PHX Rail Food

Yogurtini

2010-03-09T22:35:00.001-07:00

There's a great Seinfeld episode called, "The Non-Fat Yogurt." In the show, Kramer invests in a frozen yogurt shop, and the characters all start eating there regularly. Despite the claims that the yogurt is non-fat, the characters begin to gain weight. When lab tests are performed, the yogurt involved turns out to be full of fat, and of course even a fat-free product can be loaded with calories. Somehow, the typically convoluted episode also mixes in the New York mayoral race and Jerry's use of profanity in one of his stand-up routines. In contrast, this review will be apolitical and not contain any of George Carlin's "seven words you can never say on television." Instead, let's just focus on frozen yogurt, specifically Yogurtini, which brings the current froyo trend to the Cornerstone development, diagonally across the street from the University / Rural light rail station.

In a way, the fictional experience of Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer seems to be mirroring what's going on with the trend of frozen yogurt shops seemingly opening everywhere at once. All of these places claim to offer a tasty product with various health benefits, but actual results vary in practice. What's distinguishes today's wave of froyo from the earlier yogurt trend of the '80s is that after frozen yogurt became so sweet and adulterated that it was barely recognizable as yogurt, the trend has now moved back toward to a frozen dessert with an actual tart yogurt flavor. Combine that taste with a self-service, pay-by-weight business model and it's easy to see the trend that Yogurtini is part of. It doesn't hurt to have contemporary, minimalistic pastel decor either.

Yogurtini's name is indicative of its approach. The customers has the opportunity to take creatively flavored yogurts and augment them with a comprehensive array of fanciful toppings to come up with one's own personal frozen yogurt cocktail. It's all in the assembly-line formula replicated now at dozens of yogurts joints. The first step is to assess the day's spectrum of flavors. The first one is always the house tart. Every place has one of these now, but Yogurtini's seems to have a more impressive yogurt tang that the average tart froyo. Paired with fresh fruit toppings like kiwi, blueberries, or strawberries, it's a simple, straightforward, and appealing choice. There's always a second tart flavor available. Recently, it has been a combination of peach and mango, with notes of both fruits discernible. Free sample cups are available at the counter for anyone needing a taste before deciding.

Moving down the line, there are about half a dozen sweeter yogurts. Flavors like dulce de leche, red velvet, and cherry cordial all have a rich taste and mouth-feel. They're ideally suited for those who seek a yogurt product with a more pudding-like appeal, although they're identified as having the same active cultures as the tarter flavors. The peanut butter yogurt is a smooth treat; pair it with toppings like shredded coconut and sriracha, the infamous "rooster" hot sauce, for a powerful blend of tastes vaguely reminiscent of the peanut sauces and penang curries of southeast Asian cuisines. For added crunch, additional topping choices include nuts, oreos, granola, and Pebbles cereal in both Fruity and Cocoa varieties.

At the end of the line are the sugar-free yogurts and a sorbet offerings. This is the part of the line meant for those who want to avoid something, whether it's sugar or dairy. One nutritional point to keep in mind is that despite all the potential benefits of active cultures, minimal fat, and, in some cases, sugar alternatives, Yogurtini makes no pledge that all ingredients are natural. To be fair, that's standard for the frozen yogurt sector, which often relies on lengthy ingredient lists to manipulate yogurt into a soft-serve product in myriad flavors, all with the same malleable form. While the froyo flavors have a genuineness to their taste, the sorbets are not always as convincing. Customers seeking intense fruit taste might be better off pairing the original tart yogurt with generous scoops of fruit toppings.

The seating is both indoor and outdoor, and large windows keep in the interior illuminated with natural light. There's free wifi, too, and those always connected can often take advantage of deals announced via Twitter and Facebook. Right now, Yogurtini is a single location near the ASU campus, but the Web site announces ambitious expansion plans around the metro area and pitches franchising opportunities. In other words, there's a concept behind this shop waiting to be replicated in multiple locations if the public's sometimes fickle tastes and the difficult economy cooperate. Amazingly enough, we're only a few years away from the first freshman class at nearby ASU that will not have grown up with Seinfeld. If Yogurtini sticks around, at least the new students will have an opportunity to indulge in the characters' beloved frozen yogurt.

725 S. Rural Rd., Tempe AZ 85281 | Map
(480) 264-6805
http://www.yogurtini.com

Sushi 101

2010-03-02T22:53:00.004-07:00

Sushi seems to be one of the most polarizing foods around. Some people genuinely love it, some people eat it because they think it's cool to do so, and others find the idea of uncooked fish repulsive. Even among those who enjoy sushi, there are still factions. At one end are fans of various see-and-be-seen places, many of them chains, that have prevailed recently. At other end of the spectrum are sushi snobs, those who are so convinced that everyone should eat the purest, most authentic Japanese food that they shun rolls and sake bombers in favor of omakase at every meal. The polarization is unfortunate because there's really a place for a middle ground: reasonably priced, unintimidating places that serve a variety of cooked and raw foods, some authentic and some that would be barely recognizable in Japan, but all well-prepared.

If there is to be a middle ground, Sushi 101, located in Tempe diagonally across from the University / Rural light rail station, might be a candidate for inclusion. The name is an obvious reference to the restaurant's proximity to ASU's main campus and also melds with the restaurant's approach to engaging with diners via on-site classes, make-your-own roll contests, and outreach via social media. If you want to eat cream-cheese filled rolls with chopsticks and then dunk those rolls in a muddy melange of soy sauce and faux wasabi, Sushi 101 is happy to accommodate. On the other hand, if you'd prefer to focus on sashimi and nigiri, keep the soy sauce and wasabi separate, and eat the sushi with your hands, then Sushi 101 is also happy to pat you on the back for stepping up to a higher level of authenticity.

Sushi 101 occupies a key spot in the Cornerstone development, best known as home to the Improv comedy club. That venue encourages its audience to eat dinner from its own kitchen during the shows, but anyone wanting an alternative would do well to eat some Japanese food downstairs instead. In fact, the times right before or after a show at the Improv align well with Sushi 101's happy hours, during which most sushi is available at a deep sea discount. At any time of day, the sushi selection is varied and worth exploring. Most lunch specials come with an assortment of crowd-pleasing nigiri: salmon, tuna, and whitefish. Those are all solid choices: supple in texture, ever-so slightly briny but not overly fishy, and served on nicely packed beds of rice. For a bolder taste, try the mackerel or yellowtail. For a gentler touch, the snow crab is a good choice.

Of course, Sushi 101 offers a long list of rolls, including a weekly special announced on the restaurant's Web site. The roll of the week is usually a creative one with names like "Godzilla" and ingredients like imitation crab, avocado, and cream cheese to make purists cringe. Among the rolls always available, the "Monkey Brain" probably is the most radical departure from tradition with mozzarella, tuna, krab, and seaweed combined and then fried. Most of these concoctions are actually pretty good to anyone willing to approach them with an open mind, but they can also be quite filling. There are lighter, more nuanced rolls on the menu. The Krisp Green roll includes al dente asparagus, lettuce, carrot, avocado, cucumber, and ginger in a sort of salad wrapped in rice. It contrasts nicely with an order of unadorned sashimi.

Cooked food on the menu includes all the usual suspects: teriyaki, tempura, noodles, etc. The tempura vegetables are crisp and not burdened by excessive oiliness. Udon comes in three varieties, including versions with tempura, seafood and tofu, and a meatless choice. The broth is rich, and the garnish of shichimi togarashi, the red seven-spice mixture, adds additional flavor for those who seek it. All the udon dishes come in a big bowl on a wooden tray. The presentation is almost as much fun as those sushi boats over at Hana in Phoenix. Beverages offerings comprise a selection of wine and beer, including perennial sushi bar favorite Kirin Ichiban on draft, and mixed drinks with ingredient lists and names that rival those of the sushi rolls. As with the sushi, there are happy hour specials.

There is always room for improvement, and real grated wasabi would be a welcome touch, even if it came with an extra charge. Still, Sushi 101 is a perfectly good choice for either mainstream Japanese food or way-out-there rolls with myriad influences. Not everyone is going to like sushi, and not every sushi aficionado will appreciate the restaurant's catering to the college crowd. Regardless, Sushi 101 gets the basics right in terms of fish and rice quality, and pairs those fundamentals with efficient, friendly service at both the tables and the semi-circular sushi bar. There's even an attractive patio available facing the busy corner of University and Rural. Sit in any of those environments, order what you like, and enjoy a meal without the pressure to join any particular faction in the sometimes polarized world of sushi.

920 E. University Dr., Tempe AZ 85281 | Map
(480) 317-0101
http://www.sushi-101.com

Chix Charbroil Grill

2010-03-01T06:28:00.009-07:00

"Beef or chicken?" That's the cliche of airline in-flight meal choices -- back when airlines still routinely served meals to their passengers. In a cramped airline galley at 30,000 feet, it's hard to offer passengers much choice, so why not choose the two most popular protein sources in the American diet? Chix Charbroil Grill, a restaurant in Tempe, seems to be copying the airline menu concept, admittedly with better results than typically encountered in coach class. Chix offers just two menu choices: beef ribeye or chicken. Both come seasoned with a teryiaki-like marinade, labeled just as "the Sauce," and are available in bowls with rice or as part of plates with rice and sides. Vegetables, mainly a mix of broccoli and carrots, can be added to either type of meat.

Given the minimalist menu, it's not surprising that the decor is also sparse. Chix occupies a storefront in the Tempe Towne Plaza at University and Rural, just a block or two from that intersection's light rail station. It's one of over half a dozen restaurants there, and it's about the only one without a clear ethnic identity. Instead, the food draws Japanese influences from the sauce and rice, but in some ways might be more American with its reliance on land animals rather than fish. Regardless, this place is more about a solid meal at a bargain price than a culinary trip around the world. That's fine. There's a place for no-nonsense fare at reasonable prices, and Chix is an effort to deliver what its slogan promises -- "quality, fresh, healthy" -- for a tab below $10.

Whether a customer chooses beef, chicken, or a mixture of the two, the sauce basted on the meat is based on soy, ginger, and garlic. It's a mild but flavorful sauce that adds tenderness and depth of taste to the popular cuts of meats cooked in the back. With the chicken, there's an optional upgrade to all white meat. Otherwise, there's little choice in how the meat is prepared, but both options come out of the kitchen tender and nicely seasoned. To garnish the food, the person at the counter will add sliced scallions on request. There's also a condiment station with a jug of the same sauce used for basting. Cajun Chef hot sauce, a vinegary and spicy concoction, is also present to add heat. Sliced jalapenos serve the same purpose.

The bowls simply feature the meat, along with the optional vegetable assortment, over rice. White is the default, but brown rice is available for a small additional charge. The plates contain larger portions of meat and add a sort of salad and fruit. The salad is a sort of slaw -- mainly shredded cabbage with a tangy sesame dressing. The fruit may vary, but has most often been a sliced orange. It's a simple but attractive presentation, even if it comes in an annoying foam clamshell. Smaller versions of both the beef and chicken bowls are available on a children's menu, and a side order or veggies is probably a good idea for any kid willing to eat them. Beverages are limited to fountain sodas, iced tea, and a few bottled drinks by the counter. There's no liquor license here, and there's no dessert either. Chix keeps it simple and effectively limits the meal to one course.

Acknowledging that Chix executes its focused, streamlined mission reasonably well, it's still hard not to wish Chix would branch out just a bit. The basting sauce and char-broiling technique used here on beef and chicken might work just as well on other ingredients. Envision shrimp for the seafood enthusiast and tofu for the vegetarian. Either one would pair well with the house sauce and the accompanying bed of rice. To be sure, what's already on the menu is tasty, but it seems that larger groups with more varied tastes might be lured in by a slightly broader menu. Even if that never happens, Chix does a good job with its no-frills approach. Sure, the choices are limited to chicken or beef, but either one tastes better than airline food, and neither requires passing through a security checkpoint.

933 E. University Dr., Tempe AZ 85281 | Map
(480) 967-2232

Flaming Kabob

2010-02-12T17:39:00.003-07:00

Humans have always had a fascination with fire. Archaeological evidence points to the earliest use of controlled fire approximately 1.5 million years ago. Now, of course, fire of a sort is in every car engine and every gas stove. Likewise, it's in popular songs from the Door's "Light my Fire" to Bruce Springsteen's "I'm on Fire." Is it any surprise then that restaurant names also follow a fire theme? In Tempe, Middle Eastern restaurant Flaming Kabob has recently replaced the now-defunct Urban Campfire. That's right; this standalone building just a block from the University / Rural light rail station has been the site of not one, but two, restaurants with incendiary names. Moreover, two tenants back, the site was home to Greasy Tony's, a beloved and divey pizza place. In other words, grease fueled a fire, and fire produced flames.

