Cibo
Wire | Roosevelt Row Hosts ‘Equinox’ Fundraiser
Posted on 3/20/13 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
DPJ’s Wire series delivers news and information straight from the source without translation.
What began as a simple house party along Roosevelt Row has grown into an annual fundraiser that brings over 200 people together to celebrate life in the Downtown Phoenix Arts District. This year, Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation will host its annual fundraiser at the start of spring – under the banner of the Equinox.
The funds raised through ticket sales and a raffle will help keep the Adaptive Re-use of Temporary Space (A.R.T.S.) Growhouse Community Garden active and vibrant. Growhouse grows fresh produce for the market and local restaurants, and works with students at Bioscience High School to create hands on learning experiences such as producing honey, growing food, and creating sunflower seed based bio fuel.
The event will be held at Cibo Urban Pizzeria, 603 North 5th Avenue on March 28, beginning at 5:30 pm.
General admission tickets are $35 and include two drinks and complimentary appetizers.
As a special addition to the event, a $100 VIP ticket will be offered. The $100 ticket includes entry to Equinox as well as VIP admission to the to the Feast on the Street event on April 13. VIP guests will have access to a lounge with food, drinks, comfortable facilities, and a balcony overlookign the event.
Tickets are available online at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/344451
Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation (CDC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit community development corporation established to further the unique cultural character and creative assets of the Roosevelt Row Arts District, to advocate for the continuing presence and role of the arts and small business in the revitalization of the district, and to foster a dense, diverse and walkable urban community.
Information about Feast on the Street can be found at http://www.feastonthestreet.org/
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- Honey from the Growhouse bees
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- Volunteer day at the garden
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- Bioscience students lend a hand
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- Bioscience student beekeepers
If You Go
What: Roosevelt Row Equinox Fundraiser
Where: Cibo, 603 N. 5th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85003
When: Thursday, March 28, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/344451
Tickets are $35 and include two drinks and complimentary appetizers.
100 ticket includes Equinox AND one VIP ticket to Feast on the Street on Saturday, April 13.
Downtown Phoenix Brunch: It’s What’s For Breakfast
Posted on 7/20/12 by Natalie Morris » 1 Comment
Postino’s Country Toast with Italian Ham, Dijonaise, Gruyere, Sunny-Side Up Eggs and Tomato Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette. Photo credit Monica Castillo.
Gone are the days of the idea of brunch conjuring images of chattering ladies, fine hats, exquisite china and erect pinky fingers. While tradition still honors Mom once each year, survey the masses and you’ll find people of all ages taking the opportunity to sleep in, recover and strategically choose a meal, or dare we say drink, that will comfortably help them transition back into the idea of Monday.
But where to go? Here’s just a smattering of downtown brunch hotspots we’ve turned to in such moments, in no particular order. Feel free to add your favorite, whether place, dish, drink or deal.
BARRIO CAFÉ
We’re skipping the mimosa here and going straight for the tequila. Barrio Café’s version of a Bloody Mary, Sangrita, may be just what one might need after a hard day’s night. Serve it up with live music like Barrio Café does and the morning is set.
Served: Sunday, 11am-3pm
POSTINO on Central
The team known for their tasty assortment of crusty bread with various toppings has seamlessly transferred the idea to their brunch menu. Find artisan breads (country bread, grilled focaccia, ciabatta, marble rye) paired with our favorite morning indulgences like Italian ham, berry preserves, herbed butter, vanilla crème fraîche, gruyère cheese and more.
Served: Saturday and Sunday 9am-1pm
CIBO URBAN PIZZERIA AND CAFÈ
It might be a crime in Italy to not have something with Nutella on it for your colazioné in the morning, but it would definitely be a crime here in Phoenix to not experience Cibo’s saltimbocca – and their brunch is a great place to do so. Their bubbly, chewy and crispy signature bread lends itself so perfectly to their soft-scrambled eggs that it is just impossible to miss out. For those who are still worried about being booked for missing the Nutella, try it on the side with your Cornetti while dunking into a cappuccino.
Served: Saturday and Sunday, 10am-2pm
ST. FRANCIS
The best place to go with the most classic of choices is always the place that prides itself on ‘round the corner ingredient sourcing. St. Francis does and it shows in their American Breakfast. We suggest opting for their super-fluffy scrambled eggs and side of parmesan, sage and rosemary Fingerling Potatoes that arrive with lemon aioli and Mexican ketchup.
