All Wrapped Up

It's ironic that hospitals so often lack healthful restaurant options in their immediate neighborhoods. Think of the fictional County General Hospital on "ER." The show's characters always found themselves eating at Doc MaGoo's, a seedy diner with greasy fare definitely not aligned with any current nutritional guidelines. Many real hospitals are similar. They're often found in areas with few food options nearby. That's why All Wrapped Up, located across the street from St. Joseph's Hospital in Midtown, is so refreshing. It's a restaurant right by a major medical center, yet its food is both tasty and reasonably nutritious. The name is yet another pun on the word "wrap," just like at the better known That's a Wrap restaurant over on 7th St., and the food is of course the recently popularized derivative of the burrito with any range of non-traditional fillings inside a rolled, flavored tortilla.

All Wrapped Up is located on the south side of Thomas just a few blocks west of the Thomas / Central light rail station. It's in the same little plaza as a few other restaurants that serve both hospital traffic and the adjacent Willo neighborhood. The restaurant is most easily identified by the big "lunch" sign over the front door; it's an apt description since the restaurant currently serves only during midday hours, even if it does have a handful of eggy breakfast wraps on the menu. The interior is an unexpected charmer with local art, half of it cute animal images and half of it weightier depictions of travel and architecture, surrounding about a dozen tables. This is a fast-casual place, meaning that everyone orders at the counter and awaits delivery of food to the table.

There are both hold and cold wraps. Both types combine interesting mixes of ingredients with clever names. A Thanksgiving Turkey wrap combines roasted white meat, hearty stuffing, and chunky cranberry sauce in a whole wheat tortilla. The China Wrap (jokingly subtitled "Made in U.S.A.") is teriyaki-coated chicken breast with nutty jasmine rice and crunchy vegetables like water chestnuts. A meatless option is the Hot Vegetarian, a phrase which probably describes someone we all wanted to date in college. It's actually remarkably similar to the restaurant's Philly Cheesesteak wrap, minus the meat of course. It's full of roasted eggplant, peppers, onions, tomato, zucchini, and provolone cheese, all of which meld nicely inside a spinach tortilla.

All the tortilla varieties are organic and come from a local producer in Glendale. They're both firm and flexible, but not rubbery, avoiding the worst textural flaws of some mass-produced versions of this staple ingredient. The wraps come with a choice of sides: chips, pasta , or mango yogurt. The chips are Poore Brother's in several varieties that require no explanation here. The pasta salad works well. The noodles are al dente, appropriately seasoned with a type of pesto, and not excessively oily. The last item seems more like a dessert than a side and works best when saved untl the end of the meal.

You're probably going to visit All Wrapped Up for, obviously, the wraps, but there are alternatives. Half a dozen subs on French bread are available, and big salads provide a potential route to a low-carb entree, as long as one ignores the tortillas they're served atop. The Greek feta salad is full of crumbled cheese, red onion, bell pepper, salty kalamata olives, and mesclun greens. It's judiciously dressed so as not to drown out the flavors of the ingredients, and the result is a notch above the typical Greek salads of iceberg, canned generic black olives, and mealy winter tomatoes that are offered at so many lunch places. It's big enough to be an entree by itself. Among the non-wraps, the only disappointment, a slight one, is the minestrone soup, in which the vegetables and pasta are just a bit on the mushy side.

Because the restaurant is lunch-only, there's no liquor license. Most beverage options come from the soda fountain, although coffee beverages like espresso and cappuccino are offered. Dessert takes the form of monstrous cookies which are best shared among several diners. It's easy to overlook All Wrapped Up given its location in an inconspicuous building across the street from the much larger hospital complex, but this restaurant, to use a tacky medical pun, shouldn't be bypassed. It's a refreshing choice for anyone looking for an affordable lunch in Midtown and yet another creative approach to sandwiches at a time when value-priced dining is at a premium. There's no doubt that Phoenix health care institution St. Joe's is one of the best places to go if sick, but anyone looking to eat well while trying to stay out of the hospital might do well to begin with a lunch across the street at All Wrapped Up.

