Hula's Modern Tiki

Before the endless parade of Law and Order shows began, the longest-running television crime drama was the legendary Hawaii Five-O. The program, which featured a fictional state police force fighting crime all over Oahu, was never shy about its island setting and scenery. Fast forward to 2010, and now there's talk of a new Hawaii Five-O show. If a TV show about Hawaiian cops can be re-imagined after three decades, why can't the same be true of Hawaiian-themed restaurants? Hula's Modern Tiki is an attempt at such a reboot. The restaurant occupies a recently renovated and expanded A-frame building at Central and Highland, just a quarter mile south of the Central / Camelback light rail station. The Phoenix Hula's is based on two similar operations in California and opened after an architectural transformation documented on a pre-opening blog.

Comparisons to Trader Vic's, which has an outpost nine miles to the east at the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale, are inevitable. Hula's is not really trying to be a clone of Vic's, and that's a good thing. From its classic Mai Tai to its thorougly Polynesian decor, Trader Vic's is an upscale thematic experience that would be hard to replicate in any way that did not turn out looking like a cheap knockoff. Instead, Hula's goes easy on the islands theme with only a few pieces of art suggesting a tropical identity. Take those items away, and this space could just as easily be repurposed as Hula's Modern Bistro or Hula's Modern Gastropub, to draw examples from two of the most overused words in the restaurant industry. The elements added during the renovation include a patio and garage doors, features seen recently at local favorites like St. Francis and Postino.

With the restaurant not resembling an islands cliche, there is an instead a contemporary, open, and urban feel. Guests can sit on the patio and watch light rail trains and Central Avenue traffic rather than waves crashing on a beach. The interior is a bit quieter at times with dining rooms and a bar. That bar offers not only an assortment of tropical cocktails, but also a selecton of wine and some impressive draft brews from Kona Brewing Company. A pint of Longboard Lager goes a long way toward washing away the heat associated with the spicy seaweed salad, one of the best starters on the menu. That salad begins subtly with the crunch of the greens being the primary sensation. The fire is sneaky and does not reveal itself fully until several bites. It's a generous serving, so those bites will be plentiful.

Seaweed may be about the most exotic item on the menu, which focuses heavily on burgers, tacos, and "plates," which include a meat with sides such as rice and coleslaw. Sweet potato fries are featured as an appetizer and as a side with many entrees. The fries are well-seasoned and never greasy, although they might benefit from a more crisp exterior. Among the main dishes, Hula's generally prepares fish quite well with species like butterfish cooked just right and minimally dressed so that their own flavors and textures stand out. A range of sauces and preparations are offered with each type of fish in order to boost flavor as desired. A simple vegetarian dish of spicy tofu tacos works remarkably well with strips of firm bean curd in soft corn tortillas with salas, cabbage, rice, and black beans.

The dishes that don't work as well are those in which the food's heft exceeds its flavor. A Big Sur black bean burger is an attractively presented meatless sandwich, but there isn't enough flavor to compel someone to eat all the way through the sizable patty. Likewise, one side dish, the johnnycakes, are so filling that they seem like an appetizer, entree, and dessert all in one. Speaking of dessert, the brownie also seems leaden, although it is partially redeemed by the accompanying ice cream. Key lime pie is a stronger choice. With some uneveness in the food, it's important to ask questions of the servers and make good choices. Fortunately, service is Hula's strong suit. Greetings at the host station are prompt, the staff are welcoming, and the food usually arrives faster than you can say, "Book 'em, Danno!"

To its credit, Hula's has opted to identify itself not so much as a tropical theme restaurant, but instead as a neighborhood eatery that blends Hawaiian influences with those of Southwestern, Cajun, and other regional American cuisines. That strategy may make Hula's hard to categorize, but also less likely to appear a rerun, to keep the television theme going, of more established restaurants. The original Hawaii Five-O aired for an impressive 12 years before going off the air in 1980. Given the substantial investment made in opening Hula's Modern Tiki, it would be nice for the restaurant to last at least as long. If the food can all reach the high level shown in some of the restaurant's best dishes, then Hula's is likely to be renewed as a key part of the Uptown dining lineup for many seasons to come.

