Food: Mexican/Regional Mexican/New Mexican

Archive for the ‘Food: Mexican/Regional Mexican/New Mexican’ Category

Downtown Phoenix, Joseph Aguayo, Matt Avilla, phoenix, Roosevelt Row, Verde, Verde Restaurant

Opening Soon: Verde

In Food: Mexican/Regional Mexican/New Mexican, Media, Phoenix: Downtown, Restaurant News and Gossip on April 22, 2010 at 7:44 AM

Main dining area, circa two weeks prior.

Update 12/06/2010: Barely 7-months in, Verde is now officially closed for business.

Verde is coming.

Hostage to the city of Phoenix’s antiquated permitting process, Downtown’s newest dining gain is near-ready to serve. Verde is the eagerly expected, fast-casual Mexican eatery located on the southwestern corner of 1st and Garfield Streets. Sitting just south of Roosevelt Row among a growing collage of well-respected restaurants and watering holes⎯Matt’s Big Breakfast, Sens, PastaBAR, Royal at the Market, Roosevelt Tavern, etc.⎯Verde will easily benefit from certain geographic rewards.

Verde's tortilla room.

Driven by local industry veterans Joseph Aguayo (Tiburon) and Matt Avilla (Hillstone Group), Verde intends to a be a modern, serious snapshot of regional Mexican cooking. Think simple but sharp⎯tacos, slow-roasted meats, tortillas house-made daily in a custom wood-burning brick oven courtesy of Arizona-grown pecan wood, and an always rotating (and updating) roster of specials like tamales, menudo, moles, and so on. An eventual liquor license will allow for a modest selection of beers, wine and appropriate cocktails.

Takeaway window. Local food media wallpaper.

As of now, Verde will be open daily for lunch and dinner. Eventual late-night and breakfast menus soon to follow.

For a more in-depth feature on Verde by yours truly (including the restaurant’s sincere eco-friendly ethos) in the Downtown Phoenix Journal, go HERE.

Verde | verdeaz.com | 825 N. 1st St | Downtown Phoenix

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

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

In Food: Mexican/Regional Mexican/New Mexican, 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–