They call it 'the Vail of Arizona' (actually, I'm the only one who calls it that and I've never actually been to Vail so I suppose you could argue that may not be the best nickname..). What you can't argue though, is that when you roll into town after a two plus hour drive from the Phoenix valley you are greeted by a wonderfully little downtown. One of the reasons that I like Flagstaff so much is that, unlike the Phoenix metro area, you can really feel it's history. Another reason I like Flagstaff so much is that it is home to a huge number of unique restaurants and bars where you an fill your belly and quench your thirst. On my most recent visit to 'the city of seven wonders' I made stops at six watering holes; Beaver Street Brewery, the Wine Loft, Criollo, Crystal Creek Sandwich Co, Pay n' Take and the Monte Vista Hotel. Here is my take on each (feel free to add your two sense if you've had a particularly good or bad experience at any of them)!
1) Beaver Street Brewery: Simply put Beaver Street Brewery is ON-POINT. I honestly have nothing bad to say about this place. The Beer, the food, the atmosphere, the service, and the menu are all above par. The staff is friendly, the bar is inviting, the food is appetizing, filling
and moderately priced, and the beer is delicious. What more can you ask for? If I lived in Flagstaff I'd be here no less than twice a week. I would say more, but nothing more needs to be said. Try it for yourself if you don't believe me.
2) The Wine Loft: Whats this? The BREW dork reviewing a WINE bar? Don't let the name fool you, the Wine Loft is a great place for a beer-nut to go for a few reasons. For starters they have a great beer list. The drink menu at this WINE bar boast 50 beers by the bottle (split half and half American Craft beers and Belgian imports). Need another reason to come in, how about this one, they have GAMES! The board-game list is almost as long as the beer list, and just as entertaining. I didn't love everything about the Wine Loft though... The furniture looks like it was new and chic 40 years ago when it was commissioned by NAU to furnish a new dorm, but looks lackluster in an urban watering hole. The staff was friendly and attentive, although the bar was mostly empty which means that all I can conclusively deduce is that the service is not 'terrible' (A bar has to be busy during my visit in order for the staff to have an opportunity to show me they're great). Over all I liked the Wine Loft a lot. I do think, however, for them to survive and prosper they will need to actively continue to grow and develop their beer offerings and consider dropping the 'wine' off their name and just going by 'the Loft' so as not to compete so directly with their new neighbor Criollo.
3) Criollo: As the Wine Loft lulled through a quiet Saturday night, the new kid on the block Criollo, the new neighbor listed above, was jumping. The small space was crowded with faces and there was a hum of chatter over a sexy latin-fusion playlist. The warm, intimate
atmosphere played contrast to the cold dark street and was wonderfully inviting. Barely a month old, Criollo seemed to have already worked out whatever opening kinks they had (if they had any at all). The menu was moderately priced and seemed to have something for everyone, and the drink list (my forte) was spectacular. Taking advantage of the huge quantity and variety of wine values found in Spanish (and Portuguese) speaking countries they assembled a large list of glass and bottle offerings to pair with their food. The beer list was fairly poor and had a few odd balls like Imperial (a beer which I remember tasting GREAT when I guzzled it in a cloud forest bar in northern Costa Rica but can only imagine that when consumed in Flagstaff tastes 'moderate' at best). The cocktail menu however is phenomenal with a huge number of house originals and almost every single libation sounding enticing and delicious (at least, on paper). Overall I think that Criollo is going to do VERY WELL and soon become a Flagstaff staple. My only fear is that it will drive the Wine Loft out of business (something I don't think ANYONE wants).
4) Crystal Creek Sandwich Shop: First a WINE bar, now a Sandwich Shop? Believe me--This shop deserves a spot on any Flagstaff beer-tour! Why? Well, first off, they have 15+ beers on tap--let's see THAT at Subway! The beers were mostly domestics but few were beers that I wouldn't happily order, and some were beers that even the snobbiest of beer snobs would happily slurp. Add to that killer tasting, large-portioned sandwiches, hot soups, and an interior that looks like a ski lodge (less the fire place) and you have a winner.
5) Pay 'n Take: What do you get when you combine a liquor store with a passion for good beer, and a mom n' pops dinner from the fifties? The answer is Pay 'n Take. It's part retail,
part bar, and all around good fun! This was probably my second favorite place to consume in Flagstaff (behind Beaver St). This small space is bisected by a long table surrounded by old school bar stools. On the right, the entire wall is refrigerator space filled with six-packs and tall-boys. The left half of the space is dominated by the long bar with some room near the back for merchandise. When I arrived late Saturday evening the Bar was packed with a young, lively, crowd. For the couple of hours that I was there there was a steady stream of people coming and going but no one ever seemed to have to wait. The service staff, which from what I could tell, consisted of two people, one behind the bar, and one primarily working the till on 'to-go' orders. They never looked weeded, and they always had a smile on their faces. Best of all, the beers, whether from one of the four taps, or from the wall-o-frige, were VERY reasonably price, no doubt part of the reason for the steady stream of NAU coeds.
6) Monte Vista Hotel: Last but not least before skipping town I made a late morning visit to the cafe at the Monte Vista hotel. As has become a bit of a tradition for me, after filling my gas tank for the drive South, I stopped into the Monte Vista cafe to fill my 'other tank' with a tall cup of my second favorite type of brew (delicious, delicious COFFEE). After a leisurely hour spent reading the Sunday paper as the sun slowly creep across the bar took a deep breath, paid my tap and headed back to Phoenix and a new work week relaxed and rejuvenated.
-Prost!
D.Lux
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