Mellow Mushroom: Love at First Pie

I am always excited when a new restaurant opens up in my neighborhood. I am a big fan and proponent of shopping local, especially in food establishments. I won’t lie, when I first researched the Mellow Mushroom and found out that they were a franchise, I was a tad sad. Then I learned that each of the 110 restaurants are completely different from one another – no cookie cutter layouts here!  I had the pleasure to sit down with owners Jay and Diana, and was impressed with how they give back to our community. One of the first things you notice about each Mellow Mushroom location is the unique art on the walls. At the Happy Valley location I recognized shots of the local Phoenix scene and great art from local Phoenicians. As part of being in the Mellow Mushroom family, each location gives back a substantial amount of money to local artists to outfit each location with visual wonderfulness.

I enjoy good wine, but when you go to the Mellow Mushroom, it is the beers that have top reign here. With more than 36 beers on tap, (Tempe has 48) it is very easy to pair the perfect beer to your pie. When you become a regular here and don’t see your favorite libation on tap – just ask. If you are there often enough, they are more than happy to bring it in for you. I was stunned. Seriously? I could just name my poison and you will bring it in? Now that is what I call service! There is even a Beer Club that you can join if you want to taste all of their beers.

My love for root beer started when I was very young and I would ask for one each time we went out for pizza (long before there was delivery). The Sonoran Root Beer is crafted locally and made from Sonoran Desert honey, plus it is mighty delicious. Next time I go in I have to try it with a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Yum!!

I admit, I have eaten at the Mushroom quite a few times, and often enjoy their Happy Hour from 3-6pm and I have been known to come back for their Reverse Happy Hour from 10pm-2am. Seriously – can’t go wrong with half priced appetizers and beers. The crowd is usually those coming in for a beer after work and meeting a buddy to relax a bit before going home.

One of my favorite appetizers is definitely the Spinach & Artichoke Dip – tons of cheesy goodness with the right mix of spinach and artichoke hearts.  Often times, I split the Capri salad with its delicious mix of fresh mozzarella, vine-ripened tomatoes, basil, and the most orgasmic balsamic reduction that I have ever tasted. OMG – can I have a bottle of that reduction please!?!

Meatballs. Seriously. I just need to say it again – Meatballs. These are freaking awesome! The sauce is sweet, just the way I like it, fresh basil, shaved Parmesan, and inside each meatball is a soft cheesy center = Heaven. Please make more because I am not sharing!

I am not usually a fan of pretzels, but boy was I pleasantly surprised when I tasted theirs! You could taste the freshness and the softness when they came right out of the oven. The pretzel dough tasted like it had been mixed with honey – actually it’s made with molasses and Georgia Spring Water. I was hooked! For all of the Vegan lovers out there, the dough is Vegan, but make sure to ask for it sans the Parmesan cheese. The same dough that made those awesome pretzels also creates the crust for their signatures pizzas. That is the only thing required from each franchise is that the dough is made in their flagship location in Atlanta, Georgia.

On one of my adventures to the Mellow Mushroom, I had the help of eating my way through a few of the pizzas with @skinnyjeans aka @noshtopia. Read her review as she talks about all the great gluten-free and vegan items that are on their menu.

We were able to sit down with the owners and really learn about this new pizza place that hit the valley last year and is opening its second location in Tempe this spring. The owners’ son came up with a pizza that is unique to Arizona, but with the name of the establishment, I was quite surprised that not all of the franchises have it on their menus – the Fun Guy Pizza. This is by far my favorite pizza and it has five different types of mushrooms loaded on it: Shiitake, Crimini, Button, Portobello, and Oyster Mushrooms with lots of Mozzarella cheese and the sauce is a house-made Grilled Mushroom Vinaigrette. I’m in love. I seriously didn’t want to share.

I have tried all of these pizza too:

• Kosmic Karma: This pizza has a love of olive oil and pesto chicken, with tons of sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, Feta, and fresh tomatoes. Loved it!!

• House Special: Their signature pizza loaded with flavor and freshness with Pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, black olives, tomatoes, ham, bacon, and of course, extra cheese.

• Mighty Meaty: Stacked with Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, ground beef, ham, and bacon – definitely a must try for the meat lover in the family. Might need to hit the gym after you nosh on this one.
• Hot Potato Pie: I didn’t think I was going to like this one, but I was wrong! It was loaded with potato, bacon, onions, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, sprinkled with chives and drizzled with sour cream and spicy Ranch dressing. The base sauce was olive oil and garlic – yummy.

• Egg & Pancetta: I had to try this pizza, anything with egg on it must be delicious! This pizza starts with an olive oil and garlic base, sunny side up eggs, and pancetta, garnished with scallions, and seasoned with cracked pepper. My only wish is that my eggs would have been runnier, they were a bit too firm as I was hoping for yolk all over my pizza. But I’m weird like that.

I am so happy to welcome the Mellow Mushroom to my hood and if you are looking for me, more than likely, I am nestled up at their bar. I’m so excited to announce that they also offer a great @Foursquare deal: Free soft drink with every check-in except for that yummy root beer (dang it!) and the Mayor receives 10% off their tab each and every time they go in. The Mayor race is fierce here too. Good luck to all the hopefuls!

Don’t forget to check out their lunch specials either. For $5.99 have either a pizza and soda, salad and soda, or half a hoagie and soda. Great deals. With lunch specials, Happy Hour, Reverse Happy Hour you might need to bring a pillow and blanket and just move in! With just a great family-friendly atmosphere I don’t think the owners would mind.

