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.

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.

Back to the food blog roots… just wanted to share a few observations from recent dining experiences. These are a little on the negative nancy side, but tomorrow I’ll share some things I really like!

But first, let’s rip the band-aid off and let the healing begin…

Fine Dining Staff That Wear Costumes.
Save the act for Walt Disney World. (that’s where I did my internship… long story). Folks already know they’re in a Spanish restaurant, no need for Flamenco dancers and matador costumes.

Taco Fever.
Hello 2007-08 (along with the burger). I swear I was only joking when I suggested an event around this food as commodity staple. Then *poof* it appeared! Don’t’ get me wrong, I love a good taco! Who doesn’t? The hype is about 2-3 years too late, kids.

Tasteless “Eye Candy” Cupcakes.
Or any bland sweet for that matter. You know who you are. People still love you cause you were the first to push the product with a cute name. Certainly not the best. Ah the sweet taste of mediocrity.

Expensive Frozen Yogurt.
Wait, what? Yeah, Mojo blows. Anyone have a good lead on great froyo that’s not a gouger?

$16 Cocktails
I’ve always despised this, but even more so after my NYC trip. Even $14 is really pushing it. If the top bars in the country can pull off the best cocktail I’ve had in my life for only $12, y’all have no business charging $16+ for vodka sugar bombs.

I’m on day three in the city. But not enough time to write + eat + drink + work. If you wanna keep up, follow me on Twitter!

I’m taking a minute to recap the James Beard dinner.

1. The house is amazing. Four stories and you enter through the actual kitchen. Tons of funky history on the walls including Beard’s psychedelic chef coat.

2. Greg blew everyone away. Pasta was my favorite course.

3. Sat with new friends at Bon Appetit.  Talked food, NYC and the ridiculousness of SB1070.  Got encouragement to write an op-ed piece on the subject.

4. So proud of Greg and team. So nice to be in the company of giants in the industry.

VIDEO: Here’s a poor quality video of the main dining room.

-JxP

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

Am I the only one who enjoys eating the pith of an orange? It’s that white spongy layer between the outer skin and the juicy flesh of the fruit.

Looking online, I see folks include the pith in marmalades, but are there any other culinary uses for it? I’ve eaten candied peels. What else is there?

And yes, I eat the entire orange garnish, pith and all, in my beloved Negroni cocktails.

On the caloric chopping block: my beloved cocktails. (By the way… I’ve always wanted to write “my beloved cocktails”)

Does anyone have experience with cutting out the sugar while keeping the booze? How does Splenda work in a drink? Awful? Good?

Do you have a favorite low-cal cocktail?

C’mon. Let’s work together on my waistline and still support my alcoholism.

When life gives you shitty rainy weather… shake up a Dark ‘n Stormy, I say!

Looking outside tonight, my booze hoarding has prepared me for anything Mother Nature has to throw at us in these end of days. I’ve stocked the bar with assorted rum as if the Armageddon is just around the corner.

If you see a zonked out, asiany-looking guy floating down University Drive, please be kind.

Throw him a lime wedge.

Make a Dark n’ Stormy:

Shake 1.5oz Cruzan gold rum with .75oz  lime juice.
Strain into Collins glass.
Top with ginger beer and give a gentle stir.
(Reed’s is best, in my opinion)
Float .75 Cruzan Black Strap rum on top.

Lead us with your fork and spoon

Food in your stomach

She’s always jet setting to Japan, so I thought a haiku would be appropriate thanks for the shout out from Phoenix New Times food critic and friend, Michele Laudig.

Gasp! Perhaps it was a food-poisoning-induced delirium that lead her to write the post. I hope not!

Joking aside, I love love love reading her Chow Bella posts everyday and the Cafe section in the weekly print.

Cheers Michele! I shall have to invent a new cocktail in your honor.