My Florist

Let me say this. I was no My Florist virgin; I had stopped in many times for dessert particularly after First Friday evenings, but I had never eaten a full My Florist meal.

I choose it as the site of my birthday dinner celebration with the friends. We were minus one (Laura, she was relaxing for a weekend in Rocky Point) and plus one (Joe as the only boy).

The atmosphere was supreme, as it usually is, and the pianist began to play just as we were brought our drinks. It couldn't have made me happier, as the live piano music and the genuine smile on the pianist's face are the two main reasons I love this restaurant. Our nice-sized round wooden table was accented with the dull and intimate lighting of a small candle, which I used to melt my straw with later, and I was thoroughly engrossed with the seeing eye yellow lab lying obediently on the ground next to his owner at the bar.

We decided against an appetizer, although Jocie ordered one for her meal, the Willo Chips and Salsa with jalepeno jack cheese.

My Chicken Salad Sandwich, with green apple and celery chunks tucked in, was tasty on My Florist's signature sunflower bread and the petite salad was light and simple. Teta also enjoyed the same selection... shocking I know, as she announced that she was no longer a vegetarian, among other things, after she ordered it.

Joe raved about his Cafe Clubhouse sandwich pressed with spinach and provolone, though I did not try it, and Cerrin managed to tackle the Oh My salad with a complex mix of candied walnuts, feta cheese and baja dressing.

There was nothing standout, spectacular about the food; it was good, but not great. The desserts were another story.

Being that it was my birthday and I'm a chocoholic I ordered the amazing Molten Chocolate Cake a la mode and we asked for their signature coffee creme brulee. The mixture of the oozing, steaming hot chocolate with the cool fresh vanilla ice cream was the perfect match and the hint of coffee flavor in the perfected creme brullee recipe was delightful.

The nice blend of piano classics like Phantom of the Opera medleys and Beatles' tunes invigorated by current Alicia Keys and New Republic hits made the evening an all around success.

My Florist
534 W. McDowell Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85003
602-254-0333

Fate

Okay so here's the thing about Fate, it's the kind of place I really want to like. And I do, but not because the food is exceptional. Not to say the food was bad, but as Lauren adeptly observed, it's not something that you're going to crave. We started out the meal with the Vegetarian Thai Spring Rolls ($4) which, however well presented and accompanied with a tasty sauce, were bland. My entree was called Ying Yang Noodles ($12): Wonton noodles and Broccoli, onion, bamboo shoots, mushroom, carrots, bok choy, sweet peas, baby corn w/ a light garlic sauce. It was light and pleasant, but also bordering on bland and certainly not worth the price. I will say this: Fate knows how to prepare tofu, it was absolutely perfect. I split my entree with Lauren (again) under the assumption that there would be dessert. But, to my dismay, and I'm talkin serious dismay, Fate had no desserts to offer. Complimentary rice crackers are cute, but let's face it, they are not dessert.

The draw of Fate is really it's decor, location, and overall "cool" factor. The restaurant is located in an adorable little house-like building, right smack in the middle of the art district, with a lovely view (well, as lovely as Phoenix can be) of our downtown high rises. Why, we were positively smitten. The place has one of those "nice without being too snotty" feels, with exposed brick walls, wood floors, and small pieces of original art. Both the light and music were dim, creating an ideal atmosphere for young lovers exchanging sweet nothings. It worked out well for our conversation too. And we had a blast with the restrooms, which offered unique, extreme lighting, making even the call of nature kinda hip. Overall, a positive experience, it's definitely a place for the 20 something crowd. (I'm trying to picture a granny in the bathroom pulling down her stockings under the black light.)

So anyway, we forgive you Fate, for your mundane cuisine, because you understand that which so many restaurants do not: that dining is so much more than good food. You have to feel good while you're eating, too.