Flaming Kabob's Tempe site is the latest one in a growing local chain. The restaurant's first location was a repurposed Five-and-Diner in Mesa. Since then, new locations have been added in Chandler, Scottsdale, and now near the ASU Main Campus. At the University and Rural site, the decor has been refreshed since the changeover from the previous tenant. It's basically the same layout as before, but the walls on one side actually have flames on them in a bright mural vaguely remiscient of the Hot Wheels cars logo. The shaded patio is there, too, but it's unclear if it's going to be put to use as a dining area. Right now, all the action appears to be on the inside, where about a dozen tables fill a dining room of modest size. Take whatever table appeals and claim it. Flaming Kabob is casual and not yet crowded enough to need any sort of host station.

The restaurant offers several menus. Let's say it's a menu of menus, as confusing as that might be. The biggest is the all-day menu that is common to all four locations. It has the basics like gyros and baba ghanoush on it, but it also offers more ambitious lamb entrees with prices approaching $20. While these items may sell in some of the restaurant's more suburban locations, the Tempe site seems to emphasize a printed lunch menu and a chalkboard on the wall listing all-day pita sandwich specials that include rice or fries and a fountain drink for $6.99. Given the location near a college campus and the recessionary economy, that's probably a smart move. Unless you're in the mood to share one of the giant combination platters, stick with the wall menu or the paper lunch menu.

Even in the bargain basement section of the myriad menus, there's a lot of quality in what's being served. The pita sandwiches come stuffed with fillings like chicken shawarma, nicely seasoned and dressed with a garlicky sauce, and falafel, made on the premises and perfectly balanced between a crisp outer shell and a yielding inner core. The falafel also has a nice level of gentle spice which can be dampened with the accompanying tahini or amplified by requesting a serving of the restaurant's tangy hot sauce. When choosing a side, skip the fries unless you've got a serious craving for potatoes. Their mealy texture suggests the freezer bag rather rather than the farms of Idaho. Instead, order the rice, which is studded with golden raisins and slivered almonds in an appealing pilaf.

Among the starters, the hummus is creamy and airy -- just right for dipping with pieces of the accompanying pita. It's a little understated in terms of lemon or garlic flavor, though. It thrives when mixed with another appetizer like grape leaves or tabouleh. Flaming Kabob's version of the bulghur-based salad is excellent with a strong, but not overpowering, lemon taste, and an appropriate ratio of leaves of parsley to grains of wheat. The two soups are servicable but not the stars of the menu. Lemon chicken has scant poultry and clumpy rice. Lentil is thinner than elsewhere but has a zesty lemon taste. The fatoush salad works well with crunchy romaine, tomato, and a dressing with -- what else? -- a strong note of lemon. In one lunch special, the normal pita chips are replaced with pieces of grilled chicken.

Given the use of halal meats in the kabobs, kibbeh, kofta, and shawarma here, it's not surprising that Flaming Kabob has no liquor license; Urban Campfire's famous "blue collar beer cooler" is now full of fruit juices and bottled water. The big menu advertises a lot of fresh-squeezed juices, but orange is right now the only one straight from the fruit to the table. Order mango, and you'll get something decent but packaged. A few months after its Tempe opening, Flaming Kabob isn't much more busy than the previous tenant at this site. Some of the challenge may be the presence of so many other good Middle Eastern restaurants nearby. Nevertheless, it's hard to have too many good food bargains near a college campus, and if food quality has anything to do with it, maybe this restaurant can re-ignite the fire that has burned on-and-off for years at what should be a prime location.

921 E. University Dr., Tempe AZ 85281 | Map
(480) 921-4141
http://www.flamingkabob.com

Hula's Modern Tiki

2010-02-08T22:29:00.003-07:00

Before the endless parade of "Law and Order" shows began, the longest-running television crime drama was the legendary "Hawaii Five-O." The program, which featured a fictional state police force fighting crime all over Oahu, was never shy about its island setting and scenery. Fast forward to 2010, and now there's talk of a new Hawaii Five-O show. If a TV show about Hawaiian cops can be re-imagined after three decades, why can't the same be true of Hawaiian-themed restaurants? Hula's Modern Tiki is an attempt at such a reboot. The restaurant occupies a recently renovated and expanded A-frame building at Central and Highland, just a quarter mile south of the Central / Camelback light rail station. The Phoenix Hula's is based on two similar operations in California and opened after an architectural transformation documented on a pre-opening blog.

Comparisons to Trader Vic's, which has an outpost nine miles to the east at the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale, are inevitable. Hula's is not really trying to be a clone of Vic's, and that's a good thing. From its classic Mai Tai to its thorougly Polynesian decor, Trader Vic's is an upscale thematic experience that would be hard to replicate in any way that did not turn out looking like a cheap knockoff. Instead, Hula's goes easy on the islands theme with only a few pieces of art suggesting a tropical identity. Take those items away, and this space could just as easily be repurposed as Hula's Modern Bistro or Hula's Modern Gastropub, to draw examples from two of the most overused words in the restaurant industry. The elements added during the renovation include a patio and garage doors, features seen recently at local favorites like St. Francis and Postino.

With the restaurant not resembling an islands cliche, there is an instead a contemporary, open, and urban feel. Guests can sit on the patio and watch light rail trains and Central Avenue traffic rather than waves crashing on a beach. The interior is a bit quieter at times with dining rooms and a bar. That bar offers not only an assortment of tropical cocktails, but also a selecton of wine and some impressive draft brews from Kona Brewing Company. A pint of Longboard Lager goes a long way toward washing away the heat associated with the spicy seaweed salad, one of the best starters on the menu. That salad begins subtly with the crunch of the greens being the primary sensation. The fire is sneaky and does not reveal itself fully until several bites. It's a generous serving, so those bites will be plentiful.

Seaweed may be about the most exotic item on the menu, which focuses heavily on burgers, tacos, and "plates," which include a meat with sides such as rice and coleslaw. Sweet potato fries are featured as an appetizer and as a side with many entrees. The fries are well-seasoned and never greasy, although they might benefit from a more crisp exterior. Among the main dishes, Hula's generally prepares fish quite well with species like butterfish cooked just right and minimally dressed so that their own flavors and textures stand out. A range of sauces and preparations are offered with each type of fish in order to boost flavor as desired. A simple vegetarian dish of spicy tofu tacos works remarkably well with strips of firm bean curd in soft corn tortillas with salas, cabbage, rice, and black beans.

The dishes that don't work as well are those in which the food's heft exceeds its flavor. A Big Sur black bean burger is an attractively presented meatless sandwich, but there isn't enough flavor to compel someone to eat all the way through the sizable patty. Likewise, one side dish, the johnnycakes, are so filling that they seem like an appetizer, entree, and dessert all in one. Speaking of dessert, the brownie also seems leaden, although it is partially redeemed by the accompanying ice cream. Key lime pie is a stronger choice. With some uneveness in the food, it's important to ask questions of the servers and make good choices. Fortunately, service is Hula's strong suit. Greetings at the host station are prompt, the staff are welcoming, and the food usually arrives faster than you can say, "Book 'em, Danno!"

To its credit, Hula's has opted to identify itself not so much as a tropical theme restaurant, but instead as a neighborhood eatery that blends Hawaiian influences with those of Southwestern, Cajun, and other regional American cuisines. That strategy may make Hula's hard to categorize, but also less likely to appear a rerun, to keep the television theme going, of more established restaurants. The original "Hawaii Five-O" aired for an impressive 12 years before going off the air in 1980. Given the substantial investment made in opening Hula's Modern Tiki, it would be nice for the restaurant to last at least as long. If the food can all reach the high level shown in some of the restaurant's best dishes, then Hula's is likely to be renewed as a key part of the Uptown dining lineup for many seasons to come.

4700 N. Central Ave., Phoenix AZ 85012 | Map
(602) 265-8454
http://www.hulasmoderntiki.com

Lola Coffee (Downtown Location)

2010-02-01T21:32:00.004-07:00

In many American cities, there's a distinction between Downtown and Uptown neighborhoods. The difference has been celebrated in popular song for decades. In 1980, Prince sang "Uptown -- that's where I wanna be." Three years later Billy Joel longed for an "Uptown Girl." On the other hand, Petula Clark sang back in 1965 that Downtown is where "you can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares." In other words, there has always been a rivalry between Downtown or Uptown. In Phoenix, the role of the two is less clear because many residents inaccurately label everything up to and including Camelback Road as "Downtown Phoenix." The reality is that Phoenix does indeed have both a Downtown and an Uptown, and they're becoming more vibrant at just about the same slow-but-steady pace. Lola Coffee has wisely decided to bet on both by placing coffee houses in each part of the city.

Lola's first shop opened Uptown at Central and Highland in 2009. Setting up shop there was a bold move given the proximity to Lux, but the steady streams of customers at both places has made it clear that Phoenix is undergoing a huge, long overdue expansion of its coffee house culture. Now, less than a year later, Lola has gone Downtown and opened a second site in the northern portion of Downtown. The new location is in the Gold Spot building at the corner of Roosevelt and Third Avenue and just three short blocks west of the Roosevelt / Central light rail station. The Gold Spot is an historic structure and originally housed one of Phoenix's earliest markets. Now it houses a mix of tenants providing goods and services to residents of the walkable neighborhood created by nearby historic districts and the Roosevelt Square apartment complex.

Lola's exact location was, until recently, home to the Calabria Italian Deli, a family-owned enterprise that turned out consistently excellent sandwiches, lasagna, ziti, and arancini. The loss of Calabria was a sad event, but it was encouraging to see the space turn over so quickly and be put to productive use as a third place appropriately situated in one of Phoenix's bastions of true urban design. During the brief transition between Calabria and Lola, the site has been reworked into a look that corresponds to the building's historic character. It's tighter and a little more ulitarian than Lola's original location. Lola Downtown suggests a workspace with its tables and stools of metal and wood while Lola Uptown suggests a living room with its couches and mint green stools facing Central Avenue.

The look and feel are subtly different between Uptown and Downtown, but the food and beverage is of the same high quality at both venues. The old Calabria kitchen in back has been put to use as both a place to roast coffee and as a bakery. The latter role provides a workspace for Danielle Librera, the expert baker who produces scones, cakes, cookies, tarts, and other treats for both Lola locations. The nicest aspect of her work is its restrained sweetness. Everything that needs to be sweet is, but not to an overpowering extent. A strawberry tart shines with a buttery, flaky crust and the slight tartness of fresh berries in the filling. Shortbread and scones often deliver an initial taste from a sprinkling of sea salt and then deliver a second note of sugar as one bites deeper. It all works to produce the best assortment of coffee house pastries in town.

The drinks are the same as Uptown with a concise assortment of coffee beverages and loose leaf teas. A basic drink like a cafe au lait delivers the right blend of coffee and milk without pretense. A more elaborate signature drink, the Matador, adds cinnamon, mocha, and whipped cream but never loses sight of its coffee roots due to multiple shots of espresso. Multiple to-go sizes of just about everything are available, but if time permits, why not get the drink "for here" and stay a while. As at the other location, there's free wifi and an amalgam of both new and retro-chic music. Vintage Johnny Cash is just a likely to be heard as jazz. There's also local art on the walls in a rotating selection that brightens the room. Occasional special events featuring DJs or artists add to the urban vibe.

About the only thing not entirely likable about Lola Downtown is the back patio. It's an attractive outdoor cafe space well suited to coffee and conversation, but it's marked by a big ashtray that dominates one of the tables. Smokers no doubt appreciate the accommodation, but for everyone else, the tobacco use may render the patio a sort of no-fly zone. Fortunately, customers who enter through the front door from the street never have to experience the smoke, and Lola is a thoroughly pleasant experience on the inside. Think of the two Lolas now as a pair of fraternal twins. They maintain an equal level of quality over the slightly more than three miles between them, but each one has a distinct personality fitting their respective Uptown and Downtown identities.

1001 N. 3rd Ave., Phoenix AZ 85003 Map
(602) 265-5652
http://www.lolacoffeebar.com/

The Cafe at the Heard Museum

2010-01-26T23:10:00.004-07:00

Museums always have to balance the competing goals of preserving the past and reflecting the present. The Heard Museum at the southern end of Midtown is no exception. Since its founding in 1929, the Heard has paired traditional Native American art forms such as turquoise jewelry and kachinas with more contemporary works by 20th Century talents like Allan Houser and Harry Fonseca. Even in this century, new exhibitions and events focus on the creative output of today's artists. With the Heard continuously updating its collections and programming, it's only appropriate that its on-site restaurant move forward at the same pace. Until recently, the Heard had food service provided by Arcadia Farms. With that company no longer involved, the Heard has taken the opportunity to update and rechristen its eatery as the Cafe at the Heard Museum.

The changes are evolutionary, not revolutionary, and continue the equilibrium between museum's native focus and its need to appeal to visitors from out-of-town who might be unfamiliar with regional foods. The cafe's interior has gotten a bit of an update, but on pleasant days, the patio is still the best place to sit. It's a shaded space at the nexus of the museum's grounds, which are conveniently located right across the street from the Encanto / Central light rail station. The serenity of the Heard's grounds contrasts nicely with the more distant urban scene of trains running up and down Central Avenue and new mixed used developments like Tapestry. Museum admission is not required to eat at the cafe, but Heard members receive a 10% discount on their meals.

