I’ve never been in Phoenix in July before and am not eager to return in that particular month. The objection, “But it’s a dry heat” is true; however, I now know what raw cookie dough feels like as the oven door is opened. I was staying at the Sheraton Downtown Phoenix at 340 North 3rd Street. I had no wheels and nothing except public transportation available, so my options were limited, to say the least. As a result, this abbreviated review covers a small selection of places within easy reach of that particular hotel.
Café at Phoenix Market – I only had a single dish, the Pork Chile Verde Pot Pie, but it was great. I had only just arrived in town and hadn’t remotely had a chance to get accustomed to the heat so I took it easy. The pot pie crust was lovely and the filling really wonderful: plenty of pork, depth of flavor, and a truly enjoyable dish in comfortable, cheery surroundings. Of all the places I visited, and I’d happily return to most of them, this is the one I most regret not getting back to. I can see it as ideal for plenty of occasions and the menu was tempting enough that I know a couple of visits, at the least, would be necessary to get a better feel.
Cartel Coffee Lab – What a wonderful little place. Many thanks to the Phoenix Food Nerd website and a thread devoted especially to places within walking distance of my hotel, a thread started long before my arrival, thankfully. For reasons I don’t entirely understand, their selection of coffees is remarkably different from what I’ve found in Chicago. At least three different Indonesian coffees and a host of other uncommon selections. In addition, you can choose not only different sizes but also different brewing methods. Coffee is ground specifically for your order. My only regret is that they don’t open until 7 am and that their selection of breakfast-type food/pastries was so small. (Check out their website, listed below. They have an online store, one I have little doubt I will be patronizing in the coming weeks and months.)
Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana – It may be being Phoenix Food Nerd-approved, but I was disappointed. We tried a couple different pizzas (they have a selection of about two dozen different kinds, most of which sound quite appealing) and an app. The app was easily the best dish. To start, our burrata Pugliese (splashed with a very little balsamic) was very good. It sat on a bed of arugula but the prosciutto surrounding it was surprisingly bland. From there, we moved on to pizza but I simply didn’t enjoy them. We chose the porcini and the contadina. Both were respectable but no more. The porcini were sauteed and while a presence on the top, were not generously portioned. The contadina was liberally strewn with its various (vegetable) toppings. But in both cases, the crust was extremely disappointing. It was a vehicle, no more. Although the flavor was fine, neither was baked long enough, and soggy toward the middle of each pizza. (I recognize that reasonable people can differ—and even become, uh, passionate on this particular issue.) By comparison, we ate two nights later at Pizzeria Bianco: there was no comparison. (FWIW, every single picture of a Pomo crust on the Food Nerd thread shows a crust far more well-done than what we got.) Maybe we hit them on an off night but the crusts just didn’t rate and the toppings, while good, couldn’t overcome that problem. I would be curious, but not eager, to return. Disappointing. Dinner was followed by espresso (good, but not noteworthy) and cannoli, which were excellent.
A somewhat largish group of us descended on
Blue Hound Kitchen located on the second floor of the Hotel Palomar and we had a very enjoyable dinner. I can’t speak for the others and their particular dishes and my bill in this case only reflects my own dinner: short rib sliders () and Catfish Etouffee. The sliders were wonderful: accompanied with “root beer onions” and horseradish cream and served a miniature King’s Hawaiian bread rolls, they would have made a great dinner. As it was, they were a wonderful lead-in to a terrific piece of blackened catfish atop rice and a more than generous serving of crawfish. I don’t have a lot of specific comments, simply a very good memory of excellent dishes prepared and presented very nicely. The menu is eclectic and substantial with a slight Southern/New Orleans bent (fried green tomatoes, boudin balls, shrimp/grits with andouille, my catfish, etc.) The drink menu, in particular, seemed very tempting and I was sorry I was unable to sample from it.
Hanny’s began life in the 1940s as a men’s store in a new, and unusually designed, building. Now it’s a wonderful option for lunch (and, I presume, dinner). I had less than an hour to squeeze in lunch one day and popped in because it was close. The room is really terrific, almost noir-ish in décor and lighting, and the bar takes center stage, literally. The menu covers casual choices from salads to pizzas to sandwiches plus apps, generally with an Italian bent. My pork Calabrese (“charred” loin on ciabatta with peppers, onions, and mushrooms) was a great sandwich and really hit the spot. I had two small sides (included): onion strings (which, although perhaps not going to set the world on fire for originality, were very well-executed). The gorgonzola slaw was absolutely terrific. I was a bit apprehensive about the cheese overwhelming everything else; I needn’t have worried. Just a wonderful pairing of ingredients and simple but terrific creation.
The
Pizzeria Bianco location we visited was the one in walking distance from our hotel and therefore not the Phoenix Food Nerd-approved location. Still, notwithstanding our hour-long wait (the room is quite small), we enjoyed the pizza tremendously. Our only criticism would be the selection: the menu lists a grand total of six pizzas, three with tomato sauce, three without. There were an additional five or six add-ins (wood-grilled mushrooms, soppressata, etc.). That said, the four of us had three different kinds of pizza and we were all were extremely pleased. The crust was the star: chewy, airy, deeply flavorful, and perfectly cooked throughout. A very enjoyable meal.
A group of six journeyed the short walk to
The Breadfruit & Rum Bar and had an excellent meal. We weren’t quite sure what to expect but it was a small, nicely appointed, place. I had an app—butter beans and salt cod—and pimento wood jerk chicken. Others had curried prawns or pimento mussels. Everyone professed themselves quite pleased with the food. Portions were perfect and the my chicken was well seasoned and not blandified. I also opted for a drink that I’ve always enjoyed—jamaica (as it is known in Spanish) or hibiscus. It’s apparently called sorrel in Jamaica and the Jamaicans add allspice (or pimento berries) and ginger. Under any name, it’s terrific. I liked the addition of allspice; it brought a depth of flavor and unexpectedness that worked perfectly. (Their rum bar, it should be noted, has something like 150 different rums and would be a wonderful place to retire to, sitting all day, sipping and nibbling…. It should also be noted that they might easily call it the rum and cigar bar because they also have, as their website notes, a “well curated humidor of choice cigars and a lush courtyard to relax and enjoy….” Demands a return visit.)
I regret my inability to go anywhere more than a fifteen-minute walk from the hotel and the sheer variety of choices makes a return visit imperative—just not in July.
Café at Phoenix Public Market
14 East Pierce Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 253-2700
http://phxpublicmarket.com/cafe/Cartel Coffee Lab
1 North 1st Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(480) 432-8237
http://www.cartelcoffeelab.comPomo Pizzeria Napoletana
705 North 1st Street,
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 795.2555
http://www.pomopizzeria.comHanny’s
40 North 1st Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 252-2285
http://www.hannys.net/Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails
2 East Jefferson Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 258-0231
http://www.bluehoundkitchen.com/Pizzeria Bianco
623 East Adams St
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 258 8300
http://www.pizzeriabianco.com/#aboutThe Breadfruit & Rum Bar
108 East Pierce Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 2167-1266
http://www.thebreadfruit.com/
Gypsy Boy
"I am not a glutton--I am an explorer of food." (Erma Bombeck)