(flickr) We went to Hanny's on Saturday night. It is aesthetically nice, as is the standard Phoenix manner of modernist restaurants. It is in an old department store and keeps some of that feel by having old designer names
on the walls. The food wasn't that great, there was fried onions on everything, including the salad, which was odd. The menu is also limited and focused more on gourmet pizza than sandwiches. I suspect the place is good for happy hour, but not so great for dinner or lunch. Considering it is the same folks as who run AZ88 it was disappointing. AZ88 is way better in menu and feel.
The food was nice. It comes out in smallish portions that are more garnished than having vegetables with them. It looks good and is stylish but we found we didn't really eat the vegetables that came with each dish. The cocktails were very strong in both taste and alcohol, so they definitely have that going for them. It has a nice feel to it. I enjoyed eating there.
We went to
Coup Des Tartes last night for dinner. It is set in a house with an outdoor seating area. The cramped nature of the 50's style house reminded me of the restaurants in Kurmond, Kurrajong and other parts of the Blue Mountains. Far is more traditional than the light style of the modernist Phoenix restaurants. I had lamb shank. The food was excellent. Not a restaurant I would go to every week or fortnight but certainly one adding to the longer cycles.
Go here when there is a long wait at Postino's and you have already handed your car over to the valet service.
Radio Milano is the red-headed step child of the group of restaurants on 40th and Campbell. Undeservedly as it has good food and is a nice atmosphere.
Also consider Postino's on Campbell,
Chelsea's Kitchen and
The Vig.
Experience Radio Milano is the most restaurant-like of the restaurants grouped around 40th St and Campbell. Rather than being a winebar and cafe, or a pizzeria and deli, it is a sit down meal with plate entrees restaurant.
Patio Radio Milano does not have a patio.
Parking The area in and around Le Grand Orange, Postino and Radio Milano is sparse on parking. Radio Milano has a valet service which is the easiest way to park. There is small parking area to the east of Radio Milano but you will be lucky to get a parking spot there. It fills quickly and can only hold about fifteen cars. It is also very tight and there is not much room. Le Grande Orange has a parking area in front of it but that is nearly always full. In off-peak times there is parking at Postino as well.
Website Radio Milano Menu Radio Milano Menu [pdf warning] Map On the north west corner of 40th and Campbell.
Go here when you want a casual lunch or dinner. It is a good place to meet for happy hour after work in Central Phoenix.
My Florist is located where one of Phoenix's largest florist's used to be. My Florist is in the modernist style and is unique in having a pianist play while you are eating or chatting.
Note Myflorist has closed.
Also consider Chelsea's Kitchen,
Postinos on Central,
Lisa G's or
Maizies Cafe
Experience My Florist is unique in having a pianist play. It makes for a very comfortable atmosphere and a nice touch to the modernist theme.
Patio Parking There is ample parking behind My Florist which is accessible from McDowell Rd on the eastern side of the restaurant. There is no valet service.
Website My Florist Cafe Menu There are three menus;
morning,
lunch and dinner and
late evening.
Map Just east of 7th Avenue on McDowell.
Go here when you are having happy hour after work with a group of people, or meeting for lunch or dinner in downtown Phoenix.
Switch is in the urban contemporary Phoenix style. It has a good mix of seating environments which makes it usable from happy hour drinks, to quick lunch to a casual dinner.
Also consider Fez,
Maizie's Cafe,
Postinos on Central,
Lisa G's or
Hanny's.
Experience Switch has a strong modernist feel and the food is the Phoenix style of light of light and accessible. There isa good mix of seating to match most style of how you would want to use the restaurant.
Patio Switch has a long patio out the back of the restaurant.
Parking There is a medium sized parking area off Virginia Road directly behind Switch. The parking lot curls round both north and south but at peak times it can be difficult to get a spot.
Website Switch.
Menu Switch's menu. Not in pdf form which makes a nice usable change.
Map Look for Virginia Rd when driving north on Central.
Go here when you want a light and casual lunch or dinner. Also good for having happy hour downtown.
Fez is in the modernist Phoenix style of setting and food. It has a good mix of seating and an open floor plan which makes the restaurant usable for drinks, lunch and dinner.
Also consider Switch,
Postinos on Campbell or
Lisa G's.
Experience A strong modernist restaurant in the contemporary urban Phoenix style. The food matches that theme and is excellent.
