1899 Bar and Grill in Flagstaff, AZ

1899 Bar and Grill
307 W. Dupont Ave. (across from the High Country Conference Center and Drury Inn and Suites)
928-523-1899
Full menus below this story
Read update to this review HERE

The 1899 Bar and Grill opened up this week in Flagstaff at the northern end of the Northern Arizona University campus in the historic North Union building.
The restaurant, a joint venture of the NAU Foundation and Sodexo, has a modern feel with an open feeling, high ceilings, simple decoration and lots of tile work on walls, floors and columns. As you enter you'll see a beautiful oversized fireplace with copper surround in the waiting area. There's also a small bar area. The restaurant has a good view of the goings on in the kitchen thanks to the open design.
The menu (see below for the lunch and dinner menus) is upscale with steakhouse and southwestern touches but there are plenty of vegetarian and gluten free options.
On this trip, we tried the Tilapia Pepita with pumpkin seeds served with wild rice and steamed broccoli. It is supposed to be topped with pico de gallo and jalepenos, but the staff forgot to include that. It was a quality dish though bland with the absence of those flavorful toppings. However, I'd still order this dish again. It was nicely prepared otherwise and still was a filling lunch. We also tried out the BBQ Burger. It's topped with their house made sauce and crispy onion ringlets (which they also forgot initially to include but the waitress brought those over) and served with fries, jicima slaw or fresh fruit salad. We got the fries. They were good but not standout.
Other dishes on the lunch menu include pork cutlet, lobster stuffed mushrooms, heirloom tomato salad, and portobello sandwich. (See below this story for images of the full lunch and dinner menus!)

1899 is open for lunch (from 11a-4pm) and dinner (4pm to 9pm) daily. Cash and credit are both accepted as are NAU's Jacks Debit Express and Dining Dollars.

For more photos of 1899 and its food, head to our Facebook page!
MENUS (Click on each image to bring it up extra large):
Lunch:

Dinner

Pasto: The best Italian restaurant in Flagstaff

Pasto Cucina Italiana
19 E. Aspen
(928) 779-1937
menu online at: http://www.pastorestaurant.com/

Flagstaff’s finest Italian dining is now serving quite a not to be missed lunch menu. In addition to their popular dinner menu, the lunch menu is full of variety and flavor. It's my new favorite spot for lunch.
Pasto is a small romantic spot with exposed brick walls and high ceilings. Seats at the window are great for people watching and add to the open and airy feeling of the restaurant. When the weather’s good opt for the inviting patio.
Pasto serves up everything from basics like the best spaghetti and meatballs (aka Spaghettini e Polpette) in town to more unique dishes like a meatloaf and eggplant sandwich. The menu changes seasonally and is set up so that you can order a bunch of small tasting courses starting with soup, salad, antipastas and cheeses working your way toward pastas and traditional main courses. For lunch - you have to try the egglplant and portobello fries with a delightful balsamic port reduction to dip them in. It's devine. I could just eat those and be happy.
Pasto is a member of Slow Food Alta Arizona and the Slow Food International Association serving up sustainable foods from local and regional suppliers when possible. All pastas, sausages, terrines and deserts are made from scratch in house. Pasto is open Monday through Saturday for both lunch and dinner.

Profile: The Broadmoor – Penrose Room in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Profile: The Broadmoor – Penrose Room

• Bertrand Bouquin, Executive Chef
• 1 Lake Ave., Colorado Springs, CO
• www.broadmoor.com
• Twitter - @TheBroadmoor
• Open since 1961

Penrose Room Executive Chef Bertrand Bouquin

Photo Courtesy: The Broadmoor

Examiner: What makes your establishment unique?
Bertrand: We are the only Five Star Five Diamond restaurant in Colorado. Plus, we also have a unique setting in the fact that you can see both the mountains and city from opposite sides of the restaurant.

Examiner:  What is a little known factoid about your place?
Bertrand: In the Southwest corner of the restaurant, we have a Demonstration Kitchen offering as many as 20 guests the opportunity to interact with me while I cook. 


Examiner:  What is your specialty?
Bertrand: My specialty is fine dinning food. This is what I have been trained to do throughout my career.
Examiner:  What is your patrons' favorite thing about your establishment? What's your favorite?
Bertrand: The guests really enjoy the classic fine dining experience at Penrose Room. The food, service and the music – they all tie together to make a truly classic experience.
My favorite thing (beside the food!) is the location of the restaurant.  We are located on the top of the South Tower at The Broadmoor. It is the absolute best view in town. I like to come up here in the morning and just look out over the city and the mountains – it is very peaceful!

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Examiner: Anything new on the horizon that people can look forward to trying?
Bertrand: We just started a new winter and I would love for people to try the Chesapeake Bay Crab Salad with Carrot and Grapefruit Jelly. The Lamb Saddle stuffed with Fennel and Dried Apricot is also something that I think people will really enjoy.

