Nestled inside Hotel Congress resides Cup Café — a spot that’s provided food and drinks to those exploring downtown and taking a peek inside the historic building. Recently, it was recognized nationally by the website OpenTable, naming it one of the 100 Best Neighborhood Gems in America for 2021.
The site specifically sought out restaurants with outdoor seating that “stand out and define their neighborhoods.” The data was also generated from diner reviews collected between April 1, 2020 – March 31, 2021.
OpenTable shared the following about its findings:
“All restaurants with a minimum ‘overall’ score and number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Qualifying restaurants were then scored and sorted according to the sum of tags for which ‘neighborhood gems’ and ‘outdoor dining’ was selected as a special feature.”
“The time to ‘dine on’ with safety top of mind is now,” said Debby Soo, CEO of OpenTable. “With the proper precautions, we want people to get back to their favorite restaurants and support local businesses while enjoying the last bit of summer.”
Other Arizona restaurants on the list include Grassroots Kitchen & Tap Scottsdale, The Hidden House in Chandler, Keeler’s Neighborhood Steakhouse in Carefree, and Rusconi’s American Kitchen in Phoenix.
Cup Café is located inside Hotel Congress at 311 E. Congress Street. For more info, call (520) 622-8848 or visit hotelcongress.com.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