Served: Saturday 10am-2:30pm, Sunday 9am-2:30pm
FEZ ON CENTRAL
Famous for their kisra, FEZ recommends sharing their egg, bacon and tomato brunch version of the herbed flat bread with a friend. If that’s just not quite enough for the both of you, we’re thinking their FEZ Breakfast Pasta filled with Linguiça sausage, peppadew peppers and parmesan cheese alongside $3 cocktails sounds like fun too.
Served: Saturday and Sunday at 10am
WINDSOR
Something for the health-conscience, something for the indulgent and a Bloody Mary Bar for the something-in-between means Windsor has it all. Try the Quinoa Oatmeal with mascarponè and dried fruit or the Homemade Doughnut Holes and delve into the $5 cocktails and “Pitchas of Beer.” That’s right: $5 Pitchers.
Served: Saturday and Sunday 9am-1pm
MAIZIE’S CAFÉ AND BISTRO
The menu at Maizie’s is the perfect balance of traditional offerings and new additions. The Corned Beef Benedict would satisfy those who prefer the savory side of things and the Banana Bread French Toast, for those who love the sweet. Top either off with a prosecco-meets-limoncello, Lemon Fizz Mimosa.
Served: Saturday 9am-2pm, Sunday 9am-4pm
MATT’S BIG BREAKFAST
We love this experience from beginning to end. Entering Matt’s is a throwback in time and the menu consistently keeps that promise. Try anything from The Hog and Chick to The Chop and Chick to simply the big bowl of Frosted Flakes complemented by a refillable cup of coffee sourced from Cave Creek and you’ll leave satisfied.
Served: Tuesday-Sunday 6:30am-2:30pm
BLUE HOUND KITCHEN and COCKTAILS
Housemade Mozzarella and berries to start your day? Is a 16-day dry-aged ribeye with eggs more your thing? Blue Hound has that and more, PLUS a weekly rotating menu of $5 Brunch Punch. We’re eyeballing the Kentucky Fried Sandwich and Salt-Roasted Baby Beets but that’s just us.
Served: Saturday and Sunday 11am-3pm
Have a favorite brunch spot not listed here? Let us know!
Cibo’s Expansion Affects Space and Menu
Posted on 7/13/12 by Natalie Morris » No Comments
New indoor seating area.
After seven years in business, Cibo Urban Pizzeria Cafe is truly a Downtown Phoenix success story. The family business situated in the historic bungalow at the corner of Fillmore and 5th Avenue has expanded yet again to meet the needs of the growing Downtown.
If you’ve been to Cibo, you know they have a vibrant front patio, but what you may not know is that they actually have three. It wasn’t too long after opening, Michael and his family figured out that people enjoyed eating their southern Italian-style pizza outside. When one patio wasn’t enough, soon another was added. And then another. But then came the biggest decision yet – to add more space inside.
“It meant two things.” Michael Krassner, Cibo’s manager specified. “It increased our seating by 64% which meant more seating to serve at lunch. We also gained a kind of ‘hang-out’ area where you could eat or just get drinks and appetizers.” These two area additions also translated to extra space in both the bar and in the kitchen.
With the expansion of the indoor space, comes the opportunity to also increase Cibo’s offerings. Michael and Chef Guido Saccone are looking to extend their current twice-weekly housemade pasta offerings into a regular menu feature. The newly added weekend brunch will continue, and Michael hopes to introduce a series of Italian wine tastings to complement an increased wine and beer selection.
“Obviously our business has grown since we opened and we continue to grow. The fact that we’re expanding feels amazing and is a good sign. There are good reasons for my family and I to be here.”
IF YOU GO:
What: Cibo Urban Pizzeria Cafe
Where: 603 N. 5th Ave. (Map)
From the Wire | Dine Local to Devour Hunger
Posted on 6/19/12 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
Some news items don’t need translation. That’s why DPJ launched the From the Wire series, so we could serve the destinations here by posting information and announcements – in their own words.
Devour Phoenix and Waste Not Team Up for Hunger Awareness Drive July 17 -31
Devour Members set goal of using local food producers to raise enough money to feed 100,000 people
This July, the Devour Phoenix Restaurant Coalition, an initiative of Local First Arizona and the hosts of the Devoured Culinary Classic, is collaborating with Waste Not to tackle hunger in Phoenix through their Devour for Waste Not campaign.