503 W. Thomas Rd., Phoenix AZ 85013 | Map
(602) 279-5122

Fair Trade Cafe (Downtown Civic Space Location)

In the movies, not every sequel has the same tone and feel as the original. "The Empire Strikes Back" was darker and had a more ambiguous outcome than the original Star Wars movie. In a romantic vein, "Before Sunset" occurred in 90-minutes of daylight real time rather than in the longer stretch of twilight and darkness of its predecessor "Before Sunrise." The point in both cases was that characters and situations carried over from one film to another, but the mood was deliberately different. Something like that seems to have occurred on the Downtown coffee house circuit when Fair Trade Cafe, one of the veterans in the area's rapidly expanding cafe culture, recently opened its second location less than a half mile from its original (and still operating) site at Roosevelt Square. Both Fair Trades share the same commitment to fighting poverty through conscientious consumption, but the two locations differ a great deal in terms of atmosphere and appearance.

The newer location is in the basement of the A.E. England building, an historic structure recently reopened by the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department next to the Downtown Civic Space, a new park for the core of the city and the nearby ASU Downtown Campus. The England building was originally an auto dealership, among the first in Phoenix. Ironically, it's now a crucial part of a park that has no parking lot and is intended to be reached on foot, by bike, or via bus or light rail at the adjacent Central Station. The England building is now used for all sorts of special events and changing art displays, but the below-ground coffee house, which actually opens onto an extensive patio, is a permanent use, one presumably designed to draw traffic to the park between major events and create a more lively atmosphere. Despite being below ground, it's a much more open and sunny location than its sibling to the north. While Fair Trade Roosevelt Square can feel cluttered, Fair Trade "Park," as staff call it, is sparse and airy.

In fact, the minimalist approach led to some initial criticism of the new location. Since then, the cafe has added some more comfortable seating inside. Even so, the complaints seem to discount the outdoor space, which is absolutely the highlight of the new location. Does it really matter if there isn't a lot of interesting art on the walls inside when it's possible to enjoy an attractive outside space framed on two sides by a gentle waterfall? The patio feels sunny, but it's also generously shaded, making it endurable throughout much of the summer. Another observation about this space has been that the metal patio furniture is not conducive to lounging. True, but think for a moment about the clientele of this shop. Many of the customers are likely to be ASU Downtown students who want an alternative to the Taylor Place Starbucks. They're likely to be stopping in between classes or grabbing something on the way to or from the train. At the same time, it's an unspoken rule of Downtown parks that they need to be comfortable, but maybe not too comfortable, lest they become, in the words of Obi-wan Kenobi, "a wretched hive of scum and villainy."

Accepting Fair Trade "Park" as an outdoorsy cafe rather than as a lounge, it's possible then to focus on the drinks and the food. Both are essentially the same as at the Roosevelt Square location. The standard coffee drinks are all present and accounted for. Most are competent renditions of the usual suspects: lattes, cappuccinos, tea, etc. There aren't a lot of signature concoctions here, but the toddy brewed iced coffee is a nice alternative during the hot months. The baked goods are reasonably good; as at the other location, the banana bread stands out. There's also a limited selection of wraps and light lunch items. Just as the original location, the draw here is not so much distinctive beverages and snacks not found elsewhere, but more the commuter convenience of the address and the satisfaction that some customers derive from the principles under which the shop operates. Nothing is wrong with either as a business strategy.

After a rough start, Fair Trade has addressed some issues that complicated its opening and now seems to be a functional coffee shop in proximity to both ASU and the Central Station transit center. Still, there are still some details needing to be worked out, most notably the wifi. Staff now routinely tell customers to borrow ASU's signal from across the street. Hours at the new location are roughly similar to Roosevelt, except that the Civic Space shop closes earlier on Sundays and opens an hour later everyday. Next door is the Fair Trade Store, a boutique selling handcrafted fair trade gifts from around the world. It's worth checking out before or after a latte. Fair Trade may feel different at each location, but with the two coffeehouses so close to each other, that's probably a good development. Sometimes, the sequel needs to stand apart from the original.

