| rev:text
| - It's possible that all of my recent abysmal experiences at downtown "hotspots" (see my reviews of Networks and Majerle's) are making me rate ICON much higher than I otherwise would, but in the spirit of promoting downtown development and praising businesses that are actually making an effort to be a place where you might want to hang out, I'm going to give the spot four very enthusiastic thumbs-up.
Located directly across from what is now Hanny's, ICON occupies the south side of the Wyndham and spills out into a small but cozy patio. As you can see from the pictures I've uploaded to this listing, the space is modern and hip without being too cold or uninviting. Yes, you can still see the lobby for the actual bar and from many of the inside tables, but the space is definitely an improvement over the cookie-cutter and outdated look of many hotel bars.
We visited ICON on Saturday night around 7:30pm. The place was virtually empty, although I blame this less on a particular flaw of ICON and more on what appears to be the chronic unpopularity of downtown Phoenix. We decided to take a seat outside and have an appetizer and a drink. Our server, Zane, was really polite and took our order pretty much immediately, which may not seem like a big deal since there were so few other patrons. However, having been a server for three years, I can tell you that it's often the times when a restaurant is the most empty when the servers will slack off the most. Kudos to Zane for still being on top of it.
The food section of the menu was divided into "Nibbles" and "Bites," both essentially categories of small plates/tapas. There was also a small selection of artisanal cheeses, as well as a sampling of desserts. The distinction between the "Nibbles" and "Bites" (words that seem more inappropriate to me each time I repeat them!) was not entirely clear since some of the plates in the "Nibbles" section seemed just as substantial as the "BItes"; for example, we ordered the fried calamari with flash-fried spinach from the "Nibbles" section, and even though it wasn't large, it was a decent-sized plate to share before going to dinner. It's entirely possible that the "Bites" are larger portions, which I'll have to report back on next time we go.
In terms of flavor, we found the calamari to be perfectly fried and not too chewy. The flash-fried spinach was a bit greasy, but we loved the unique crispy texture and thought it tasted delicious with a squeeze of lemon. There were some other dishes that sounded great--the pork belly sliders and lamb ribs sounded especially worth trying--and none was more than $10 or so, which is pretty reasonable as far as small plates go. I've been places that charged $12 or more for a much smaller small plate!
The specialty drink menu was about 10-15 drinks long, and just like the small plates list, was filled with interesting and creative options. I opted for the classic lemon drop, which was "twisted" due to the addition of Grand Marnier. I thought it was refreshing without being too sweet. My husband's Ketel One martini was very-well mixed, with his request for "lightly dirty" being perfectly executed. However, the olives it came with were gross and were in sore need of an upgrade. Both drinks were around $9, which is expensive compared to a dive bar but not for a nicer lounge in a hotel.
I think ICON stands out compared to a lot of other places downtown. Effort has been paid to its decor, food, and drinks, and that means something in an area of the city that is struggling to attract attention and make a name for itself. Hopefully, as Hanny's grows in popularity, ICON will get more drop-ins who realize that it's a decent spot for a beverage and--dare I say--a nibble. I personally plan to return at some point very soon, perhaps in combination with a drink and food item at Hanny's, which I am very interested in trying.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)