- [Announcer] And now an Arizona PBS original production.

- I'm Chef Mark Tarbell.

Welcome to "Check, Please!

Arizona," the show where Arizona residents recommend their favorite restaurants.

Coming up, we have guests who are passionate about their picks.

They've dined it all three, so they're ready to share their reviews with each other and with you right here on "Check, Please!

Arizona."

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Copenhagen is dedicated to providing comfort, craftsmanship, and customer service.

Located at copenhagenliving.com.

- [Announcer] Hospice of the Valley, medical, social, and spiritual care for patients nearing end of life and support for their families.

A not-for-profit community hospice.

Hov.org.

(lively music) - I'm Chef Mark Tarbell.

Welcome to "Check, Please!

Arizona."

In this episode, we're heading to the Cool Pines of Flagstaff to experience the best of Northern Arizona.

Let's meet our diners.

Pamela Carter knows food.

She's a retired events coordinator for a Michelin Star restaurant in San Francisco.

Her pick is an Italian eatery serving Neapolitan pizza.

Laura Swarts is a retired special education teacher.

She's a mom of three who spends her free time reading.

Her Choice offers an elevated breakfast and lunch menu.

But up first, it's Randy McGrane.

He owns a real estate company and he's passionate about cooking.

When he hangs up his apron, it's to visit a women-owned restaurant winning awards for their locally driven menu.

This is Shift Kitchen and Bar.

- Shift Kitchen and Bar is a full service restaurant located in Flagstaff, Arizona.

We like to say that we are approachable, fine dining restaurant, and we change our menu pretty often.

So I would say once a month we change a dish or two.

The shared plates atmosphere here is more meant for a community style eating.

Shift is really focused on utilizing as many local ingredients as we can as a norm instead of as a selling point.

But the one dish that we are known for are the pickled fries.

They're like a malt vinegar chip.

Once you try 'em, it's hard to go back from original fries.

Being a woman in this industry, it's extremely important to me to have a strong female presence in the restaurant.

Chef Christian stands out because her food is, has this comfort.

She comes from Virginia.

She has the comfort of that southern charm, but she has a little bit of refined practices.

Finding out about Chef Christian's James Beard nomination was very surreal and I just can't express the pride and how proud I am of her.

Our cocktail program is headed by our general manager, Caitlin Wood.

She is incredibly creative.

The cocktail program rotates, as well.

It's about 500 wine selections, (laughs) all ranging in price and all ranging in varietal.

Shift is really focused on the community, and I think that's what makes Shift so successful, and that's how I can go home and lay down and feel proud, because we have quite a local following.

- So Randy, what do you like about Shift?

- Oh, I like going to someplace that you never know what you're gonna find and that you can't always find in Flagstaff.

So I'm kind of a cocktail guy stuck in a beer town.

So whenever I show up, they know pickled french fries and a Manhattan.

- [Mark] Pickled french fries.

- [Randy] Pickled french fries.

- [Mark] Tell me about those.

- They are just brined in a pickling solution for a little while.

And then what makes 'em so exceptional besides that little bit of tang is they are just cooked perfectly, arisp on the outside, creamy on the inside, and have two really good dipping sauces.

- Well, that sounds awesome.

So what do you start with besides the Manhattan?

- So the thing about Shift is besides you'll have french fries and you'll have a burger.

Other than that, you'll never know what's on the menu.

It changes relatively frequently.

So there's really not- - Those don't change.

- Those are always on.

And the way their menu's organized, it's not, they have some appetizers, but they also have shares.

The original part, the appetizers, I think we all had these artichoke Rockefellers.

- [Woman] Mm-hmm.

- [Mark] Oh, did you have those?

- Yeah, they're excellent.

- Oh my gosh.

- So good.

So good.

- They really played around with the idea of a Rockefeller and they're just the heart and they're dusted with, you know what the- - It's a little chili and sea salt.

