Phoenix City Living

Restaurants now making a dent in downtown Phoenix

From an article by Susanne Brent in azcentralcom, Downtown eateries wooing food lovers:

Matt Pool likes to count the cranes on his way to the two restaurants he owns in downtown Phoenix.

"There's seven of them now," he said. "That's a good sign."

The restaurateur is just one of several betting on a turnaround in the area, which for years has been largely deserted after the evening rush hour.

The past few months have seen a string of new restaurants courting customers who aren't there just for a sporting event or concert. Recent openings include Suenos New Mexican Cuisine and, for people seeking cocktails and dancing beneath the stars, Bar Smith. Also causing a buzz is Hanny's restaurant. Its opening next year already is being hailed as a giant step in bringing trendy, destination dining to downtown Phoenix.

"By 2009, Phoenix will be one of the most invigorating downtown areas in the country," predicted Phoenix Councilman Michael Johnson, whose district includes Copper Square. He said the city is working with businesses on such issues as zoning and historic preservation to accomplish that goal.

The 10 best foods you aren't eating

Just another good reason to head down to the Phoenix Downtown Market on Saturdays. From Men's Health, The 10 best foods you aren't eating:

CityBakery opens at the Arizona Science Center

CityBakery has just opened its second location in downtown Phoenix at the Arizona Science Center. I suspect CityBakery is hoping to get a little of that ASU love in addition to the traffic from the biotech campus just to the north and the developing convention center on its west side. This is Arcadia Farms third downtown venture after their successful original launch of CityBakery at the Bentley Projects in the warehouse district and the Art Museum Cafe in the Phoenix Art Museum. A great destination for breakfast and lunch, CityBakery can expect to build upon their well-deserved praise for freshly prepared food at just the right price.
CityBakery:  open: 7 days 10a-5p  tel: 602.257.8860   map   600 E. Washington St., 85004

Get "Luxified" in the morning

Ok, yes, Central Ave. is an obstacle course par excellence and even seasoned rally drivers can be intimidated by the haphazard and ever-changing placement of the drivable roadway.  So, why not take that pent-up energy in the morning and drop by Lux Coffeebar.  They'll pump up the caffeine and set your body in motion, and while the path down Central won't change, you'll be in the groove to handle the car sways like a monkey on a vine.

From the Arizona Republic:

Although it's 7:30 a.m. and the sun is bright outside the front windows.  Phoenix's Lux Coffeebar feels like a nightclub for morning people.

As the hipsterly-styled locals queue for coffees, raspberry brioches and golden scones, a mix of DJs man a light table at the back of the room, playing a dance-heavy mix of edgy wakeup music.

"We really try to play music that's inspiring, in that it makes you want to dance, or it makes you take notice," said DJ Luis Solis. "We're not playing atmosphere music.

Check it out:
Lux:  A nightclub for morning people

Urban Cookies lands on 7th Street

Feeling the buzz?  A warmth wraps your stomach as the rich chemicals dance through your skull like a thousand holiday parades.  Can't stop the head trip?  Head down for more "pleasure disks" at the new Urban Cookies location that opened at its new location on March 1st.  Check it out on 7th St just north of Highland on the east side.  Traffic moves fast on 7th so watch your rear!

Mmmm....coffee in one hand, urban cookie in the other, just how is the girl supposed to drive?

Urban Cookies:  map  4711 N 7th St

The Phoenix Triad of Taste: Lisa g, Trente-Cinq, Drip

Yes, it's bonus time when the middle lane opens up on 7th Street during rush hour and you can open up the engine.  "Bring it on!" you scream, hair on fire, as you secretly pray that no car in front of you suddenly stops to pull an illegal left.  No you fool...nnnoooooo left turns during rush hour....feeeeel the power of my horn.  Oh, these are dangerous times in Phoenix as we learn to adapt to the increasing traffic and the obstacles that are placed in your path as you try to break new records in pavement management.  Too freaked out?  Tired of the race and looking for a breather?  It's interesting how these flashes of color we see out of our windows every day as we race through our lives are actually stores, restaurants, and bars.  And this is where my story ends and yours begins.  Check out Sheridan Square on the southeast corner of 7th Street & Sheridan Street.  Lisa g's: salads, soups, sandwiches, appetizers, and desserts served with perfectly matched wines in a light airy bungalow.  Ahh yes, I feel the mellow.  Curious, you wander next door.  Trente-Cinq 35: playground for Lionel Geuskens.  Belgium comfort food perfectly executed: a thousand little charges dropped on to your tongue with every bite, brain shutting down to refocus the energy to the midsection, a rich warmth pumping through your limbs.  You grab the west wall and feel your way south down to Drip.  Understated.  Cool.  The coffee's the thing, but Drip also serves great lunches and breakfasts, as well as a selection of teas and sodas.  Reality approaches slowly as the rich latte buzz pushes through your recent culinary excursion.  Your heart pumps faster, your vision clears and you, regrettably, are ready to leave. You vow never to forget that streets are more than a conduit to an office or a destination.  They anchor neighborhoods.  They have personalities and provide rich possibilities to those who transform forward long neglected markets in urban Phoenix.  So while you're at the next dead stop on the center lane, eyes bulging, arms flailing, and pushing on the horn so loudly as if trying to communicate with the dead, remember to look around.  The city changes everyday.  Take notice.  And stop in for a visit sometime.  map