424 N. Central Ave., Phoenix AZ 85004 Map
(602) 253-6912
http://www.azfairtrade.com/

Siu Wok

Great cities are about eating out at great restaurants, right? Yes, but celebrants of urban living also point to a variety of food delivery options as a valuable city amenity. We're not talking just about ubiquitous pizza delivery, but also about delivery of various "ethnic" foods, most notably Chinese. Seinfeld, the ultimate comedy about city life, devoted no fewer than four episodes -- "The Pothole," "The Virgin," "The Race," and "The Tape" -- to the complexities of Chinese food delivery. Elaine struggled with being blacklisted by one restaurant and finding herself outside another's rigidly enforced delivery zone. Phoenix has never had a big delivery food culture, maybe because the city's broad streets and relatively smooth traffic make it fairly easy for residents to travel a few miles for takeout pickup. Still, as Phoenix rediscovers its urban core, it makes sense for at least one good Chinese delivery place to be part of the mix.

Siu Wok is just that: reliable, tasty American-Chinese food that is consumed mostly by delivery and takeout customers. Sure, it's possible to eat on site in Siu Wok's small dining room, but most customers would probably prefer not to if given the choice. The restaurant is conveniently located along Central Avenue in Midtown, about halfway between the Indian School / Central and Osborn / Central light rail stations. The restaurant is bare bones, especially in comparison to its stylish neighbor Fez, and any food ordered "for here" is generally served in the same disposable containers used for takeout. Clearly, eating on the premises is an afterthought here, and most customers pick up food on the way home or have it delivered for a small fee. The delivery zone is generous, stretching from Northern to Buckeye and from 43rd Avenue to 40th Street. The staff look up addresses when an order is placed, though, so don't try any Elaine-style ordering from outside Siu Wok's turf.

Understand delivery and takeout as Siu Wok's niche, and it's a lot easier to appreciate the restaurant in comparison to nearby competitors like China Chili, which serves more distinctive food but without the delivery option. In a way, delivery from Siu Wok is the ultimate comfort food experience. After all, it's about familiar American-Chinese standards (beef with broccoli, egg foo yung, mu shu whatever, etc.) prepared for eating in what should be the ultimate comfort zone: home. If a busy schedule or personal circumstances make it hard to get out of the house, a delivery from Siu Wok is probably going to be flavorful enough to prevent food boredom, but not so adventurous as to shatter the familiarity that is part of cocooning in one's own dwelling. The food is delivered in the typical Chinese delivery containers; transfer it to your own dinnerware if a more elegant presentation is desired.

The starters are mostly fried and include standby like egg rolls, pot stickers, and crab puffs. These are unspectacular, mainly because items like these are best fresh out of the fryer and lose a little something in transit. The soups actually travel better and leave more room for the main dishes to come. Noodle soup, full of al dente veggies and available with added chicken, beef, or pork, is just right for two or three people to share as a warm-up to the meal. The entrees selections are pretty typical with their reliance of familiar meats and vegetables. Siu Wok's menu is not the place to look for ong choy, snow pea leaves, or even gai lan (Chinese broccoli). Nevertheless, the familiar ingredients are prepared capably. Phoenix and Dragon mixes tender white meat chicken, plump shrimp, crisp snow pea leaves, and just-right broccoli florets in a mild sauce of garlic and ginger. Family style tofu combines the same vegetables with carrots and bean curd and features a richer brown sauce. Mu shu assembled at home never looks quite as nice as the tight rolls created by skilled restaurant staff, but the taste and texture of the filling is just fine.

Orders always include generous portions of white rice -- usually way more than is needed to accompany the food. Save half of it for later and combine it with frozen vegetables, some meat if desired, and an egg or two for some homemade fried rice a day or two later. Of course, the inevitable packets of soy sauce, spicy mustard, and fortune cookies accompany every order. Most customers will use a few and allow the others to gently age in a forgotten corner of a kitchen drawer or cupboard. For lunch, Siu Wok features over two dozen specials for $6 or $7. These are presented a little differently than the rest of the menu -- typically in foam containers segregating entrees from the included crab puff, egg roll, and fried rice. These are even more Americanized than the standard menu, but they're still well prepared and filling. The main thing Siu Wok could do better is to add Sunday hours, the one day when those in search of Chinese food may actually have to travel to get it.