The Southwestern theme is fulfilled with two dips ideal for sharing as appetizers. A chunky guacamole comes with chips and smaller servings of three distinct accompaniments: a black bean and corn combination, pico de gallo, and an interesting pineapple salsa. A less obvious regional match is the hummus, a food normally associated with the cuisines of the Mediterranean, where the chickpea reigns. At the Heard, however, the hummus is made from tepary beans, a legume indigenous to the Southwest that has become popular in Arizona locavore circles. It's smooth, creamy, and not all the easy to tell from its garbanzo-based cousin. It works well as an appetizer when paired with pita chips, although it finds itself overpowered by copious red onion in a hummus vegetable wrap listed under the sandwiches.

Another sandwich choice, the turkey BLT wrap, is more successful and is rendered at least semi-Southwestern when its contents are enclosed in a Spinach tortilla. Any sandwich can be combined in a half size with a cup of the daily soup, which might be black bean one day or chicken lime the next. The latter has a tangy broth that pairs well with the mild white meat. More substantial entrees include chicken tacos in crispy shells, quesadillas, and spinach-mushroom enchiladas. Big salads are also part of the entree selection. Blue corn tostada salad works well with black beans, avocado, and more combined with optional shrimp or chicken. The Dreamcather takes a similar approach, but with ingredients like currants and Israeli couscous. The combination is appealing, although the deconstructed approach with every ingredient separated makes it hard to combine the flavors in even proportions.

One major addition to the new version of the cafe is a liquor license. There's now a selection of beer and wine in addition to fresh-squeezed lemonade, iced tea, and sodas. The adult beverage offerings are appreciated not only during the standard operating hours of 11 AM until 3 PM, but even more so when the cafe stays open for evening events like NU, the Heard's contribution to the Third Friday arts happening in Phoenix. For dessert, the offerings are pretty standard -- with one key exception: the fry bread made on site. This treat, originally fashioned from rationed commodities provided to Native American populations, is definitely indulgent, but something that a table can enjoy sharing. The fry bread is also offered as a rich snack at stands on the museum grounds during special events.

With hours aligned with the museum's schedule, the Cafe at the Heard is unlikely to become a dining destination in its own right. Nevertheless, it does work just fine for anyone hungry before, during, or after a visit to the museum's galleries. That's important because the nearest cluster of restaurants is located several blocks to the north between Virginia and Thomas. Until the still vacant retail spaces in the ground floor of Tapesty are occupied, the Cafe is the only immediately accessible option. Thankfully, it's good enough so that meals there feel like something to be enjoyed rather than just the path of least resistance. The Heard Museum of 2010 is bigger and better than the original 1929 model. The museum did not even serve food until 1999, but in just over a decade the cafe has become a worthwhile part of the Heard experience.

2301 N. Central Ave., Phoenix AZ 85004 Map
(602) 251-0204

The Rose and Crown

2010-01-18T18:07:00.000-07:00

On his 1981 tour-de-force, "Trust," Elvis Costello sang that "Yesterday's news is tomorrow's fish 'n' chips paper." The reference was to the English practice of wrapping that country's specialty in old newspaper, a rarity in the U.S. Nevertheless, Costello's lyrics might apply in a different way: Pubs are usually the best place in which to enjoy fish and chips, and often the best pubs are in recycled buildings. That's definitely the case at Heritage Square in Downtown Phoenix, where the Silva House, a former private residence built at the turn of the last century, has been reused as the Rose and Crown, one of many recent arrivals in the area's growing pub scene. In this case, "yesterday's news" might be a reference not only to the Victorian house, but also the two prior tenants: Ruby Beet Gourmet and Circa 1900, two fine dining restaurants that had short runs in the space.

Both of those places got good reviews, but they came five to ten years before Downtown was ready for restaurants of that caliber. Chances are better that they'd survive today given the critical mass of good eating that has since accumulated in the City's core. Once Circa 1900 closed and chef Chris Curtiss relocated to the widely acclaimed Restaurant Noca, it seemed foolish to try another upscale dining experience in the Silva House. Instead, the Rose and Crown sets its sights on the more modest, yet equally important, goals of creating an inviting Downtown pub experience, offering an impressive selection of draft beer, and serving a basic menu of competently prepared pub food for anyone who wants a meal along with a drink.

The location is not only historic, but also strategic. The pub is situated two blocks east of the 3rd St. / Washington (westbound) and 3rd St. / Jefferson (eastbound) light rail stations. It's hidden from passing traffic within Heritage Square, but its placement right across from Pizzeria Bianco ensures an evening crowd of people having a few pints while waiting for their names to be called for a table. During the day, the Rose and Crown benefits from its placement near the Arizona Science Center and the Children's Museum of Phoenix. It's during the daylight hours that the high chairs come out and the unprinted kid's menu is most likely to be recited. Apart from those customers, the Rose and Crown draws its own clientele to its myriad small rooms filled with images of British icons from the Clash to Winston Churchill.

Getting back to fish and chips, the Rose and Crown serves two hearty pieces of beer-battered cod with thickly cut fries. So far, so good, but what's really distinctive here is the tartar sauce. The often prosaic condiment that Montgomery Burns once ridiculed as "tar-tar sauce" is given more attention than usual here, with big pieces of pickle throughout the white mayonnaise base. Think of it as a chunky salsa for fried fish. The accompanying coleslaw isn't bad either. Want fish and chips in a smaller quantity? The pub plate combines a half serving with a cup of clam chowder. The thick soup is a nice potato chowder, but think of the clams as an occasional note rather than the substance of the soup. Other pub grub choices include bangers and mush and a "fish pie," which is really a bowl of creamy fish stew with potatoes and bread on the side.

There's not a lot of greenery on the menu here, but lettuce makes it appearance in a chicken caesar wrap. It's a sandwich that works well with crunchy romaine mixing with blackened white meat and shredded parmesan. There are also salads, burgers, and other familiar fare. No dessert is listed on the menu, and it's unlikely that anyone would have room for "pudding," as it would be called in the U.K., after a pub meal. Any extra calories are more likely to come from the selection of beers on tap. In fact, the beer lineup is likely to be the first thing customers see upon entry. All the usual suspects are here: Guinness, Bass, Smithwick's, etc. There are also rotating seasonal selections like Alaskan White, a Belgian-style ale from the brewery best known for its Alaskan Amber. Wine and cocktails are also available, although this pub is clearly oriented toward beer drinkers.

The service here is definitely pub-like in terms of its casualness and the need for a bit of a self-help approach. The bar in the house's foyer serves as a sort of de facto host station. It's the best place to check in and make one's presence known to the staff before taking a seat in one of the rooms or on the patio. Still, don't expect to be led to a table and don't be surprised if it's necessary to head back to the bar to pay the tab at the end of the meal. The Rose and Crown is hardly the only pub Downtown these days, but a city the size of Phoenix needs a sizable pub culture, so there's room for the Rose and Crown. If the Silva House is yesterday's news after the closing of two previous restaurants there, it's good to see the building in use as today's fish and chips pub.

628 E. Adams St., Phoenix AZ 85004 | Map
(602) 256-0223
http://www.theroseandcrownpub.net

Pita Jungle (Tempe Location)

2010-01-09T06:49:00.004-07:00

In San Bernadino, California, there's a small museum at the location of the original McDonald's restaurant. Another historical site exists in Des Plaines, Illinois, where the first Ray Kroc franchise opened. There's also a museum in Corbin, Kentucky, where Kentucky Fried Chicken debuted. These chains are adored by some, hated my others, and just accepted as part of the landscape by many. Regardless, they've become such powerful economic and cultural forces that their origins are a source of curiosity. Turning to a locally-based chain with an entirely different menu, image, and approach than the fast food behemoths, will fans of Pita Jungle one day revere the first site in that rapidly growing brand of restaurants? If they do, they'll make pilgrimages to the still-operating original Pita Jungle in Tempe, just across the street from the Dorsey / Apache light rail station.

Pita Jungle started in the little L-shaped strip mall at this corner in 1994. Then, as now, the menu emphasized a strong Mediterranean influence, although not rigorously Middle Eastern and open to influences from other food traditions. Also fundamentally unchanged over more than a decade and a half is the artsy decor and casual feel of all Pita Jungle restaurants, which will number a dozen once planned restaurants in Downtown Phoenix and in Tucson open. That's right, Pita Jungle has grown into a serious chain, at least within Arizona, with locations ranging from the college town atmosphere of Flagstaff to the upscale shopping mecca of Scottsdale Fashion Square. No matter how big the Jungle grows, Tempe seems to come closest to maintaining the restaurant's original spirit.

What is that spirit? It seems to be a come-as-you-are atmosphere combined with food that is heavily, although far from exclusively, meatless. Unlike many 100% vegetarian or vegan restaurants, Pita Jungle does not engineer many imitation foods from meat analogs like tofu, tempeh, or seitan. Instead, the food celebrates legumes, grains, and vegetables on their own terms. Even those items that incorporate chicken, salmon, or even the occasional serving of beef do not typically allow the meat to dominate, but instead make it one of several contributors to a mix of tastes and textures. It's a good approach to nutritious eating that is complicated only the restaurant's large portion sizes. Doggy bags are a good idea here. Otherwise, a generous platter of low-fat food may end up just as caloric as a more modest serving of something indulgent.

As the restaurant's name all but screams, pita bread is king here. It shows up as the dipping medium accompanying starters like the spicy cilantro-jalapeno hummus or the intense garlic dip. It returns as the wrapper around sandwiches based on chicken shawarma or falafel. It forms the foundation of pizzas or open-faced sandwiches like the aptly named "One Thousand Beans." In a crisper form, it makes an appearance as chips on the brilliant lentil fatoosh salad, which overflows with copious romaine lettuce, little legumes, brown rice, and in a bit of decadence, a fried onion garnish. Of course, there are exceptions to the pita rule. Three different types of meatless burgers come on whole-grain breads instead. The black bean one is probably the best, with its appropriately Southwestern accompaniments of pico de gallo and blue corn chips.

Due to the hearty portions, it's rare to conclude a meal at Pita Jungle with room for dessert, but for those rare occasions when the sweet tooth overpowers satiety, the baklava, an obvious fit with the restaurant's Mediterranean-inspired menu, is a good choice for two to share. Ditto for the rice pudding. Drinks include a homemade lemonade that errs a little on the sweet side, smoothies, and a good selection of wine and beer. Efes Pilsner from Turkey seems a good brew to match with the semi-Middle Eastern food. Okocim Full Pale from Poland is a less obvious match, but still a successful one. In the wine department, a bottle of Mark West "Pinot for the People" is an affordable and suitable pairing with the garlicky, zesty flavors of much of the restaurant's food.

Pita Jungle's one weakness is the service, which is erratic. Some days it's instantly attentive; other times, it takes several attempts to place an order. It's not a place to linger for hours, but also not a place to visit when speed is of the essence. The staff are always friendly, though, and the crowd varies from business people on lunch break to families with young children. The latter group is accommodated with high chairs and a kid's menu. With a dozen sites, Pita Jungle is nowhere near as big as international chains like McDonald's and KFC, but its growth in just over 15 years has been impressive. Not only is the chain's original restaurant still in operation, but it was audaciously expanded right in the middle of trying light rail construction a few years ago. That outcome is probably even better than a Pita Jungle museum.

1250 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe AZ 85281 | Map
(480) 804-0234

Pho Thanh

2010-01-04T19:39:00.001-07:00

It's a cliche, but we've all heard the phrase, "Things are going to get worse before they get better," or something similar. Until recently, that was definitely the case at the mostly Vietnamese strip mall at the corner of 17th Avenue and Camelback. Starting around 1990, Pho Bang operated there as a small, unpretentious restaurant serving steaming bowls of Vietnamese noodle soups at reasonable prices. Sometimes during the decade just ended, however, Pho Bang started to decline. The food was usually pretty good, but the restaurant became dirty, plates and bowls went uncleared, and the staff were often inattentive. Customers kept going despite the complaints, but one day in 2009, the owners called it quits and closed the restaurant. A few weeks later and without much fanfare, Pho Thanh opened in the same location.

Pho Thanh manages to address a lot of the problems with Pho Bang while maintaining enough familiarity to please long-term customers of the old restaurant. The walls have been scrubbed, so the restaurant is cleaner than it was in years. It's still got some messy charm, though, with a stack of supplies cluttering a corner table under the flat-panel television that shows Vietnamese music videos and movies. The service isn't fawning, but it's more attentive than before. Happily, tables are cleared soon after being vacated, meaning customers no longer have to look at someone else's dirty dishes while desperately trying to get the attention of the harried staff. Yes, in all respects, Pho Thanh is a reboot of Pho Bang with similarly good, value-priced food, but without the baggage of the past decade of neglect.

Although the name and ownership have changed, the location is the same small, familiar dining room just two blocks east of the 19th Avenue / Camelback light rail station. Seat yourself if the staff are busy, and soon enough you'll receive a copy of the voluminous menu. Although, the restaurant's name incorporates "pho," the menu is really more of a cross section of Vietnamese food. Sure, there's plenty of the namesake rice noodle soup, with several beef and one chicken variety available, but there are equally large portions of the menu devoted to mi egg noodles, bun vermicelli dishes, com tam broken rice platters, bahn mi sandwiches, and even hot pots and entrees grilled at the table. Instead of offering every variant of pho possible, Pho Thanh seems to be an all-purpose neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant.