- Yeah, everybody loved them.

- [Mark] Well, then the creamy spinach loveliness on top, right?

With the Rockefellers.

- We had the artichokes also, but then we also ordered the lamb tartare and had that as a appetizer.

And that was, I was just telling Pam, it was like meat butter in your mouth.

- [Mark] Meat butter, oh my gosh, I'm taking that one.

- [Laura] Just melt.

- [Mark] Meat butter.

(both laugh) So it was really buttery.

What is the seasoning on the lamb tartare?

- They don't do too much of a seasoning.

It does come with a little side of some sauces, but then they, on top of it, they put a sprinkling of cilantro.

- [Mark] Cilantro.

- [Laura] Which made it really special.

- Yeah, I picked up, we, we did the same thing, and I gotta tell you, that was the surprise hit for everybody at the table.

It went around and it was gone like that.

- Okay, now you're teed up.

Tell me about your appetizers.

- Well, artichokes are my go-to.

- Okay.

- They're always, I'm always gonna order them if they're on the menu.

And this one was especially good.

The artichoke, of course, was done perfectly, perfectly creamy and yummy.

And then the topping was a heavy breadcrumb with lots of butter and the habanero salt and it was just so perfect.

- Where'd you go next?

What was the main?

- I would say the next really big star was the bison.

Best bison I've ever had.

- [Mark] Oh, cool.

- [Pamela] It was tender with just the right tooth.

So it had just the right chewiness and it was absolutely perfectly cooked.

You know, when you cut it in half and you can just see exactly how well it's done.

- It's like beef, only better, when it's done well, right?

You're nodding too, Randy.

- Oh, no, did you like the mole?

'Cause I think that it was- - [Pamela] I love mole and that was such a good mole on there.

- [Randy] It really was, I thought it was- - And I picked up from you, you had some guests, 'cause you went with a ton of people, with 14, 15 people?

- I like everything, so I need to bring people who are more, I'm like, just give me food.

It's good, good, good.

So I have to bring other opinions around and that allows us to taste everything.

But that's what Shift does.

It's like they're fearless in the kitchen.

They're gonna make stuff and they're gonna bring it out.

And that keeps me coming back and- - Well, I think fearless might be the real word for this place, right?

It really is innovative, fearless.

They're willing to stretch a little bit, but in a very positive way.

Incredibly talented chef, James Beard recognized.

The chef's amazing.

So Randy, this is your place.

What did you have for your entree?

- Well, I think a pork chop is one of the hardest things to cook, and they had a pork chop milanese, which was thick.

A lot of times milanese is thinner.

- [Mark] Yes, pound it out.

- [Randy] It was thick and lightly crusted.

And I'm like, okay, how did you guys pull this off?

It was unbelievably tender.

And then they had a, a salad mix on the top.

Oh, I think it was arugula.

So it was bright and peppery and crisp.

- [Mark] Ooh, balanced.

- [Rady] And you had this unctuous pork chop, and so they absolutely killed it with that.

- Laura, what did you have?

- Also, the bison, which was exactly as Pam described it.

It was absolutely perfect.

- Did you have anything for dessert?

- The corn flan that had, wasn't that, did you have that, too?

- [Pamela] Oh my gosh, what a surprise.

- [Laura] It was a surprise.

- [Pamela] 'Cause you're like, eh, corn flan.

- [Laura] But they put this berry topping on it.

- [Pamela] The blueberry.

- [Laura] And then they had peach with it.

- Everyone's nodding.

It was very sweet.

- That was the one with the tepache peaches, right?

- Oh, right.

- The partially fermented peaches.

- Oh, those are cool.

- [Pamela] It was interesting.

- [Randy] And those little meringues so you got that little- - [Mark] Little soft, little texture.

- Yeah, so against flan, which, you know, that texture, but you've got these crunchy little- - [Pamela] Citrus meringues, right.