3815 N. Central Ave., Phoenix AZ 85012 | Map
(602) 230-2960
http://www.siuwok.com

Haji-Baba

It seems like almost every type of "ethnic" food has a a few restaurant names that are replicated in multiple cities from coast to coast. Expect almost every major metropolitan area to have an Indian restaurant named "Taj Mahal" or "Maharaja," a Vietnamese restaurant with a punny name based on the word "pho," and a Chinese restaurant incorporating "dragon," "palace," "jade," or any combination of those terms. Add to the list a Middle Eastern restaurant named "Haji-Baba," sometimes without a hyphen or with spelling variations. A quick Google search yields "Haji-Babas" in places as varied as San Diego, Kabul, and New Jersey. The top search result, though, is the Haji-Baba restaurant located on Apache Boulevard in Tempe. It's not entirely clear why the local restaurant of this name outranks all others in the search engine game, but maybe it has something to do with longevity. Tempe's Haji-Baba has been around for over 15 years in a sparse strip mall on the south side of the street, just a quarter mile east of the Apache / Dorsey light rail station.

Like most local Middle Eastern restaurants, Haji-Baba is both a market and a cafe. The grocery portion takes up about two-thirds of the space with aisles devoted to cans of fava beans, bags of lentils, tins of tea, packages of pita, jars of preserved lemons, and just about any other ingredient associated with the cuisines of southwest Asia. The other third, off to the right upon entering, is the dining room. It's a tight, spare room with about a dozen tables inside and two or three more spilling over into the market space. There's not much decor -- just a simple mural on one wall and unadorned tables. That's okay, though, considering that the lack of ambiance translates into rock-bottom prices on just about everything. The pita sandwiches are an especially good bargain; none is more than $5, and the size is generous enough for a filling lunch. For heartier appetites, the platters offer filling meals and still come in at under $12.

Haji-Baba offers all of the typical Middle Eastern favorites in terms of both appetizers and entrees. The hummus is smooth and creamy, the perfect dip for pita or accompaniment for entrees. It comes alone as a starter and also as part of a generous vegetarian combination platter in which it costars with plump dolmas, baba ghanoush, falafel, and tabouleh. The tabouleh at Haji-Baba is heavy on the parsley and light on the grain, but well balanced in terms of lemony tartness and olive oil mellowness. The falafel is slightly crisp on the outside, moist on the inside, and mildly spiced. It's a pretty typical Arab version of the dish, available on its own in a huge platter or in a sandwich with various garnishes, including pickles. A less typical starter is the foul mudammas, essentially a stew of fava beans swimming in a generous pool of olive oil. About the only Middle Eastern standard not found here is the seemingly ubiquitous lentil soup.

The pita sandwich choices include not only falafel, but also numerous meaty fillings such as gyros, kafta, kabobs, and shawarma. The last two come in both beef and chicken versions. The second option is well seasoned, with a flavorful marinade making the poultry worthwhile even if it isn't the most tender meat around. Koubideh and kibbi, both based on ground meat with different flavorings, add to the variety. Feeling more adventurous? In that case, the lamb tongue sandwich is a more exotic choice. It's about the only thing on the menu that might not appeal to Middle Eastern food novices. No alcohol is served, but the beverage choices include interesting soft drinks. Anyone having difficulty deciding should just go for a "mixed fruit juice," which blends mango and guava. Tea, coffee, and fountain sodas round out the choices. Of course, baklava is the dessert of record here, but there are a few small sweets and candies available at the counter where customers are expected to pay after a meal.

Haji-Baba is open seven days a week and does its peak business during the busy lunch hour. Early dinner is available until 8 PM every day except Sunday. There is another building approximately a mile to the east along Apache with a "Haji-Baba" sign. Don't be confused by it; that building is the wholesale business, rather than the restaurant and retail market. During Haji-Baba's lifetime, a lot has changed on Apache. After years of neglect and decay, the street is finally turning around with Tempe's new zoning for transit-oriented development favoring multi-story apartment complexes with no setbacks from the street. Even as these projects go forward, there's still a place for strip mall gems like Haji-Baba. Students and other Apache apartment dwellers need inexpensive, high-quality places to eat, and Haji-Baba continues to stand out -- not only relative to other nearby restaurants, but also in comparison to places of the same name elsewhere in the world.

1513 E Apache Blvd., Tempe AZ 85281 | Map
(480) 894-1905

Caffe Boa

4/11/2012 Update: Payton Curry, the chef emphasized in the review below, has left Caffe Boa. This review should no longer be considered representative of the restaurant's menu.