4700 N. Central Ave., Phoenix AZ 85012 | Map
(602) 265-8454
http://www.hulasmoderntiki.com

Lola Coffee (Downtown Location)

In many American cities, there's a distinction between Downtown and Uptown neighborhoods. The difference has been celebrated in popular song for decades. In 1980, Prince sang "Uptown -- that's where I wanna be." Three years later Billy Joel longed for an "Uptown Girl." On the other hand, Petula Clark sang back in 1965 that Downtown is where "you can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares." In other words, there has always been a rivalry between Downtown or Uptown. In Phoenix, the role of the two is less clear because many residents inaccurately label everything up to and including Camelback Road as "Downtown Phoenix." The reality is that Phoenix does indeed have both a Downtown and an Uptown, and they're becoming more vibrant at just about the same slow-but-steady pace. Lola Coffee has wisely decided to bet on both by placing coffee houses in each part of the city.

Lola's first shop opened Uptown at Central and Highland in 2009. Setting up shop there was a bold move given the proximity to Lux, but the steady streams of customers at both places has made it clear that Phoenix is undergoing a huge, long overdue expansion of its coffee house culture. Now, less than a year later, Lola has gone Downtown and opened a second site in the northern portion of Downtown. The new location is in the Gold Spot building at the corner of Roosevelt and Third Avenue and just three short blocks west of the Roosevelt / Central light rail station. The Gold Spot is an historic structure and originally housed one of Phoenix's earliest markets. Now it houses a mix of tenants providing goods and services to residents of the walkable neighborhood created by nearby historic districts and the Roosevelt Square apartment complex.

Lola's exact location was, until recently, home to the Calabria Italian Deli, a family-owned enterprise that turned out consistently excellent sandwiches, lasagna, ziti, and arancini. The loss of Calabria was a sad event, but it was encouraging to see the space turn over so quickly and be put to productive use as a third place appropriately situated in one of Phoenix's bastions of true urban design. During the brief transition between Calabria and Lola, the site has been reworked into a look that corresponds to the building's historic character. It's tighter and a little more ulitarian than Lola's original location. Lola Downtown suggests a workspace with its tables and stools of metal and wood while Lola Uptown suggests a living room with its couches and mint green stools facing Central Avenue.

The look and feel are subtly different between Uptown and Downtown, but the food and beverage is of the same high quality at both venues. The old Calabria kitchen in back has been put to use as both a place to roast coffee and as a bakery. The latter role provides a workspace for Danielle Librera, the expert baker who produces scones, cakes, cookies, tarts, and other treats for both Lola locations. The nicest aspect of her work is its restrained sweetness. Everything that needs to be sweet is, but not to an overpowering extent. A strawberry tart shines with a buttery, flaky crust and the slight tartness of fresh berries in the filling. Shortbread and scones often deliver an initial taste from a sprinkling of sea salt and then deliver a second note of sugar as one bites deeper. It all works to produce the best assortment of coffee house pastries in town.

The drinks are the same as Uptown with a concise assortment of coffee beverages and loose leaf teas. A basic drink like a cafe au lait delivers the right blend of coffee and milk without pretense. A more elaborate signature drink, the Matador, adds cinnamon, mocha, and whipped cream but never loses sight of its coffee roots due to multiple shots of espresso. Multiple to-go sizes of just about everything are available, but if time permits, why not get the drink "for here" and stay a while. As at the other location, there's free wifi and an amalgam of both new and retro-chic music. Vintage Johnny Cash is just a likely to be heard as jazz. There's also local art on the walls in a rotating selection that brightens the room. Occasional special events featuring DJs or artists add to the urban vibe.

About the only thing not entirely likable about Lola Downtown is the back patio. It's an attractive outdoor cafe space well suited to coffee and conversation, but it's marked by a big ashtray that dominates one of the tables. Smokers no doubt appreciate the accommodation, but for everyone else, the tobacco use may render the patio a sort of no-fly zone. Fortunately, customers who enter through the front door from the street never have to experience the smoke, and Lola is a thoroughly pleasant experience on the inside. Think of the two Lolas now as a pair of fraternal twins. They maintain an equal level of quality over the slightly more than three miles between them, but each one has a distinct personality fitting their respective Uptown and Downtown identities.

