It was only a matter of time before the North Central vibe crept into Sunnyslope. Drive along the bridle path on Central Avenue, over a slight hill, and there's Sunnyslope -- you can't miss it, it's marked with a huge "S" on a low mountain, right there. Before you hit the mountain, veer east into Corbins parking lot -- you can't miss that, either, it's painted a bright, obnoxious orange. To be truthful, there's much that's obnoxious about Corbins: It's obscenely loud, clearly no one's done anything about acoustics. The crowd is, um, eclectic. (Don't be surprised if the chick at the next table asks you for a sip of your drink -- and not in an effort to pick up on you, she just wants some.)

But settle in and check out the sleek decor, then look at the menu, and you'll be reminded of AZ 88, the quasi-gay bar in Scottsdale, one of the first cool places to drink and dine in the Valley. Some AZ 88 originals opened Corbins, and it was a smart move -- the place was packed on a Monday night in August.

If we were dining at AZ 88, we would have ordered a salad, natch. But when in Rome, we figured. So we got onion rings. They were very, very good.