Anyone who has studied theater knows about the concept of a three-act structure: Begin with an act that introduces characters and a situation, continue with another act that complicates the situation and builds tension, and finish with a third act in which the action reaches a climax and resolution is achieved. Caffe Boa, a Mill Avenue veteran of 15 years, has just entered its third act with the addition of noted chef Payton Curry. Curry comes to Boa from Digestif in Old Scottsdale. Digestif had a short life, first as part of the foundering SouthBridge development, and then more briefly in a smaller space across the street. The restaurant itself lasted less than two years, but during that time Chef Curry built up a reputation for culinary innovation and a fan base that would follow him anywhere in the metro area.

Before looking at the details of Caffe Boa, Act III, though, it's worthwhile to rewind quickly through the first two acts. Act I: Caffe Boa started in the mid-90's at the south end of the Mill Avenue commercial district. Back then, it was shoebox of a restaurant near the old Long Wong's nightclub. The atmosphere was minimal, but the food drew a loyal clientele. Act II: After over a decade of operation, Caffe Boa moved in 2005 to a new location at the north end of Mill, just a block from the Mill Avenue / Third Street light rail station. The new location breathed new life into the restaurant, allowing the consistently good food to be augmented with better decor, an improved wine list, and a selection of draft beer. Of course, no change pleases everyone and there have been complaints, often exaggerated, about higher prices in the new Boa.

During the time at the new location, Boa has also moved to include more organic and local ingredients, and Curry's hiring represents a commitment to taking that approach to the next level. ChefP8N, as he identifies himself on Twitter, became known at Digestif for his market-to-table approach, which has carried over to the chef's new gig in Tempe. A salad is no longer made from just arugula, but instead from wild arugula proudly sourced from local farmer's market favorite, Seacat Gardens. With a simple dressing and a topping of shaved pecorino romano, this is a rocket salad capable of a journey to another galaxy of flavor. Similarly, the mozzarella is now the chef's daily hand-pulled version. It's even better at Boa than it was at Digestif, largely due to a more attractive presentation with toast points and roasted peppers. Daily soups to date have included options like free range turkey with fava beans.

The appetizer list includes a few holdovers from the pre-Payton menu, including bruschetta and the shrimp adriatico, plump crustaceans in an addictive garlicky sauce. The changes seem more extensive in the entree department. The prior approach at Boa was Italian with flavors of the Adriatic Sea and the Balkans playing a supporting role. Those influences are still around, but they're part of a much broader approach that values high-impact ingredients and flavors over any particular national cuisine. The menu is defiitely meatier than at the old Boa; after all, Curry's old restaurant proudly displayed a sign proclaiming, "Pig is the new black." Still, there are unique and delicious meatless choices. A seasonal pasta dish of Autumn maccaroncello combines curved, tubular noodles with a smooth sauce of butternut squash, honey, and pepitas.

At this point, given the all-around brilliance of the food, it would be tempting to say that Caffe Boa has indeed reached the next level; however, there are some lingering issues with service. At Boa, the staff have always been friendly, but servers have to be prompted to offer bread more often than not. Also, the kitchen's pace is sometimes too slow at lunch time for anyone who has to return to an office within an hour. Those issues are small, but they need attention if the overall dining experience at Boa is to match the unsurpassed quality of the kitchen's output. Curry's wife, Shantal Abdo, is now in charge of the front of the house at Boa; odds are that in time she'll upgrade the guest experience as dramatically as her husband has transformed the menu.

Caffe Boa has two dining areas: One is a main dining room with brick walls and hardwood floors; it's a great-looking room, but it can be noisy during peak times. A quieter option is the large front patio, which is both shaded and mist-cooled, making it a viable option even in the summer heat. After 15 years of operation in two different locations, Caffe Boa has made a bold move foward. Ironically, Boa's transformation to a more upscale identity has come as the real estate collapse has halted construction of nearby luxury condominium projects that might have supplied customers. For that reason, having a rising culinary star in the kitchen is a gutsy and necessary move to draw customers from beyond the immediate neighborhood. At least that's the plot for Act III.