Viewed in those terms, the restaurant is successful. Even though the pho or com tam choices may not rival those at restaurants with those specific specialties, Pho Thanh provides appealing versions of just about everything mapped out on the menu. The pho is all based on rich beef broth, with the usual table salad of basil, bean sprouts, lime, and jalapenos provided alongside. A more surprising option are the udon noodle soups, which might at first glance seem a borrowing from Japan. In actuality, they're made from banh canh, a type of thick noodle similar to, but not exactly the same, as the familiar staple from northeast Asia. These soups have a lighter broth than pho and tend to rely on pork and shrimp more than beef. The garnishes and accompaniments are the same as with pho, however.

Although Vietnamese soups are known for the complexity of their broth, Pho Thanh also does well with seemingly simple stir-fry dishes. A mixture of chicken and broccoli in a garlicky sauce and served with white rice is a straightforward dish for the member of any group shy about tendon, trip, or tamarind. There area also about half a dozen vegetarian dishes. Many involve tofu, but the vegetarian summer rolls, bi cuon chay, contain not only julienned vegetables, but also shreds of mock pork instead of the more familiar cubes of bean curd. The meatless rolls are accompanied by the ubiquitous nuoc mam, or fish sauce, so strict vegetarians may want to think twice before dipping. Other condiments, present at every table, include the expected trio: sriracha sauce, hoisin sauce, and garlic-chili sauce.

Pho Thanh is open for lunch and dinner every day except Tuesday. The restaurant has no liquor license, but the usual assortment of tropical beverages keeps things interesting. Fresh squeeze orange juice or salted lemonade with club soda are some of the more refreshing choices on hand. Of course, there's a broad selection of American sodas for anyone looking for a more familiar drink. Desserts, as at most Vietnamese restaurants, are an acquired taste for most customers raised on American and European sweets, but there are plenty of options involving tropical fruits, coconut milk, mung beans, etc. Whether dessert is included or not, a meal at Pho Thanh adds up to a nice culinary tour of Vietnam. At 17th Avenue and Camelback, things did indeed get worse, but with Pho Thanh now open for business, they're starting to get better again.

1702 W. Camelback Rd. #14, Phoenix AZ 85015 | Map
(602) 242-1979

All Wrapped Up

2009-12-31T15:00:00.003-07:00

It's ironic that hospitals so often lack healthful restaurant options in their immediate neighborhoods. Think of the fictional County General Hospital on "ER." The show's characters always found themselves eating at Doc MaGoo's, a seedy diner with greasy fare definitely not aligned with any current nutritional guidelines. Many real hospitals are similar. They're often found in areas with few food options nearby. That's why All Wrapped Up, located across the street from St. Joseph's Hospital in Midtown, is so refreshing. It's a restaurant right by a major medical center, yet its food is both tasty and reasonably nutritious. The name is yet another pun on the word "wrap," just like at the better known That's a Wrap restaurant over on 7th St., and the food is of course the recently popularized derivative of the burrito with any range of non-traditional fillings inside a rolled, flavored tortilla.

All Wrapped Up is located on the south side of Thomas just a few blocks west of the Thomas / Central light rail station. It's in the same little plaza as a few other restaurants that serve both hospital traffic and the adjacent Willo neighborhood. The restaurant is most easily identified by the big "lunch" sign over the front door; it's an apt description since the restaurant currently serves only during midday hours, even if it does have a handful of eggy breakfast wraps on the menu. The interior is an unexpected charmer with local art, half of it cute animal images and half of it weightier depictions of travel and architecture, surrounding about a dozen tables. This is a fast-casual place, meaning that everyone orders at the counter and awaits delivery of food to the table.

There are both hold and cold wraps. Both types combine interesting mixes of ingredients with clever names. A Thanksgiving Turkey wrap combines roasted white meat, hearty stuffing, and chunky cranberry sauce in a whole wheat tortilla. The China Wrap (jokingly subtitled "Made in U.S.A.") is teriyaki-coated chicken breast with nutty jasmine rice and crunchy vegetables like water chestnuts. A meatless option is the Hot Vegetarian, a phrase which probably describes someone we all wanted to date in college. It's actually remarkably similar to the restaurant's Philly Cheesesteak wrap, minus the meat of course. It's full of roasted eggplant, peppers, onions, tomato, zucchini, and provolone cheese, all of which meld nicely inside a spinach tortilla.

All the tortilla varieties are organic and come from a local producer in Glendale. They're both firm and flexible, but not rubbery, avoiding the worst textural flaws of some mass-produced versions of this staple ingredient. The wraps come with a choice of sides: chips, pasta , or mango yogurt. The chips are Poore Brother's in several varieties that require no explanation here. The pasta salad works well. The noodles are al dente, appropriately seasoned with a type of pesto, and not excessively oily. The last item seems more like a dessert than a side and works best when saved untl the end of the meal.

You're probably going to visit All Wrapped Up for, obviously, the wraps, but there are alternatives. Half a dozen subs on French bread are available, and big salads provide a potential route to a low-carb entree, as long as one ignores the tortillas they're served atop. The Greek feta salad is full of crumbled cheese, red onion, bell pepper, salty kalamata olives, and mesclun greens. It's judiciously dressed so as not to drown out the flavors of the ingredients, and the result is a notch above the typical Greek salads of iceberg, canned generic black olives, and mealy winter tomatoes that are offered at so many lunch places. It's big enough to be an entree by itself. Among the non-wraps, the only disappointment, a slight one, is the minestrone soup, in which the vegetables and pasta are just a bit on the mushy side.

Because the restaurant is lunch-only, there's no liquor license. Most beverage options come from the soda fountain, although coffee beverages like espresso and cappuccino are offered. Dessert takes the form of monstrous cookies which are best shared among several diners. It's easy to overlook All Wrapped Up given its location in an inconspicuous building across the street from the much larger hospital complex, but this restaurant, to use a tacky medical pun, shouldn't be bypassed. It's a refreshing choice for anyone looking for an affordable lunch in Midtown and yet another creative approach to sandwiches at a time when value-priced dining is at a premium. There's no doubt that Phoenix health care institution St. Joe's is one of the best places to go if sick, but anyone looking to eat well while trying to stay out of the hospital might do well to begin with a lunch across the street at All Wrapped Up.

503 W. Thomas Rd., Phoenix AZ 85013 | Map
(602) 279-5122

Fair Trade Cafe (Downtown Civic Space Location)

2009-12-23T12:04:00.006-07:00

In the movies, not every sequel has the same tone and feel as the original. "The Empire Strikes Back" was darker and had a more ambiguous outcome than the original Star Wars movie. In a romantic vein, "Before Sunset" occurred in 90-minutes of daylight real time rather than in the longer stretch of twilight and darkness of its predecessor "Before Sunrise." The point in both cases was that characters and situations carried over from one film to another, but the mood was deliberately different. Something like that seems to have occurred on the Downtown coffee house circuit when Fair Trade Cafe, one of the veterans in the area's rapidly expanding cafe culture, recently opened its second location less than a half mile from its original (and still operating) site at Roosevelt Square. Both Fair Trades share the same commitment to fighting poverty through conscientious consumption, but the two locations differ a great deal in terms of atmosphere and appearance.

The newer location is in the basement of the A.E. England building, an historic structure recently reopened by the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department next to the Downtown Civic Space, a new park for the core of the city and the nearby ASU Downtown Campus. The England building was originally an auto dealership, among the first in Phoenix. Ironically, it's now a crucial part of a park that has no parking lot and is intended to be reached on foot, by bike, or via bus or light rail at the adjacent Central Station. The England building is now used for all sorts of special events and changing art displays, but the below-ground coffee house, which actually opens onto an extensive patio, is a permanent use, one presumably designed to draw traffic to the park between major events and create a more lively atmosphere. Despite being below ground, it's a much more open and sunny location than its sibling to the north. While Fair Trade Roosevelt Square can feel cluttered, Fair Trade "Park," as staff call it, is sparse and airy.

In fact, the minimalist approach led to some initial criticism of the new location. Since then, the cafe has added some more comfortable seating inside. Even so, the complaints seem to discount the outdoor space, which is absolutely the highlight of the new location. Does it really matter if there isn't a lot of interesting art on the walls inside when it's possible to enjoy an attractive outside space framed on two sides by a gentle waterfall? The patio feels sunny, but it's also generously shaded, making it endurable throughout much of the summer. Another observation about this space has been that the metal patio furniture is not conducive to lounging. True, but think for a moment about the clientele of this shop. Many of the customers are likely to be ASU Downtown students who want an alternative to the Taylor Place Starbucks. They're likely to be stopping in between classes or grabbing something on the way to or from the train. At the same time, it's an unspoken rule of Downtown parks that they need to be comfortable, but maybe not too comfortable, lest they become, in the words of Obi-wan Kenobi, "a wretched hive of scum and villainy."

Accepting Fair Trade "Park" as an outdoorsy cafe rather than as a lounge, it's possible then to focus on the drinks and the food. Both are essentially the same as at the Roosevelt Square location. The standard coffee drinks are all present and accounted for. Most are competent renditions of the usual suspects: lattes, cappuccinos, tea, etc. There aren't a lot of signature concoctions here, but the toddy brewed iced coffee is a nice alternative during the hot months. The baked goods are reasonably good; as at the other location, the banana bread stands out. There's also a limited selection of wraps and light lunch items. Just as the original location, the draw here is not so much distinctive beverages and snacks not found elsewhere, but more the commuter convenience of the address and the satisfaction that some customers derive from the principles under which the shop operates. Nothing is wrong with either as a business strategy.

After a rough start, Fair Trade has addressed some issues that complicated its opening and now seems to be a functional coffee shop in proximity to both ASU and the Central Station transit center. Still, there are still some details needing to be worked out, most notably the wifi. Staff now routinely tell customers to borrow ASU's signal from across the street. Hours at the new location are roughly similar to Roosevelt, except that the Civic Space shop closes earlier on Sundays and opens an hour later everyday. Next door is the Fair Trade Store, a boutique selling handcrafted fair trade gifts from around the world. It's worth checking out before or after a latte. Fair Trade may feel different at each location, but with the two coffeehouses so close to each other, that's probably a good development. Sometimes, the sequel needs to stand apart from the original.

424 N. Central Ave., Phoenix AZ 85004 Map
(602) 253-6912
http://www.azfairtrade.com/

Siu Wok

2009-12-21T15:12:00.008-07:00

Great cities are about eating out at great restaurants, right? Yes, but celebrants of urban living also point to a variety of food delivery options as a valuable city amenity. We're not talking just about ubiquitous pizza delivery, but also about delivery of various "ethnic" foods, most notably Chinese. Seinfeld, the ultimate comedy about city life, devoted no fewer than four episodes -- "The Pothole," "The Virgin," "The Race," and "The Tape" -- to the complexities of Chinese food delivery. Elaine struggled with being blacklisted by one restaurant and finding herself outside another's rigidly enforced delivery zone. Phoenix has never had a big delivery food culture, maybe because the city's broad streets and relatively smooth traffic make it fairly easy for residents to travel a few miles for takeout pickup. Still, as Phoenix rediscovers its urban core, it makes sense for at least one good Chinese delivery place to be part of the mix.

Siu Wok is just that: reliable, tasty American-Chinese food that is consumed mostly by delivery and takeout customers. Sure, it's possible to eat on site in Siu Wok's small dining room, but most customers would probably prefer not to if given the choice. The restaurant is conveniently located along Central Avenue in Midtown, about halfway between the Indian School / Central and Osborn / Central light rail stations. The restaurant is bare bones, especially in comparison to its stylish neighbor Fez, and any food ordered "for here" is generally served in the same disposable containers used for takeout. Clearly, eating on the premises is an afterthought here, and most customers pick up food on the way home or have it delivered for a small fee. The delivery zone is generous, stretching from Northern to Buckeye and from 43rd Avenue to 40th Street. The staff look up addresses when an order is placed, though, so don't try any Elaine-style ordering from outside Siu Wok's turf.

Understand delivery and takeout as Siu Wok's niche, and it's a lot easier to appreciate the restaurant in comparison to nearby competitors like China Chili, which serves more distinctive food but without the delivery option. In a way, delivery from Siu Wok is the ultimate comfort food experience. After all, it's about familiar American-Chinese standards (beef with broccoli, egg foo yung, mu shu whatever, etc.) prepared for eating in what should be the ultimate comfort zone: home. If a busy schedule or personal circumstances make it hard to get out of the house, a delivery from Siu Wok is probably going to be flavorful enough to prevent food boredom, but not so adventurous as to shatter the familiarity that is part of cocooning in one's own dwelling. The food is delivered in the typical Chinese delivery containers; transfer it to your own dinnerware if a more elegant presentation is desired.

