Plopped amid suburban blahsville, Sunset Road keeps it real
Yes, it looks like another stretch of Strip Mall America, this block of Sunset Road between Mountain Vista Street and Green Valley Parkway. Acres of asphalt. Familiar franchises. Still, tucked amid Olive Garden, TGI Fridays and the other usual suspects are more points of interest than we can fit. Sorry, Bangkok Orchid! Sorry, Ross J’s Aloha Grill! Next time, promise!
1. Green Valley Library
It’s got the usual library stuff — books, computers, shush-filled quasi-silence. And, out front, the undulant “Serpent Mound,” a joy to climb on. Your kids will love it, too. 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway, 702-207-4260
2. Mothership Coffee Roasters
Says on the Mothership website, “We aim to serve as a coffee education center” — that’s the level of ambition. Come to savor a cup in the friendly surroundings or acquire the beans to do it at home. 2708 N. Green Valley Parkway, mothershipcoffee.com
3. Weiss Deli
“Is that one of the Property Brothers?” a friend asked last time I ate at Weiss. It sure mighta been — this old-school deli has that kind of charm. 2744 N. Green Valley Parkway, 702-454-0565
4. Desert Art Supplies
You needn’t be an artist to be entranced by this vast selection — however you get your creativity on, you’ll find the goods here. On a personal note, it’s one of the few places I can find Le Pen, the world’s finest doodling implement. 2750 N. Green Valley Parkway, desertartsupplies.com
5. A Cat Hospital
When they’re not racking up millions of views with their adorable videos, cats can have medical problems — perhaps injuries related to excessive laser-pen frolicking or shark-suited Roomba surfing. In such cases, savvy Hendersonians whisk their felines to this cat-specific clinic. Back on that Roomba, Fluffy! 2758 N. Green Valley Parkway, acathospital.com
6. Todd’s Unique Dining
The food is upscale — begin with the goat-cheese wontons with raspberry basil sauce, then tuck into the signature skirt steak — but the setting is human-scaled and appealingly unpretentious. 4350 E. Sunset Road, toddsunique.com
7. Go Float Yourself
This sounds like a fresh path to mindfulness: Afloat in body-temp water in a tank of silent darkness, you can find some tendril of peace. Or, if the film Altered States is right, you’ll devolve into a primitive hominid. Either way, you should get your money’s worth. 4500 E. Sunset Road #4, gofloatyourself.com
8. Galaxy Luxury Theatre
One of the best movie theaters in the valley, with plush, reclining seats (which you reserve online), alcohol served inside and enough legroom that you needn’t contort your knees — or, worse, stand up — to let someone pass. 4500 E. Sunset Road #10, galaxytheatres.com
9. Carlito’s Burritos
We’d like to nom-nom-nominate this joint to the Burrito Hall of Fame, and if there isn’t such an institution, we’d like to start one just to include Carlito’s. What these folks do with tortillas and basic ingredients is worth changing today’s lunch plans to experience. 4300 E. Sunset Road, 702-547-3592