Mowry & Cotton

Posted on June 27, 2019 by ttimmons

Tonight was fancy night at Mowry & Cotton. I met up with my long time foodie friends Andrea and Merichelle in a sort of reunion night. Mowry & Cotton opened up at The Phoenician in 2007. I was able to attend a fun Yelp event here last year. It is named after two businessmen (George Mowry and James Cotton) who came to Phoenix in 1872 and opened the first fine liquor establishment in downtown Phoenix. They were trying to create more of a community feel instead of the typical saloons that were around. Chef Tandy Peterson has created a nice rustic menu of comfort food that pays homage to meals that were cooked over a fire back then. The concept here is a shared dinner menu that you mix and match with the people at your table. They have several choices of meat and fish to choose from like salmon, sea bass, steak and ribeye. They also have a variety of popular flatbreads (thin pizzas). Other choices are salads, vegetables and appetizers. They have several cocktails to choose from like their signature Washington & 1st drink (named after Mowry & Cotton’s distillery location in downtown Phoenix). They are also open for breakfast and serve brunch on the weekends. The staff wears button down shirts, suspenders and leather boots to reflect the times. For decor, there are old distillery bottle all around the restaurant that plays off the lighting that comes in to create an ambiance feel of the Old West.

The Phoenician

Mowry & Cotton

Mowry & Cotton has been running a special Summer Culinary Countdown menu that includes a Bottle and Board for $25. It comes with a choice of a bottle of wine and a flatbread. We tried the Roasted Squash Flatbread and the A to Z Wineworks Pinot Gris bottle of wine. For dinner, I ordered the Grilled Pheasant. It was tender and smokey and comes with lots of fixings like almonds, onions, broccolini and cherries. Others at my tabled ordered the Chicken Pot Pie, the Corn and Chorizo Dip (with Chicharrones!) and Grilled Potatoes. We enjoyed trying one another’s food over good conversation. This is a great new addition to The Phoenician. The rest of the evening was spent in The Phoenician Cactus Garden and enjoying the beautiful views of Phoenix from the lounge area.

A to Z Pinot Gris

Roasted Squash Flatbread

Corn & Chorizo Dip

Chicken Pot Pie

Grilled Pheasant

Wine Tasting with James Callahan of Rune Wines

Posted on June 27, 2018 by ttimmons

James Callahan & Oren Molovinsky

I always enjoy wine tastings paired with good food. Tonight’s event was at Farmboy in Chandler. It was a reception-style evening that hosted James Callahan of Rune wines and was paired with Hors D’oeuvres from Chef Dennis Bagnasco. I just recently visited Farmboy for the first time for lunch a couple of weeks ago. Rune Wines (Rune means a mark or letter of mysterious or magical significance) was founded by Arizona native James Callahan in 2013 and is located in Sonoita – the heart of southern Arizona wine country. Tonight we got to sample four of his Arizona wines that were paired with samples of locally sourced cheeses, meats, and vegetables. Farmboy is all about using and highlighting local Arizona ingredients and was the perfect place to host this event. Both Oren Molovinsky of Farmboy (who owns Molovin Farm in South Chandler, AZ) and James Callahan of Rune wines were on hand to talk about their lasted endeavors.

Rune Wines

Smoked Chicken, Goat Cheese & Grilled Tenderloin

Smoked Chicken

Flourless Chocolate Cake & Rune Wild Syrah

Our first wine was the Rune 2015 Viogner paired with goat cheese and a rice cracker. Our second pairing was the Rune 2016 Rosé paired with a smoked chicken breast with arugula and topped with a aioli. Their third pairing was the Rune 2015 Grenache paired with a Mesquite grilled tenderloin with mushrooms. And the final pairing was the Rune 2015 Wild Syrah paired with a flourless chocolate cake topped with a raspberry. I really love the artwork on the wines and the story on the back of the bottles. The food was delicious and paired nicely with the wine samples. My favorite was the Wild Syrah – Rune’s flagship wine. Tonight was an enjoyable evening of meeting new people and supporting local businesses.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Posted on March 19, 2018 by ttimmons

LOCALLY OWNED JUST TASTES BETTER

Featuring farm-fresh, from-scratch foods served in a bright, cheery and contemporary atmosphere, BLD (Breakfast Lunch Dinner) is the latest South Chandler dining destination. Open all day, every day, this casual neighborhood hangout features over-sized roll-up windows overlooking a spacious, stylish outdoor patio. Meanwhile, a convenient drive-thru window dispenses barista-made beverages, protein shakes, smoothies, and top-notch to-go foods. – (from their website)

I finally made my rerun to BLD in Chandler. It has been quite some time since I first visited here. They are not only a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner all day long. They also have a drive-thru window where you can order coffee beverages, protein shakes, smoothies that are made by a barista. My son and I have been here a couple times now and enjoy the large variety of food on their menu that you can choose from. Our waiter was a friend of my son’s and he hooked us up. BLD is located in the Shops at Pecos Ranch which is home to many of Chandler’s good eats. They also have a great happy hour with discounted prices.

