2009 April « Justin Eats.

Archive for April, 2009|Monthly archive page

Downtown Phoenix, Giant Coffee, matt pool, Matt's Big Breakfast, Merz Project, Midtown Phoenix, Phoenix Food Blog, Roosevelt Tavern

Midtown Coffee, Matt Pool style

In Food: Coffee/Tea, Phoenix Food Blog, Phoenix: Midtown, Restaurant News and Gossip on April 29, 2009 at 1:35 AM

Matt Pool (photo courtesy of the Arizona Republic)

Matt Pool (Jill Richards/Arizona Republic)

Update 05/22/2010: Giant Coffee is finally, officially open to the public.

Critically adorned Downtown restauranteur Matt Pool (along with his wife Erenia) are in cahoots to open a slick new coffeehouse just south of PAM, near McDowell and 1st Street. They are hoping for an opening very soon.

Pool himself is the gentle giant behind such Downtown mainstays Matt’s Big Breakfast and the Roosevelt Tavern. Though there will be a small and limited food menu, Pool’s primary focus will be java and its many different, and might I add glorious, caffeinated incarnations.

The Link, by Merz Project.

It's derriere.

The new coffee haunt will be located in the modern two-story office building that sits just south of Thai Hut, alongside our city’s suburban-ly underwhelming (yes, it’s true) Cancer Survivor’s Park. The stark-white, rehabilitated structure itself is the work of our favorite local hipster-architect consortium Merz Project, and it’s definitely a job well done.

Here’s to finding another favorite daytime watering hole to patronize that, you know, isn’t spelled L-U-X.

Giant Coffee | 1437 N. 1st Street | Midtown Phoenix

* A great preview of Giant Coffee was snapped by Arizona-Coffee.com

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Chris Bianco, Downtown Phoenix, martha stewart, Phoenix Food Blog, pizzeria bianco

Bianco Recipes Profiled in Martha Stewart Living

In Cooking, Entertaining, Food: Italian/Pizza, Media, Phoenix Food Blog, Phoenix: Downtown, Restaurant News and Gossip on April 23, 2009 at 7:09 PM

(Marcus Nilsson/Martha Stewart Living)

In the current issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine, Martha’s explicit love affair with Chris Bianco shines on.

After dining at Pizzeria Bianco for the very first time while in Phoenix recently for Super Bowl XLII in early 2008, Martha Stewart experienced what so many one-time Pizzeria Bianco virgins have been gushing about now for years – pizza rapture.

As her favorite NFL team the New York Giants won in upset at the big game, Martha and her posse were enjoying a closed invitational dinner party at the famed Downtown pizzeria (read: must be nice). Since then, the domestic goddess has quite effectively become Bianco’s de facto PR representative. The accumulated endorsements by Martha Stewart has now officially trumped Oprah’s lone “Best Pizza in the Country” contest, in which Pizzeria Bianco was one of several nationwide winners a few years back. At this rate, Martha may be replacing Ms. Winfrey as our official president selector in 2012.

Mmm, or maybe not.

In any event, from appearing on her daytime network television show for a double cooking segment last year, to now being being featured in her flagship magazine Martha Stewart Living for the second time, our local pizza guru is continuing to reap the benefits of impressing an immortal lifestyle maven.

And, we can’t blame her for doing so. I know I definitely can’t get enough of the Wise Guy.

See some of his recipes online now at MarthaStewart.com

Pizzeria Bianco | pizzeriabianco.com | 623 E. Adams | Downtown Phoenix | 602-258-8300

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Downtown Phoenix, Downtown Phoenix Sushi, Moira Sushi, Phoenix Food Blog

Sushi Downtown? Finally.

In Food: Japanese/Sushi, Food: Pan-Asian, Phoenix Food Blog, Phoenix: Downtown, Restaurant News and Gossip on April 21, 2009 at 10:42 AM

215emckinleydowntownphoenixcondo_ext2

In what seems to have been the only breed of restaurant to actually avoid Downtown over the past few decades, the ever-maturing culinary landscape of the area might finally be bearing some genuine fruit. No longer are Downtown or Midtown diners relegated to twenty-minute drives to Scottsdale, Tempe or north Phoenix for worthy sushi (Hana probably being the only, nearest exception), there is finally relief nearby.

Picture the exuberant grin running across my face.

Located on the ground floor of the fairly new lofts at 215 E. McKinley, Moira Sushi is staking its claim. Like comparable sushi restaurants in other parts of town, the atmosphere is modern and pleasing, aesthetically. Though Moira doesn’t have a physical bar area in which to patronize individually, they do have a full liquor license and robust cocktail list. Beyond raw seafood, the restaurant also offers a very strong menu of “hot” items.

I’ve only eaten there once so far, and it was just before closing. I definitely plan to again in the coming weeks after becoming interested with my initial experience (food, atmosphere, service). A formal review to come.

In the meantime, Moira is not only a promising new Downtown haunt–it’s a promising new Downtown haunt that serves sushi. It’s independent, it has character–support it folks, and spread the word. If we all do our part, owners plan to keep Moira open until 2am daily.

Talk about blasphemy. This is still sun-down bed-time Downtown we’re talking about here, right?

Moira Sushi | moirasushi.com | 215 E. McKinley | Downtown Phoenix | 602-254-5085

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Ben Bethel, C4, Camus Restaurant, clarendon hotel, Clarendon Kitchen, Doug Robson, Gallo Blanco Cafe, Midtown Phoenix, Phoenix Food Blog, The Clarendon Hotel

Clarendon Hotel debuts brand-new dining destination: Gallo Blanco Cafe

In Food: Mexican/Regional Mexican/New Mexican, Phoenix Food Blog, Phoenix: Midtown, Restaurant News and Gossip on April 20, 2009 at 9:35 AM

Clarendon Hotel

Update 04/26/2009: Gallo Blanco Cafe is now officially open to the public.

This past week, it finally happened. A “real” restaurant finally opened inside Midtown’s Clarendon Hotel.

Since its previous and most significant transition from the critically-successful Camus restaurant a few years ago (and the resulting drama that set local gossips afire), subsequent restaurant ventures at the Clarendon Hotel (one known as “C4,” then another as “Clarendon Kitchen”) have unfortunately consistently failed to deliver in the food, atmosphere and concept departments. Despite all the ballyhoo along the way, following alterations over the months and years were never executed thoroughly, with ideas never truly focused.

I guess I should disclose that I do have a close, loyal personal history with the hotel and its owners. Though I admit I may be a little biased here, I’ve never been shy about my desire for constructive critique – most notably in regard to this seemingly cursed restaurant space (up until now).

Doug Robson, circa LGO days (Cheryl Evans/Arizona Republic)

Enter Gallo Blanco Cafe, and its new leader Doug Robson.

Hotel owner/GM Ben Bethel had sold the rights of the hotel’s in-house restaurant to Robson for a complete overhaul of the space’s design, concept and menu. Thankfully, it’s in good hands. With a resume that includes associations with the likes of Phoenix restaurant dynasty LGO Hospitality, there finally appears to be hope on the horizon. Expect Mexico City-centric, regional Mexican cuisine.

Renovation photos recently posted by Robson on Urbanspoon–