Photo by Jason Bacon Brix features Contemporary American food and changes its menu seasonally.

Next up, a starter of Liberty Farms duck confit, which arrived as a whole leg, its crunchy, salt-flecked skin delicious with a hash of sweet potato and cipollini onion, roasted to melting sweetness. Accented with red wine gastrique, it was as soul satisfying as any duck confit I can remember ($11).
Plump grilled scallops, bathed in lilting grapefruit beurre blanc, shared the plate with Rio Red grapefruit supremes and a fresh tangle of micro greens. The subtle contrasts between sweet and sharp, buttery and acidic were pitch-perfect ($12.50).
Caramelized three-onion soup ($7), splashed with Madeira and floated with a melted Lamb Chopper cheese-topped crostini, was as rich and thick as demi-glâce (too rich for me), and I kicked myself for not ordering what I really wanted – spice-rubbed braised beef short ribs with Manchego-mashed spuds. But after seeing a couple of regulars making an entrée of them, I figured they would fill me up too much. Next time for sure.
Then again, maybe not. As Laura’s partner Paul Moir pointed out, the menu changes four times a year, just like the seasons. During our chat, Paul explained that he and his wife (also named Laura) run the front of the house, and together, the trio pools a wealth of experience, including gigs at great restaurants here in the Valley. Their orientation is casual fine dining, exemplified by butcher-paper-topped white tablecloths.
Wilted escarole, tossed with garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes, encircled a soft-cooked egg, topped with crisped pancetta and herbed breadcrumbs ($8). It was a perfect winter salad – warm, spicy and soothing, thanks to the bacon-and-egg combo. On the lighter side, organic greens, freshened with citrus vinaigrette, came in a colorful jumble of roasted beets, toasted walnuts and sweet, juicy citrus ($7). This one was just as delish.
The best entrée? Grilled halibut set atop smashed roasted yams and spooned with creamy scallop remoulade ($27). Sided with pancetta-sprinkled caramelized Brussels sprouts, it was an altogether luscious combination, and how often can you say that about fish?
Grilled pork tenderloin from White Marble Farms, pooled with savory herb jus, brimmed with juice and flavor, while creamy celery root and potato gratin made an earthy but elegant accompaniment ($23.50). Nothing fancy about braised leg of lamb, the meat coated with rich, thick sauce enriched with port. Sturdy polenta, enriched with mascarpone, and wilted escarole (bearing the same red pepper heat of the salad) rounded out this sturdy, no-frills plate ($29).
At first blush, winter vegetable risotto, chunky with butternut squash, roasted mushrooms and romalino tomatoes, caramelized onions, wilted greens, spiced pecans and Roaring Forties blue cheese, seemed too busy to be a classic risotto, but when I heated it up for lunch the next day, it tasted fantastic, a vegetarian option so hearty a meat-eater could be persuaded.
White chocolate bread pudding, laced with slivers of dried apricot, sprinkled with pine nuts and served in a puddle of caramel, was a pleasant change-up on the leaden renditions I’m used to, but the pineapple upside-down cake – based on an old Joy of Cooking recipe and served with vanilla ice cream – was beyond good, an ethereal bit of cake with fresh pineapple glued to its bottom by a sticky layer of caramel ($6.50). Amazing!
Of course, not everyone drops by for the full-blown meals I’ve just described. As its name suggests (“brix” is a wine making term for a scale that measures the sugar content of grapes, must and wine), this historic hideaway is serious about wine, offering 200-bottle, California-heavy list that also dips into Oregon, Europe and Australia. You can spend as little as $6.50 per glass or as much as $210 per bottle.
I’m so happy about the food, the polished friendliness of the servers and the snug charm of the setting (which includes a flower-filled, tree-shaded patio) that I have just three words for you – hit the Brix.
Address: 413 N. San Francisco Street, Flagstaff
Hours: Lunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; dinner, 5 p.m. to close, Tuesday through Saturday
Information: 928-213-1021 or brixflagstaff.com