Patio There is a small patio out the front of Fez facing Central.
Parking There is a medium sized parking lot out the back of Fez which is shared with other businesses and can be cramped. There is some more parking both north and south of the rear parking lot, but again, being downtown it can be cramped and difficult to find a park.
Website Fez Menu The Fez website has
multiple menus including brunch, drinks and take out menus.
Map Fez is on Central with parking on the Clarendon side street.
Go here when you are heading downtown with your significant other or with friends on the weekend.
Pasta bar has pasta dishes as their main menu which are very tasty but also heavy. The plates aren't huge which is good, personally I dislike the twenty pounds of pasta that some places serve up and which you know you will never be able to eat through.
Update Sadly Past Bar has closed.
Also consider Tuckshop, Cibo or
Sens
Experience Pasta Bar has mixed seating with booths, tables, a bar and an area off to the side.
Patio There isn't a patio.
Parking The valet service is off McKinley in the parking area to the north of Pasta Bar. There is some parking around that area if you want to find a spot.
Website Pasta Bar Menu The pasta bar website doesn't allow deep linked directly to the menu. If you go to the pastabar website it is on there.
Map 705 North 1st St Suite #110 Phoenix AZ 85004 Just south of McKinley on 1st Street.
Most Popular on South Sea Republic
The articles that have been viewed the most:
Most Popular Restaurants in Phoenix
Phoenix Eats Out is the restaurant review site for
Phoenix,
Scottsdale and
Old Town Scottsdale which lists the modernist and contemporary restaurants, taverns and bars in the greater Phoenix area.
This is the list of the most popular restaurants pages from phoenixeatsout.com that have been viewed the most;
My personal favourite restaurants in Phoenix are
AZ88,
Postinos,
Bomberos with
Grazie,
Humble Pie,
Orange Table,
The Vig,
Fez and others coming close behind. View the complete list with the photo-journalistic style images on
phoenixeatsout.com
Most Popular Hikes in Arizona
Arizona is an outdoor state and has lots of hiking in the city and around the state. Phoenix is unusual for most cities in having several large mountains in the center of the city with great hiking. Anyone who comes to Phoenix has to do the
Echo Canyon trail on Camelback and the
Summit Hike on Squaw Peak or Piesta Peak. The views of the city, suburbs and surrounding mountains are wonderful from Camelback and Piesta Peak.
For more experienced hikers there is the McDowell Mountains in North Scottsdale that has several difficult and strenuous hikes in
Tom's Thumb and
Bell Pass. Alternatively, you can hike the highest mountain in Arizona. At 12,600 feet
Humphrey's Peak is a long and difficult hike.
Alternate Australian Constitutions
Between 2004 and 2009 this site,
southsearepublic.org, was a constitutional blog based on scoop which focused on Australian and global constitutional issues.
One of the strongest aspects of it was the development of constitutions by those involved in the blog. These constitutions are the outcome:
The constitutions were built using principles from Montesquieu's separation of powers, the enlightnment's universal political rights and the ancient Athenian technology of sortition and choice by lot.
Archives For South Sea Republic
South Sea Republic started in 2004 as an Australian constitutional blog in 2004 based on scoop software. It was an immigrative outgrowth of Kuro5hin. The archives for each year since then;
The articles are ordered by views.
Who Is Cam Riley
I am an Australian living in the United States as a permanent resident.
I am a software developer by trade and mostly work in Java and jump between middleware and front end.
I originally worked in the New York area of the United States in telecommunications before moving to Washington DC and
working in a mix of telecommunications, energy and ITS. I started my own software company before heading out to
Arizona and working with Shutterfly. Since then I have joined a startup in the Phoenix area and am thoroughly enjoying myself.
I do a lot of photography which I post on this website, but also on flickr. I have a photo-journalistic website which lists
the modernist and contemporary restaurants in phoenix. I have a site on the
Australian Flying Corps [AFC] which has been around since the 1990s and which I unfortunately
lost the .org URL to during a life event; however, it is under the
www.australianflyingcorps.com URL now.
The AFC website has gone through several iterations since the 90s and the two most recent are
Australian Flying Corps Archives(2004-2002) and
Australian Flying Corps Archives(2002-1999) which are good places to start.
Websites Worth Reading
Websites of friends, colleagues and of interest;
