I’m sharing my top picks plus menu highlights via the food blog. If you do check them out, write a comment below and let me know how much you loved ‘em. TIP: Make your reservations quick… before the broadcast media informs the general public!

Yes, I’ll be out and about. Catch me on twitter at @JuxtaPalate.

Citizen Public House
Chef Bernie Kantak simply isn’t capable of making a bad dish. He’s my current culinary crush. His eclectic fare helped put Cowboy Ciao on the map and now his own restaurant has caused quite a buzz in the foodnik community.

• 1^st: Original Chopped Salad
• 2^nd: Pork sirloin w/ sweet potato puree, chevre, braised figs, apple jus
• 3^rd: Anything really. They’re all terrific.

7111 E. 5th Ave., Suite # E
Scottsdale, AZ 85251, 480-398-4208
Menu | Website

Zinc Bistro
With the closing of Metro Brasserie, Zinc Bistro has reclaimed the top spot for French in the East Valley. Oui, the drive from Tempe is a pain, but necessary for great Frenchy eats.

• 1^st: Smoked Salmon Pissaladiere
• 2^nd: Porkloin, Cauliflower “Risotto”, Cherry Brussel Spouts
• 3^rd: Beignets, Blackberry Coulis, Milk jam, Vanilla whip Cream

15034 N. Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85254, 480.603.0922
Menu | Website

Beckett’s Table
Easily the most talked about restaurant in 2010/11, Beckett’s Table is a must-go if you haven’t been. This month, Phoenix Magazine called it “…one blockbuster of a restaurant.” Nuff said.

• 1^st: Super creamy grits n schreiner’s sausage trio: whole grain mustard, arugula, smoked onions
• 2^nd: Roasted red pepper “cannelloni”: ratatouille, almond puree
• 3^rd: Award winning fig and pecan pie: cream cheese citrus zest ice cream
• 4^th: (YES an addition!) Each SpringARW guest will leave with a signature bag of Beckett’s Table Pumpkin Seed Brittle and a voucher good for a free dessert on their next visit

3717 E Indian School Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85018, 602-954-1700
Menu | Website

NOCA
Shame on me for not eating here more frequently. Shame on you if you’ve never been. They’re in the limited company of Valley restaurants with near flawless service and extraordinary fare.

• 1^st: Crispy Squid: Cannellini Bean Salad, Preserved Lemon, Parsley, Caper Berries, Chili Oil
• 2^nd: Rotin: White Wine Braised Pork Sugo, Fennel Pollen, Stagionato
• 3^rd: Passion Fruit & Coconut: Almond Dacquoise, Passion Fruit Anglaise, Coconut Sorbet, Meringue Sheets

3118 E Camelback Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85016, 602.956.6622
Menu | Website

Atlas Bistro BYOB
Quite possible the best restaurant you’ve never been to. Hidden inside the AZ Wine shop on Scottsdale Road, Atlas rewards true foodniks with a daily changing menu. Yup, its OK to geek out here.

No menu available, but just make that rezzo. Trust me.

2515 N Scottsdale Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85257, 480-990-2433
Menu | Website

–Moment of honestly: I work with Citizen Public House. Beckett’s Table and Arizona Restaurant Week. They rock, but you already knew that.

A little R&D and brainstorming session at Citizen Public House’s hidden upstairs bar. Work can be tough.

Travis Nass (Rancho Pinot), Jason Asher (Magnum), Bill DeGroot (Consultant), Richie Moe (Citizen Public House), Ross Simon (Consultant), Micah Olsen (Jade Bar)… these are local names you should know.

Say hello to our kings of cocktails. These guys know their shit. Don’t order off the menu, a little trust goes a long way with these master mixologists. Ask them to surprise you with something new and you’re guaranteed a fantastic drink… sometimes classic, sometimes original.  Expect perfection.

If you stalk me on Foursquare, Facebook or Twitter you’ve seen my extensive research, chronicling the surge of true cocktail culture hidden throughout the Valley. I thought I’d share some pics and comments here on the blog.

Dear Brand X Custom T-Shrits, I need an “Official Cocktail Taste Tester” t-shirt, size medium.

Looking for choco-tinis, mundane mojitos or Red Bull vodkas? Stick to the ridiculous champagne bars, trashy/trendy dance clubs or Applebee’s happy hours.

The purpose of these visits will be revealed soon. (once I figure that out myself). Til then, just enjoy some boozy pics. Salud.

What’s the sexiest thing in this picture? (taken at Modern Steak)

A perfect Pendennis Club at Jade Bar, a new (old) favorite drink.

Pisco Sour at Citizen Public House.

Fireside imbibe at Camelback Inn.

The legendary Yuzu Beet Gimlet at Jade Bar.

No boring margs at Jade Bar.

This pea appears to be sunning itself poolside.

Winding down at The Vig.

PS --- Craft beer culture is hot too, but that’s another story. (Taste of Tops)

–Moment of honestly, I work with Citizen Public House. They rock. Now you know.

It’s dangerous having an office located in downtown Scottsdale. The proximity to restaurants and watering holes can easily lead to lengthy lunches and copious amounts of cocktails. Now that Rancho Pinot has added a weekday lunch menu, I fear my productivity level just dropped.

