The Turf

In the weeks preceding the Iraq War, Donald Rumsfeld spoke about a distinction between "Old Europe" (most notably France and Germany, which opposed the war) and "New Europe" (e.g. Poland, which supported it). In Phoenix, with less controversy or bloodshed, there's an emerging distinction between "Old Downtown" (the business and government district south of Van Buren) and "New Downtown" (the artsy, indie district centered around Roosevelt Row and the ASU Downtown Campus). In early 2009, the folks behind Seamus McCaffrey's, an popular Irish pub in "Old Downtown," decided to cultivate a second location in "New Downtown." The result is the Turf, a modern pub located along the burgeoning First Street restaurant row, just a few blocks south of the Roosevelt / Central station.

The Turf is located in the same building as Sens and PastaBAR, two other recent arrivals on the block. The Turf definitely has the best space in the structure, with a generous patio facing the street and a large interior with dark wood furniture, exposed ceilings, and contemporary lighting fixtures. It's strikingly different from the look at Seamus', which is known more for its charming clutter of police badges, leprechauns, and beer paraphernalia. By day, the Turf is moderately lit and full of Downtown workers and residents having a pub lunch or maybe sneaking a pint. At night, the pub is dark and there is sometimes live music. The overall aesthetic is not particularly Irish, but not particularly bland either.

If Seamus' and the Turf follow different paths in their decor, they're surprisingly similar in their approach to food and drink. That means the same basic pub grub with burgers, sandwiches, fish and chips, and a few Irish specialties like boxties. In some ways, that's good. The basics work just as well at either place. In other ways, it's a disappointment, for the kitchen shows the same limitations as at Seamus': The chicken pot pie is distinguished mainly by its saltiness, the French fries are sometimes mealy, and the side salad is little more than iceberg lettuce. To be sure, nothing is unpleasant, but at the same time very little is remarkable. For some reason, that shortcoming stands out more at the Turf. At Seamus', the no-frills food seems part of the patina of a classic Downtown watering hole. In the Turf's clean, contemporary environment, the same food fails to match the upgraded ambiance.

To be fair, the Turf does try a few new tricks. First, it has several seafood dishes not found at Seamus'. Shrimp skewers, grilled tilapia, and a seared ahi tuna sandwich (center photo below) are all competently prepared menu additions. Second, the Turf serves breakfast -- but only three days a week. Limiting morning hours to Saturday, Sunday, and Monday seems strange at first, but Michele Laudig of the Phoenix New Times has suggested a plausible explanation: The Turf is just a block from Matt's Big Breakfast, arguably Phoenix's most popular breakfast spot. On weekends, the Turf's breakfast is an alternative for customers unwilling to wait for a table at Matt's; on Monday, the one day that Matt's is closed, the Turf becomes a source of nourishment for anyone caught unprepared by the locked door up the street. From a tactical point of view, this approach makes sense, but does the Turf really want to define itself as a second choice restaurant?

The breakfast is not at Matt's level, so don't expect an emphasis on farm-fresh local ingredients. On the other hand, the food is generally hearty, tasty, and attractively presented. Pancakes, eggs, and most of the usual suspects are on the menu, but strangely oatmeal, an Irish staple, is not listed. For anyone wanting the grand tour, the traditional Irish breakfast (right photo below), a generous assortment of eggs, breakfast meats, potatoes, soda bread, and a grilled tomato, is the way to go. At any time of day, the food at the Turf is not going to break new ground, so the pub stands in contrast to its neighbors with their emphases on Asian tapas and hand-crafted pasta. For customers looking only for a solid lunch or a good happy hour, that's not really a problem, but for foodies, it's a little disappointing.

At this point, it appears that once again Phoenix has been denied a true gastropub. The gastropub trend, now widespread in Britain, matches the drop-in neighborly casualness of a pub with the emphasis on culinary innovation and ingredient quality of a fine dining restaurant. Gastropubs have begun to appear in America, most notably in the form of New York's Spotted Pig, but so far have not come to Phoenix. The Roosevelt comes close with its reliance on local artisan ingredients, but its menu is too limited to fill the niche. Reportedly, Canteen, a new place opening later this year, will finally cross the gastropub barrier. Until then, Downtowners can comfortably enjoy a pint or a shot of whiskey in either "Old Downtown" or "New Downtown," as long as they understand the food will be essentially the same either place.

705 N. 1st St., Phoenix, AZ 85004 | Map
(602) 296-5043
http://www.theturfpub.com