Green Chili Queso Dip & Barrio Rojo

Fried Chicken and Waffles

BLD Steak Salad

Mozzarella Bites

Texas Style Wood Smoked Beef Brisket Tacos

Community Table

Florencia Pizza Bistro

Posted on January 12, 2018 by ttimmons

Florencia Pizza Bistro is one of those locally owned neighborhood eateries. Ahwatukee has a lot of these little hidden gems because most of them are located in strip malls. This one has been around for quite some time and resides next door to the popular Melting Pot. They offer three types of pizza – Traditional, Olive Oil (Garlic, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Mozzarella Cheese with no tomato sauce) and Pesto (Basil Pesto Sauce with no tomato sauce). You can create your own with toppings (over 40 topping choices) or choose from one of their popular specialty pizza creations. Some of the names include the Snow White, Pomodora, Valentinos, Winchester, Clevenger, Malanzane, Bo-Be and the Green-Eyed Chicken. There are many more creations to choose from and they have vegetarian options as well. The dough is house made and their pizzas are thin-crust. I’m more of a thick crust person myself but actually found their thin crust quite enjoyable. They also have panini, calzones, salads and sandwiches if pizza is not on your radar. Their appetizer menu is not incredibly large but they have a nice variety to choose from. I got the mozzarella sticks and felt they were just average. We ordered the Clark’s Classic pizza which consisted of pepperoni and chicken marinated in buffalo sauce. I was a little worried the sauce would soak through the thin crust and make it soggy but it actually held up (even eating it as a leftover the next day). There is a small bar area to the side where you can order a glass of wine or beer. The owner is a Wildcat fan (boo…) and they’ve had fun fundraisers in the past during the annual ASU/UA football game to benefit the local high schools in the area. It wasn’t very busy when I visited but service was pretty good.

Mozzarella Sticks

Clark’s Classic

“Duel in the Dessert” fundraiser

Sushi Brokers

Posted on January 14, 2017 by ttimmons

Heritage Marketplace in Gilbert includes restaurants like Even Stevens, Farm & Craft, Clever Koi, Nico Heirloom Kitchen and candy store Rocket Fizz. Sushi Brokers is one of their newer tenants. Sushi Brokers has locations in Scottsdale and Phoenix and offers a huge selection of sushi, vegetarian fare and dishes comprising seafood, chicken and beef if you are not into sushi. They have over twenty creative sushi rolls on their menu. They also have a nice selection of wines, draft and bottle beers, sake, and a large array of imported and domestic Vodkas. Their happy hour is what makes them so popular as they discount their prices on sushi and drinks. I came here with a buddy after an evening at the neighboring Art Intersection. We ordered quite a bit of rolls and drinks. The sushi wasn’t bad but definitely pretty pricey compared to most places. I may come back again for happy hour.

Cowboy Roll

Edamame

The Tip Jar, Vol. II

Posted on February 12, 2014 by ttimmons

Tonight I went to Obadiah Parker’s CD release party of The Tip Jar, Vol. II at Kazimierz World Wine Bar (one of my favorites for late night music). Mat has been a long time friend and I’ve been attending his shows for years. The new EP is great so check it out!

FilmBar

Posted on October 19, 2012 by ttimmons

I love the Film Bar in downtown Phoenix. FilmBar is a twenty one and over beer/wine bar dedicated to screening new, classic, cult and local independent/foreign films in a microcinema setting (about 70 seats). FilmBar is a unique place in Phoenix and caters to the local downtown Phoenix culture. I saw a movie called The Ambassador tonight. I love noir feel to it and the local art displayed on the walls.

Urban Beans

Posted on September 21, 2012 by ttimmons

Tonight I stopped in at a little coffee shop called Urban Beans. I’m just loving exploring downtown Phoenix and all these little restaurants and coffee shops that are tucked away in these old strip malls and warehouses. There are so many unique places with amazing food and drinks to check out. Plus majority of these places use locally grown products – so there is a sense of community around Phoenix with a sharing of products.

Urban Beans cooks up fresh breakfast and lunch everyday. They have a bar called Bar Urban that serves up locally and internationally crafted beers as well as wine. I got a Hot Mocha and a bag of beans tonight. I really enjoyed my conversation with my barista. For me, great customer service is just as important as the product. She is a student at Grand Canyon University and is studying to criminal justice. Being a toxicologist, we had a lot in common and it made for an enjoyable conversation. I enjoyed my time and my drink at Urban Beans and look forward to my next visit.

Beckett’s Table

Posted on September 21, 2012 by ttimmons

I’ve been doing Restaurant Week for years. It’s my way to check out new restaurants at a good price. I’ve had a few on my list that I have been wanting to go to and the hard part for me planning them throughout my already busy week. But Beckett’s Table came highly recommended and my friend Lisa Marie was available to join. You get a choice from a 3 course dinner menu for $30. I started off with the achiote citrus poached n chilled shrimp with avocado puree and black beans. For my main course, I tried the cola braised pulled pork with cole slaw. This was amazing! The meat was so tender and I loved the cola aftertaste that followed. For dessert, I tried the bacon chocolate s’mores with caramel sauce and peanut butter mousse. Now I’m not quite getting the bacon flavor trend going on, but I can see how bacon and chocolate are paired up. You get this rich chocolate flavor at first followed by a bacon aftertaste – very interesting. I loved the peanut butter mousse. This was an amazing experience and I look forward to visiting again.

* – From Restaurant Week website

Beckett’s Table is a new class of American eatery with chef driven food, an awarded wine list, and exemplary service. Chef Justin Beckett pairs sophisticated comfort food and international wines with genuine hospitality in a relaxed urban ambiance at an exceptional value.

Parade in White

Posted on August 25, 2012 by ttimmons

Pesto’s Pizza & Wine Bar is a little establishment in Chandler that serves up gourmet pizzas and a large selection of wines. The restaurant has some unique decorations and has a fun atmosphere to it. I love the pesto dishes and the calzones. I attended a party tonight where everyone had to wear white.