Location and Hours:1 West Jefferson St.
Phoenix, AZ 85003
1
Tuesday – Saturday 4 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Closed Mondays and Sundays
Happy Hour 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Star Rating (0 – 4): ★★★½
DD Recommended: The Godfrey, Tiramisu, Smashed Chips
Waitress Recommended: The Sidecar
In only six short years, we will all be living in the ’20s. While I’m hoping we do not encounter another prohibition, I’m down to bring back the roar and excitement of taking in a cocktail at a local parlor. Bitter & Twisted plays a role as the downtown Phoenix pioneer of a “Jazz Age” vision.
Tucked away in the 1924 Luhrs Building on Central Avenue and Jefferson Street, the history of the location only adds to the charm and aesthetic of the lounge.
Due to the parlor not being a restaurant (though it does serve food), the patrons must be 21 years or older.
While I’m a freshly 21-year-old woman and by no means a seasoned expert on the finest of liquors, I know what I like and dislike when it comes to spirits, wines, beers, you name it. The drink menu is expansive, so much so that the menu itself costs $5 to purchase. I guess some people want to peruse it in their free time, probably as they anxiously await happy hour.
I’m a fan of darker liquor, staying close to the whiskeys and bourbons of the world. However, with the help of a kind, vivacious waitress, I was assured that Cognac was the way to go.
This persuasive characteristic of hers was a feat in itself, because my experience with Cognac in the past has not been great. Cue the memory of my host brother from Cognac, France, when he made me take shots of the various Cognacs in his arsenal. Mind you, it was during his son’s seventh birthday party. While it made screaming children more bearable, the alcohol content of a true Cognac must be at least 40 percent. So, when it comes to my first Cognac experience, the doses might have been a tad too strong. What a time to be alive.
Willing to experiment, I tried The Godfrey, a VSOP (Very Special Old Pale) cognac base with creme de mure, Grand Marnier, blackberries, a bit of lemon juice and a sprig of mint. Shaken and served on the rocks, the waitress handed it over promising me that it goes down smooth but hits you unwillingly. That’s precisely what I got. Nothing makes you feel more like a lightweight than getting boozy off of a single cocktail. But at $10, it was delicious and I was in no need of seconds.
The drinks in the menu range from retro/traditional like an old-fashioned to martinis the way Hemingway liked them: dry.
The drink I regret not getting is the Tiramisu ($12). Maybe it’s my Italian blood, but anything tiramisu-related should get a blue ribbon if done right. The salvation begins when I say the drink incorporates Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa, chocolate liqueur and mascarpone cheese. Yes, cheese. Take it to the next level and add local cold-brew coffee from Cartel Coffee Lab with a little cocoa snowed on top. A trusted source informed me that it was “la classe” and would be ordered again.
LAST REVIEW: MacAlpine’s
Even with my unfortunate relationship with a gluten-free lifestyle, I’m always lured toward plates filled with things I cannot eat. Luckily, Bitter & Twisted catered to my needs. I took an order of the gluten-free Smashed Chips ($8) from the “small plates” portion of the menu.
Thinking my chips would be a small size, I also ordered the Sweet Potato “Casserole” ($7). Yet the chips were anything but small, with a big bowl filled with medallions of potatoes, thick enough to be soft on the inside but baked enough to be crispy on the exterior. The starchy mass was covered in horseradish crema, a spicy combination of salsa verde and twisted chili sauce, accompanied with a smoked red pepper sauce and avocado. It was a crowd pleaser, and by “crowd” I mean I was dining alone and it pleased me immensely in my solitude.
The sweet potato “casserole” was an interesting companion to my smashed chips, as the dish is rather sweet and has an intense flavor palate, just as the smashed chips did. While both dishes were power plates, I will not be repeating the combination again. The sweet potatoes are cut into squares and grilled in honey-tamari. They are plated on a layer of herb crema and topped with torched marshmallows that are also paired with toasted breadcrumbs, which I omitted due to my gluten intolerance.
Frankly, Bitter & Twisted taps into something that should have been done a long time ago. It’s a place to keep an older crowd around at night, igniting a portion of the downtown area that tends to be dead during the weekdays. If a surge of new businesses can cater to those who live and stay downtown, or entice individuals to stick around after business hours, our metropolitan city might stand a chance at being something exciting. Perhaps Phoenix can wake up from its long-standing slumber just in time to come and party like its 2020.
Contact reporter at angoe@asu.edu
