15 Metro Phoenix Restaurants to Visit During Spring Training 2013
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| Diana Lustig |
| FnB |
Charming FnB -- restaurant industry shorthand for "food and beverage" -- does a superb job with both, specializing in an Arizona wine list and eclectic, sophisticated food (almost all locally sourced) that manages to be comforting no matter what the provenance: crisp-edged socca from Nice, fattoush from Lebanon, dukka from Egypt or good old fried green tomatoes from the U.S. of A. Chef-owner Charleen Badman didn't earn the nickname "veggie whisperer" for nothing. Her constantly changing menu is rife with them, some exotic, others familiar, all approachable. Meanwhile, her partner Pavle Milic is the front-of-the-house wine wonk who welcomes guests and makes recommendations, his courtly Latino-inflected patter putting everyone under his spell. The place is usually packed, so make reservations early. Two other words of advice: butterscotch pudding. $-$$ (lunch); $$-$$$ (dinner)
From the outside, Hana looks like thousands of neighborhood Japanese restaurants and sushi bars. But this unpretentious family-run BYO, parked at one end of a nothing-fancy strip mall, turns fantastically fresh fish into the city's best traditional sushi. No Philly rolls here; no sake bombers either -- although chef-owner Lori Hashimoto, her brother Rick and step-dad Kaz-san are not above sending out something modern and playful, say, an uni shooter or ankimo slider. Meanwhile, cooked dishes (both traditional and interpretive) are just as mesmerizing. Is it any wonder Japanese-born chef Nobuo Fukuda (see below) is a regular? He and the other local chefs who keep Hana in their rotation know that traditional dishes such as tonkatsu, tempura and chawanmushi are prepared with elaborate care (Lori's mom sings to the rice) and it shows. Pay close attention to the board that lists daily specials and be sure to ask for translations and recommendations because this is where things get really interesting. $-$$ (lunch); $$-$$$ (dinner)
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Barrio Cafe
2814 N. 16th St., Phoenix, AZ
Category: Restaurant
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