1001 N. 3rd Ave., Phoenix AZ 85003 Map
(602) 265-5652
http://www.lolacoffeebar.com/

The Cafe at the Heard Museum

Museums always have to balance the competing goals of preserving the past and reflecting the present. The Heard Museum at the southern end of Midtown is no exception. Since its founding in 1929, the Heard has paired traditional Native American art forms such as turquoise jewelry and kachinas with more contemporary works by 20th Century talents like Allan Houser and Harry Fonseca. Even in this century, new exhibitions and events focus on the creative output of today's artists. With the Heard continuously updating its collections and programming, it's only appropriate that its on-site restaurant move forward at the same pace. Until recently, the Heard had food service provided by Arcadia Farms. With that company no longer involved, the Heard has taken the opportunity to update and rechristen its eatery as the Cafe at the Heard Museum.

The changes are evolutionary, not revolutionary, and continue the equilibrium between museum's native focus and its need to appeal to visitors from out-of-town who might be unfamiliar with regional foods. The cafe's interior has gotten a bit of an update, but on pleasant days, the patio is still the best place to sit. It's a shaded space at the nexus of the museum's grounds, which are conveniently located right across the street from the Encanto / Central light rail station. The serenity of the Heard's grounds contrasts nicely with the more distant urban scene of trains running up and down Central Avenue and new mixed used developments like Tapestry. Museum admission is not required to eat at the cafe, but Heard members receive a 10% discount on their meals.

The Southwestern theme is fulfilled with two dips ideal for sharing as appetizers. A chunky guacamole comes with chips and smaller servings of three distinct accompaniments: a black bean and corn combination, pico de gallo, and an interesting pineapple salsa. A less obvious regional match is the hummus, a food normally associated with the cuisines of the Mediterranean, where the chickpea reigns. At the Heard, however, the hummus is made from tepary beans, a legume indigenous to the Southwest that has become popular in Arizona locavore circles. It's smooth, creamy, and not all the easy to tell from its garbanzo-based cousin. It works well as an appetizer when paired with pita chips, although it finds itself overpowered by copious red onion in a hummus vegetable wrap listed under the sandwiches.

Another sandwich choice, the turkey BLT wrap, is more successful and is rendered at least semi-Southwestern when its contents are enclosed in a Spinach tortilla. Any sandwich can be combined in a half size with a cup of the daily soup, which might be black bean one day or chicken lime the next. The latter has a tangy broth that pairs well with the mild white meat. More substantial entrees include chicken tacos in crispy shells, quesadillas, and spinach-mushroom enchiladas. Big salads are also part of the entree selection. Blue corn tostada salad works well with black beans, avocado, and more combined with optional shrimp or chicken. The Dreamcather takes a similar approach, but with ingredients like currants and Israeli couscous. The combination is appealing, although the deconstructed approach with every ingredient separated makes it hard to combine the flavors in even proportions.

One major addition to the new version of the cafe is a liquor license. There's now a selection of beer and wine in addition to fresh-squeezed lemonade, iced tea, and sodas. The adult beverage offerings are appreciated not only during the standard operating hours of 11 AM until 3 PM, but even more so when the cafe stays open for evening events like NU, the Heard's contribution to the Third Friday arts happening in Phoenix. For dessert, the offerings are pretty standard -- with one key exception: the fry bread made on site. This treat, originally fashioned from rationed commodities provided to Native American populations, is definitely indulgent, but something that a table can enjoy sharing. The fry bread is also offered as a rich snack at stands on the museum grounds during special events.

With hours aligned with the museum's schedule, the Cafe at the Heard is unlikely to become a dining destination in its own right. Nevertheless, it does work just fine for anyone hungry before, during, or after a visit to the museum's galleries. That's important because the nearest cluster of restaurants is located several blocks to the north between Virginia and Thomas. Until the still vacant retail spaces in the ground floor of Tapesty are occupied, the Cafe is the only immediately accessible option. Thankfully, it's good enough so that meals there feel like something to be enjoyed rather than just the path of least resistance. The Heard Museum of 2010 is bigger and better than the original 1929 model. The museum did not even serve food until 1999, but in just over a decade the cafe has become a worthwhile part of the Heard experience.