China Chili: Glad to see you back

China Chili is quickly building momentum at its new location at the corner of Flower (just south of Osborn Rd.) and 3rd St.  After vacating its Central Ave. location after an 8-year stint (the light rail needed their original location) the new location is much bigger with seating up to 200, and after my recent takeout order I'd say that the food remains terrific.  I find it fresher than most local Chinese food with the vegetables done near perfectly and the meats moist and well-seasoned.  Also, you'll not be playing "let's find the meat in the batter".  Their Orange Chicken and House Special Chicken have huge pieces of white meat and the light batter and sauces are well-proportioned.  And you just have to check out the Garlic String Beans and the curry Singapore Noodles.  Ah, reminds me of that time in '55 I took that route up the Yangtze River.............oh, sorry, forget it...........that was in a movie.

China Chili:   open: wk 11a-3p/4:30p-9p, Sat 12p-10p, Sun 4:30p-9.  tel: 602-266-4463  map  302 E. Flower St., 85012

Comfort food...simple, quick, and updated

The tinge of the winter cold morphs ordinary humans, including even those highly focused on controlling their intake, into seekers of all things warm, carby, and able to glaze entire tongues.   A new twist on meatloaf.  Got it!   Looking for a deeper meaning in stew?  Add beer.  And, oh yes, the ubiquitous mac n' cheese....breather of life into tummies big and small....a  standard now updated.  Send me on my path, Stacie, to all things yummy....warm....tummy feels good....so tired....soooooo tired now.

Sunset: New Comfort Classics

The Roosevelt Tavern opens big

The owner, chef, and proprietor of Matt's Big Breakfast, Matt Pool, recently opened his new venture The Roosevelt.  The tavern is located in the Evans Churchill neighborhood on (one-way heading south) 3rd St. just south of Roosevelt Street.  The house is the beautifully restored early 1900's Farish house, swathed in a soft red brick.  The interior is bathed in dark, warm tones from the rich olive walls, the woodwork throughout, to its soft window coverings.  The rooms are tight (its not Scottsdale where a cavernous night club will have you needing a GPS system for location analysis), so a busy night will get you a few new friends as you squeeze through the throng of happy wine and beer-influenced patrons.

Although the beer is the highlight with a specialized glycol cooling system to maintain the 12 tap beers in spectacularly cold fashion, the wine stands on its own with a range of carefully selected red and whites served by the glass or bottle.  If Matt's the boss then the food's probably no slouch, and the bar "snacks" ranging from fantastic sandwiches, creamy tomato soup, smoky campfire beans and franks to an artisan cheese plate and a shrimp cocktail featuring big fat crustaceans do not disappoint.

Expect the outside to open up with a flourish as plans for a rear beer garden and front seating in the courtyard come to fruition.

The Roosevelt:   open: wk 5a-12a, Sat/Sun 5a-2a, Monday closed.  tel: 602-254-2561  map  816 N. Third St., 85003

Royal Coffee Bar....hot lattes, cool interior

Just south of the beaten path and in an area that is ripe for mixed-use urban development is the Royal Coffee Bar on 2nd Ave & Jackson St.  This industrial area is slowly gentrifying with new housing developments, offices, and some exciting talk of a Jackson Street entertainment district (we'll keep you informed if some meat gets packed on those bones of an idea) but we tip a special hat off to the brave few that forge ahead and make a real impact by providing a warm, social touch to the area.

Packed with everything you'd expect from a destination coffee shop that keeps you coming back for more, the modern, open space comes with free Wi-Fi, a wide selection of pastries, comfortable couches and talking spaces, and a sit-down workplace.  Walls of windows provide great natural light, fresh art hangs from the vertical spaces, and the music is evident but not in your face.  Increasingly popular with the city employees that work in the area, and poised to be a hit with the many new residents that will soon be moving into the residential projects under construction, the Royal Coffee Bar and its next door neighbor The Sweet Pea bakery, bring new appeal to a developing downtown landscape.

Royal Coffee Bar:   open: wk 7a-6p, Sat 8a-12p, Sun closed.  tel: 602-374-8044  map  209 W. Jackson St., 85003