Secreted behind a brewery, this food-forward speakeasy has West Valley tongues wagging.
by Nikki Buchanan | Photography by Angelina Aragon
While people-watching at Barley & Smoke, the snug speakeasy hidden within Peoria Artisan Brewery, I’m reminded of a review I wrote of Fabio on Fire a few years back, when I said that North Peoria had a well-heeled audience whose needs were not being met by corporate restaurants. Now, as I watch a tray of caviar and mezcal shots glide by, I bask in my wisdom and prescience.
Like most speakeasies, B&S has no formal front door. Customers make reservations online and enter through the brewery, where they’re led to a small, upscale retreat beyond the kitchen. Naturally, there’s plenty of alcohol, but you’d be a fool to come here without eating. From comfy stools at the bar overlooking the open kitchen, my pal and I watch chef Michael Mahalick and crew slide food into the wood-burning oven – a form of entertainment for chowhounds like us.
Before becoming chef and co-owner of the brewery in 2015, Mahalick worked at The Boulders, Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails and DeSoto Central Market, and those Modern American influences are evident on his 12-item menu. Four charred, fatty chunks of pork belly nestled in rich, spicy adobo exude a Southwestern vibe that’s broadened by silky cured watermelon, crunchy toasted peanuts and citrus zest. It’s a sweet and savory winner.
Likewise, ribeye tartare, served with magnificently dense house-made sourdough (so crisped and buttery I could eat an entire loaf), is vaguely sexy. Embellished with pickled shallots, capers and chile oil, it’s tangy, salty and gently fiery at once, a moody take on a classic.
Smoky, Asian-inflected pork belly, laved with hoisin sauce and tucked in a bao bun with radish, cucumber, pickled Fresno chiles and cilantro, would be the biggest, baddest version in town if only the bun were better. Meanwhile, a charred, juicy 6-ounce ribeye, set in a puddle of smoked demi-glace and chunky with mushrooms, is deliciously old-school – especially with horseradish mashed potatoes. Coffee-flavored café con leche crème brûlée, with its textbook candy-like shell, offers another inspired twist on tradition.
Rejoice, west-siders. North Peoria has another sophisticated restaurant and an audience eager to embrace it. Gosh, I love being right.
Barley & Smoke
Cuisine: New American
Contact: 10144 W. Lake Pleasant Pkwy., Peoria, 623-572-2816,
peoriaartisanbrewing.com
Hours: W-Th 4-9 p.m., F-Sa 4-11 p.m.
Highlights: Pork belly adobo ($19); ribeye tartare ($21); bao buns ($21); ribeye ($40); café con leche crème brûlée ($12)