- Yeah, citrus meringues, which are- - [Mark] But you also have the rice pudding.

Tell me about that.

- Well, it's an interesting mix 'cause you think of rice pudding as kind of a creamy dish, but it's actually, I'm trying to think, was it baklava?

- [Mark] Yes, it was talked about, that's right.

- So you have the creamy rice pudding texture, but it's kind of on a bed of baklava crunchiness.

So rice pudding can be kinda boring, but they just took it to another level.

- All right, so this is a time where we do the one word or one sentence takeaway, the pro tip from Shift.

So since, Randy, it's your place, we'll start with you.

- Yeah, I would say that the pro tip is to trust the kitchen, right?

Take chances.

Order things you would not normally eat because you're gonna love it.

They do everything right.

- [Mark] Cool.

Thank you.

Laura?

- I would say make a reservation (group laughs) because it's very popular and it can be hard to get into.

- Okay.

Pamela?

- I'd say bring all your favorite foodie friends, as many as you can, and try everything on the menu.

It's so much fun.

I love small plates and I love doing lots and lots of different tastes.

- So we're bringing it, we're taking that from Randy.

He brings everybody.

Flagstaff, come with me, I'm eating.

If you wanna visit Shift Kitchen and Bar, they're located at 107 North San Francisco Street.

An average meal costs about $50 and they do take reservations.

(lively music) Our next pick is Pamela's.

After a long day of hiking with a rescue pup, Pamela's all about the carbs.

Her spot is known for its wood-fired pizza baked up in a special oven from Italy.

This is Fat Olives.

(lively music) - Fat Olives is a wood-fired pizzeria.

We specialize in Neapolitan style pizzas as well as a big variety of pastas, appetizers, and some really awesome desserts.

The main focus of Fat Olives is gonna be our wood-fired pizzas.

The wood-fired pizza oven that we use was imported from Italy.

The stones were milled from Mount Vesuvius.

We use local oak and juniper to heat the woodfired oven and it cooks at about 800 degrees.

So that real quick flash of heat and smoke gives the flavor of the pizza something totally unique that you can only find in woodfired pizza.

The Vera Pizza Neapolitana certification that we have is directly from the Italian government certifying that we are able to make pizzas the exact same way they do in the sidewalks of Naples, Italy.

The VPN certification really sets us apart.

It's an elite club that not very many restaurants have.

There's about 90 in the entire country, only about four in the entire state of Arizona.

My favorite pizza, I'm a purist, so I go for the margherita pizza.

San Marzano tomatoes that have been imported from Italy.

House-made mozzarella cheese and fresh basil.

It's a classic and you cannot go wrong with a margherita pizza.

Fat Olives has been here for 11 years now and we are a mainstay in the community.

John Conley, our owner, he's been a huge pillar in the community.

He really sets the standard on how you treat your employees, how you treat your guests, the high quality of food.

John Conley is everything that you could look for in an owner and a restaurateur.

Our key to success is our people.

We take excellent care of our employees and we have a huge group of people that are really passionate about what they do.

I think that's really, really what sets us apart at Fat Olives.

(lively music) - So Pamela, why did you pick Fat Olives?

- I love Fat Olives because it's completely reliable and dependable.

Everything's always gonna be good.

They're most well known for their special pizzas.

- As I understand, they've gotten their certification, so it's legit.

And that is all the rage in the world right now is Neapolitan Pizza.

But, so, but they have a kind of an interesting twist.

There are a couple that you had that you were talking about I wanna hear more about.

- Yes, the belgio dolce has Brussels sprouts, pistachios, a drizzle of honey.

It's very unusual but it's absolutely delicious, and it's even better the second day.

- Ooh, well, I always like pizza the second day.

What do you eat when you go there, Randy?

- So the interesting thing is this is the first time I've had to pay for John's food 'cause he is a pillar of the community.

He's always out at charity events.

So it's the first time I've been in the restaurant.

