survives the economic slump that the city has been going through. If it does, maybe it will expand its offerings and become a place that everyone can appreciate.
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