Although it seems this place has fallen off the foodnik radar, the stellar Arizona-accented cooking is still earning the “5-STARS” awarded by the Republic. A delectable new lunch menu makes it even more accessible.

Heading inside, you’ll see that kitsch is king.

Imagine cowboys, comics, saguaro ribs, and white table cloths. It’s a dreamy culture clash of whimsy to match the eclecticism of the cuisine.

Brandishing his bola tie, bartender Travis Nass is on a mission to elevate the city’s cocktail scene. He makes his own… well… everything. His bar is stocked little vials and vessels (pictured) containing homemade concoctions and bartender essentials.

His perfect Manhattan provoked this tweet to @kkrader, “I had a cocktail today that made me quiver. That good, or I just had the alchy shakes. I’m ok w either.”

Add in lunch by Chef Chrysa and I’m still shaking.

My friend in food (and beer) Rob Fullmer has a passion/obsession for beer.

He also has a mission: Let’s put beer on the dinner table.

How can we help? Watch the video, follow him on Twitter and stay tuned here for some cheery beery news from me and other friends in the industry. Arizona beers and beverages are about to take a giant step forward very soon.

Also check out the beer blog/website beerphxation.com

Ignore my gordo-ness (this was a year ago when I was at my heaviest). Also ignore the awful hair day and the lazy eye (allergies). Other than that, jab away!!!

On with the show!

Loving it:

Quiessence's barrel-aged cocktails.

Killer cocktails at Quiessence. Why do I love them so much? Maybe because helped put them together. Kick-ass cocktail consultant Bill Degroot made my dreams come true with his Farmhouse Cocktails and his 90-day aged Manhattans.

Yep. Barrel-aged cocktails are the shit. Huge thanks to Bill!

New restaurant openings: A few new spots that pique my interest: Jimmy Woo’s, Amaro Pizzeria & Vino Lounge and Vitamin T.

Nobuo-san, making my dreams come true with his omakase.

The return of adventurous dining: Thank god we’re getting over the “safety food” phase. Don’t get me wrong, “comfort food” will always have a place in our regular rotation (for obvious reasons), but dumbed down eats are just plain boring and over. Thanks to the food gods for bringing back spots like Nobuo At Teeter House and his omakase experience that made me quiver during my back-to-back visits within 7 days (reviewed here by local food blog god Dominic).

I’ve had the pork sweats before, but never the seafood sweats. ‘Nough said.

Luke warm about it:

Food trucks. Yep, I’m that asshole. Yet . . . I’m the biggest fan of the concept. So since I want to see this grow to greatness, I won’t name names. But event the ones I do like, I know you’ll keep getting better (I hope)!

My POV: Either do great food truck-y street eats, or do something chef driven and gourmet. No middle road. Drop the gimmicky menus and deliver, or simply feed me.

Let it die:

Bruschetta. I understand the market for it. You wanna feed the bottom feeders and hungry masses. (which often  includes me too!!!) Let’s all just own that truth and live with the shame. I sounded like Dr. Phil there for a moment.

Burger bonanza. Shut up with your crazy gourmet burgers made with wine, truffles and fired by coal, junk yard tires or cosmic nuclear energy. Quit it.

Annoying advertisers. Completely unrelated to this post, but god dammit quit calling me with every “hot new restaurant directory.”

Always end on a happy note:

Recent things/people I love: You make my life so awesome. I raise my glass of cheap wine (from Tops Liquor) to you! @olllllo, Luxardo, @TheWildLavender, “That waving-paper-thin-fish-pie thingy” (Okonomiyaki, as described by Lisa Polacheck), @StacyPearson, Carlyn Mumm, Rivers Cuomo Fancy Pants III, The Grits at @BeckettsTable, Crystal Light and of course . . .

Judge Judy. May your justice continue to lord over us all.

I pledge allegiance to the grits. And justice.

Moment of honesty: Quiessence and Nobuo are clients of mine, but c’mon . . . But you already know they rock and everything I say about them is totally blog worthy. That’s why I work with them.

@UpAgency was the #1 trending term on Twitter for Phoenix and surprisingly, we were flooded with unsolicited job inquiries (not including intern interest). Bonus: media people we really, really respect said some very encouraging words to us.

What more could we ask for? Thanks for the love!

Now let’s get this blog focused back on food…

That said, if you follow my live food adventures on Twitter, you’ve probably seen “the countdown” for Rivers & Leaves Media (my marketing/pr firm).

On 8/9/10 at 11am, I’ll be announcing a major shift in my career, personal life and an ambitious venture that will hopefully impact our food scene. Be the first to get the announcement by visiting the website and drop your email address! Everyone is welcome to get the scoop!

Who has signed up?

Many members of the media, PR firms, food nerds, friends, restaurants, industry folks and tweeps from all over the country. Hundreds. It’s exciting and motivating to see the interest in what’s next.

Of course, there are many rumors trying to crack the news including a new food festival, firm mergers, journalism offers from national publications, partnerships, my own TV show, opening a restaurant and many more. My only comment is, what makes you think it’s just one of these things?

