You needn’t know Rothko from Renoir to enjoy this Modern American upstart at PAM.
by Nikki Buchanan | Photography by Angelina Aragon
I’ve had my share of pleasant meals in museum restaurants, but they’ve always had a vaguely institutional blandness, never once eliciting a “wow” or a “yum”… until now. A recent trip to the Phoenix Art Museum’s new restaurant, named Alden for the museum’s first architect, Alden B. Dow, has left me pleasantly agog.
The mid-century-meets-industrial space, complete with a handsome bar, is the first wow. The second is chef Tyler Baggs’s Modern American menu, which teases a mouthwatering mash-up of everyday comfort food with global dishes seldom gathered in one place. It reads beautifully, and everything that follows, including our wonderful server, lives up to those first important impressions.
Steak tartare, topped with creamy avocado, radish, cilantro and red chili crisp, is a standout on the “shareables” menu, enlivened with a thin, tangy Cuban mojo sauce. Feather-light rice paper sheets (used as scoops) send us careening in another delicious direction. It’s a wow.
Naturally sweet fingerling potatoes, crisped at the edges and sticky with garlic honey, come seasoned with curry and lime and sided with garlic aioli. More sophisticated than fries, and every bit as satisfying.
Anchoring the salad menu, Lebanese fattoush combines arugula, kale, roasted squash, grapes, pita chips, pomegranate arils, feta, pepitas and herbs, creating a mouth explosion of bitter, sweet, tart, salty and earthy flavors.
Between the “handhelds” and entrées, Alden has about a dozen options for heartier appetites. KFC (Korean fried chicken, not the Colonel’s) comes tucked into steam buns with fresh slaw and dill pickles, moist and crisp with a honey-tamed gochujang sauce to provide heat and funk. Next stop: Poland, for charred, juicy kielbasa with cauliflower purée; and mashed potato-filled pierogi topped with caramelized onions, united in a puddle of brown butter. The menu also makes stops in Thailand (curry shrimp) and Ol’ Blighty (beef Wellington).
Elsewhere, tomato bisque and an ultra-gooey grilled cheese (made with Parmesan, cheddar and Gouda) make for a classic museum lunch; while moist almond cake topped with amaretto cream, Luxardo cherries and meringue kisses elicits the final “yum” of the day.
Alden is an excellent – and remarkably affordable – addition to PAM and a wonderful restaurant in its own right. No ticket required.
Alden
Cuisine: Modern American
Contact: 1625 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-623-2725, aldenphx.com
Hours: W-F 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sa-Su 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Highlights: Steak tartare ($26); fingerling potatoes ($10); fattoush ($15); KFC steam bun ($19); kielbasa and pierogi ($22); almond cake ($10)