If you're gonna get certified and have a fancy oven, you're gonna get the Neapolitan pizza.

So we got a buffalo and a margherita.

They're certified for a reason.

They are absolutely perfect and they're especially perfect when they just come out of the oven.

- And they're so much fun to watch 'em making it.

You can watch 'em tossing the dough.

I like to sit so they can see, oh yeah.

- Do they spin the dough?

Okay.

But you chose, Randy, a margherita, which I always do, 'cause that's like, if you wanna test a place, you get the margarita and if that's right, it's good.

- Exactly, exactly.

- One regular pizza, too, is some fennel sausage and stuff on it.

You know, the dough of a pizza is everything and it's flavor.

So just imagine just a little bit heartier so it holds up.

And it was an outstanding pizza, really.

- Laura, what did you get?

- I got for the main lasagna.

- [Mark] Ooh, tell us.

Oh my gosh, I love lasagna.

- Oh my gosh, it comes in a huge portion.

You're definitely gonna need a take away box.

But absolutely fantastic and the sauce was perfect - [Mark] And the pasta has some bite to it.

- [Laura] Yeah, it definitely has bite.

- [Mark] Some al dente?

- [Laura] Definitely to the al dente.

- So I know we all had appetizers.

I gotta go around the table starting with you, Pamela.

What did you have for appetizers?

- We had a whole bunch of 'em.

My favorite, of course, is the artichokes.

We also did the meatballs, which are a long time favorite.

- We had the burrata, which had the creamiest and silkiest mozzarella, And then it came with a nice little crusty bread and some prosciutto and then a little topping of arugula.

- [Mark] Oh boy.

- [Laura] So that was a really nice combination.

- Good.

Randy?

- Well, Fat Olives, we had roasted olives, right?

And it sounds simple, but they're just absolutely delicious.

And then a bruschetta board, because, you know, very traditional.

And bruschetta can be really interesting because, you know, is the bread too soggy?

Is it too hard?

What's the ratio of dressing to the... And it was spot on, as you said, Pamela.

It's like they just do everything super consistently.

- [Mark] Any sweets, any dolce?

- The flourless chocolate cake, which is so rich and delicious.

- I think Laura paused for a moment there 'cause she was thinking of how heavenly the flourless chocolate cake was.

- [Laura] It was very rich.

I could do about two bites and then gave it the rest to my husband because I'm like, this is so rich and sweet.

It's delicious.

- Pamela?

- I had the cannoli just because it was fun to try the new thing on the menu.

Not a huge fan of cannoli, but I had to try it.

But the filling was absolutely delicious.

It was so good.

Nice, fluffy enough.

- [Mark] Creamy.

- [Pamela] Creamy, perfect, sweet.

It was good.

Just so perfectly balanced and fabulous.

- [Mark] And they put a little luxardo cherries, which are the Italian- - [Pamela] Yes.

- Yeah, you gotta get, it's kinda like having, you have to have the margherita pizza.

If you're at an Italian place like that and they have a cannoli, you gotta get the cannoli.

So we had a pistachio and a chocolate one and they- - [Mark] And you had the tiramisu, I think, right?

- [Randy] And we had the tiramisu, yeah, 'cause oh man, I have a little problem with tiramisu, (group laughs) and it was really good.

- [Mark] So atmosphere, Randy.

- So the atmosphere is very vibrant and full of energy.

Incredibly competent staff.

I just can't go, you go, we show up a place like that and I go, oh my gosh, it's gonna be forever.

They said 25 minutes.

We were seated at 25 minutes.

Every single thing, water, cocktails, bruschetta, everything came out right on time and (indistinct).

- I think that's a hallmark of John's restaurants is that he does a very good job training his servers, and coming from the restaurant industry, I really appreciate when the servers are, know what they're supposed to do and they're happy doing it.

They're comfortable with what they're doing.

- [Laura] Very personable.