Waste Not, a local food rescue organization that collects up to 6,000 pounds of local food daily and re-distributes it to agencies and organizations that feed the hungry, is able to gather and re-distribute a surplus of edible food that would otherwise be thrown away. The collaborative effort has set a goal of feeding 100,000 people as a result of the Devour for Waste Not campaign and, with your help, will reach that goal. For every dollar raised by Devour restaurants, Waste Not can feed six people.
The details are simple and fun: help them reach their goal by dining out at one (or all 12!) of the participating restaurant locations from July 17 to July 31 and ask for the Waste Not featured dish. Each restaurant will be using local food purveyors like The Meat Shop, Queen Creek Olive Mill and Seacat Gardens and proceeds from the featured dish will go directly to Waste Not in their efforts in combating hunger.
IF YOU GO
What: Devour for Waste Not
When: Tuesday, July 17 to Tuesday, July 31
Where: Astor House, Beckett’s Table, Bliss/ReBar, Cibo, FEZ, Gallo Blanco, Humble Pie, St. Francis, Switch, The Parlor, Tuck Shop, Urban Beans
Growing Vegetarian Population Drives Meatless Options
Posted on 6/04/12 by Kate Kunkel » No Comments
As more Phoenix locals pass up traditional chicken dinners for soy and tofu alternatives, business owners are now making new accommodations to meet the growing demands for meatless meals.
VegCo, a new plant-based supermarket, is expected to open in a to-be-determined Midtown location. By the end of this year, the local grocery store will make it easier for people in the central Phoenix area to knock out all of their meat-free grocery shopping in one place.
Heather Francois, the founder of VegCo, said the store will provide affordable, high-quality foods for the increasing number of people restricting their meat consumptions. Francois added that she wants to make grocery shopping more convenient for those with special diet needs.
“I wanted to tie all the factors together and serve those people who eat strictly organic, who are focused on local products and community, and who may have allergy concerns,” Francois said. “I also want to able to give (Phoenix locals) plenty of options.”
She added that Phoenix needs this supermarket because of the push for sustainable living and healthier diets.
“There’s a movement growing here and across the nation as people realize all the dangers of eating meat products,” Francois said. “People are becoming more educated on plant-based diets and how they are optimal for the human body.”
Want to skip the meat? Here are a few vegetarian dining options:
Aside of Heart
Fair Trade Cafe
The Breadfruit
Carly’s Bistro
Green
How Do You Roll?
Moira Sushi
Pita Jungle
Cibo
Conspire
Treehouse Bakery
Z Pizza
Other food experts in the area are also making changes to meet shifting demands as more people join in the plant-based food movement.
Ingrid Hirtz, a chef originally from Austria, said she began building a business around vegetarianism to show people that meals without meat can actually taste delicious. Along with cooking at Fair Trade Cafe, she recently started a vegetarian meal preparation service to serve the city economically and environmentally friendly cuisine.
Hirtz added that she hopes to make people realize the standard American diet is not the standard global diet.
“The United States focuses on meat,” Hirtz said. “If you go out to a restaurant, everything on the menu has a focus on the meat—such as a pork tenderloin or a steak. But in other countries, the traditional diet usually consists of some kind of legume or grain with vegetables—meat is more of a side dish.”
Whether it be her creamy vegetable korma curry or goat cheese quiche made with almond flour and sun-dried tomatoes, Hirtz said it just takes getting people to realize the food tastes good.
“Before, people thought of vegetarians as people who cut out meat and had to go to the salad bar or just eat side dishes.” Hirtz added. “Now, it’s a cuisine in itself. People don’t realize that it can be a very satisfying culinary experience.”
Now that Phoenix residents seem to accept and understand vegetarianism more than ever before, a local meat producer said she certainly noticed the shift in views.
Beth Wilson, owner of The Meat Shop, said when she first began giving out meat samples at The Phoenix Public Market, she worried that her products would not sell among this huge vegetarian population.
“I was thinking, ‘Wow, 75 percent of these people walking by won’t even look at or touch the samples,’” Wilson said. “I thought maybe that would impact my business in Phoenix.”
Luckily, Wilson said many people come from families who still eat meat, so they visit her shop for local products made from “happy pigs” and meats made without the use of preservatives or chemicals.
Even if people refuse her products because of vegetarian or vegan beliefs, Wilson said she understands and respects their goals.
She added, “It’s just a part of their search to live better, eat better, and be a better person.”