Examiner:  What is the top thing you recommend visitors to your city do/see - besides your business, of course?
Bertrand: I highly recommend taking people to Garden of the Gods. It is the perfect place to go on a walk, hike, sightsee or just relax and have a picnic. The views of Pikes Peak are incredible and with the red rock formations in the background, it is really amazing.

Profile: Fournos Restaurant in Sedona, Arizona

Profile: Fournos Restaurant

• Ivan Flowers, Chef/Owner
• Open for just over a year
• 3000 Hwy 89A, Sedona AZ 86336 
• 928.282.3331
• www.fournossedona.com
• twitter: fournossedona
• facebook: Fournos Restaurant

Ivan Flowers, Chef/Owner of Fournos in Sedona

Photo by Robert Schmeirer

Examiner: What makes your establishment unique?
Ivan: That every dish is cooked by the chef himself...Guests receive 5-star cuisine in a casual, intimate atmosphere.

Examiner:  What is a little known factoid about your place?
Ivan: I have a secret stash of wines, so always ask what OTHER wines are in the building!
Examiner:  What is your specialty?
Ivan: Declectic cuisine. My first priority when cooking a dish is to always make it delicious. Additionally, the dishes he creates are a fusion of Italian, French & New American, thus eclectic.

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Celebrating Cinco de Mayo: Javelina Cantina in Sedona (includes money saving tips)

Examiner:  What is your patrons' favorite thing about your establishment? What's your favorite?
Ivan: It is really all about the food. For not only the guests but for me as well.

Examiner: Anything new on the horizon that people can look forward to trying?
Ivan: The spring menu & the ever changing boutique wine list.
Examiner:  What is the top thing you recommend visitors to your city do/see - besides your business, of course?
Ivan: Oak Creek Canyon. It is an unexpected oasis in the middle of Sedona. Canopy of trees, flowing creek and of course, spectacular Red Rocks.

This article is part of a travel series profiling chefs, owners, managers and people behind the scenes of restaurants, hotels and other things of interest to tourists and locals alike across the Western US. These profiles also include a local favorite thing to see or do from the person at the helm in addition to him or her sharing the local flavor of their place.

Flagstaff's Finest Dining Establishments

(*Note: This story first appeared (also written by me) in Flagstaff Live! on February 12, 2009*)

Romance (and snow) is in the air these days. Celebrate it at Flagstaff’s finest dining establishments, where the atmosphere compliments the mood of love and the food is elegant and decadent. The menus vary with the season to bring you the freshest ingredients possible, so sample the flavors of the season of love.
It’s hard to go wrong at any of these three restaurants, unless you’re looking for a bargain. The fab food and ambiance come with a price to match, of course. But at least you’ll leave satisfied, so go ahead and treat yourself.
If you go at lunchtime to either Josephine’s or Brix, you can still get great food but at slightly more wallet-friendly prices. Just something to keep in mind, but who can put a price on love?

Josephine’s Modern American Bistro
503 N. Humphreys
779-3400
www.josephinesrestaurant.com
Josephine’s is the kind of restaurant that catches your eye from the moment you drive up. With its dark, volcanic rock columns and beautiful, inviting stone patio, it’s a romantic setting anytime of the day. The ambiance increases in the evenings with twinkling lights draped around the historic building. Josephine’s is my favorite fine dining establishment in Flagstaff. They’ve got a unique blend of flavors, as well as variety, and a comfortable atmostphere. The modern menu features bold and flavorful combinations to delight both the eye and the stomach. Josephine’s proclaims on their menu to be free of “ethnic constraints,” instead blending “ingredients and techniques from many different cultures.” This is the place to go for flavors that will dance through your mouth, popping with originality in their combinations.
For dinner on Valentine’s Day they’ve got a special menu, which you can check out on their Web site, along with their everyday lunch and dinner menus.

Brix Restaurant and Wine Bar
413 N. San Francisco
213-1021
www.brixflagstaff.com
Brix is anything but everyday, not that you wouldn’t want to eat here everyday if your bank account could stand it. The food is fantastic. So fab in fact that Condé Nast Traveler named them among the top 95 restaurants in the world in 2007. That’s a pretty good rec if I’ve ever heard one.
Brix describes themselves as “a casual fine dining restaurant serving seasonal, farm focused, contemporary American cuisine.” The food is fresh and fanciful, but the place is still relaxed enough to wear shorts at lunch in the summer without getting dirty looks. Still, it’s chic enough to serve as a great spot to go and enjoy vino with or without the food.
They too have a special V-day menu for l’amore. You can check it out, along with their everyday lunch, dinner and wine menus, on their Web site.

The Cottage Place Restaurant
126 W. Cottage
774-8431
www.cottageplace.com
The Cottage Place is a romantic little house with food to compliment the atmosphere, Valentine’s Day or not. They’re only open for dinner Wednesday through Sundays, so no getting in on the delightful menu at lunch for a little less dinero. But this is a place worth saving up for. Your taste buds will thank you for sure.
The menu includes everything from classic filet mignon to more unique creations including hazelnut encrusted pheasant breast, forest mushroom ravioli, and chef tableside specialties for two like rack of lamb and chateaubriand.
They have a special Valentine’s Day menu from Thu, the 12th through Sat, the 14th, but reservations are already booked full on V-day. Cottage Place also offers a different kind of fun evening out for a date with specialty cooking classes. You can check their Web site for info on when they are offered, as well as peruse their menu.