- [Pamela] And so they're... Makes you feel so welcome.

- [Randy] Totally.

- [Pamela] It's just gracious and- - [Randy] Absolutely.

- So Pamela, this is the time for the one word, one sentence pro tip, and this is your restaurant.

Tell me.

- Fat Olives is the place to go if you know that you wanna make sure that everybody's gonna be happy.

There's something for everybody there.

- [Mark] Yes, and you're gonna support someone who does really well in the community, very good.

- That's true, yeah.

The owners do a really good job taking care of their role in the community.

They donate time, talent, and treasure to many good causes.

- So nice.

I like it.

Time, talent, and treasure.

That's the pro tip.

- That's a good way to put it, yeah.

- Yeah, your pro tip.

- I would say be prepared.

They're gonna be busy, so you might have a little bit of a wait, but it'll be worth it.

- Get the pizza.

He's put a lot of time and effort into it and you can't go wrong.

And I'm gonna mimic what both Laura and Pamela talked about, too.

You know you're patronizing a place that takes very good people of the people that are taking care of you, and that always makes me feel good.

- Yeah.

If you wanna try Fat Olives, you'll find them at 2308 East Route 66.

An average meal will cost about 22 bucks and they do take reservations.

(lively music) Our last lot belongs to Laura.

She knows breakfast is the most important meal and it's far from typical at this French forward spot.

This is Foret FLG.

(lively music) - Foret Flagstaff is a French cafe.

I selected French food because I'm classically trained in French cooking and I just think it's the best way to eat breakfast.

Using really good ingredients, not doing too much to them, and really letting them shine.

We do a classic French omelet that I love that takes a lot of time and care, with a little bit of French boursin cheese on the inside.

We do an avocado toast that's a little bit different than the typical avocado toast that you see.

We do a great eggs benedict.

Something pastry wise that we do that I love is the canele de bordeaux.

It's one of the oldest classic French pastries.

They're really, they're caramelized on the outside, really crunchy, and then it's kind of almost the consistency of a bread pudding on the inside.

When you cut into it, you wanna see all those little air pockets.

They take a lot of focus and dedication to get 'em all to look perfect like that.

We sell out really quick.

People come in at eight o'clock to get 'em nice and warm before they run out.

My mom and I are 50/50 partners.

She puts just as much into this as I do.

And I think it's a great partnership.

We tasted a lot of different coffees before we opened here to find which one we really liked.

My sister Billy runs the coffee program.

She puts a lot into it.

I'm really proud of her.

She puts just as much into every coffee drink as we do every food item.

So it's a really good balance.

The feedback has been amazing and the amount of people that thank us for being here, which is really cool that I would never expect to add to the community and give someone, some people another great place to go.

(lively music) - So Laura, this isn't your typical pancake and waffle spot.

So what do you like about this place?

- It's kind of a crazy little place.

I first found out about it when my hairdresser had run by and picked us up some pulled pork burritos and it was absolutely fabulous, and then started going there.

I go every other week with my symphony friend Jane.

So that's our little old lady get together.

(group laughs) - But you, I mean, we're talking about something called Foret, which is Forest in French, Flagstaff, and already with pulled pork and burritos, we're very much non-traditional.

- [Laura] Right.

- What are some of the other things you recommend there?

- I highly recommend the omelette au fromage.

It is like just butter eggs.

The creamiest eggs I've ever had.

And it comes with this little light salad with a house made vinegarette dressing with some little roasted breadcrumbs.

- [Mark] Wow.

- So good.

The eggs benedict are fabulous.

- Awesome.

- That's what I had.

- Did you have the eggs benedict?

- If I'm going to a breakfast place, I'm probably gonna get the eggs benny on the first time just to see how it is, and it definitely hit the mark.

It was so good.

And a little bit of a twist in that it was a little lighter on the hollandaise, a little more citrussy, and just very well balanced.

- So Randy, what did you have?

