Okra Cookhouse & Cocktails $$
5813 N 7th St. Phoenix, AZ 85014
602-296-4147
okraaz.com
It was the name that drew me, the aroma of heavenly cooking that floated me toward the door, and the intimate space that indicated something special was about to happen. Honestly, I didn’t know much about this place except that my brother liked it, and he hates vegetables, and that the good people of Crudo were behind it. Being hungry and in the neighborhood sealed the deal and I pulled over and parked under the sign, only to discover with a quick phone call that the restaurant is around the back. Sometimes you have to seek the gems.
To me, okra connotes southern cooking, which means comfort food, and cocktails, well, cocktails are just comforting no matter what. The restaurant is delightfully small and modern chic which sort of belies the name, I thought. I took a seat at the bar, for the best light to take pictures, and because I knew I was starting with a drink. I had scoped out the menu on the internet and had a good idea of what I wanted for my first visit. Here’s what I had:
Milk was a Bad Choice $10
(brown butter washed Hamilton Jamaican pot still rum, banana syrup, Crow’s Dairy goat’s milk, Mi Casa bitters)
Like the name of the restaurant, the name of this drink also enticed me (so clever), plus I love banana and rum. It was delivered in the cutest miniature old fashioned milk bottle with a banana chip precariously perched on the rim; loved it. Fun to drink and, unlike most specialty cocktails, it was potent. I wished the straw was edible because I just wasn’t done when the drink was gone.
Grilled Okra and Quark $6
It is rare to find grilled okra; mostly it is served fried or as a cooked vegetable side. Here it is presented as an appetizer in all its charred glory. A small plate of stacked okra fingers arrives with a beautiful splash of quark goat cheese. Since there is no description on the menu, I am going to wing it here and tell you that quark is made from fresh milk and a process of adding crème fraiche or buttermilk and letting it sit overnight. It has the texture of sour cream and however it is they do it, they’ve got it right. It is very much a part of their farm-fresh style of cooking. The mildly tangy quark compliments the sweet caramelization of the charred fresh okra. I figured since the restaurant’s name has okra in it, this one had to be tried. Excellent!
Canned Biscuit Donut with Salted Caramel $4
There was no other description on the menu but that, and that is all that needs to be said. Served fried and hot, salted and soaking in caramel, this dessert does what it is supposed to do, and the fork never rested until every bite was gone. Don’t share this with anyone, it will ruin a relationship. Best if you each order your own.
Since a couple of poultry dishes on the menu looked enticing, I had to plan a second trip.
Fried Chicken Skins and Honey Hot Sauce $7
Though I could hear my mother’s voice in my head saying, “Don’t do it,” I did. A well-presented small plate arrived with a pyramid of crispy, golden brown morsels. Glazed with a honey hot sauce, you could sense a small bit of sweet heat on your tongue. They also offer a variety of their hot sauces to spice things up even more. Once you start nibbling these decadent pieces, it is hard to stop. For your cardiologist’s sake, share these with someone but don’t skip this unique dish.
Two Wash Hen, Dumplings and Soffritto $20
Two Wash is a 5-acre cage-free chicken ranch in New River, AZ, and is in perfect keeping with Okra Cookhouse & Cocktails’ dedication to farm fresh. Calling this dish a bowl of chicken soup is an understatement, but let’s begin with that idea and build to what you’re really eating. Served in a bowl and swimming in the richest (I don’t mean fattening, I mean dark and flavorful) chicken broth is a beautiful medley of fresh vegetables (soffritto) and shredded farm fresh chicken with dumplings. The chicken is seductive, uncommonly delicious, and the parsley and vegetables give it an Italian twist. The dumplings were firm, I prefer softer, but they were a nice respite from the wonderfully intense flavors of the soup. I am not a doctor, but this may have medicinal powers.
Chocolate, Bourbon, Pecan Pie $7
(homemade pies by Pie Snob)
They had me at bourbon. Who doesn’t love desserts with a liquor base? This pie has a light crust with a lovely chunky filling, and you can taste each chocolate nugget and piece of pecan almost separately. Add the bourbon and it’s not just a slice of pie, it’s a slice of heaven. Share this one; it’s rich.
Okra Cookhouse & Cocktails has a great bar and an open kitchen that enhances the whole restaurant experience. The menu is inventive and different, and the people are enthusiastic and want to share what they are doing with you. I have the feeling that everything there is delicious, and it is going to take a few more return trips to discover it all. Explorers, and you know who you are, go find this one, call when you get there if you don’t see it, treasures are hidden around the back.
