Top

Floradise

A lifestyle blog by Marette Flora

Phoenix Eats: Pure Sushi

One of the best parts about visiting my old Phoenix neighborhood is seeing it grow from when we lived there. It was already becoming a dining hot spot when we moved to Chicago in 2015, and even more change has come about since then. One of the newest restaurants I’ve tried is Pure Sushi at the Colony development near Seventh Street and Missouri in Phoenix. It’s next to the Herb Box and Stock and Stable, which I’ve visited in previous Phoenix trips. Pure Sushi was next on the list because it serves one of our favorite foods.

The restaurant was quiet early on a Friday night. We ordered just three rolls to try, because we weren’t terribly hungry. We tried two signature rolls and one spicy tuna. The presentation was nice, but I couldn’t help but compare the sushi negatively with the place we regularly go to in Chicago. The local spot in Rogers Park, Chicago, is so much better, in case you were wondering.

Signature rolls were $13 and up, while the spicy tuna was $6. Signature drinks were about $13, while my glass of Riesling was $9, slightly more than I am used to paying. It was delicious, though. I wanted to try the Patron Margarita, but part of me felt like that was an odd pairing with sushi. Riesling might have been just as odd, though, so what do I know?
Pure Sushi didn’t blow my socks off, at least these three rolls didn’t, but I would revisit to try more rolls and because I don’t know of many other sushi places nearby besides Stingray Sushi at the Biltmore shopping center on 24th Street and Camelback Road, where we used to get sushi when we lived in Phoenix. Actually, there are more sushi places, but not many catering to this clientele that prefers a trendier setting. 
What delicious restaurant have you tried recently? What did you think? Share with me in the comments!

Phoenix Eats: Herb Box Midtown

One of the things I miss about Phoenix is my neighborhood. The area surrounding our condo has seen lots of redevelopment recently, adding trendy new restaurants and bars. I try to check out a new restaurant each time I visit Phoenix. This month I was able to try the Herb Box’s new Midtown Phoenix location on Seventh Street just north of Missouri Avenue.

The Herb Box is in the Colony development project, which will also house other new restaurants. I watched an abandoned senior-housing complex be torn down to begin construction before I moved to Chicago last year. The restaurant has a great patio that will be nice in cooler Phoenix months. 
I met my friend there for happy hour, during which most drinks are $11. The house wine and beer were $5. (I chose the white house option, which was Chardonnay. Not my favorite, but I’m on a budget.) On a Thursday afternoon, only a few other tables were occupied.
 I started the meal with the Avocado Love, which by the description sounded like avocado toast. When it was delivered to the table, I was shocked. Where’s the avocado? Instead I saw a mountain of arugula covering the toast. Don’t get me wrong; it was delicious, but I was not expecting this much arugula. I had to scrape a bunch of it off onto a plate so I could eat the avocado toast. (I later ate the arugula at home as part of a salad.) The sweet-hot Serrano glaze is delicious!

I also ordered a side of gouda mac and cheese, because I was looking for a smaller pre-dinner meal. It had a smoky flavor and was filling enough for me. 
My friend ordered the butternut squash and corn enchiladas, which I tasted and loved. I would definitely order it again on a future visit. It was served with a salad. 
My first impression of the Herb Box is that it is a nice option for healthier fare than the norm. The prices are a little high but seem to be in line with other trendy restaurants that serve fresh food.
Have you tried the Herb Box? What did you think?

Urban Beans

I ditched my Sunday morning routine of yoga and brunch for coffee and breakfast at Urban Beans this week. We were set to walk across the street to Starbucks when it occurred to me that we should give a local Phoenix coffee shop a chance. I drive past Urban Beans almost every day en route to work, yet I’ve never tried their coffee.
The inside was small but cozy, with black-and-white photographs of Arizona ranchers adorning the walls. The patio boasted just enough shade to keep us cool and block traffic noise on Seventh Street.

There was something that tasted different about the French toast, and I suspect it was the mango syrup listed on the menu. 

It was sunny, perfect-for-patio-eating Sunday, so I went with an iced coffee and French toast Urban style. I’d say what set this meal apart was the service. Both workers who took care of our orders were cheery and attentive. They suggested the omelet bar for us, the two Urban first-timers. I was also delighted to see that Urban Beans has a wine bar and offers a happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m.

); ga('require', 'displayfeatures'); ga('require', 'linkid', 'linkid.js'); ga('set', 'anonymizeIp', true); ga('send', 'pageview');