About Last Weekend: The Nash, Welcome Diner and More

There is a common misconception amongst my "friends" that I may be gainfully UNemployed.  They reason that all of the travel and dining I am known to do would not be possible for one who actually had a job.  This notion is both deeply hurtful and patently untrue (well...it's at least untrue).  I like to think of my self as a Travel and Luxury and Food and Wine opportunist.  Having said this, the last few weeks I have been "on my hop", more than normal, so my normal pattern of eat, drink play suffered...a little.  Fear not, "I been gettin' it in" of late! Here here are some absolute pearls from last week.

Old Blowhard at AZ88

Happened into AZ after a swing shift last Thursday and made the excellent decision to cede my drink choice to Steen, one of my favorite bark keeps in all the lands.  He good.  He REAL GOOD! I was feeling like a bourbon and he chose Old Blowhard 26.  This small batch bourbon has the perfect balance of up front heat and smooth, caramel finish.  At about $150 a bottle, if you like Hirsch and Four Roses and Pappy this will add to your bourbon collection wonderfully. 

Dicks Hideaway:

Tap at Dicks Hideaway

Phoenix cool will likely NEVER be LA, San Fran, NYC cool...at least not it my life time.  Phoenix cool, is more quirky, eccentric, charming cool.  Cool happens more in strip malls here than I ever thought possible.   Enter, Dicks Hideaway.  This place stays out of it's own way and in it's lane better than any 5 places I know.  They have perfected hardy, belly filling New Mexican Fare like Nun Utha My Brutha!   On Friday, I met Claude (one my best homies and a great golfer) there for lunch.  Claude had the same reaction to Dick's EVERYONE I'd ever taken there has, "This is the coolest place I've ever been."  I feel you buddy!  Green Chili Meatloaf and Eggs and a perfectly poured Lagunitas IPA made for a stellar lunch.


OHSO:

Canal Spin to OHSO

The sheer caloric load of lunch made me yearn for a little spin to "work it off"  Fear not, this was not exercise for sheer exercise sake. This was exercise with a carrot at the end! OHSO.  While the food can sometimes be...meh, the beer at OHSO is destination worthy.  

Back Patio at OHSO

This place single handedly made me appreciate the brilliance of the Session IPA (High in Hops Low in ABV...beer nirvana).  Met a buddy there who, after a pint or two really wanted pizza.  I know a place....


Bianco:

Bianco at Town and Country

Fact:  If I wrote about the pizza at Bianco as often as we went there it would be 90% of what I write about.  I will spare you MOST of the details of this trip to pizza Mecca. Yes, a Sonny Boy and a Wise Guy were had.  Yes, we had perfectly al dente pasta with finger licking good red sauce and fall of the bone braised pork. BUT, the stand out this time was a lowly bottle of Pinot Noir...not typically my varietal of choice. 

Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir at Bianco T&C

But, a friend who works there highly recommended it and I am glad she did. After 20 minutes of aeration this thing popped!  Bright, light fruit with a killer nose.  Medium to long finish, it was perfect with the pizza and pasta.  It went down with the quickness.


The Welcome Diner:

Welcome Diner

Keeping with my eccentric theme of the weekend Saturday night was dinner with Bishop Steve at Welcome Diner.  9 Seats at a Counter (outside seating if you don't mind the summer heat), single wide trailer that began it's life in Kansas, was moved to Williams AZ in the 50's and to 9th and Roosevelt in the 2000's.  Anyplace that has been around that long has to be good.  

Pork Fries

The theme is modern plays on Louisiana Classics.  We started with pork and gravy fries and I moved on to Buffalo Fried Chicken with Bacon on a Biscuit.  Bishop went with the Catfish Po Boy.  Great beer on tap and and they make a solid Hurricane.  Open from 5pm-2a most nights, we will be back...often.

The Nash:

JMS and the Bad Cactus Brass Band at The Nash

We kept that "downtown flo" goin' by enjoying a performance by a friends Brass Band at The Nash.  Fantastic BYOB venue at the corner of Roosevelt and 1st Street.  Saturdays are "straight ahead" jazz night...not sure how a NOLA themed brass band snuck in with that caveat...but they absolutely DESTROYED it.  Immensely talented, local, white boys who brought the damn house down!  Thanks for the invite John Michael Sherman...you are THE man.

I'm learning of more gems in this town (that are weather independent) all the time.  Nash and Welcome Diner will now both be in regular rotation.  These are the kind of places that make an adopted town a home.  Check them out soon and often!

Thanks for Reading!