The starters are mostly fried and include standby like egg rolls, pot stickers, and crab puffs. These are unspectacular, mainly because items like these are best fresh out of the fryer and lose a little something in transit. The soups actually travel better and leave more room for the main dishes to come. Noodle soup, full of al dente veggies and available with added chicken, beef, or pork, is just right for two or three people to share as a warm-up to the meal. The entrees selections are pretty typical with their reliance of familiar meats and vegetables. Siu Wok's menu is not the place to look for ong choy, snow pea leaves, or even gai lan (Chinese broccoli). Nevertheless, the familiar ingredients are prepared capably. Phoenix and Dragon mixes tender white meat chicken, plump shrimp, crisp snow pea leaves, and just-right broccoli florets in a mild sauce of garlic and ginger. Family style tofu combines the same vegetables with carrots and bean curd and features a richer brown sauce. Mu shu assembled at home never looks quite as nice as the tight rolls created by skilled restaurant staff, but the taste and texture of the filling is just fine.

Orders always include generous portions of white rice -- usually way more than is needed to accompany the food. Save half of it for later and combine it with frozen vegetables, some meat if desired, and an egg or two for some homemade fried rice a day or two later. Of course, the inevitable packets of soy sauce, spicy mustard, and fortune cookies accompany every order. Most customers will use a few and allow the others to gently age in a forgotten corner of a kitchen drawer or cupboard. For lunch, Siu Wok features over two dozen specials for $6 or $7. These are presented a little differently than the rest of the menu -- typically in foam containers segregating entrees from the included crab puff, egg roll, and fried rice. These are even more Americanized than the standard menu, but they're still well prepared and filling. The main thing Siu Wok could do better is to add Sunday hours, the one day when those in search of Chinese food may actually have to travel to get it.

3815 N. Central Ave., Phoenix AZ 85012 | Map
(602) 230-2960
http://www.siuwok.com

Haji-Baba

2009-12-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

It seems like almost every type of "ethnic" food has a a few restaurant names that are replicated in multiple cities from coast to coast. Expect almost every major metropolitan area to have an Indian restaurant named "Taj Mahal" or "Maharaja," a Vietnamese restaurant with a punny name based on the word "pho," and a Chinese restaurant incorporating "dragon," "palace," "jade," or any combination of those terms. Add to the list a Middle Eastern restaurant named "Haji-Baba," sometimes without a hyphen or with spelling variations. A quick Google search yields "Haji-Babas" in places as varied as San Diego, Kabul, and New Jersey. The top search result, though, is the Haji-Baba restaurant located on Apache Boulevard in Tempe. It's not entirely clear why the local restaurant of this name outranks all others in the search engine game, but maybe it has something to do with longevity. Tempe's Haji-Baba has been around for over 15 years in a sparse strip mall on the south side of the street, just a quarter mile east of the Apache / Dorsey light rail station.

Like most local Middle Eastern restaurants, Haji-Baba is both a market and a cafe. The grocery portion takes up about two-thirds of the space with aisles devoted to cans of fava beans, bags of lentils, tins of tea, packages of pita, jars of preserved lemons, and just about any other ingredient associated with the cuisines of southwest Asia. The other third, off to the right upon entering, is the dining room. It's a tight, spare room with about a dozen tables inside and two or three more spilling over into the market space. There's not much decor -- just a simple mural on one wall and unadorned tables. That's okay, though, considering that the lack of ambiance translates into rock-bottom prices on just about everything. The pita sandwiches are an especially good bargain; none is more than $5, and the size is generous enough for a filling lunch. For heartier appetites, the platters offer filling meals and still come in at under $12.

Haji-Baba offers all of the typical Middle Eastern favorites in terms of both appetizers and entrees. The hummus is smooth and creamy, the perfect dip for pita or accompaniment for entrees. It comes alone as a starter and also as part of a generous vegetarian combination platter in which it costars with plump dolmas, baba ghanoush, falafel, and tabouleh. The tabouleh at Haji-Baba is heavy on the parsley and light on the grain, but well balanced in terms of lemony tartness and olive oil mellowness. The falafel is slightly crisp on the outside, moist on the inside, and mildly spiced. It's a pretty typical Arab version of the dish, available on its own in a huge platter or in a sandwich with various garnishes, including pickles. A less typical starter is the foul mudammas, essentially a stew of fava beans swimming in a generous pool of olive oil. About the only Middle Eastern standard not found here is the seemingly ubiquitous lentil soup.

The pita sandwich choices include not only falafel, but also numerous meaty fillings such as gyros, kafta, kabobs, and shawarma. The last two come in both beef and chicken versions. The second option is well seasoned, with a flavorful marinade making the poultry worthwhile even if it isn't the most tender meat around. Koubideh and kibbi, both based on ground meat with different flavorings, add to the variety. Feeling more adventurous? In that case, the lamb tongue sandwich is a more exotic choice. It's about the only thing on the menu that might not appeal to Middle Eastern food novices. No alcohol is served, but the beverage choices include interesting soft drinks. Anyone having difficulty deciding should just go for a "mixed fruit juice," which blends mango and guava. Tea, coffee, and fountain sodas round out the choices. Of course, baklava is the dessert of record here, but there are a few small sweets and candies available at the counter where customers are expected to pay after a meal.

Haji-Baba is open seven days a week and does its peak business during the busy lunch hour. Early dinner is available until 8 PM every day except Sunday. There is another building approximately a mile to the east along Apache with a "Haji-Baba" sign. Don't be confused by it; that building is the wholesale business, rather than the restaurant and retail market. During Haji-Baba's lifetime, a lot has changed on Apache. After years of neglect and decay, the street is finally turning around with Tempe's new zoning for transit-oriented development favoring multi-story apartment complexes with no setbacks from the street. Even as these projects go forward, there's still a place for strip mall gems like Haji-Baba. Students and other Apache apartment dwellers need inexpensive, high-quality places to eat, and Haji-Baba continues to stand out -- not only relative to other nearby restaurants, but also in comparison to places of the same name elsewhere in the world.

1513 E Apache Blvd., Tempe AZ 85281 | Map
(480) 894-1905

Caffe Boa

2009-12-04T18:06:00.001-07:00

Anyone who has studied theater knows about the concept of a three-act structure: Begin with an act that introduces characters and a situation, continue with another act that complicates the situation and builds tension, and finish with a third act in which the action reaches a climax and resolution is achieved. Caffe Boa, a Mill Avenue veteran of 15 years, has just entered its third act with the addition of noted chef Payton Curry. Curry comes to Boa from Digestif in Old Scottsdale. Digestif had a short life, first as part of the foundering SouthBridge development, and then more briefly in a smaller space across the street. The restaurant itself lasted less than two years, but during that time Chef Curry built up a reputation for culinary innovation and a fan base that would follow him anywhere in the metro area.

Before looking at the details of Caffe Boa, Act III, though, it's worthwhile to rewind quickly through the first two acts. Act I: Caffe Boa started in the mid-90's at the south end of the Mill Avenue commercial district. Back then, it was shoebox of a restaurant near the old Long Wong's nightclub. The atmosphere was minimal, but the food drew a loyal clientele. Act II: After over a decade of operation, Caffe Boa moved in 2005 to a new location at the north end of Mill, just a block from the Mill Avenue / Third Street light rail station. The new location breathed new life into the restaurant, allowing the consistently good food to be augmented with better decor, an improved wine list, and a selection of draft beer. Of course, no change pleases everyone and there have been complaints, often exaggerated, about higher prices in the new Boa.

During the time at the new location, Boa has also moved to include more organic and local ingredients, and Curry's hiring represents a commitment to taking that approach to the next level. ChefP8 N, as he identifies himself on Twitter, became known at Digestif for his market-to-table approach, which has carried over to the chef's new gig in Tempe. A salad is no longer made from just arugula, but instead from wild arugula proudly sourced from local farmer's market favorite, Seacat Gardens. With a simple dressing and a topping of shaved pecorino romano, this is a rocket salad capable of a journey to another galaxy of flavor. Similarly, the mozzarella is now the chef's daily hand-pulled version. It's even better at Boa than it was at Digestif, largely due to a more attractive presentation with toast points and roasted peppers. Daily soups to date have included options like free range turkey with fava beans.

The appetizer list includes a few holdovers from the pre-Payton menu, including bruschetta and the shrimp adriatico, plump crustaceans in an addictive garlicky sauce. The changes seem more extensive in the entree department. The prior approach at Boa was Italian with flavors of the Adriatic Sea and the Balkans playing a supporting role. Those influences are still around, but they're part of a much broader approach that values high-impact ingredients and flavors over any particular national cuisine. The menu is defiitely meatier than at the old Boa; after all, Curry's old restaurant proudly displayed a sign proclaiming, "Pig is the new black." Still, there are unique and delicious meatless choices. A seasonal pasta dish of Autumn maccaroncello combines curved, tubular noodles with a smooth sauce of butternut squash, honey, and pepitas.

At this point, given the all-around brilliance of the food, it would be tempting to say that Caffe Boa has indeed reached the next level; however, there are some lingering issues with service. At Boa, the staff have always been friendly, but servers have to be prompted to offer bread more often than not. Also, the kitchen's pace is sometimes too slow at lunch time for anyone who has to return to an office within an hour. Those issues are small, but they need attention if the overall dining experience at Boa is to match the unsurpassed quality of the kitchen's output. Curry's wife, Shantal Abdo, is now in charge of the front of the house at Boa; odds are that in time she'll upgrade the guest experience as dramatically as her husband has transformed the menu.

Caffe Boa has two dining areas: One is a main dining room with brick walls and hardwood floors; it's a great-looking room, but it can be noisy during peak times. A quieter option is the large front patio, which is both shaded and mist-cooled, making it a viable option even in the summer heat. After 15 years of operation in two different locations, Caffe Boa has made a bold move foward. Ironically, Boa's transformation to a more upscale identity has come as the real estate collapse has halted construction of nearby luxury condominium projects that might have supplied customers. For that reason, having a rising culinary star in the kitchen is a gutsy and necessary move to draw customers from beyond the immediate neighborhood. At least that's the plot for Act III.

398 S Mill Ave., #110, Tempe, AZ 85281 | Map
(480) 968-9112
http://www.cafeboa.com

Royal at the Market

2009-12-02T20:13:00.008-07:00

Coffeehouses have been proliferating so quickly in Central Phoenix in recent months that it's almost necessary to have a scorecard to keep up with the changes. For Royal Coffee Bar, the score is mixed -- one loss, but offset by a big win at the same time. The back story: Royal Coffee Bar originally opened in 2006 on the ground floor of the Campaige Place apartment complex at Second Avenue and Jackson Street. Royal, along with its neighbor, Sweet Pea Bakery, was a bold attempt to inject a little life into the southwestern corner of Downtown, essentially a pocket of hidden from the rest of the city's center by the mammoth edifices of the criminal justice system. While there have been some impressive reuse successes in the nearby Warehouse district, the going has been rougher behind the jails and courthouses. Sweet Pea closed its retail business earlier in 2009, and its owner now bakes for Lola Coffee and still accepts custom orders. Royal followed by closing its original site half a year later.

That closure, although certainly a disappointment, was timed so as to minimize the caffeine withdrawal of Royal's fans, for it came just a few weeks after the opening of the new "Royal at the Market." Royal at the Market is a small coffee house inside the new Urban Market and Wine Bar, the indoor portion of the Downtown Phoenix Public Market and Phoenix's first downtown grocery in decades. The location is on Pierce Street, just three blocks south of the Roosevelt / Central light rail station. There are two entrances. One is from the interior, allowing customers to flow in and out for a coffee break before or after shopping. The other door faces the vacant lot that comes alive every Wednesday and Saturday as the popular outdoor portion of the market. This second door is crucial since Royal is sometimes open when the Urban Market is not. Keep in mind that neither door is well-marked, though. The best way to find Royal from the outside is to look for the coffee roaster often parked near the door. From inside the market, look for the cylindrical "coffee sign" hanging from the ceiling near the ice cream.

On the inside, there's a small anteroom where the counter is located. Customers line up here to order and pay for drinks. There's a larger, although still modestly-sized, room to the rear for customers to use if they order drinks or baked goods "for here." The shop's unique design offers two options for seating. One says work. It's a series of narrow tables attached to the wall at one end and matched with metal stools. The other says lounge. A couch transplanted from the old Royal location gives the room a bit of comfort for customers who wish to linger. The overall look is streamlined and complements the bustle that the Urban Market hopes to attain as develops. To make things seem a little homier, the staff are happy to serve any drink in a real mug upon request.

The drink menu is restrained, with obvious emphasis on quality coffee roasted on the premises. The basics are all handled adroitly; espresso, cappuccino, macchiato, cafe latte, etc. are all just right in terms of coffee flavor, milk foam, etc. There's often a little latte art thrown in as a bonus, but this isn't the place to find unlimited bottles of sweet syrups to infuse a drink with every flavor imaginable. Instead, Royal concentrates on three flavors: mocha, caramel, and velvet. The first two are self-explanatory. The last is white chocolate with a double shot of espresso. Tea drinkers can choose among a about half a dozen loose teas or sachets. There's nothing exotic, but the basics of green and black teas are adequately represented.