- Yeah, well, I had the omelet, as well, because a perfect French omelet, and this place just feels French.

Obviously it has a French name to it.

I say it's kinda the love child of a college coffee place and a French bistro.

- [Laura] Bistro.

- [Randy] And the, you described it perfectly.

I mean, boursin in the center, just velvety, velvety eggs.

- [Laura] Velvety.

- And that was consistent with any egg preparation.

And I love that salad, so that's nice instead of a heavy hash brown or that kinda thing.

Just baby gem lettuce, simple vinegarette, and then those toasted crumbs.

So I thought it was an outstanding dish.

- [Mark] Randy, it's my new favorite thing, baby gem lettuce.

I just love it.

- [Randy] Yeah, they are- - What else did you have?

- A croissant with egg and cheese.

And that sounds pretty simple.

Three ingredients.

It starts with the croissant.

So they make them there.

It is easily the best croissant in Flagstaff.

- [Mark] Wow.

- And so you add those creamy eggs and some fresh cheese, and I mean, artful simplicity.

- Coffee drinks are really good, too.

- Cool.

- I had the toff, which has a little toffee on it.

It was so good.

I love that salty sweet combo on the froth on the coffee.

- Salty, sweet, bitter, it all works.

- I got coffee 'cause I love coffee, and it was excellent coffee.

They do an Americano, of course, not just a cup of coffee.

And delicious.

- Laura?

- Once I had found out that I was actually gonna come and be on the show, so my friend Jane and I celebrated with mimosas.

- Okay, good.

(group laughs) Nothing wrong with that.

So a little bit about the atmosphere.

It's your place, Laura.

What, how could, how would you describe it?

- It's very casual.

You don't have an actual waitservice.

You stand in line and you order from the menu, then they give you a little table marker and then they will bring it to you.

Very open, but can get really crowded quickly.

- The service is quick, but they're gonna bring stuff as it's ready.

So when it comes, hits your table, eat it while it's warm.

- [Pamela] There's such an array of people who come there.

It's fun to watch bicyclists ride in and have their coffee and then ride away and the students and the people who are just relaxing and lounging.

They've got this sort of loungy- - And what about the building?

- Oh, it's such a great old building.

It used to be the feed store back in the olden days, and they've really kept a lot of the architectural history intact, which I appreciate.

And the outdoor patio is lovely.

It's especially nice in Flagstaff.

It's hard to find a nice outdoor patio that's quiet, that's not on a busy street.

- It's a great location.

It's right by the train tracks.

It's on old Route 66.

So it is a quiet street.

- Right, the original route.

- But you still feel like you're in the middle of everything.

- So this is time for pro tips.

Laura, this is your restaurant.

- My pro tip would be go early if you can and go late after lunch because lunchtime is super busy and you might have to wait a little while.

- So go early, go late, but go.

- But go, definitely.

- Pamela?

- I would say a really sweet little family owned coffee shop environment with delicious food and great coffees.

- My pro tip is to go back for lunch.

There's a lot, you know, we talked about the breakfast dishes, but it looks like some really interesting lunch dishes.

And I would also say embrace the wait.

It's in a great little area.

People are happy to be there.

So if you're standing around waiting, you're standing around with a bunch of lovely people waiting and I wouldn't worry about that at all.

- If you wanna try Foret FLG, they're located at 2 South Beaver Street.

An average meal is $20 and they don't take reservations.

So I wanna thank you Pamela, Laura, Randy, for joining me at this table, and thank you for joining us at "Check, Please!

Arizona."

If you would like to share your favorite restaurant, head to our website, azpbs.org/checkplease, and nominate your must eat at spot.

Who knows?

You could be joining me at the table.

Be a part of the foodie conversation in Arizona on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #CheckPleaseAZ.

Join us next time when three new guests make their recommendations, right here on "Check, Please!

Arizona."

I'm Chef Mark Tarbell.

Have a delicious life.

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