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| - Not a very big place, a dozen regular height tables and about a half dozen high tops. The menu has a blurb at the top which talks about balance. Balance between sweet and sour, old and new, etc. I suppose you could almost call this a mission statement because it was evident in each thing I ate.
Here's a nice touch - the hostess dropped off the menu and then came right back with a glass of water. New one on me but a nice touch. The waiter appeared a couple of minutes later to take a drink order and instead I asked him for his recommendations from the menu. He described their duck breast entree in such a way that my mouth was already watering - sold! While he was talking, I noticed the couple at the next table receive their slices of pie and asked about their dessert offerings. They must have overheard the conversation because they both gave me a big thumbs-up when he described the process of making the pie the gentleman was eating.
The duck beast served somewhere between medium and medium rare. I was sliced into about 6 pieces of an even thickness and served over a mixture which included wild rice, spinach, dried cherries, feta cheese, almonds and a mesquite syrup. When I saw it on the menu it looked like it was a dish that might have too much going on to be enjoyable. When it arrived in front of me I figured my inkling was confirmed. I was dead wrong! The varying tastes and textures absolutely worked together. Just as mentioned at the top of the menu, this dish was all about balance. The duck was crispy, salty and tender all at once. The rice brought another layer of texture while the dried cherries added a certain tang and the mesquite syrup contributed smokiness. The feta added creaminess and was balanced with the slivered almonds. Wow!
I have never in my life heard of vinegared strawberry pie. Apparently, this is an old technique which involves cooking the strawberries well ahead of pie baking and then mixing them into the pie. There was more to the story which I just can't remember. What I do remember is the pie. This really was the most unusual strawberry pie I've ever been served but it was delicious! The pie itself was filled with a gelatin-based mixture which included the vinegared strawberries in syrup form and a sugary top crust. Over the top of the pie was a strawberry compote and they finished the dish with creme fraiche. The first draft had an espresso syrup on the plate but the waiter very graciously removed it when I told him I disliked coffee flavors. This pie reminded me of eating strawberry shortcake in terms of flavors but not texture. The texture reminded me of eating pecan pie but without the pecans. Balance...
Side note: I very much appreciate the recommendations for this place that I received after posting to the Phoenix Yelp talk board. I probably would not have found this place on my own but I am really glad to have had the experience of dining here on this trip.
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