Because Royal is operating in a space smaller than most Phoenix apartments, it doesn't have abundant food choices in terms of sandwiches, soups, salads, etc. Instead, look for a small display of baked goods near the cash register. They're generally baked each morning in the Urban Market's kitchen, though, so expect fresh treats like shortbread cookies or galettes instead of shrink-wrapped bagels and scones trucked in from elsewhere. The cookies are generous enough for two people to share or one person to take half home for later. Anyone in search of more choices can stroll into the adjacent Urban Market, which is continuing to expand its prepared food options.

Royal isn't trying to copy the atmosphere of other Central Phoenix coffee outlets, and it doesn't try to replicate the countless drink options found at ubiquitous Starbucks outlets. Instead, it's filling its own niche as a gathering place place for market shoppers, area residents, and Downtown enthusiasts. It's unfortunate that Royal has had to abandon its original location at the south end of Downtown, but at least the new location at the market places it near a nexus of foot traffic and a growing hub of activity. Anyone attempting to keep a Central Phoenix coffeehouse scorecard can count Royal at the Market as a net win for cafe culture in the heart of the city.

14 E. Pierce St., Phoenix AZ 85004 | Map
(602) 909-0826

Corleone's

2009-11-22T08:40:00.004-07:00

The summer of 2006 was when Phoenix surpassed Philadelphia to become the nation's fifth largest city. Reactions ranged from boasting to bashing as a newcomer to big city status swelled to a larger population than the birthplace of the nation. Phoenix now has more residents than the City of Brotherly Love, but the northeastern city still has a claim on its own unique food and beverage traditions. Yeungling beer can't be found anywhere near Arizona. The various farmer's markets in the Phoenix Metro Area, despite their impressive accomplishments, don't yet match the bounty of the Reading Terminal Market or the Italian Mar ket on 9th Street. If there's one Philly food tradition that has gained some traction in Phoenix, it's the cheesesteak, the signature sandwich of sliced beef and melted cheese on a long roll.

Corleone's is a small, local chain offering Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks. The Tempe location is on Mill Avenue, just a block south of the Mill Avenue / Third Street light rail station, and it's probably the chain's site that comes closest to making a customer feel like he or she might be somewhere in Philadelphia. The restaurant is no Geno's or Pat's with throngs gathered outside on narrow South Philly streets, but its location in a walkable neighborhood give it an urban feel. The space seats only 50 or so, and the seating is tight with stools lined up against a long counter and a few high tables ringing the room. This is not a place to linger for a leisurely meal, but it's comfortable enough if eating on site. The room is full of Philadelphia memorabilia, including photographs of street scenes, the inevitable Rocky poster, and a collection of Pennsylvania license plates over the front door. Late hours until 3 AM on weekends add to the city vibe.

True to its Philly roots, Corleone's offer classic cheesesteaks made with thinly sliced beef ribeye and melted cheese. The classic choice is Cheez Whiz, the processed cheese product delivered to its cult following in large cans, but alternative choices include American cheese, provolone, and mozzarella. After selecting the cheese, the next decision is one of "wit" or "wit'out" -- grilled onions, that is. Peppers and mushrooms are also available for an extra charge. In addition to the classic cheesesteak, over a dozen other sandwiches are offered. Most are variations on the cheesesteak, some accentuating the beef with red sauce or various add-ons, but others feature chicken as an alternative meat. Off the grill, there are some cold sandwiches based on turkey and various deli meats.

Corleone's even caters to vegetarian tastes. In South Philly, the neighborhood's tough image might make a customer think that ordering a meatless sandwich would result in ridicule or worse, but at Corleone's a grilled vegetable sandwich is listed right on the menu and served with no more attitude than any of the other food. It's actually pretty good with all the vegetables that play a supporting role in the meaty sandwiches -- onions, peppers, mushrooms, and spinach -- combined in generous quantities with a choice of cheese. There's also a salad available, but anyone ordering a salad in a cheesesteak place might just deserve a little hazing. All sandwiches come in half or whole sizes, and either choice can be upgraded to a combo with fries and drink included.

The main sides are the fries and onion rings. The latter costs more and is an upgrade on any combo meals, but former is the better choice. Neither tastes handmade, and that's probably not a realistic expectation at a cheesesteak place. Still, the fries have a good texture with no mealiness and are served with just the right sprinkling of salt. The big Heinz ketchup pump is the way to accessorize the fries before sitting down, and it's a nice fix to the aggravation of dealing with recalcitrant ketchup bottles at the table. The rings are good once in a while as an alternative, but lean heavily toward the outer coating without enough distinct onion layer underneath. The best onion rings allow for distinct enjoyment of both the breading and the onion, and Corleone's version doesn't always attain that standard.

Beverages are limited to fountain drinks, iced tea, and bottled water. Dessert is just one item, but it's one that makes perfect sense in context: tastykakes, another Philadelphia favorite. Of course, no Philly cheesesteak place is complete without a little earthy ambience, and the staff seldom fail to deliver. Come to the counter at the right time and you might get to hear a good dirty joke as you pay for your sandwich. All the staff, jesters or not, are consistently helpful and welcoming in their own gruff way, but this is a place that delivers efficiency at the expense of chit-chat. In Philadelphia, Geno's and Pat's are several blocks from the Broad Street Subway. In Tempe, a walk of one short block from the light rail provides a decent rendition of the Philly cheesesteak 2,000 miles from its city of origin.

411 S Mill Ave., Tempe AZ 85281 | Map
(480) 966-8558

Nine|05

2009-10-29T05:47:00.008-07:00

Remember the Who's 1978 album Who Are You, the last one recorded with the band's original lineup, including madcap drummer Keith Moon? The title track has been resurrected in recent years as the theme to CSI. Listen to the whole album, though, and the third track is "905," a synth-driven tale of a little boy struggling with his identity as a clone. It's purely coincidental for sure, but Downtown restaurant Nine 05 might have appeared at first glance to be a cloned restaurant struggling with its own identity. After all, Nine 05 occupies the same space as the now-defunct Fate. Fate's original chef, Johnny Chu, left the restaurant as a result of a business dispute in December 2008, and the new management rechristened it with a name based on its street address of 905 North Fourth Street, about four blocks east of the Roosevelt / Central station.

At first, it appeared that Nine 05 was simply Fate with a new name and new leadership in the kitchen. The menu and the cheap chic decor barely changed at all as the restaurant went forward under the direction of Matt Carter, known for his ventures throughout the Phoenix Metro Area, including Zinc Bistro, the popular French restaurant at Kierland Commons in northeast Phoenix and Mission, the newer Latin American eatery in Old Town Scottsdale. For the first few months after the change of leadership, Nine 05 was indeed little more than a rebranded Fate, burdened by the negativity surrounding events earlier in the year. In the latter half of 2009, however, the restaurant shut its doors for extensive renovations. Since its reopening, Nine 05 has moved to define its own identity distinct from Fate while maintaining the restaurant's pan-Asian food and artsy feel.

The new leadership at Nine 05 didn't opt for a completely blank slate. The giant Buddha sculpture from the Fate days still greets customers as they approach the entrance. Likewise, the garage doors still open to a patio as large as the dining room. What has changed, however, are the furniture, the decor, and even the configuration of the bathrooms. Fate's old Ikea look was appropriate for a brave urban pioneer, opening in what was then the forlorn edge of Downtown. Now that opening Downtown is no longer quite as risky, Nine 05 shows a little more investment in both the open kitchen and the dining room. The look may be somewhat gentrified, but not overtly corporate or sterile.

As at Fate, the menu incorporates influences from throughout east Asia, with dishes adapted from Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and other nearby cuisines. The food is meatier and a little more upscale than before. Foie gras is present in a combination with grilled eel, and trendy ingredient du jour pork belly makes multiple appearances on the menu. Tofu, always a standard at Fate, is relegated to a single meatless entree. Fortunately, anyone missing Johnny Chu's fantastic bean curd dishes can find them a few blocks away at Chu's new restaurant Sens. Accepting that Nine 05 is a completely different restaurant with a different approach, it's possible to appreciate how good the restaurant is on its own terms.

Among the starters, dumplings filled with chicken and mushroom are almost like ravioli in their delicacy. The assertive black bean sauce belies the gossamer texture of the three pockets that rest within. Another winner is tomato katsu (center photo below), a semi-Japanese interpretation of fried green tomatoes. These tangy wedges of heirloom tomatoes are lightly breaded and then paired with a thick soy-flavored aioli. The entrees include not only plated dishes, but also noodle soups and bowls of fried rice. Shoyu ramen combines a hearty broth with vegetables and chicken. This is chicken as it would be served in a real Asian noodle shop, though, so that means some skin, some fat, and level of doneness a little less than most American palates might expect. The tradeoff is more robust chicken flavor. Even a mundane dish like shrimp fried rice (right photo below) is enlivened by the use of coconut, which imparts flavor reminiscent of a Thai curry.

Portions are restrained here, and the benefit is room left for vegetable sides and dessert. To accompany the meat and seafood entrees, the kimchee, made on the premises and garnished with fresh cilantro, is bold and refreshing. The gai lan, or Chinese broccoli, is cooked to perfect al dente texture, although maybe a little too salty due to a generous splash of soy sauce. At the end of the meal, there are only three dessert choices, but they're all of high quality. Blueberry mochi cake is not the typical spherical dessert, but instead a pillow of rice flour cake adorned with fresh berries, along with lychee and passion fruit flavors. Likewise, the coffee and chocolate torte packs a ton of flavor into a modestly sized piece and then lightens up with a bit of chai ice cream. Nine 05 may be influenced by the legacy of Fate, but it's no clone. Although born from controversy, the restaurant has found its place in the Downtown scene.

905 N. 4th St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004 | Map
(602) 254-6424
http://www.nine-05.com/

Postino Central

2009-10-17T17:13:00.005-07:00

It's hard to believe nearly a decade has passed, but the original Postino opened its big garage doors at 40th St. and Campbell back in 2001. That location has come to be considered "Arcadia," even though 40th St. is west of that neighborhood's traditional boundaries, and Postino was the first step in building a collection of restaurants under the umbrella of La Grande Orange (LGO) Hospitality. The original Postino was a welcome change for Phoenicians who sought appealing restaurants embedded in neighborhoods rather than in shopping centers or malls. Of course, the placement within a mostly residential context has also been the greatest negative for Postino and its neighbors. Without the acres of surface parking attached to a typical retail environment, most customers have had to either contend with all-but-mandatory valet parking or hunt for the few street spaces not requiring neighborhood permits. Now, as the end of the decade approaches, Postino has opened a second location that deviates little from the first, but with one crucial difference: access via light rail.

The original Postino has always been theoretically accessible via public transit, but the 60 bus, which stops across the street, runs infrequently, ceases service early, and is frankly just too stigmatized a mode of transport for most of Postino's customers, who routinely fill the valet parking with fairly upscale vehicles. The new location, Postino Central, is entirely easier to reach by means other than a private car, due to its location just a quarter mile north of Central / Camelback light rail station. For anyone approaching the restaurant from Midtown, Downtown, or the East Valley, the possibility of arrival by train not only avoids a parking crunch, but some of the fear associated with Arizona's ultra-strict DUI laws. While the original Postino fashioned a wine bar out of an old post office, the new location is an adaptation of the old Katz Deli, an Uptown institution for many years. There were rumors of some sort of artisan take on a pastrami sandwich as a sort of homage to the Katz Deli, but so far the menu appears virtually identical to the original location.

There are no garage doors leading to a huge patio here, but Postino Central still manages to create an open and airy feel that celebrates the mild climate and outdoor lifestyle that Phoenicians appreciate much of the year. A bar at the rear addresses not only the dining room, but also an outdoor dining area in back. Customers can sit at counters, one inside and one outside, or take any of the tables. There's also a long communal table inside that is ideal for large groups or those who like to meet new friends. Differences in layout aside, the decor is similar to the original location. Stained concrete floors, expansive windows letting in natural light, funky bathrooms, unfussy wood furniture with a couch or two thrown in for good measure -- we've seen this before, and it works just as well here as anywhere else. Just like the original location, this Postino fills soon after opening time, largely due to its reasonable happy hour pricing. An early escape from work or an extended lunch is hard to resist when wine by the glass is merely $5.

The menu at Central may not deviate much from Arcadia, but it's also a hard menu to dislike. It's one that has been copied all over the metro area, with a daily soup, abundant panini, verdant salads, and the famous mix-and-match bruschetta. The last item is probably the restaurant's signature item. It's always four planks of slightly crisp MJ bread adorned with any combination of a dozen toppings. Some, like mozzarella and tomato, are classics. Others, like smoked salmon with pesto or tuna with olives, are less common. Still, most of this menu is a firmly Mediterranean vein, so this is probably not the place to look for wasabi-chorizo bruschetta , if such a thing has even been invented yet. If this concept seems like a cliche being played out at local restaurants all over town, it probably is, but it's equally likely that most restaurants lifted the idea from Postino in the first place.