398 S Mill Ave., #110, Tempe, AZ 85281 | Map
(480) 968-9112
http://www.cafeboa.com

Royal at the Market

Coffeehouses have been proliferating so quickly in Central Phoenix in recent months that it's almost necessary to have a scorecard to keep up with the changes. For Royal Coffee Bar, the score is mixed -- one loss, but offset by a big win at the same time. The back story: Royal Coffee Bar originally opened in 2006 on the ground floor of the Campaige Place apartment complex at Second Avenue and Jackson Street. Royal, along with its neighbor, Sweet Pea Bakery, was a bold attempt to inject a little life into the southwestern corner of Downtown, essentially a pocket of hidden from the rest of the city's center by the mammoth edifices of the criminal justice system. While there have been some impressive reuse successes in the nearby Warehouse district, the going has been rougher behind the jails and courthouses. Sweet Pea closed its retail business earlier in 2009, and its owner now bakes for Lola Coffee and still accepts custom orders. Royal followed by closing its original site half a year later.

That closure, although certainly a disappointment, was timed so as to minimize the caffeine withdrawal of Royal's fans, for it came just a few weeks after the opening of the new "Royal at the Market." Royal at the Market is a small coffee house inside the new Urban Market and Wine Bar, the indoor portion of the Downtown Phoenix Public Market and Phoenix's first downtown grocery in decades. The location is on Pierce Street, just three blocks south of the Roosevelt / Central light rail station. There are two entrances. One is from the interior, allowing customers to flow in and out for a coffee break before or after shopping. The other door faces the vacant lot that comes alive every Wednesday and Saturday as the popular outdoor portion of the market. This second door is crucial since Royal is sometimes open when the Urban Market is not. Keep in mind that neither door is well-marked, though. The best way to find Royal from the outside is to look for the coffee roaster often parked near the door. From inside the market, look for the cylindrical "coffee sign" hanging from the ceiling near the ice cream.

On the inside, there's a small anteroom where the counter is located. Customers line up here to order and pay for drinks. There's a larger, although still modestly-sized, room to the rear for customers to use if they order drinks or baked goods "for here." The shop's unique design offers two options for seating. One says work. It's a series of narrow tables attached to the wall at one end and matched with metal stools. The other says lounge. A couch transplanted from the old Royal location gives the room a bit of comfort for customers who wish to linger. The overall look is streamlined and complements the bustle that the Urban Market hopes to attain as develops. To make things seem a little homier, the staff are happy to serve any drink in a real mug upon request.

The drink menu is restrained, with obvious emphasis on quality coffee roasted on the premises. The basics are all handled adroitly; espresso, cappuccino, macchiato, cafe latte, etc. are all just right in terms of coffee flavor, milk foam, etc. There's often a little latte art thrown in as a bonus, but this isn't the place to find unlimited bottles of sweet syrups to infuse a drink with every flavor imaginable. Instead, Royal concentrates on three flavors: mocha, caramel, and velvet. The first two are self-explanatory. The last is white chocolate with a double shot of espresso. Tea drinkers can choose among a about half a dozen loose teas or sachets. There's nothing exotic, but the basics of green and black teas are adequately represented.

Because Royal is operating in a space smaller than most Phoenix apartments, it doesn't have abundant food choices in terms of sandwiches, soups, salads, etc. Instead, look for a small display of baked goods near the cash register. They're generally baked each morning in the Urban Market's kitchen, though, so expect fresh treats like shortbread cookies or galettes instead of shrink-wrapped bagels and scones trucked in from elsewhere. The cookies are generous enough for two people to share or one person to take half home for later. Anyone in search of more choices can stroll into the adjacent Urban Market, which is continuing to expand its prepared food options.

Royal isn't trying to copy the atmosphere of other Central Phoenix coffee outlets, and it doesn't try to replicate the countless drink options found at ubiquitous Starbucks outlets. Instead, it's filling its own niche as a gathering place place for market shoppers, area residents, and Downtown enthusiasts. It's unfortunate that Royal has had to abandon its original location at the south end of Downtown, but at least the new location at the market places it near a nexus of foot traffic and a growing hub of activity. Anyone attempting to keep a Central Phoenix coffeehouse scorecard can count Royal at the Market as a net win for cafe culture in the heart of the city.

14 E. Pierce St., Phoenix AZ 85004 | Map
(602) 909-0826