Doc Jay

About Last Night: Nobuo at the Teeter House and Bitter and Twisted

Nobuo at the Teeter House:

Nobuo Fukuda Hard at Work

Technically, we ate there Friday but since it's my blog I can take some artistic licensee.  James Bard award winning chef Nobuo Fukuda shares Heritage square with another James Beard award winning chef...I think he makes pizza's or something.  Fukuda made a splash with the always inventive and fun Sea Saw (a space which later became FnB and later nothing).  You get the sense with Nobuo that much of what he does in not about you, it's about his expression, his choices, his vision.  This is especially so if you give him time to put together a tasting menu and even more so if you give him a couple weeks and let him go full blown Omakase on yo' azz!!  On this night, the tasting menu would have to do...and do it did.  We started off with Hassun, a seasonal local vegetable antipasti.  

Hassun

The eggplant and shashito peppers were legit!! Down the road we moved into Yuan Yaki, lettuce, onion and possibly the most flawlessly prepared tuna the world has ever known.  As is our custom, we made an addition: tender belly pork.  It came out piping hot and melt in your mouth tender.  We could have easily done with two or three more courses of just that.  Food?  Solid!  Wine? Solid Plus!!  Burgundy and more Burgundy. We went with two different White Burgs from the same producer.  Maison Roche de Bellene is a newer producer who uses old vine Chardonnay from a variety of locations to make great wines at palatable prices.  

Burgundy Porn

We began with 2010 Puligny-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes . An elegant lightly fruited white with a clean finish.  Great wine.  We wanted to go back to this well but sadly, that was the last bottle so we kicked it up a notch to the 2002 Meursault Collection Bellenum, another excellent Chardonnay that chef aptly described as having more "power!"  Fully agree.

Bitter and Twisted:

Bitter and Twisted

We made an 11pm reservation to pop into B&T post Teeter House.  Glad we did.  While it was not packed to the gills, it was busy enough and we watched the party  of four who arrived just before us be turned away.  You get the feeling that want to keep the exclusivity...for now.  How was it?  Definitely worth a visit.  Dark enough with a simple, modern, industrial vibe.  I essentially had a Gin Old Fashion which was very good.  The crowd is kind of hipster, downtown crew.  Think a slightly less cool version of Hanny's.

All in all, a good night.  We Ubered there and back making the evening seamless and arrest free.  Nobou and Bitter and Twisted, two more reasons to venture to CenPho.

Thanks for reading!

Doc Jay

About Last Night...Virtu - Honest Craft

We'd planned to have a "chill night" at home but a work friend suggested, "Hey, I've never been to that Virtu place.  Wanna go!?"  Twist my arm, why don't yuh!?  We've visited Virtu on multiple occasions since it opened about a year ago.  We are fans. No arm twisting needed. Written up locally and nationally, Virtu has been a welcome addition to the Phoenix food scene.

from Esquire Magazine 

If you are NOT STARVING, I am NOT the guy you want to eat with because I pretty much want (and order) one of everything.   Tonight though, I relinquished control entirely (except for the wine...let's not get nuts!) and let the other three in our foursome order.  No one ordered my fave..the octopus.  Almost sat at another table by my damn self!  

Grilled Octopus

Meal was solid, as per usual.  Actually kind of fun to let other people make all the (non wine) decisions.  Here are some highlights:

Monkey Shoulder Scotch Blend

Fun blended Scotch (enjoyed neat...always) suggested by server.  New to me and excellent.  Started kind of like Johnnie Gold but fished with more honey notes.  I will be adding this to my collection.  

pork rillette, things pickled,  ate de membrillo, caper berries,  toast 

This was essentially a pork patte and a bunch of things pickled, most important of which were cherries.   Excellent!  We re-uped on toast multiple times to make sure all of the pork rillette got GOT!  

Duck Spagatini

Buttery, crispy duck bits, pasta goodness. The perfect amount.  Anymore and they would need to throw in a free cardiac cath.  

2010 Ladera Reserve Cab 

2009 was Ridicu-Good. 2010 was still super solid. Howell Mountain Cabs are among my favorite reds on the planet.

Zeppole with Strawberry Cognac and Nutella 

If you don't like donuts we cannot be friends...CAN-NOT. Italian for donuts, these zeppole were light, airy, confections which were just sweet enough. Add in a little strawberry cognac and 'ish-just-got-real!

Chocolate Sticky Toffe Pudding and Marscapone Gelato

Possibly the best thing on the table last night.  Every bite was moist and bursting with flavor.  Paired flawlessly with the marscapone gelato. Big big hit!

Virtu, thanks for reppin' phoenix CORRECT!  We will see you again soon!

Thanks for reading!

Doc Jay

The Tasting Menu: Food Elevated to Art

Sweet-Butter-Poached Maine Lobster at The French Laundry

The French call it Degustation.  The Japanese call it Omakase.  In 'merica we call it The Tasting Menu. If ala carte dining (order what YOU want) is a $10 caricature artist in Old Town Scottsdale The Tasting Menu is Chef's Piccaso.  In the same way as when you go to a museum or a concert you DO NOT dictate what the artist does, when you chose a Tasting Menu you DO NOT chose what chef puts in front of you...in some cases you won't know until it is actually in front of you...no menu...no problem.

