Fez, Phoenix, AZ

Fez Phoenix - Picture from their website: www.fezoncentral.com

We were welcomed by warmth as we walked in the door despite the concrete floor and frosted glass that greeted us.  The table was already waiting for our party of six, set in a modern style like the rest of the chic, low-lit restaurant.

First, drinks.  Fez has a large selection of unique cocktails and although they offered some interesting looking "wine fusions" we all went with cocktails.  I ordered the Go Green, a mixture of crisp cucumber and cilantro cut with lemon and vodka.  It was different and refreshing but a little sour for my taste.  My husband got the Key Lime Pie and was smitten - he's still trying to re-create it at home.  The drink was a foamy blend of lime and sugar flavors with a playful ring of graham cracker. A friend got the "Fez-Tini" which was a cherry red mix of champagne and other unique flavors - a celebration in a glass.  The biggest problem with the drinks was the decidedly limited wine list (27 unique cocktail creations but only 18 wines available).  If you are a wine enthusiast, Fez may not be your type of restaurant.

After drinks came appetizers.  We tried the "Fez Lettuce Wraps" which were a little dry but had great flavor that came from the dried pears, dates, and cherries that were scattered throughout.  Someone at our table was allergic to nuts and the kitchen gladly made the dish without the usual almonds (although I'm sure the almonds would have been a fantastic addition).

The main course was where the true genius lay.  I had the "Lamb Kisra" a grilled flatbread (more like foccacia than pita), topped with brilliantly seasoned lamb meat that resembled gyro.  On the lamb lay baby spinach which gave a great crunch and tomatoes and the whole thing was topped with crumbly and creamy feta cheese and a fantastic lemon basil dressing that I'll never forget.

Lamb Kisra

I also tasted my friend's amazing dish - the "Go Green Pasta" with chicken.  The real genius of this dish was the sauce - an incredibly tasty pesto that had just the right amount of salt and garlic to make it perfect.  The chicken on top was perfectly juicy and tasty as well.

Go Green Pasta with Chicken

One damper on the night was service, which was slow and confused. We waited quite a while after we were seated for our order to be taken.  We also had to sit around and wait for our server to appear with the bill for what seemed like an hour after we were finished with our meal.

Despite the flaws in service I'm looking forward to our next trip to Fez.  Not only did the restaurant have fantastic and unforgettable food and drinks, the prices were very reasonable.  The Fez menu can be found at http://www.fezoncentral.com/menus.aspx