The view from my room at the Hotel Palomar
Phoenix City Center
If you own an awesome car and don't mind driving through vast lands of nothingness, do the drive. But if you're like me and just want to get to wherever you're going, just fly to Phoenix and rent a car.
While I went to Phoenix in what was considered one of the hottest weekends of the year (We're talking more than 115 degrees - in the shade!), I still had the opportunity to enjoy a few things in my short stay there because of the central location of the hotel I was staying at: The Palomar Hotel.
The Palomar Hotel is located in the City Center of Phoenix, a vibrant urban outpost of a state largely misunderstood by many because of it's political pendulum that that has recently garnered national attention.
The Palomar hotel is one in a mini-chain of boutique hotels owned by Kimpton, one of my favorite hotel chains because of their dog-friendly policy, evening wine receptions, stylish rooms, and quality toiletries from C.O Bigelow.
Each Kimpton Hotel has a restaurant in-house, and the Hotel Palomar is no different with their Blue Hound Kitchen + Cocktails.
Headed by Chef Sean Currid, which was named one of Arizona Valley's top chefs by Arizona Foothills Magazine, the Blue Hound Kitchen + Cocktails boasts an extensive contemporary American menu that elevates seasonal ingredients using classic french techniques.
Sean Currid with my friends from Totah Designs
Chef Sean Currid, who I was brazen enough to ask for a table reservation via Twitter, was kind enough to send my table a selection of dinner appetizers, that included the light yet flavorful deviled egg's, Seared Ahi Quinoa Cakes, and a fantastic Summer Peaches and Cream Mascarpone with ice-cream, dessert to end our meal.
Every dish was presented beautifully; and our lunch main courses, from my Mt Lassen Trout dish, to the kale salad, were inventive and highlighted the uniqueness of each of its ingredients. We were also enticed by the cocktail menu created by head Bartender & Mixologist Stephanie Teslar, but decided to try the craft cocktails later that evening.
After a somewhat relaxing night stay that included a city-wide blackout, The Palomar Hotel made-up for their unplanned restaurant closure to giving me the key to the kingdome: Their mini-bar.
Let me tell you something about the Kimpton family of hotel's minibar: Gummy Bears! Juices! Fresh Nut's! And artisan what-not's. So no, dinner didn't happen - but a mini-sugar rush while overlooking a completely (in-the-dark-city) did.
The next morning I woke-up SUPER hungry and planned to meet my friends Marissa and Aggie for breakfast. Again, because I was staying in the City Center, all I did was meet my friends in the hotel lobby and walk a few feet to our breakfast spot.
A quick pick by me, ended-up being Aggie's favorite breakfast spot in Phoenix: The Breakfast Club.
The Breakfast Club is a family-friendly cafe-style restaurant with an extensive breakfast menu that has both traditional American fare and Southwestern dishes that are made using local artisanal ingredients, serving coffee from a local roaster and freshly made juices. The most unique breakfast item being smothered corn bread with a fried egg and salsa.
Before saying my good-byes, Marissa took me to the Phoenix Art Museum; which you can read more about here.
Until we meet again, hopefully next time in the fall, Phoenix will remain on my getaway destination list.
Ana Lydia