Here are some FAQs on The Tasting Menu: 



Why would anyone want to cede control of a meal in this way?:

Croque Madame at Hafield's

I get it, sometimes you just want a burger and fries...me too...often. But sometimes you want something more.  Don't get me wrong, if you have a particular allergy LET CHEF KNOW...they are happy to work around it. But, if you want your palette challenged you'll want what chef believes to be HIS/HER best shot.  If you want something beautiful from first sight to last taste the best way to assure this is the tasting menu.


Are you friggin' kidding me!!??  All I get is a bite of this and a dash of that!?  What am I a 
rabbit!?:

Pastrami on Rye and Strawberry Pop at Eleven Madison Park

This is a common misconception.  Uraswa (sushi Mecca in LA I mentioned here) served us TWENTY-FIVE separate courses including 14 pieces Nigri (sashimi with rice).  Joel Robuchon served 14 courses and 3 Amuse Bouche (bite size appetizer which is meant to amuse the pallet...the warm up!). This is typically enough food to feed a family of four.  A marathon meal, often taking 3-4 hours from start to finish...buckle up!! With rare exception, you have to prepare yourself by dining very, VERY lightly earlier that day.  (my brother and I chose a cognac lunch before Elven Madison Park).

Tesseron 29 at Brasserie Cognac

But the only way to have the tasting menu is to pay a small fortune!!:

Sashimi at Urasawa

This CAN be true but is not ALWAYS the case.  Joel Robuchon and Urasawa are hundreds of dollars for the tasting menu.  But Sage, in Vegas, has a killer tasting menu for $89.  POSH, in Scottsdale does a 5 course menu starting at $65.  In addition, in some restaurants, if you give chef notice, they can put a menu together with your budget in mind.  We have done this many times with one of our favorite local chefs, James Porter at Petite Maison in Scottsdale.

Bone Marrow at Petite Maison

***pro tip. wine pairings are often offered at an additional cost.  the idea being the wine director picks wines that enhance the flavor of the food.  to save money (and/or your liver) you can order a crisp glass of white (chablis or sauvignon blanc) and a medium to full bodied red (bordeaux or a cab blend). 



The Tasting Menu format is not for everyone and certainly not for every meal.  But if you want to kick up your "food game" to the next level it is an absolute must!

Thanks for reading!

Doc Jay!!

Pizzeria Bianco at Town and Country : The wait is OVER...literally.

Bianco at Town and Country

I remember a cool fall day back in 2002 when a friend casually suggested, "Hey, let's grab a pizza at that Bianco place."  We walked over to the 1/3 full Pizzeria Bianco and opted, for pure novelty, to check out bar Bianco first.  We had a couple of drinks and then, at 830pm on a Friday night, walked, unhindered, right into Bianco and were sat...wait for it...wait for it...IMMEDIATELY.  This, kids, is the stuff of unicorn legend.   Alas, this was the way it was back in the day.  Then THIS happened ... and THIS. Now if your wait is less than 2 hours you brag to your friends about it the next day!  "Went to Bianco last night and I ONLY waited an hour and a half...I'm a big deal...people KNOW me..."  Well people, your wait for THE best pizza in the country is OVER! Before I tell you how let's examine this whole "best" idea. 

A16

A16 and Flour and Water in San Fran are two of my favorite restaurants anywhere and their pizzas and pastas are destination worthy.  

flower+water

Mozza in LA is also high on my list of goto pizza spots. 

Pizzeria Mozza

Similar to Bianco, they are all thin in the middle with a chewy crust.  The cheese and other ingredients are of the highest quality but Chris Bianco just pulls it together in a way that can not be rivaled. The Sonny Boy and Wise Guy alone are life changing. THE BEST.

The Wise Guy at Bianco

Enter Bianco at Town and Country (20th and Camelback).  When Chris Bianco first opened it, it was called Italian Restaurant.  They served pizza's but not The Sonny Boy or The Wise Guy and no Spendini (prosciutto wrapped around fontana cheese then fired crispy in the oven...help me Jesus!!).  They were more focused on pastas.  NOW, it's Bianco at Town and Country, with all the pizza's from the downtown location PLUS killer pasta offerings AND they even do the Spendini!  

Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé and Robert Sinskey POV

On top of that, they upgraded their wine list and stemware (it is not cute to drink good wine from water glasses...half the enjoyment of wine is what your nose is telling you...proper glassware is ESSENTIAL).  But here is the kicker....almost NEVER ANY WAIT!!!  Kicker number 2....James Beard Award Winning Chef Chris Bianco is often in the hezzy (fo sheezy)...might even make you a pie.  Win-Win-Win-Winning!! Bianco at Town and Country is, essentially, the only one we go to now.  The pastas alone are destination worthy.  San Fran has it's A16 and Flour+Water and LA has it's Mozza but WE have our Bianco and I'd put it up against any pizza/pasta joint ANYWHERE!