Fate
905 N. 4th St.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
reservations: (602) 254-6424

p.s.
The dessert disappointment led us to Mary Coyle's (7th ave and Bethany Home) where we cuddled up, warm and fuzzy, around a banana split. This place is a real family treat. And it's all dressed up for the holidays, looking silly (read: 4ft dancing santa) and wonderful.

Plaid Eatery

Tucked away in a convenient, close, but hard to notice location right behind ASU dorms on Rural and Terrace is Plaid Eatery, a café style restaurant featuring neighborhood artwork (so neighborhood in fact, that some of the photography was taken in Teta’s house), good lighting, and a “dedication to taste.”

As Teta and I walked in, there was only one person in the restaurant which immediately made me think this place might have been a wrong choice, but my first impression was quickly proven incorrect. The overall decor of the place is very inviting, considering the table we chose to sit at was a traditional dining room table with formal chairs. There are also many booths to choose from with individual lamps for extra lighting for those who are studying while having dinner. Or there is a bar area with barstools and a couch for those who want to enjoy their happy hour deals comfortably.

The menu is not particularly large, but certainly provides a variety of options for various diets and desires. I personally enjoyed my strawberry Italian soda and the Spicy Stir Fry. This dish, with a variety of vegetables and your choice of chicken or tofu served over rice, is designed for those who enjoy spice and those only. Teta order the Plaid Thai, which I secretly envied her for, while Lauren and Jocie split the Teriyaki. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their large “Pladders”($8) which all offer the choice of chicken or tofu. Other items on the menu include $8 salads, $6.50 sandwiches, and some sides and appetizers all under $5.

The dessert ($3) menu boasted a plethora of options, but in reality there was only mango cheesecake and tiramisu. Apparently this is a common problem here, so ask before ordering dessert what the options really are. We ended up with mango cheesecake which was only okay in comparison to the entrees.

So why is this delicious and affordable restaurant a ghost town? Perhaps it’s because no one has realized the light-rail construction in that area is now finished and no longer an inconvenience. Maybe it’s because it’s a Monday and that is never a busy day in the restaurant business. It could have been that Thanksgiving leftovers were still abundant. Whatever the reason, it shouldn’t be there. It is an ideal location for many occasions, such as conversation that is audible between the table, studying away from the noise in the dorms, or a warm meal on a colder night.

Plaid Eatery
1044 S. Terrace Rd.
Tempe, Az 85281
480.394.9424

Rula Bula

I've never been to Ireland, nor do I often frequent Irish pubs, but I happened to visit two last week, one of which was Rula Bula. Wood on the floors, wood on the walls, wood on the tables, wood on the benches... pretty much wood everywhere and I loved it. I assume it's how an authentic Irish pub would feel, except without the presence of loud, sloppy, and intoxicated patrons or the smoky dark atmosphere (however there was a hint of smoke wafting in from the patio, unfortunately).

The server was great, she even affectionately called Cerrin "love," and walked the line perfectly between friendly and effective. With an extensive food, drink and dessert menu Rula Bula had enough choices for my vegetarian friends. And my personal favorite thing about a restaurant, the meals were big enough for us to split with no absurd splitting fee.

Although the side salads were too overflowing for their small plates, I made quite a mess, they were deliciously topped off with homemade dressings and they sparked a conversation about how we all tackle the challenge of eating salads. I spread the dressing and then slice, Cerrin spreads some dressing but leaves some for dipping the big veggies and Laura and Teta just spread and stab.

Laura and I split the homemade macaroni and cheese with thrashers (bacon pieces) which was overflowing with large spiral pasta smothered with a mixture of light and dark chesses. Cerrin and Jocie split the award-winning vegetarian Shepard's Pie and Teta had her own. They enjoyed it, saying its robust spice-filled flavor was surprising, I still like Bev's better.

For some reason we were most excited about the free bread brought with our entrees; two options of a hearty yet soft wheat and a raisin-filled white. Jocie proclaims "I like that you have a raisin option." Breadcitement seems to be a thing with us.

