Fancy cocktails, tacos and steak were best bites this week
You know that little tub at the front of the bar where they keep all the olives and maraschino cherries? The Rose Garden doesn’t have that. The trendy new cocktail spot has a tray of scattered flowers, which bartenders pull from as they arrange delicate patterns on the sides of each glass. It’s like an impressionist painting, but with tequila.
I pulled out my phone camera a lot this week, as I had some pretty magnificent food experiences. In addition to my floral tipples, in Old Town Scottsdale I walked into a back alley club for a steak and over in a warehouse district of north Phoenix, I feasted on Tijuana street tacos in a parking lot. The landscape wasn’t exactly pretty, but the food was gorgeous.
These were the best things I ate (and drank) this week.
Tales of Penrose at The Rose Garden
My cocktail looked like a peacock, all bright green with a sparkly blue rim of “buzz powder” that shimmered down the glass. Our mustachioed mixologist reached his tweezers into the tin of flowers and garnished the tequila drink with a dainty gold leaf, finishing the exchange by telling us his Instagram handle. Flower arranging seemed to be a job requirement at The Rose Garden, which is sort of an Alice in Wonderland meets Grey Gardens vibe, with a hint of hotel bar. Wine glasses were piled high with ice cubes and rimmed with an entire scrapbook of peonies and every drink was the shade of a Monet painting. My Tales of Penrose was delightfully spicy and well balanced, with its habaneroinfused agave spirit sweetened with pineapple and mango juice. But word to the wise: You really do want to drink this one with your pinky up, because if any of that artificial tasting “buzz powder” gets on your fingers, its blue residue will stick, hindering your ability to take proper Instagram photos the rest of the night.
Details: 101 N. First Ave., Phoenix.
Jalapeño taco asada at Lola’s Tacos
Ivette “Lola” Olivares was the star of the show, a spunky woman who lit up her commercial kitchen space in a warehouse district of north Phoenix. Lola’s Tacos wasn’t much beyond a takeout counter, but the flavors made up for it — brash chile sauces and scatters of fresh cilantro and red onion. Her tacos were a little bit Tijuana and a little bit Sonora, held up by pancake-y corn tortillas pressed inhouse and inspired by Olivares’ grandmother. The signature jalapeño taco asada came blanketed with a slab of crispy queso underneath a tornado of roasted jalapeño and chopped carne asada steak. I wolfed it down from a foam container in the parking lot. Next time I’m at State Farm Stadium for a Cardinals game, I’ll be sure to catch her there.
Details: 880 E. Lone Cactus Drive, Phoenix. facebook.com/LolasTacos323.
The New York Strip at JT Prime
I was honestly a little scared when I opened a heavy door at the end of the alleyway and saw a bunch of dudes in a dark room wearing what I can only describe as mafia hats. JT Prime was not the fancy steakhouse I pictured, but more like an elicit club, a dark hallway bar with insanely loud music and black and white portraits of nude women. But I ordered a steak anyway and it was really good. The New York Strip had pleny of char encasing glorious fatty bits, which are my favorite parts. The mashed potatoes were buttery and capped with some grilled vegetables. Portions were a little small, but the IPA helped and worth it for the element of the unexpected.
Details: 4216 N. Brown Ave., Scottsdale. 480-597-5864, jtprimekitchen. com.
Reach reporter Andi Berlin at amberlin@azcentral.com. Follow her on Facebook @andiberlin, Instagram @andiberlin or Twitter @andiberlin.
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