Vitamin T

May 17, 2012 Update: Vitamin T has closed as a result of a rent dispute. A new restaurant, Fuego Cantina, has been announced for the location.

There’s a recurring theme from the classic “Peanuts” comics involving Lucy, Charlie Brown, and a football. Every so often, Lucy holds the ball and encourages Charlie to kick it. He’s reluctant based on prior experience, but Lucy always convinces him to give it another try. Inevitably, Lucy yanks the ball away as Charlie starts to kick, making him once again her fool. Unfortunately, Charles Schulz’s motif seems a good metaphor for the way in which Phoenix’s Downtown core has sometimes been treated by city government and business interests.

Locally, Lucy’s football is a series of big real estate projects appearing once a decade. The 1990 model was the Arizona Center, the 2000 version was the Collier Center, and the 2010 instance is CityScape. None has been Downtown’s salvation due to architectural choices that neglect the street life vital to an urban center. So far, CityScape appears to be repeating the same mistakes with much of its visible space devoted to garage entrances, blank walls, and other features that do little to address the street.

CityScape’s advocates are urging patience with a promise that First Street on the project’s eastern side will offer a lively corridor of patio dining. The first to arrive on First Street is Vitamin T, a quick-service Mexican eatery from local restaurateur Aaron May. Until Vitamin T, his closest venture to the city core has been Over Easy, the popular breakfast place in Arcadia. It’s therefore welcome news that a successful chef and entrepreneur known mostly for operating in Scottsdale is taking a chance on the heart of the metropolitan area.

For May’s gamble to pay off, customers first need to find their way to Vitamin T. Unfortunately, that’s harder than it needs to be, largely due to the way addresses are assigned at CityScape. Vitamin T’s address is 1 East Washington. Ignore it. Instead, look for Vitamin T on the west side of First Street (not Avenue) just south of Washington. The location is just two blocks from the Washington / Central (westbound) and the First Avenue / Jefferson (eastbound) light rail stations.

The restaurant is unlike most of May’s other ventures. Instead of offering an upscale look and full service at the table, Vitamin T is about eating on the go. Customers line up, read menus on screens, and then order at a counter. If eating on site, take a table and wait for the food. If taking food back to the office, wait up front and watch the cooks at work in the open kitchen. The indoor tables are tequila barrels. More seating is found outside on the patio, which is shaded, although it’s unclear how comfortable it will be in the summer heat.

The food is modeled after Mexico City street eats. The most obvious choice is therefore the tacos, sold individually for $2.50 or in sets of three for $7. Soft corn tortillas encase a selection of fillings. The star here is the barbacoa, beef brisket rubbed with coffee and chili de arbol. It’s a tender and flavorful way to fill a taco, but the chicken and pibil (pork shoulder) are good second choices. There’s also an impressive vegetarian option that goes beyond the usual rice and beans to include roasted potatoes, mushrooms, and pepitas.

Tortas are topped with black bean spread and an assortment of vegetables in addition to the selected meat. While a Milanesa torta at many places suggests breaded beef as a sandwich filling, here it involves a crispy chicken breast. A meatless torta combines mushrooms and Swiss chard. Since so many Mexican restaurants here avoid vegetables entirely, it’s refreshing to see this hearty green appear not only as a sandwich ingredient, but also a condiment at Vitamin T’s salsa bar. All the salsas are good, but since they’re unlabeled, it’s a challenge to select them for desired flavors or heat level.

The cuisine here reflects Mexico’s interior more than the border, so there are no burritos here. In a way that seems a loss since a tortilla tightly wrapped around other ingredients can be the ideal food on the run. There are, however, some border touches found in the caramelos, which are virtually indistinguishable from quesadillas, and in Sonoran hot dogs with the usual adornment of bacon. Tamales at Vitamin T are served open face atop banana leaves. It’s one of many ways in which the restaurant’s fare is surprisingly colorful and lively.

After two months in operation, the good news is that not only is Vitamin T’s fixed menu well executed, but the restaurant is also beginning to offer daily specials such as carne asada, fish tacos, and posole. The bad news is that Vitamin T has already scaled back its original evening hours, making the utility of its liquor license unclear. There’s little doubt that Vitamin T can make it as a Downtown lunch spot, but late-night ambitions will depend on the overall success of CityScape. Maybe Lucy is about to yank Phoenix’s football away once again, or maybe she’ll actually let us kick this time. Either way, eat some tasty tacos while it happens.

1 E. Washington St., Phoenix AZ 85004
Map
(602) 688-8168
http://www.eatmoretacos.com/