The bathroom was pretty typical, although they did try to satisfy the theme with a built-in fake bar, but nothing special there. The drinks, however, were something special. I took the rare opportunity to have some Strongbow Cider and Cerrin had Hot Apple Cider to soothe her ailing sore throat.

It was cool that we were sitting elevated on the stage, where they're supposed to have fantastic live music performances, but our table setup was a little off kilter. Laura and Teta's chairs were too high for the table and Cerrin and Jocie and my bench was too low, unfortunately there was no Goldilocks, so nothing about the seating was just right.

Sitting at the south end of Mill Ave, Rula Bula is a great fun Tempe eating establishment.

Rula Bula
401 S. Mill Ave.
Tempe AZ, 85281
480-929-9500

Caffe Boa

Let me preface my first ‘We Eat Out’ entry by disclosing the extent to which I am unqualified to review restaurants. First of all, I don’t eat animals, so it is highly unlikely that your meal choices will be reflected in my blogs. Second, I don’t drink alcohol (asian flush) and will thus have no insights to contribute on the subject. I should probably also mention that I am relatively parsimonious (which works out quite will with my aversion to meat and alcohol), and neither sophistication nor objectivity are among my ambitions. However, if apple juice, side salads and grilled cheese are your fare, I’m your girl.

A couple of Mondays ago, we dined at Caffe Boa, a lovely Italian place tucked away on 4^th street off Mill Avenue. It was here where we conceived of a dining review blog, in response to what we perceived to be a grave injustice. (More about that later.) Walking into Caffe Boa, one is greeted with a warm air of self-importance: the place is obviously “nice” and you, therefore, are “nice” for having been there, on dark wood floors, under soft lights, amongst other “nice” people. Any doubts are eliminated immediately by the sprig of rosemary bound by twine to your napkin and cutlery.

We began our meal with a delicious and beautifully complimentary loaf (or two) of fresh bread with a dish of olive oil. The bread is impaled by a large knife and served on a cutting board, leaving you to tear or slice as you wish. For our entrée, Lauren and I decided to share the Tortellini Brigantino (cheese tortellini in a cream sauce with broccoli, peas and mushrooms, $15.95.) It is a colorful pasta dish, and not very large, but quite rich and filling, so if you prefer a light meal, this one is not for you. We chose two desserts, the tiramisu, and Chocolate Hazelnut Royale, a chocolate mousse on a crunchy hazelnut base. Although the tiramisu has apparently won awards, it was clearly upstaged by the Royale on our table. Overall a tasty meal, however rich beyond my taste.

The atmosphere, again, is nice. I’ve heard that when they have live music, conversation can be challenging, but on a slow Monday, the room lent itself to our blog brainstorming and musings over presidential candidates. The décor is subtle, with the exception of a few out of place pieces of art. In an effort to tone down the pretension of a wine-heavy café, it seems the owners opted for colorful, seminonrepresentational, textured, vagina-reminiscent paintings which proved to be both a distraction and an amusement. But I certainly appreciate the effort towards color.

The low point of the meal, by far, came with the bill. Caffe Boa implements what could be called a regressive tax, that is, a tax weighing heavily on those with the least ability to pay. They call it a “splitting fee,” which means that if you’re going to make them put half a dish on another plate, it’s going to cost you an extra $3. It’s meant to discourage the poor and those with moderate appetites from dining at Caffe Boa and we were appalled. (Though we shouldn’t have been, it turns out that the menu includes a splitting fee warning. We didn’t bother to notice it because in our naiveté, we couldn’t imagine such a measure.) It was generally a pleasant evening with an ugly end. Probably best kept for special occasions for someone of my income and appetite, Caffe Boa might have more appeal to a wine connoisseur with more sophisticated tastes and a thicker wallet. As for me, the free bread might have been the highlight of my meal.

oh, and check out the candle. Yeah, that’s not a candle.

www.cafeboa.com
398 S. Mill Ave.
Tempe, AZ 85281
480.968.9112