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FEZ
3815 N. Central Avenue | 602-287-8700

Rockin' Moroccan Martinis
By Michael J Protocollo

Martinis and French fries first drew me to FEZ. Co-owner Mark Howard understands why.

He calls the central Phoenix restaurant’s offerings “no-brainer food.”

“Basically, we have burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads and pizzas we call Kisras,” said Mark, one of three co-owners of the central Phoenix restaurant. “All have a unique twist on the traditional American take on these items. It’s what makes FEZ unique but attractive to so many people.”

A co-worker was so passionate about the restaurant, and particularly the French fries, that she offered to pay for that first visit. What a nice girl. Being a broke college senior, I had no choice but to accept.

We arrived around 8 p.m. on a Thursday night. The first thing I noticed was the trendy atmosphere. Lots of chrome and earth tones. And then the variety of people Mark was talking about: a mix of well-dressed middle-aged business people and early 20’s artsy, hipster types.

We were seated right away by a friendly host and were immediately asked what we wanted to drink by our equally friendly waiter. My kind of place. 

The drink selection is intense. There are 22 different martinis priced from $8.95 (the majority) to $12.95. They also have a respectable wine list. 

I’m usually a beer type of guy, and even though they serve it, I figured I would look out of place if I wasn’t drinking a martini. I went with one called the Mojo-tini, which the menu describes as “a strong blend of Ronrico rum, fresh mint and lime.” My friend Adrienne ordered the signature FEZ-tini, which has Skyy cherry vodka, lemon juice, lemonade, grenadine and a sugar rim. We both enjoyed our drinks immensely. She liked how the Fez-tini was a little bubbly and not too sweet, and I liked the alcohol content of mine. It was delicious and indeed strong.

According to Mark, the most popular martinis are the Pomtini (Skyy passion fruit vodka, sour, pomegranate infusion) and the Tart Apple-tini (citrus Svedka vodka with apple pucker).

We soon ordered the fries that Adrienne would not stop talking about.

“Anything else?” the waiter asked.

No sir, we really did just come here for martinis and French fries.

There’s a good reason Adrienne is so adamant about the fries, too. They’re incredible. We had the Garlic and Rosemary Fries and the Spicy Harrisa Fries (both $4.95). They came out in large baskets with dipping sauce that tasted like a tangy garlic-ranch. The Spicy Harrisa fries woke up my taste buds with a Moroccan flair.

On a return visit with another friend, we again were seated right away.

I ordered the Patrontini, ($12.95), which is as great as it sounds if you love Patron as much as I do. Patron Silver mixed with fresh oranges and limes and a gran marnier float.

Our waitress was informed and confident as she helped me make menu selections. All appetizers are fairly priced at $9.95, and when she learned I was Pescetarian (I don’t eat meat but I do eat fish), she recommended the Seafood Kibis. 

It looked like regular crab cakes, but with my first bite I could taste the difference. The crispy mix of lobster and shrimp risotta topped with pesto asioto blended together to create a taste so fresh that for a second I forgot you can’t catch fish fresh straight from the ocean in Arizona.

For the main course, I went with the Fez Veggie Burger ($9.95). I have had many veggie burgers in my day, and this one is definitely up there on my list. What set it apart from other veggie burgers was the combination of roasted tomato and goat cheese. And Rather then a normal bun, it was on a wheat Ciabatta.