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| - The Barrio Cafe is a fucking unreal dining experience; But at first glance, you'd never know it. Barrio is a tastefully decorated, two-room restaurant located in a predominately hispanic area in central Phoenix just off of Thomas and 16th St. Normally I would never recommend a restaurant located next to a 99-cent store, but Barrio Cafe is a rare and treasured exception.
My wife and I went with friends who were regulars and gracious enough to pick up the hefty tab. Our friends described the cuisine as French-Mexican fusion cuisine, a term I happily blended into the cheerily trite "Frexican." In realty, I'm not sure that I detected the French elements. Sufficed to say, the food does adopt a central Mexican, colonial flair. If I were liken the type of cuisine to any previous experience, it is most like that of the Cafe Poca Cosa in Tucson though with a less traditional feel.
Barrio has an extensive and seemingly well-formed wine list which I did not personally avail myself of. I enjoyed a smooth and tasty import beer called Sol. As a side note, I strongly recommend Sol to anyone who likes Tecate but feels bad about drinking Mexican swill. Sol is to Tecate as Allison Krauss is to Dolly Parton--All the same fun without the white trash guilty feeling when you're done.
We enjoyed a delightful Guacamole and chips appetizer. Though still chock-full of advocados and the accompanying calories, Barrio's guac-fare also boasts nuts and apples and some other unexpected ingredients which lend the guac a sweet and light flavor that makes you feel like you're eating healthy whilst clogging your arteries, a ruse I always appreciate.
For dinner I enjoyed their filet mingon which was served with a goat cheese and crab meat topping on a bed of well-prepared red peppers and other ingredients I just cannot recall. In addition to preparing the meat as ordered (MR), Barrios beef was flavorful and tender as one would expect from the Filet. I devoured this. I was hungry and it was so incredibly tasty I didn't do a good job of savoring, I just inhaled it.
We enjoyed a churro with whipped cream for dessert. A churro. Yes, a churro. What can I say except: Churro? Fuck Yeah!
Seriously...go. But, bring your credit card because you'll average $30/head without even drinking. Budget on 50-60/head if you're drinking.
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