Page 30 November 2 014 At new Arcadia bar, pigs don’t whine, they meow By Michelle Donati-Grayman Greg Malkin started out as a bankruptcy attorney. He practiced law for five years, which may not seem like very long, but it was long enough for Malkin to find out it wasn’t for him. Once he had enough, he traded his career with one bar for another. “I got bored and wanted something fun to do,” said Malkin, a smiling, comfortably rumpled dark-haired guy with a quiet but sharp wit. “Opening a bar seemed like a good idea.” Malkin and his wife, Chrissy, opened The Whining Pig at 16th Street and Bethany Home Road in October 2013. It has become one of the most popular bars in the area. In fact, with more than 50 five- star reviews, it is the top-ranked bar on Yelp in the nation, according to Malkin. After finding success in north central Phoenix, the Malkins opened a second establishment in Arcadia last month. Located at 3730 E. Indian School Road, The Pig’s Meow is situated between two Arcadia mainstays: Zipps on 36th Street and The Vig on 40th Street. Keeping true to its original location, the bar, which offers a relaxed atmosphere, does not offer spirits, but it does highlight Arizona beer and wine. About a quarter of The Pig’s Meow’s wine options come from Arizona vineyards, while 18 of the 20 taps feature beer from Arizona breweries. A variety of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches – all for $5 – are featured on its limited food menu. When Malkin practiced law, his workday often didn’t wrap up until after happy hour had ended. As a result, both of his bars offer happy hour daily from 3 to 8 p.m. and reverse happy hour from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Tuesdays through Thursdays. Each features 60 beers and 25 wines for $3 and $5 a glass, respectively. A variety of games – from Uno to Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots – are available to keep patrons entertained. “It’s not a dive bar and not a wine bar – it’s somewhere in between,” Malkin said. “It’s a place you can go before or after dinner.” The Pig’s Meow 3730 E. Indian School Road 602-633-2134 facebook.com/TheWhiningPig AWARD WINNING PASTRIES MADE WITH LOCAL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS JOIN US FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND SOMETHING SWEET 3830 E Indian School Rd Phoenix AZ 85018 602-296-4958 • essencebakery.com WE’RE HAPPY TO SERVE YOU AT ANY OF OUR 8 CONVENIENT VALLEY LOCATIONS! • 22 S. Mesa Dr, Mesa • 1017 E. Apache Blvd, Tempe • 1111 E. Buckeye Rd, Phoenix • 2628 W. Van Buren, Phoenix • 3920 S. Central Ave, Phoenix • 4121 N. 44th St, Phoenix FAX: 602-952-9233 • 5516 W. Glendale Ave, Phoenix • 9309 W. Van Buren, Tolleson Need a menu? Visit our web site: WWW. PETESFISHANDCHIPS .COM Burgers, Dogs, Burritos! Scrumptious Fish & Chips! Fresh Breaded Onion Rings! Children’s Menus at Some Locations! Drive Thru/Take-Out Is Our Specialty! ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ Family Owned & Operated Since 1947 from your friends at Pete’s Happy Thanksgiving!!! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Page 31 November 2 0 14 Local boy’s mitzvah project feeds more than just hunger By Katie Mayer Moments before the guests arrived, Ben Gavartin smiled as he surveyed the room. Plates clinked in the kitchen as busy chefs plated the first course. Neatly dressed servers buzzed about the room to their assigned tables. Pressed white and black linens draped long tables where whimsical lace parasols hung overhead. Sunset-colored flower centerpieces adorned each place setting. In the background, the energetic notes of a string trio added an extra air of formality. The elegant event looked like any other high-end dinner party, but this was no ordinary event – the host was just 13 years old and his guests were homeless. Arcadia seventh-grader Ben Gavartin secured the donations, raised the money and organized a first-class event on September 30 for about 200 homeless men, women and children at UMOM Watkins Homeless Shelter in Phoenix. The event called “Ben Feeds Back” was the 13-year-old’s mitzvah project, which he performed before his bar mitzvah. A mitzvah is a commandment or good deed performed in the Jewish tradition as an expression of one’s active role as a caring and righteous person. Ben selected his project after he was inspired by a YouTube video where a comedian surprised homeless people with a dinner. As part of the project, Ben also raised more than $14,000 for UMOM New Day Centers. The organization operates the largest homeless shelter for families in Arizona. As the evening kicked off, men, women and children filed into the elaborate dining room for a surprise formal event. Once inside, young children smiled, some guests gasped and others cried. One family held hands and bowed their heads in prayer. For many of the newly homeless guests, simply finding the next meal is often a challenge, and dining in a restaurant is completely out of reach. Guest Charlene Seider sat with a group of women who chatted and smiled as they dined on a pasta and short rib dish. She called the event “inspiring.” “It’s a blessing,” Seider said. “Whoever thought about this is kindhearted.” She added, “Some people look down on us, and to feel like somebody cares. The world needs more of that.” Mother of three, Danielle Foster called the evening “spirit-lifting.” “It’s a thing that makes your heart melt,” said guest Tawon Woodruff. In addition to musical entertainment from the string trio, the guests and staff sang happy birthday to a little boy who was celebrating a birthday. And at the end of the evening, each child received a toy and a candy bag or cookie, while the mothers took home flower centerpieces and homemade truffles. Men and adolescents received footballs, basketballs, nail polishes and toiletries. Young girls were given fairy wings. “Words cannot describe how everyone feels because someone took the time to put something like this together for them,” said LaShawn Lewis, shelter director. “We’ve never ever had anything to this scale.” Ben and his mother Amy, father Leon and 10-year-old sister Shayna also helped at the event, in addition to more than 40 volunteers – including restaurant servers and members of the family’s synagogue Temple Solel – to ensure the evening went smoothly. Ben’s football team from Veritas Preparatory Academy also helped by writing the inspirational notes attached to each centerpiece. “We tried to talk Ben out of doing this in the beginning, because I knew how much work it would be,” said Amy Gavartin, “but he started working on it six months ago and I’m proud that he sustained his desire and of how he composed himself the entire evening.” Throughout the event, Ben cooked in the kitchen, managed details and visited with each guest individually. “A lot of them shook my hand,” Ben said. “They thought Ben was an older man and they were all surprised when they met me.” He added, “A lot of these families and these women are just like any other person you’d find out walking around, but they just don’t have a lot of the things we have.” Amy said one woman gave a handwritten letter to Ben explaining that she had fallen on hard times and that this event touched her. “It was the first time in a while that she said she saw a smile on her children’s faces,” Amy said. “She was crying and Ben was crying reading the letter and I started crying.” She added, “It was one of those special moments you never forget. I think about this woman and her boys every day.” Although the event is over, Ben and his family are thinking about how they can someday host another event to serve more homeless families. In the meantime, they continue to raise money for UMOM and are still collecting donations. To learn more about “Ben Feeds Back” and to make a donation, visit benfeedsback.com.