Recently we had the opportunity to meet up with Jaime Cerreta, a news anchor for Arizona’s Family and host of Jaime’s Local Love, to share a few bites at one of her favorite local hangouts, JT’s Bar & Grill. Cerreta vouched for its motto as “Arcadia’s Friendly Neighborhood Dive Bar” and it was evident from the moment we stepped through the (very) crowded doors on a Wednesday evening.
While a plethora of regulars were jammed in to watch a USA World Cup match, Cerreta said it wasn’t much different from any other night. We split The Works wings ($16), beef tacos ($10), and a surprisingly excellent house salad ($6), all served by manager Chuck Sanders, who – naturally – is well-acquainted with Cerreta.
In fact, we ran into several people Cerreta knew throughout our interview. Her passion for reporting on community stories has ingrained her into the city and over the din of a boisterous soccer match, we talked about her life in Arizona, career in news, and more.
Why did you want to meet up here?
JT’s is one of my favorite places in town; it’s somewhere my friends and I have been coming to for years. They have some of the best wings in Phoenix! It’s one of those spots that actually feels like it’s part of the neighborhood. In fact, I can see some of my neighbors right over there by the bar.
Tell me a little bit about you. You’re from Arizona, right?
Yes, born and raised here. Went to Chaparral High School and Arizona State University at the Walter Cronkite School of Broadcast Journalism…