2301 N. Central Ave., Phoenix AZ 85004 Map
(602) 251-0204

The Rose and Crown

On his 1981 tour-de-force, "Trust," Elvis Costello sang that "Yesterday's news is tomorrow's fish 'n' chips paper." The reference was to the English practice of wrapping that country's specialty in old newspaper, a rarity in the U.S. Nevertheless, Costello's lyrics might apply in a different way: Pubs are usually the best place in which to enjoy fish and chips, and often the best pubs are in recycled buildings. That's definitely the case at Heritage Square in Downtown Phoenix, where the Silva House, a former private residence built at the turn of the last century, has been reused as the Rose and Crown, one of many recent arrivals in the area's growing pub scene. In this case, "yesterday's news" might be a reference not only to the Victorian house, but also the two prior tenants: Ruby Beet Gourmet and Circa 1900, two fine dining restaurants that had short runs in the space.

Both of those places got good reviews, but they came five to ten years before Downtown was ready for restaurants of that caliber. Chances are better that they'd survive today given the critical mass of good eating that has since accumulated in the City's core. Once Circa 1900 closed and chef Chris Curtiss relocated to the widely acclaimed Restaurant Noca, it seemed foolish to try another upscale dining experience in the Silva House. Instead, the Rose and Crown sets its sights on the more modest, yet equally important, goals of creating an inviting Downtown pub experience, offering an impressive selection of draft beer, and serving a basic menu of competently prepared pub food for anyone who wants a meal along with a drink.

The location is not only historic, but also strategic. The pub is situated two blocks east of the 3rd St. / Washington (westbound) and 3rd St. / Jefferson (eastbound) light rail stations. It's hidden from passing traffic within Heritage Square, but its placement right across from Pizzeria Bianco ensures an evening crowd of people having a few pints while waiting for their names to be called for a table. During the day, the Rose and Crown benefits from its placement near the Arizona Science Center and the Children's Museum of Phoenix. It's during the daylight hours that the high chairs come out and the unprinted kid's menu is most likely to be recited. Apart from those customers, the Rose and Crown draws its own clientele to its myriad small rooms filled with images of British icons from the Clash to Winston Churchill.

Getting back to fish and chips, the Rose and Crown serves two hearty pieces of beer-battered cod with thickly cut fries. So far, so good, but what's really distinctive here is the tartar sauce. The often prosaic condiment that Montgomery Burns once ridiculed as "tar-tar sauce" is given more attention than usual here, with big pieces of pickle throughout the white mayonnaise base. Think of it as a chunky salsa for fried fish. The accompanying coleslaw isn't bad either. Want fish and chips in a smaller quantity? The pub plate combines a half serving with a cup of clam chowder. The thick soup is a nice potato chowder, but think of the clams as an occasional note rather than the substance of the soup. Other pub grub choices include bangers and mush and a "fish pie," which is really a bowl of creamy fish stew with potatoes and bread on the side.

There's not a lot of greenery on the menu here, but lettuce makes it appearance in a chicken caesar wrap. It's a sandwich that works well with crunchy romaine mixing with blackened white meat and shredded parmesan. There are also salads, burgers, and other familiar fare. No dessert is listed on the menu, and it's unlikely that anyone would have room for "pudding," as it would be called in the U.K., after a pub meal. Any extra calories are more likely to come from the selection of beers on tap. In fact, the beer lineup is likely to be the first thing customers see upon entry. All the usual suspects are here: Guinness, Bass, Smithwick's, etc. There are also rotating seasonal selections like Alaskan White, a Belgian-style ale from the brewery best known for its Alaskan Amber. Wine and cocktails are also available, although this pub is clearly oriented toward beer drinkers.

The service here is definitely pub-like in terms of its casualness and the need for a bit of a self-help approach. The bar in the house's foyer serves as a sort of de facto host station. It's the best place to check in and make one's presence known to the staff before taking a seat in one of the rooms or on the patio. Still, don't expect to be led to a table and don't be surprised if it's necessary to head back to the bar to pay the tab at the end of the meal. The Rose and Crown is hardly the only pub Downtown these days, but a city the size of Phoenix needs a sizable pub culture, so there's room for the Rose and Crown. If the Silva House is yesterday's news after the closing of two previous restaurants there, it's good to see the building in use as today's fish and chips pub.

628 E. Adams St., Phoenix AZ 85004 | Map
(602) 256-0223
http://www.theroseandcrownpub.net