What do you think?

Taking a cue from our server at Tinderbox Kitchen in Flagstaff, @azhotdish @petitefromageAZ @DoesntTweetAZ @thewildlavender and I braved the icy 40-degree weather and walked to a new cocktail joint in downtown Flag.

The cutting winds nearly froze me to the concrete. For a moment, I didn’t think I could go on. Luckily, Joel (@azhotdish) picked me up and carried my shivering body to the bar.

He was like my bar mule, and I was thankful.

I hitched my mule outside our destination; The Piano Room. You enter this “speakeasy” through a narrow doorway in the alley, walk up a few steps and your in a small bar surrounded by large brick walls and warm lighting. Think ski lodge rather than speakeasy. Cute and cozy with intimate tables, a handsome bar and even a VIP nook big enough to accommodate all 5 of us (including my mule).

The server was very kind and enthusiastically bragged on the Italy-trained chefs turned bar owners that infuse their own vodka in the basement below. Very cool! Clearly the place to be in Flagstaff.

The actual menus were a neat idea, but a little rough looking… Printed and pasted inside old books from the Flagstaff library. Laura suggested a little glu-stick on the menus might make them more presentable. The pages with actual menu items were randomly placed throughout the books, making it tricky to navigate.

At $8 bucks a pop, we all found interesting cocktails that were also easy on the pocket book.

And then it happened.

Yep. Those are frozen water balloons in the drinks.

According to the server, the owners/chefs decided that regular ice watered down the cocktails too much when melted.

1. You know that yummy latex taste when you blow up a balloon? Yeah, now make a drink with that.
2. It was like a birthday party with the colors of balloons served in our drinks. Blue, yellow…etc.
3. The balloons were so big and the glasses so small, the actual cocktail was probably only 1.5 oz or so. ($8 bucks)

The positive: The place has the bones of a winner. In fact, I really think it should be a winner. Lower the lights, fix the menus, and don’t ruin your handcrafted, house-infused drinks with rubber (or latex, or whatever balloons are made of these days).

Luckily, my fresh grapefruit juice cocktail was served tall, sans balloon. There were some interesting and good things happening with everyone ‘s cocktails too, but we just couldn’t get past the balloons.

Bottom line, I’d love another reason to visit Flagstaff regularly! Hoping to come back up soon and I will certainly stop by again.

Hell, I might even save on gas and ride my mule.

-Your cocktail pal JxP

The Piano Room – Flagstaff, Arizona
http://theflagstaffpianoroom.com
No number available

A read a comment from a reader of Chow Bella that sums my feelings on the restaurant’s recognition and overly-hyped press.

Leslie writes…”It’s kind of like when it was announced that Obama would receive the Peace Prize. Everyone thought it was ridiculous, because while Obama most certainly should be able to win one in his lifetime, it shouldn’t have been this past year.”

Is it a good restaurant? Yes. And perhaps the most beautifully-designed dining space in Phoenix.

And you thought this was going to be a rake job on the place. Wait for it…

Perfection: An icy Almond Margarita ($9) in your hand while sitting on the shaded patio. This is easily one of my favorite cocktails in the city. Don’t worry, those nuts won’t smack you in the face. If you didn’t read the drink’s name or ingredients, the subtle almond flavor would have you guessing “Hmmm… what is that?” It’s a refreshing new take on a classic.

Also check out their Dark & Stormy. (Or make your own w/ my previous post, “Tornado Watch” my ass… Sip on this Mother Nature!)

Love the “Business Lunch” concept of in & out in 30 min. Too bad the dishes made me wish my stay was even shorter. Chicken Salad ($14) on flat bread was bland (needs acidic element?) and the French Onion Burger ($13) reminded me of the Sourdough Jack from Jack In The Box. (I know, vastly diff ingredients but similar taste, I swear!)

Things perk up at dinner time with a tasty Green Chile Stew ($12) that has everything you want in life, served in a skillet. Forbidden Rice is nice for the price ($15) starring fresh veggies and sweet dressing with spice.  (I could’ve been a rapper with dope rhymes like that).

Skip over the apps, including the flatbread everyone seems to be gaga about. A bad romance of what should be a simple yet winning combo of ingredients. My dining pals had no trouble reading my poker face on St. Francis’ starters.

Sadly, the Seafood Cioppino seems uninspired, especially for $25 bucks. Same goes for an under seasoned Pork Chop for $24.

Prime Hanger Steak ($23) saves the day with parsnip and braised greens. This was a favorite for the group. Get it soon, seasons are changing.

It’s tough to focus on the food when the atmosphere and architecture of St. Francis is such an attention whore (in a good way.) The space always makes me feel big-city chic with dramatic lighting, rhythmically spaced wood beams and a loft fit for foodnik birds who like to perch and eat.

Visit St. Francis for the views and drinks. Don’t let me my words steer you away from grazing. Figure out the food for yourself. *Putting away the unused rake*

If I’m in the area, I’ll gladly stop in for a cocktail and a nibble.

-Your food pal, JxP

St. Francis
http://www.stfrancisaz.com/
602-200-8111