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| - Carly's Bistro is the younger, hipper version of My Florist Cafe. Carly's has a cool Roosevelt Row location and the decor is appropriately artsy and funky. However, it could be so much better than it is if Carly would break down and hire a chef and move beyond the current limited menu.
The decor is perfect for the neighborhood as it has that struggling artist aesthetic to it. Check out the painting behind the bar as it is purported to feature the likeness of Carly herself. As others have noted, Carly is a rad gal. The art rotates monthly and this is a major gathering spot for First Friday. In fact, this place is such a mad house that I make a point to avoid it on the first Friday of every month. This is also a restaurant where the diners are part of the show. When it's busy, Carly's offers some excellent people watching and proves the point that there is a bohemian/beatnik vibe in Phoenix. As ASU grows its downtown enrollment, I expect that Carly's will become more and more a college kids' hangout.
For what it is, the food is fine. This is a place where you go when you aren't really hungry because all they offer is sandwiches, salads and soups. It's like a funky Panera Bread Co. with casual table service and a liquor license. The food is okay, but that's to be expected given the pedestrian menu. Nothing is bad, but this isn't like Pane Bianco where a sandwich becomes a handcrafted work of art. Then again, Chris Bianco is responsible for the delights at Pane Bianco and he is a James Beard Award wining chef. Carly needs to elevate the level of her food. She has sustained herself in a challenging location given that the mob on First Friday is a once-a-month exception. I believe her business would increase if she would offer something more to her diners, especially at dinner. She could start out with a simplified bistro menu and build from there.
Carly's offers a full bar and some unusual libations such as various small-production organic vodkas. I don't care for beer, but the Belgian ales are interesting and she offers a wide selection of beers.
The price point at Carly's is reasonable with most items hovering around $8. That's a bit more than what you would pay for a sandwich at Panera, but here you do get table service.
Carly's Bistro has played an important role in the redevelopment of downtown Phoenix because she took the significant risk to bring an eatery to a neighborhood that was in desperate need of one. As downtown continues its renaissance, Carly needs to evolve her restaurant as well in order to keep up with the times.
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