FEZ

FEZ
3815 N Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85019
602.287.8700
fezoncentral.com

A "Moroccan with a twist" themed restaurant located right on Central Avenue in the heart of Downtown Phoenix.  The home to a mix of art, music, amazing food, people of all walks of life, and the legendary FEZ Burger.

I met with co-owner Mark Howard; a very friendly, enthusiastic and well spoken Arizona native.  Mark, along with two friends Tom Jetland and Mark Dillon, opened FEZ in October 2005.  When asked what inspired him to open a restaurant after being a teacher and while being an ad agency executive, his response, "I wanted a new challenge!"  He wanted to provide customers with a relaxing, fun, and inexpensive place to eat and let me tell you, he has.  The atmosphere is artsy and modern but not overwhelming to the point where it feels snooty or out of place.   The staff are all very friendly and welcoming and are very knowledgeable.  According to Mark, 5 out of the 20 employees at FEZ have been there since its conception!

The food?  TO DIE FOR


Following the theme of Moroccan with a twist, Chef John Cook has added a Moroccan flair to well known dishes.  Everything on the menu sounds absolutely amazing but I had to stick to my rules:  The owners favorite dish, the best selling dish, and signature drink.

Mark's favorite thing on the menu:  The Balsamic Blu Cheese Burger

A burger with a balsamic glaze, blu cheese crumbles, and some sort of amazing sauce.  The side salad has a dressing on it that is unlike anything I've ever had.  I'm not sure what it is but holy smokes it's good!  The ciabatta bread is perfectly toasted and seasoned as well.

 The best selling dish:  The FEZ Kisra* 

a flat bread pizza with BBQ sauce instead of tomato sauce, pears and cheese.  It sounds funky but it is wonderfully delicious.

Signature Drink:  Pomegranate Margarita**

FEZ is known for making STRONG drinks.  You definitely get your money's worth here.

*The Kisra is probably the second best selling dish but because Tay was with me and she doesn't eat meat, she went with that one.  It does normally come with chicken we just got it without.

**The Pom Margarita is one of the signature drinks.  The actual signature drink is the G-Spot which is basically a grapefruit martini with a ton of grapefruit.  I can't drink grapefruit juice so I went with this one.

We also had the hummus and flat bread for an appetizer. 

If you go, you MUST get this.  I have never had anything better in my life.  Honestly. 

Coincidentally, my younger sister and her friend showed up just as Tay and I were finishing our meal!  Amy got another kisra that had pesto for sauce, tomatoes and this amazing cheese:

Amy's friend Meranda got the legendary FEZ Burger!  It's got onion rings and another amazing sauce 

I talked to Mark for quite a while in our interview.  He is very friendly and really cares about the community.  He told me that FEZ participates in the Annual Dining Out For Life charity which benefits HIV/AIDS research and awareness.  On that day, FEZ donates 100% of their earnings to benefit local HIV/AIDS research.  According to Mark, they contribute the most out of any restaurant on that day.  They are also very big on doing fund raisers for other organizations.

Being that vegetarian, vegan, organic and local options are huge right now I had to ask Mark about how FEZ accommodates those needs.  FEZ is big on being able to make whatever the customer needs, within reason.  They have many items that are already vegetarian and other dishes that can be made vegetarian and even vegan.  On the issue of being local, he said that they try to be as local as possible.  There are alot of factors to take into consideration when buying local as opposed to out of state, most importantly: cost.  I completely understand these concerns and respect the decision to buy local as much as they can.

Mark is also big on not drastically changing the items that are on the menu.  He said "If you're known for that dish or people really like something you offer, why take it away?"  I really appreciate that about this place.  I have been here a few times in the past and it's good to know that I can come back anytime and still get their amazing hummus and awesome burgers.  Mark said that they still have monthly specials so that there is some "new-ness" available but don't expect the specials to last long.  Apparently after one week of a special being on the menu, it's already sold out.

I want to thank Mark Howard for taking the time out of his busy day to sit and talk with Tay and I for a while.  Mark also owns Bliss/Rebar which are a restaurant and bar, respectively.  Be on the lookout for a review of those as well.