Postino's service is friendly and fits the upscale casual style of most wine bars these days. It would be nice, however, if Postino did more to help its customers learn about wine. Postino's beverage offerings are designed to expose customers to some lesser-known choices. That's great, but the menu doesn't describe the wines, and the staff, even the bartenders, seem to vary in their knowledge of them. Sure, one could tap away on the brilliant Wine Ph.D. iPhone app, but wine bars are supposed to be about conversation, so more information from the Postino crew would be appreciated. That issue aside, expect efficient and prompt attention. You can even bring the kids. Postino offers a junior menu with choices like PBJ bruschetta and grilled cheese. The little ones will have to be content to drink grape juice in its unfermented form, though.

5144 N. Central Ave., Phoenix AZ 85012 Map
(602) 274-5144
http://www.postinowinecafe.com/

St. Francis

2009-10-14T20:23:00.006-07:00

Phoenix is a city that has long struggled with neighborhood identity. Take the large number of recently-arrived transplants, combine them with a rectilinear grid of arterial streets, and the result is a population more likely to describe any given portion of the city as an intersection rather than a neighborhood. That means easy navigation along the region's six-lane thoroughfares, but sometimes a sense of place so weak that it leads to widespread geographic error: a lack of distinction between Downtown, Midtown, and Uptown; misplacement of North Central Phoenix above the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, rather than below it, where the neighborhood truly lies; and endless confusion about the border between Phoenix and Scottsdale. The last item is particularly frustrating because the confused almost always misassign Phoenix territory to the city's eastern suburb.

It's a minor miracle, therefore, when a new business takes its name from an established, named neighborhood in which it lies. In the case of St. Francis, a restaurant recently opened on Camelback just two blocks east of the Central / Camelback station, the name reflects a very specific neighborhood, rather than the broader, more ambiguous "Uptown" that surrounds it. Basically, St. Francis is the residential area that lies southeast of Central and Camelback, just above the landmark Brophy and Xavier schools. The St. Francis neighborhood is not as well-known as the nearby Windsor Square, Medlock Place, and Pierson Place historic districts, but its namesake restaurant might just put the neighborhood on the map. The new restaurant is a loving restoration of a mid-century building in a manner that is simultaneously contemporary and respectful of the structure's heritage.

What's most striking about the renovated building is its airiness and accessibility. Development along Camelback Road was designed primarily for the car, but St. Francis addresses the sidewalk more than the parking lot. The restaurant's entrance, as well as its bar, with both indoor and outdoor seating, face the busy street. In a pleasingly unusual move, those arriving by car must walk around to the front to enter the dining room. Usually, it's the other way around with those arriving on foot having to awkwardly navigate a parking lot in order to reach the front door. Inside, theopenness continues. An extensive patio is almost as large as the interior dining room, and a four-seat counter looks directly into the kitchen. The latter is the best place for guests who want a view of the restaurant's word-burning oven and an opportunity to chat with the line cooks using it for their craft.

The wood-burning oven is central to the cuisine at St. Francis. There's a lot of emphasis on roasted foods -- not only straightforward meats like roasted chicken, but also meatless entrees like a flatbread topped with goat cheese, arugula, and figs -- a perfect mix of crispy and creamy textures with sweet and peppery flavors. Amazingly, a seafood "soup" also emerges from this oven. In actuality, it's more a bowl of mixed seafood -- clams, mussels, shrimp, etc. -- with a little broth in a ceramic bowl, but it makes for a hearty entree with sensations of both Earth and sea. A simple dish like halibut comes out with a delicately charred exterior and tender meat on the inside. The emphasis here is generally on showcasing essential ingredients rather than on complex sauces.

Fish also shows up in the form of a wild salmon salad, one of several interesting starters. St. Francis doesn't waste time on obvious choices like a field greens salad, but instead produces a hearty take on a Caesar with romaine hearts and other vegetables in a buttermilk dressing. A sweet corn soup (center photo below) is rich and velvety as any good chowder should be. The addition of chopped vegetables give the dish some variety and crunch. Among the appetizers, the most filling choice is a simple one: roast fingerling potatoes (right photo below). Its presentation is elegant with the tubers appearing almost like tempura. Nevertheless, it's potatoes through and through, so it can be shared among several diners. Fresh rosemary and sage leaves embellish the dish.

Desserts repeat the fig theme with the fruit appearing alongside strawberries and accentuated with a balsamic glaze and meringue. For the sweet tooth, a chocolate parfait is nicely finished with whole hazelnuts and a bit of cream. At this point the beverage selection is more about quality than quantity. There are only about a dozen wines available, roughly split between reds and whites with a prosecco and a dessert wine thrown in for good measure. Nevertheless, the choices are all solid ones that pair well with the food. Children are accommodated here with free mini-pizzas or servings of pot roast. St. Francis calls itself a "neighborhood restaurant," a phrase also used nearby at Applebee's. Given that comparison, it's safe to say that St. Francis the restaurant has enhanced St. Francis the neighborhood.

111 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix AZ 85012 | Map
(602) 200-8111
http://www.stfrancisaz.com

Preet's Chaat Corner

2009-10-13T02:11:00.007-07:00

In so many cultures, the most interesting food is often found not in elaborate multicourse feasts, but instead in street foods and snacks. In India, chaat, basically savory treats and small meals, is a sort of equivalent of Spanish tapas or Mediterranean mezes. In its country of origin, chaat is often sold in carts or stalls, but in the United States, strip mall shops seem a popular chaat venue, where the food is often served alongside retail shelving for DVDs, groceries, and clothing. For years, a little storefront at the southeastern corner of Rural and University, a short walk from the University / Rural station, has seemed like the perfect venue for chaat. Signs in the windows have promised not only Indian merchandise, but also snacks. Nevertheless, a visitor's request for chaat drew only blank stares as recently as a year ago. Finally, in 2009, Preet's Chaat Corner has moved in and is delivering on this space's unfulfilled promised of South Asian treats.

Preet's is not the first Indian restaurant in this polyglot corner of Tempe. That distinction belongs to the Delhi Palace, which has existed for two decades just a few storefronts away. The two places couldn't be more distinct, however. Delhi Palace provides a fairly representative version of the typical Indian restaurant in America: emphasis on the food of the northern portion of the country, a buffet at lunch, numerous meat dishes, and an encouragement to order many courses and share them at dinner. The food also tends to be heavily sauced and salted in order to produce bold, easily identifiable flavors. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with this approach, but it overlooks the potential for a subtler experience with Indian food. That's where Preet's offers an alternative. The food is 100% vegetarian, the servings are generally a bit smaller, and the sweet and salty extremes of taste are downplayed in favor of more nuanced flavors.

Preet's shares space with a small market called India Bazaar, but a curtain clearly delineates the separately managed store from the restaurant. Preet's is tiny; the dining room has only four tables with another pushed up against the window and available in a pinch. The tables are unadorned, and there's no host station of any sort. In fact, it's not uncommon for the front of the house to be devoid of staff while the restaurant's owners cook in the back. Don't be discouraged upon entering an empty room, though. Instead, the best approach is to take matters into your own hands. Grab a cup of water at the self-service cooler, walk up to the front and ring the bell for service, and then occupy a table. It might even be worthwhile to take a menu from the front counter in order to start contemplating the meal to come in the few minutes it can take for someone to appear from the back room.

As the name implies, Preet's serves a lot of chaat, mostly fried hand foods like familiar samosas, the equivalent of egg rolls at most Indian restaurants; southern Indian treats like vadas, donut-shaped lentil fritters; and more exotic choices like Bombay bhel-poori, a savory snack that most closely resembles Rice Krispies. These items are all priced at a few dollars each, and a few combined would yield a full meal. For customers who would prefer to let the kitchen put together the best mix of dishes, the daily thali (center photo below) can't be beat. Each day, a sandwich board outside the restaurant specifies a vegetable curry that is combined with rice, dal, yogurt, pickle, and roti bread into a hearty special. Eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes, and chick peas are all among the ingredients that might show up in any given thali. In addition to varying special entree, one entree on the menu every day is the Punjabi Cholay-Bhaturay, two pieces of poori, a puffy fried bread matched with a curry of chickpeas. Like most of the menu at Preet's, it's meatless but definitely not light eating.

While most of the cooking here is northern Indian, Preet's menu also includes a smattering of southern Indian food. A combination plate (right photo below) offers a masala dosa, essentially a crepe wrapped around a potato curry, and two idlis, slightly sour rice cakes. Sambar, a spicy lentil soup, and a coconut chutney are provided for dipping. Preet's has a limited menu, but the quality seems high across the regional variations represented. For dessert, look in the display case next to the cash register and pick out a sweet. Most veterans of Indian buffets will recognize gulab jamuns , the sugary, syrupy balls that resemble donut holes, but there are more interesting small pastries made with flavors like coconut. Drinks are all non-alcoholic. There are canned sodas, but why not enjoy a lassi in sweet, salty, or mango varieties? The lassis at Preet's taste fresher and less overwhelmingly sweet than elsewhere. Since it's almost impossible to spend more than $10 here, Preet's fits perfectly into the pattern of cheap international eats at Tempe's most diverse culinary corner.

933 E. University Dr., #115, Tempe AZ 85281 Map
(480) 784-4442

Pho Nhat

2009-09-23T22:31:00.002-07:00

Generic strip mall restaurant spaces seem to be constantly recycled and reinvented as eateries come and go. Sometimes, the new occupants of a site will put on a fresh coat of paint, redecorate, and alter the space to suit their needs. Other times, a bargain-priced restaurant moves in and makes due with the previous tenant's look and feel -- no matter how incongruous. That appears to be exactly what has happened with Pho Nhat, a Vietnamese restaurant at the southeast corner of Rural and University in Tempe. Inside this sparse place, there's virtually no decor except a mural of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and a giant red apple with the initials "B.B.Q." written nearby. It's hard to imagine what those images were originally meant to convey, and it's doubtful that whoever painted them had the permission of Disney. Nevertheless, when customers can enjoy a giant bowl of pho or bun, along with a drink, for less than $10, the bizarre leftover decor just seems a natural part of the experience.

Pho Nhat is a corner shopping center that has long been home to restaurants serving foods from all over the globe. Indian, Thai, Greek, Ethiopian, pizza -- All those cuisines and more are crammed into this tight plaza, which is just across the street from the University / Rural station. As its name suggests, Pho Nhat specializes in pho, the rice noodle soup of Hanoi. Pho Nhat serves nearly two dozen varieties of pho. Most begin with a beef broth prepared with a complex array of spices. Rice noodles are added to the broth along with various cuts of meat or vegetables. Approximately 75% of the restaurant's pho choices are beef. The others feature chicken, seafood, or vegetables. In the last category, Pho Nhat makes one of the best veggie phos (center photo below) around. It's not vegetarian, but it uses a lighter chicken broth better suited to the more delicate vegetable flavors and comes packed with cauliflower, broccoli, and zucchini all in generous proportions.

All types of pho come with the standard plate of accompaniments, including basil leaves, bean sprouts, sliced jalapenos, and lime wedges. Each table also has a variety of condiment bottles with sriracha hot sauce probably being the most popular way to accessorize a steaming bowl of pho. Pho alternatives include a more limited array of mi soups, which use egg noodles in place of rice noodles; rice dishes; and entrees based on bun, or rice vermicelli. Bun is basically pho's dry cousin, with rice noodles resting on a bed of shredded lettuce, topped with fried shallots and sliced scallions. It's served with a small bowl of fish sauce used to moisten the noodles in the absence of a soup broth. Among the rice dishes, the lemongrass chicken is a great choice. There's also a hearty beef stew for anyone wanting a meal in a bowl with a bit more heft than soup. Although pho definitely seems to be the house specialty here, none of the other dishes suffer in comparison. They're worth exploring in an occasional off-pho meal.

Appetizer options are mostly egg rolls and several varieties of goi cuon, cold spring rolls (sometimes referred to as summer rolls) prepared with rice wrappers and served with peanut sauce (right photo below). Pho Nhat's sauce is darker and spicier than at many other Vietnamese restaurant around town. The rolls come with shrimp and pork inside by default, but a meatless version is also available. Speaking of meatless, Pho Nhat has acknowledged its proximity to a major university campus with a recent reworking of its menu to add more meatless choices. There's not only that veggie pho, but also meatless curry and fried rice dishes. Surprisingly, though, none of these dishes include tofu. Of course, meat broths and fish sauce are abundant in Vietnamese cuisine, so these items are not 100% vegetarian.

Beverages include fountains sodas, teas, and lemonade. When ordering the last item, proceed with caution. Order just "lemonade," and you'll get a blah Minute Maid product straight out of the soda fountain. Spend a little more for the fresh lemonade, squeezed to order on the premises. Even better, ask for fresh lemonade with soda and get a little carbonated kick mixed in with the lemon tartness of the drink. It's a perfect balance to the assertive flavors and chili heat of Pho Nhat's food. There's no alcohol served here, so don't ask for 33 beer to extinguish the fire. Cafe sua da, coffee with condensed milk, is a great high-octane end to a meal, however.