Japonais, Je t’aime
Wanna take your sweetheart somewhere upscale but not overly fancified? Check out these great Flagstaff Japanese food gems.

Sakura Sushi and Teppanyaki
1175 W. Rte. 66, inside the Radisson Woodlands Hotel
773-9118
www.sakuraflagstaffsushi.com

Karma Sushi Bar and Tapas
6 E. Rte. 66
774-6100
www.karmaflagstaff.com

Hiro’s Sushi Bar and Japanese Restaurant
1312 S. Plaza Way
226-8030
www.hiroflag.com

Josephine’s Modern American Bistro

By Angele Sionna


[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="503 N. Humphrey's St., Flagstaff, AZ"][/caption]

503 N. Humphrey’s Street, Flagstaff
menu at: www.josephinesrestaurant.com/menu.htm

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>>>> = always great, unique, and flavorful no matter where you're from

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxxxx = you'll love it

Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
Lunch= $$$
Dinner = $$$$$

Value (what you get for your money)
Lunch **** = worth it - you won’t be disappointed with what you get for your money
Dinner *** = fair -you get what you pay for, not in a bad way

Josephine’s Modern American Bistro is the kind of restaurant that catches your eye from the moment you drive up. With its dark volcanic rock columns and beautiful, inviting stone patio, it’s a romantic setting anytime of the day. The quaintness increases in the evenings with the twinkling of lights around the historic building. The sense of timelessness is not, however, reflected on the very modern menu, which features bold and flavorful combinations of food to delight both the eye and the stomach. Josephine’s proclaims on their menu to be free of “ethnic constraints.” Instead blending “ingredients and techniques from many different cultures.” This is the type of place you come to have flavors dance through your mouth, popping with originality in their combinations.

The experience at Josephine’s differs depending on whether you are dining for lunch or dinner, as well as seasonally. While the atmosphere, service, and food quality remain the same, the prices vary quite a bit. At lunch, the prices are slightly higher than other top eateries in town with slightly smaller portions. At dinner, Josephine’s is true fine dining with prices that go along with it. Both menus also change seasonally.

On this occasion, my husband and I went to Josephine’s for lunch. We were celebrating our fourth wedding anniversary. The exceptional setting makes it a popular spot for folks to commemorate anniversaries, birthdays, and other special occasions. But it is also a fine place to grab lunch on a regular day out with the family as well, if the mood strikes you. I am partial to eating lunch at Josephine’s. Not only for the better value, but also because on a beautiful summer day when the sun is out and there’s a breeze in the air, it is a relaxing experience to sit on the patio and take in the flowers and other greenery as you wait for your meal.



[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Josephine's Pecan Encrusted Fish Tacos"][/caption]

And that’s just what we did. The weather was perfect, so we sat back in the comfortable chairs on the patio and placed our orders. I had a hard time deciding what to get. I narrowed it down to either the Pecan Encrusted Fish Tacos "with roasted tomato salsa, cabbage slaw, avocado and ancho mayo” ($11.50) and the Po-Boy Crab-Cake Sandwich with a spicy remoulade ($11.50). The tacos won out because they were so fantastic the last time I was here. And they didn’t disappoint this time either. The fish is lightly breaded in a slightly sweet pecan crust. The flavors of the toppings blend nicely for a tangy taste with a kick.

My husband ordered the Caprese Sandwich ($10.25). It is served on garlic toasted ciabata bread with tomato, mozzarella, fresh basil, Prosciutto, and a balsamic reduction. It’s also available as a vegetarian sandwich without the ham for $9.25.

All of the menu items are intriguingly different, which in itself makes you want to come back again. Among the most unique: the Baklava Baked Brie ($9.50), which is “Phyllo wrapped Brie with pistachios and peach fig chutney” and the Diablo Shrimp Macaroni and Cheese, which is pasta smothered in a “smoked Gouda ancho chili cheese sauce” and topped with spicy diablo shrimp ($10.50 as an appetizer or $22 as a dinner entree).

Also of note, the wine menu is expansive with something to compliment every dish. Check out the hundred plus choices on their wine menu online. Not a wine expert? No worries. Josephine’s chef has already done all of the work for you with a recommendation for each dish printed right on the menu.

Josephine’s is owned by a brother and sister who named the restaurant after their mother. One is the award-winning head chef. The other runs the business side of things. You can tell that this family establishment takes great pride in each and every thing they serve. It is reflected in the menu as well as the wait staff. Each time we’ve visited Josephine’s we have had spectacular service to compliment the setting and the food. While this spot can be a budget buster, especially in the evening or if you order wine, it is the experience that you are paying for along with the food. I say, treat yourself. Stop by Josephine’s. You’ll be glad you did.

More Josephine's photos HERE.