Happy Pizza Eating!

Here’s all their deets:

623.580.1111

2490 W Happy Valley Rd, Phoenix, AZ, 85085

Mon-Thurs 10:30 am- 2:00 am

Fri & Sat 10:30 am – 2:00 am

Sun 10:30 am- 2:00 am

Visit Mellow Mushroom on Twitter @MellowAZ and their Facebook Fan Page.

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New Chef and Owners at Coronado Cafe Make Dynamic Impression on Phoenix Food Scene

By Kristi Trimmer, Guest Blogger, FoodiesLikeUs.com
This is a reprint of the original blog posted on foodieslikeusblog.com on 01/15/2010

I stumbled upon Coronado Cafe over 7 years ago when it was a BYOB with old school desks and chairs for furniture and a very comfy cozy atmosphere. The whole ambiance was very eclectic and the food was amazing, which brought me and my friends back time and time again. Through the years, they acquired the much coveted liquor license and more contemporary furniture,but never lost that cozy inviting atmosphere. Although, to be honest, I really miss the uniqueness of the old school desks, I am stoked to try out the comfy patio.

One of the best new additions to Coronado Cafe are the new owners from Baltimore, Maryland. My friend Lisa and I were searching frantically for a happy hour spot before the holidays and were dismayed to hear that Lisa G’s had closed their doors. Since it was only 4:00 pm on a weekday, we weren’t certain they were open yet.

Lisa did the “Open, Open, Open” hand signs on the front glass and begged to be let in.  We promised them that we would only take up a small amount of space where we could indulge in some great wine and conversation. We were welcomed with open arms!

Unbeknown to us, the cool and zanny bartender (with some great earrings!) was actually one of the new owners. I didn’t even know they had changed ownership! I was mesmerized learning the background of this hip urban couple from Baltimore ~ Misti Jones and Executive Chef Christian Holt.

Misti runs the front end of the restaurant while Chef Christian creates masterpieces in their really small, but very productive kitchen.  Along with Chef Christian’s parents Diane and Michael Stackwick, this dynamic family-owned restaurant is ready to introduce Foodies to their east coast style of cooking.

Let me just say ~ the Maryland Crab Cakes are a must! I am normally not a fan of crab cakes because they normally remind me of wet sawdust, but these were absolutely amazing. The crab cakes were very moist and flaky with very little filler paired with grilled corn and tomatoes with a lime-cilantro remoulade for dipping. This appetizer is $14 and can easily be eaten as an entree.

Amazing Maryland Blue Crab Cakes!

Next up was the Goat Cheese Bruschetta topped with sweet chile sauce. This triple creme goat cheese is drizzled over thick bruschetta. There was a little heat on this one but it was offset by the oh-so-creamy goat cheese. I prefer soft bread as opposed to harder breads, and will remember to ask for that the next time. The Goat Cheese Bruschetta is $9 and three pieces come with each order.

I paired the Crab Cakes and the Goat Cheese Lavish with Sonoma Cutrer (Russian River) Chardonnay ($12) which is a good go-to chardonnay. It was not too buttery and had subtle hints of citrus. Lisa started with Huntington’s Petite Syrah ($9) which had a very high note and a strong bold finish. This wine is not for beginners!

Goat Cheese Lavish

I don’t typically order the fish when I am at a restaurant, but after trying the Pan Seared Halibut at Coronado Café, I realized I seriously need to reconsider that thought process. One taste of halibut, and I was sold!! I loved the presentation on this one too  ~ very colorful and full of julienne carrots, Shitake mushrooms, Napa cabbage, and red onions. The perfect bite was a chunk of the flaky halibut, plus a Shitake mushroom topped with the jasmine rice which was soaking in the Shitake ginger broth ~ I thought I had gone to Heaven. It was that good. This fish special is $24 and changes nightly.

My favorite this evening ~ Pan Seared Halibut

At this point I switched my wine to Voignier Fincala Linda (Argentina) ($9) which had a peppery kick, a bronze color, and actually tasted a bit like brandy. I really enjoyed this wine ~ very different with a unique taste that paired quite well with the New York Strip.

Chef Christian topped this perfectly prepared New York strip with a chimichurri style sauce.  The underlying notes of the tangy rice vinegar were coupled with white wine and loaded with lots of fresh herbs in olive oil. All of this tasty goodness is grilled on top of the steak and served with fresh garlic whipped potatoes. This dish is a meat lovers must have! The NY Strip is $22.

NY Strip - gotta luv meat!

The Cornbread Berry Cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream helped finish off a fantastic culinary evening.I absolutely loved loved loved this dessert. The berry compote was a splendid mixture of cherries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. It was a plate of hot yummy goodness.

Cornbread Berry Cobbler - I want this everyday!

Previously, the Stackwick’s owned a restaurant on Chesapeake Bay with their son Chef Christian at the helm. I am so grateful that they brought their recipe for their amazing Maryland Crab Cakes and Pan Seared Halibut with them out West!

Let me be the first to welcome to the new owners of Coronado Cafe to Phoenix. They brought a great New England flair to one of my favorite Central Phoenix restaurants.

Coronado Cafe is open for lunch Monday-Friday 11:00-2:30 pm and serves dinner from 5:00-10:00 pm with brunch on the weekends from 10:00-2:30 pm. They are located at 2201 N 7th St – just north of McDowell. 602.258.5149

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