This is definitely a place used to feeding customers on the go between classes, although there's no problem with lingering either. The staff of this family-run restaurant are all proficient in English and ready to answer any questions about the menu. Pho Nhat caters mostly to a collegiate crowd and doesn't have family amenities like high chairs. Still, it's so casual that bringing kids shouldn't be a problem. In fact, they'll probably get a kick out of seeing Mickey and Donald up on the wall.

933 E. University Dr., # 116, Tempe AZ 85281 | Map
(480) 967-1888

Oliveo Grill

2009-09-10T21:53:00.007-07:00

Trying to keep track of all the restaurants at a busy corner can sometimes seem like a game of musical chairs. One place goes out of business, maybe another vacates its original space and relocates, and sometimes there's even a change of name along the way. The busy, restaurant-dense corner of University and Rural in Tempe has seen all that and more when when it comes to Mediterranean restaurants. Here's the situation as it stood last year: Cyprus Pita Grill, at the time a three-restaurant local chain, had a site in the Cornerstone development on the northeast corner. Around the same time, Pita Fresh opened in the bare bones strip mall on the southeast corner. The former served Greek food is a fast-casual atmosphere; the latter was all about rotisserie chicken and delicious falafel.

Fast forward to today, and a few things have occurred. First, Pita Fresh has gone out of business. That's unfortunate given the quality of the food, but the small restaurant with limited hours never managed to attract a large following. Likewise, Cyprus Pita Grill's Tempe location is no more and its former space at the Cornerstone is vacant. Amid the bad news, there is a hopeful development: The owner of the defunct Cyprus location has moved across the street into Pita Fresh's old location and has transplanted much of the menu to the new venue. Clear as mud? Let's just focus on the here-and-now: There's a promising place for a quick Greek meal at the southeast corner of University and Rural. It's called Oliveo Grill, and it's just across the street and a parking lot or two from the University / Rural station.

Oliveo Grill's site is -- forgive the pun -- spartan. There's a counter for ordering, about a dozen tables, a beverage station, and some high chairs for the kids in the back. There are a few posters on the wall, along with a high-definition TV usually tuned to the Discovery Channel. That's about all there is in terms of decor. This is definitely not a place to linger for a long, luxurious feast, but instead a place for a quick, hearty meal -- usually for less than $10. The best bargains are the lunch special and the late night special. At midday, order any pita sandwich and add on fries and fountain drink for about $6.50. The pita sandwiches can be filled with gyro meat, chicken, lamb, meatballs, pork, falafel, portabello mushrooms, and halloumi, a mild goat cheese with a firm texture like mozzarella. The fries that come with the specials are thin and crisp; substitute a salad for a small extra price if searching for something lighter.

Beyond pita sandwiches, the platters offer a more substantial meal ideal for dinner. The chicken soulvaki (center photo below) is moist, tender, and nicely seasoned. The accompanying rice has a satisfying, fluffy texture but suffers from being cooked with too much salt. The pita bread is of the Greek variety; that means a circular flat bread, but no real pockets for stuffing. Use the bread instead as a sort of scoop for hummus, rice, even meat. The falafel (right photo below) at Oliveo is unfortunately a step down from the fresh-from-the-fryer version at the old Pita Fresh. It's well seasoned, but firm and crunchy throughout without the yielding, moist interior of really good falafel. It's a good enough vegetarian choice, but pales in comparison to the more nuanced chick pea balls at places like Haji-Baba and Phoenicia, both just a short walk or train ride away.

Among the appetizers, hummus is a favorite -- both in its classic incarnation and in alternative flavors of roasted pepper, cilantro, and jalapeno. There's also baba-ghanoush, the classic smoky eggplant dip. The dolmas, filled with rice and zucchini, are a particularly good choice for sharing within a group. The tabouleh at Oliveo is strikingly different from what's served nearby Arab-owned restaurants. At Oliveo, the copious amounts of parsley common in so many versions of this dish are downplayed in favor of chopped bell peppers and other minced vegetables. It seems more like a vegetable salad infused with bulghur than a familiar version of tabouleh, but it works well on its own terms. Remember, this is a Greek/Cypriot restaurant, so many dishes will differ in their regional styles from more familiar Lebanese standards found nearby.

Oliveo's approach to satisfying the student crowd extends beyond low-priced specials to late hours (until 3:30 AM most days) and delivery for a small charge within most of Tempe north of the 60 Freeway. The food has its strengths and weaknesses, but is generally at its best when the items ordered are closest to the restaurant's Greek roots. That's fine, really, because it gives Oliveo a chance to stand out from the numerous Middle Eastern restaurants elsewhere in Tempe. There's been a lot of rearranging of the deck chairs at University and Rural lately, but this corner is no Titanic, even in the down economy. Instead, places like Oliveo help keep the area near ASU afloat with food that is good, inexpensive, and international.

933 E. University Dr., #108, Tempe AZ 85281 | Map

(480) 967-1996
http://www.oliveogrill.com

Hippies Cove

2009-09-04T22:44:00.004-07:00

Both fans and critics of Tempe's Mill Avenue often point to the district's attractiveness to "alternative lifestyles." The optimistic interpretation of that phrase would point to Mill's tradition of housing quirky small businesses and its current attempts to revive its indie cred via its new farmer's market and the Madcap Theaters. Others with a less favorable view of Mill complain about panhandling by a few along the street's sidewalks. That impression is usually exaggerated, but it's sometimes enough to scare those wanting a completely sanitized environment. Regardless, it's ironic that one of the latest restaurants to open along Mill Avenue is known as "Hippies Cove," a quick service Mexican-influenced restaurant in the space previously occupied by an outlet of the Tacos Del Mar chain, just a block south of the Mill Avenue / Third Street light rail station.

Of course, any restaurant named after hippies is likely to make people think of the growing Two Hippies group of restaurants in Central Phoenix. In actuality, the Phoenix and Tempe hippies are completely separate businesses. Nevertheless, given the similarities in name and cuisine, comparisons to the Two Hippies Beach House are inevitable. Hippies Cove scores at least some points for being more open and accessible. Instead of the high counters and mysterious tie-dye curtains at the Beach House, Hippies Cove is defined by a low counter at which food is assembled in plain view. It's the Chipotle approach of burritos and tacos assembled to order based on customer preferences. Of course, the similarity to the big health-Mex chain helps to reinforce a perception that Hippies Cove isn't all that original as a concept.

While it's not innovative, the food is at least tasty. Given the restaurant's design-your-own approach to the food, the first choice is often to select a protein source. The choices include shredded white meat chicken, beef, carnitas (pork), fish (tilapia), and beans -- black, refried, and whole pintos. The chicken and fish are both straightforward, mildly flavored choices. They're best generously accessorized with salsa, cilantro, and other toppings at the end of the line. The menu labels the beef as carne asada, but it really seems more like machaca since it comes shredded and seasoned rather than with obvious grill marks. Regardless, it's a well-seasoned filling that holds its own without a lot of additional ingredients required. The beans are also reasonably good; the whole pintos and black beans come with onions and jalapenos in a meatless preparation.

Burritos are big and also offered in half sizes -- a nice respite from the oversized burrito madness that can make a simple hand food into a 1000-calorie behemoth. The burritos could stand from better folding and rolling technique, however; they're sometimes a bit messier than they need to be at Hippies Cove. The tacos can be of the soft variety regardless of whether flour or corn tortillas are selected. That's in contrast to many places that offer only soft flour tortillas or hard fried corn shells. Tacos are sold individually, but the best value is a three-taco basket with chips and salsa. The tacos in the trio can be any combination of fillings desired. In the mood for neither a burrito nor tacos? In that case, the alternative is most likely to be a quesadilla. As with the other menu options, the approach here is modular: Choose the desired components and then witness their assembly into the finished product.

Just like at a typical Chipotle outlet, there's no salsa bar, but red and green varieties lurk behind the counter, along with pico de gallo and guacamole. All are fine, but none packs any real heat. To add fire to the food at Hippies Cove, make a stop at the various bottles of hot sauce, located appropriately next to the soda fountain. In addition to those fountain sodas, the restaurant offers Mexican coke, iced tea, Jarritos, and, in a move that seems uncannily similar to Two Hippies Beach House, a selection of fruity flavored lemonades. Hippies Cove also has a liquor license and offers sangria, margaritas, bottled beer, and in a probable nod to the ASU student crowd, Pabst Blue Ribbon on on tap. Dessert is yet another unsurprising hippie cliche: brownies.

At this point, Hippies Cove is a perfectly serviceable place for a quick, inexpensive bit of reasonably healthful Mexican-inspired food. The vintage album covers and surf memorabilia around the room create a pleasant atmosphere in which would it be fine to bring kids. Beyond those basics, Hippies Cove probably has some distance to travel in terms of defining an original concept that will make it stand out among potential competitors. The nearest Chipotle is still about half a mile south, below University Drive, but anything Hippies Cove can do to stand out from the crowd will increase the odds of success in the challenging climate of Mill Avenue.

414 S. Mill Ave., Tempe AZ 85281 | Map
(480) 736-0321

Hanny's

2009-08-25T21:33:00.007-07:00

Look around any corporate office these days, and the sea of khakis and polo shirts will attest to the move toward business casual attire over the past two decades. That trend, coupled with the rise of chain retailing, has inevitably led to the decline of a venerable institution that once existed in almost every major city: the independent menswear shop. This type of store was always more than just a purveyor of the unspoken corporate uniform; for many, it was a multigenerational tradition. The father-son trip to buy junior's first suit was a rite of passage for many young men. Some stores like this, most notably Carter's and the Clotherie, still exist in Phoenix, but the area's best known player, Hanny's, closed its final location at Scottsdale Fashion Square in 1994.

The void at a suburban mall was easily filled by a national chain tenant, but Hanny's older Downtown store, closed since 1986, languished for much longer as an empty and neglected site on the prime corner of First Street and Adams, just a block or two from the Washington / Central (westbound) and Jefferson /1st Avenue (eastbound) light rail stations. It took another trend, adaptive reuse, to bring the Downtown Hanny's site back to life -- not as a menswear store, but instead as one of the most promising new restaurant openings in Phoenix's downtown core. Sure, there's plenty of fashionable food and drink with late hours half a mile north in the Evans-Churchill area, but Hanny's is unique in bringing style, taste, and late hours to the business district south of Van Buren.

Adaptive reuse isn't cheap, and it's obvious that Hanny's is the product of a big investment in renovating the old store. It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that Hanny's is owned by Karl Kopp, the proprietor of Scottsdale's AZ88, and that the design is a product of Janis Leonard, who also designed AZ88, along with a giant dartboard now installed in the lobby of a Phoenix office building. The makeover of Hanny's is upscale but minimalist; in fact, from some angles, the bare bones look might make potential customers wonder if the place is even open. Inside, the look is clean and almost clinical with the staff wearing white jackets and a meat slicer adorning the bar in the center of the room. Upstairs, the restrooms await down a mirrored hallway. Only one elevator is in use; the other shaft is unused with thick glass barriers providing an interesting opportunity to stand unharmed over a gaping hole leading to the basement.

The meat slicer at the bar says a lot about the menu at Hanny's. Prosciutto and parmesan cheese both play key roles here. What do those ingredients, along with similar items like pistachios and olives, have in common? They're salty, savory, treats that stimulate the thirst and pair well with the flavors of vodka, gin, vermouth, and other traditional cocktail components. Remember, Hanny's is as much a bar as a restaurant, but it's not a place for a pint or a longneck. While there is a limited selection of bottled beer, the emphasis is more on wine and classic cocktails like martinis and Manhattans. Some customers may complain about the small size of those cocktails, but at $5 and $6 respectively, the prices are equally small. It's easy to enjoy one as a mini-aperitif or a prelude to a glass of wine later.

The food choices are heavy on red meat -- not only prosciutto, but also pork loin and roast beef. A sandwich of the latter comes accessorized not only with bacon, but also a fried egg. At the other end of the spectrum, there are plenty of meatless options, including a hearty vegetarian sandwich, entree-sized salads, and several pizzas, about half of which are made without meat. The pizzas are built on a thin, elliptical crust. New York and Chicago pizza purists may be offended, but it's a pizza style that works well for a casual nosh with a cocktail. What's missing from the menu? Poultry and fish. With the exception of one appetizer involving shrimp, there is none. Still, the choices are sufficient to please most appetites, the quality of the ingredients and food is generally high, and the staff are good about steering customers away from any failed experiments on the menu.

Although the restaurant's look might suggest otherwise, Hanny's does welcome well-behaved children so that, according to a sign near the front entrance, they can "observe how adults behave when they drink." Because of Hanny's location near the US Airways Center, Symphony Hall, the Herberger Theater, and other Downtown venues, it's a good choice for a pre-event meal. Happily, the late hours (kitchen cooking until 1 AM and bartenders pouring until 1:30 AM each night) also make it a viable post-event gathering spot -- something that Downtown Phoenix has needed for eons. The clientele at Hanny's may no longer wear sharp suits to either work or play, but the debonair aura of the new Hanny's is a fitting legacy for a spot that used to clothe the businessmen of Phoenix.

40 N. 1st St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004 | Map
(602) 252-2285
http://www.hannys.net