Grade: B-
While its food was fascinating, the most memorable part of my visit to FEZ was a psychedelic video playing on the restaurant’s large projection screen.
The modern, urban restaurant on North Central Avenue between East Indian School Road and East Osborn Road featured a trippy sequence of digital images that could be described somewhere between creative and terrifying.
At one point, it showed a spider drifting through outer space.
Although I felt distracted by the excessively funky atmosphere, I enjoyed the food at FEZ.
Pears are a namesake theme; they’re featured in the FEZ lettuce wrap, the FEZ salad, the FEZ burger and the FEZ kisra, a personal pizza on thin flatbread.
I figured I should experience a distinct FEZ dish, so I ordered the kisra, with grilled chicken, spicy honey molasses barbeque, red onions, spiced pears, cilantro and manchego cheese. If that sounds like a strange combination of ingredients that’s because it was, but it makes FEZ stand out in the crowd of Phoenix’s modern restaurants.
My kisra had the right amount of spice, which is a rarity in most restaurants, and the serving was large and filling. Overall, I’d give it about one-and-half thumbs up. The only downside is that with so many contrasting ingredients, some of the tastes cancel each other out and end up seeming a little bland.
As complements to the entree, sweet potato fries are the best option for a side and the iced tea isn’t watered down at all.
FEZ clearly puts a lot of effort into bringing unique dishes to Central Phoenix. The food isn’t amazing, but it’s interesting enough for you to tell your friends about the time you had pizza with pears and molasses on it.
By the way, did I mention I had pizza with pears and molasses on it?
The atmosphere will keep your attention, even though they’re trying too hard for a dark and loud nightclubbish vibe.
I paid $12.95 for my kisra and had enough to take a piece home with me. The restaurant’s specials were pricier, ranging from $14.95 to 21.95.
FEZ, open from 11 a.m. to midnight Monday to Friday and 8:30 a.m. to midnight weekends, is one of the best places for downtown students who want to explore Central Phoenix. It’s a short walk from the Osborn and Central light rail station, and it’s the only place I’ve ever seen with floating space spiders.
Contact the critic at john.l.fitzpatrick@asu.edu