Thanks for reading!

Doc Jay

Ladies Lunch?: Why Arcadia Farms is a Solid Choice for Men too

Arcadia Farms is a misnomer since it's technically in Scottsdale, not Arcadia but let's not split "tea sandwiches" over location.  Look, I want a burger or some tacos most everyday, most every meal but sometimes I gotta pull it back or I'd be 600 pounds!  This said, AF is a great mid day choice year round.  It's a little less "ladies" lunch since they removed the gingham couches (I miss them so...sigh). There was one other "man" party of two there today other than Steve and I but, anytime two men...of a certain age...drive up to an ultra feminine lunch spot...in their fancy red sports cars aspersions WILL be cast...se la vie.

***pro tip. Guys, if you're in a place where everyone is eating salads, YOU will likely crave salad too!  Also, I love a good IPA but a crisp glass of Chardonay has about HALF the calories (so you can drink twice as much...you're welcome)! 

Lunch today was a shared Crab & Avocado Tower to start (two forks...don't be creepy). Steve went with Salmon Salad and I went with a Strawberry Chicken Salad (I can hear you snickering).  We washed it all down with an elegant White Burg. Sandwiches here are pretty good too.

The food is not earth shatteringly good but it's good and the setting is truly unique for the valley. Definitely worth a visit if you have not been.

***pro tip: make a reservation!  this place can be PACKED at lunch mid week. if you don't mind heat you can almost always get a table on the back patio (covered entirely with umbrellas).  

***pro tip 2: great for bridal showers,  and birthday lunches and name days (pictured below from last year...it's a Bulgarian thang...you wouldn't understand!!)

Thanks for reading!

Doc Jay

Comfort Much? : Five Valley Places that do Comfort Food Right!

Scottsdale is obviously a culinary oasis (recently voted #2 foodie city in america)...ehem...(insert face palm)...Back to reality...look, we are limited culinarily here but that doesn't mean it's ALL shite (Khoa and Steve).  When Phoenix "stays in it's lane" the results can be pretty satisfying.  Here are a few Comfort Food places that take "Keep It Simple, Stupid" seriously!

Beckett's Table:

Arcadia has a thriving food scene and Beckett's is a corner stone of the scene.  I could make a meal at BT out of the warm bacon cheddar biscuits  and the super creamy grits and schreiners sausage alone.  But wait there's more!:  Pork Osso Bucco Confit and Saint Louis BBQ Ribs?? Child Please!  Lot's of fish and lighter offering too.  Bottom Line: Something for everyone.  Add in a solid wine list and the fact that almost every main is $20 or less you cannot go wrong...CANNOT!

Chelsea's Kitchen:

CK has been a favorite for a long time.  I used to drive here three times a week when I lived 25 miles away because it was just THAT good...plus the servers wear vests...how can you go wrong!?  The anchor point on the menu is a series of build your own tacos.  Pork, beer, fish, etc, any of these is worth while. I am still pissed they took the side of spetzle off the menu but, the place has more that made up for it with other tasty offerings.  They always have a great IPA on tap and drinkable wines by the glass. Plus, that PATIO!!!!

***pro tip. brunch at CK is destination worthy. chilaquiles and lemon ricotta pancakes!? you know how we do!?

Tuck Shop:

Slightly odd location (12th and Oak!?) Tuck pulls in a crowd because it is good enough to stand alone.  Chicken and Waffles and Duck are solid choices.  Seasonal vegetable are usually a big hit.  Best brussel sprouts I've ever had anywhere...when they have them.  Good beer and drinkable wine offerings too.

***pro tip it is a lot easier to guarantee a good beer than a good bottle of wine. plus, you are making a much smaller monetary investment in a beer.  if you are a wine snob (me) and you don't wish to take a chance with a mediocre wine list...get a beer and live to wine another day. If you don't like beer we cannot be friends...it's not me...it's YOU!

Saint Francis:

People GO for the Burger and STAY for the Pot Roast.  Typically, the simpler it sounds the better it is.  Saint Francis is a cool space on the edge of CenPho which pretty much everyone I know loves.  No pretense no pomp...bench seating and solid food and drink.  How can you go wrong with that formula?  You can't!

Dick's Hideaway:

"Unattended children will be given an espresso and a free kitten". No more welcoming door phrase exists anywhere.  I crave the entire Happy Hour Menu and the breakfast Green Chili Meatloaf and Eggs like few things on earth.  I can't lie, I have washed down said meatloaf with a perfectly poured Lagunitas IPA...at 930am...on more than one occasion (I will not be shamed).

Thanks for Reading!

Doc Jay