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Now Open: Nobuo At Teeter

In Food: Japanese/Sushi, Food: Pan-Asian, Media, Phoenix Food Blog, Phoenix: Downtown, Restaurant News and Gossip, Reviews on August 9, 2010 at 7:17 PM

Lunch listings.

James Beard-rendered chef Nobuo Fukuda (“Best Chef Southwest,” 2007) returned to form last month, reengaging with a new Downtown eatery in historic Heritage Square, Nobuo at Teeter House. Concluding an anxious absence from the public’s regard since his previous gig at eulogized Scottsdale restaurant Sea Saw ended last June, Fukuda has been patiently amassing momentum in our shadows⎯dabbling in freelance cookery and related consulting at other restaurants around town (NOCA and Welcome Diner, come to mind)⎯waiting for an opportune moment. Well, fog cleared⎯such a fortuitous moment is upon us.

More relaxed than Sea Saw, Nobuo at Teeter House is not intended to be a straightforward copy of his former home. Still aiming for that surgical boundary between strict Japanese execution and the more limitless horizon of western sensibilities, expect a more relaxed roster of largely sharable menu items in this foodly vein⎯cross-Asian influences with near-obscure modern American undercurrents. Evocative of blue-collar taverns that also serve legit regional comfort food throughout Japan⎯izakaya⎯prepare for an atmosphere lacking vanity, pushing an understated, communal spirit.

Nobuo at Teeter House is now open for both lunch and dinner service, and in the coming weeks and months, Fukuda will re-introduce his once infamous omakase (chef’s choice) dining experience for select guests each night, by reservation only. A full menu of wine, beer and sake, also available. Full-throttle tea selection and pairings to come.

For a more in-depth feature on Nobuo at Teeter House by yours truly (including added details, menu highlights and photos) in the Downtown Phoenix Journal, go HERE.

Nobuo at Teeter House | nobuofukuda.com | 622 E. Adams St | 602-254-0600 | Downtown Phoenix

Nobuo at Teeter House on Urbanspoon

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Opening Soon: Verde

In Food: Mexican/Regional Mexican/New Mexican, Media, Phoenix Food Blog, 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

Verde on Urbanspoon

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Goodbye Palatte, Hello Local Breeze

In Phoenix Food Blog, Phoenix: Downtown, Restaurant News and Gossip on May 4, 2009 at 11:21 AM
photo courtesy of David SB (phxrailfood)

(David Bickford/phxrailfood.com)

Update 5/9/2009: Local Breeze is now officially open for business (expect full review in the coming weeks).

For devoted Downtown diners, the loss of Palatte was definitely a surprise, but it was never entirely a shock.

To many patrons, the restaurant itself had an awkward internal flow, and its take on the popular fast-casual dining concept wasn’t always clear to everyone.

Also, remember that hodgepodge of a patio? I never understood that massive, completely ill-utilized space. Was all of that outdoor furniture for sale? Could customers sit anywhere? Could we just grab a drink, and lounge? So many questions for a concept intended to be so simple.

Why I liked Palatte was clear – it’s breakfast. They did a really good job at it. It was nice to find a place decent enough to forgo the weekend swarm at nearby Matt’s Big Breakfast without also forsaking satisfying morning grub. Their unique selection of breakfast scrambles in particular, were great. Anyone recall their sweet potato pancakes? I always found them to be one of the best items on the menu. Why again were they removed?

It was obvious to the most serious observers that the place was constantly in flux. Major kinks needed to be worked out, but they were constantly altering things that didn’t need attention to begin with – those annoyingly fluctuating hours, those strange deletions of popular menu items, and again, that god-forsaken patio.

Can I mention that patio just one more time?

In any event, I’ll digress. Patio or no patio, Palatte’s closing was probably for the best, despite my inclination for remorse.

Moving on to the new and positive: Local Breeze. That is the name of the new restaurant planned to occupy Palatte’s former space in the historic Cavness House in Downtown’s historic Roosevelt neighborhood. Original hopes were to open the restaurant this month, but like other similar dining developments right now, please take that with a big grain of kosher salt.

Those behind Local Breeze are some of the same folks who were behind the famed Pischke’s Paradise in Old Town Scottsdale. That is the name of the once-adored restaurant which fell victim to a (sort of) hostile takeover by local chef-heavyweight Robert McGrath. A change of hands that, in turn, ultimately couldn’t survive itself. Good intentions on McGrath’s part or not, karma can be unrelenting.

Sid Campbell, Pischke’s original chef, is now Local Breeze’s main man. Coming out of hiding, Campbell is creating a broad, “island themed” menu boasting lots of locally grown ingredients. For the remorseful Pischke’s followers (and for those who never had an opportunity to eat there to begin with), chef-owner Campbell also plans on immigrating old favorites from the now-defunct restaurant to Local Breeze’s menu. Most notably the Fire Island eggs and firecracker shrimp.

Local Breeze will serve lunch, dinner, as well as breakfast. Plans are also in the works for an ambitious drink list, with a heavy focus on local Arizona wines and beers.

Oh, and don’t forget about that patio. I will get a petition going if I have to.

Local Breeze | localbreeze.com | 606 N. 4th Ave | Downtown Phoenix

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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
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(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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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

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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

Moira Sushi on Urbanspoon

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