19 May 22nd-May 28th, 2025 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | to the company’s beverage director, Jax Donahue. He has been making waves in the local drinks scene as of late after honing his skills at top Valley bars and restaurants for close to a decade. Most recently, Donahue was the beverage director of the award- winning team at Barter & Shake’s UnderTow, Grey Hen Rx, Platform 18 and Sunny’s Lounge before joining Pretty Decent Concepts to lead their beverage program. On the food side, the Wood-Fired Beef Tartare appetizer was one of the best we’ve had. Large cubes of raw steak are infused with smoke from the fire. The smoky flavor brings an earthiness that contrasts against a bright, citrus-infused marinade with capers. Piped drops of “egg gel” added some richness. The restau- rant’s tropical, South American theme entered the party with plantain chips. The thin strips added a touch of sweetness and worked as the perfect scoop for the deli- cious tartare. The Cast Iron Brie was closer to a cheese sauce than we’d anticipated, but it was tasty nonetheless, with red grapes, grilled strawberries and smoked pecans. We scooped it up happily with thick slices of toasted bread. After such a strong start, we couldn’t wait to dig into our entrees. Campfire Branzino was tender, but took its name to heart. Blackened fish is a treat, unless the taste of charcoal over- powers any other flavor. The accompa- nying chorizo sofrito, with its mix of tomatoes and potatoes, was spicy and flavorful, but felt random. The jumble might be more at home in a breakfast burrito. The Lamb Chops came with three chops balanced above stewed garbanzo beans. The lamb was tender, but again, charred to the point that the flavor of the aromatic meat was overwhelmed. At its best, live-fire cooking adds a kiss of char, caramelization and an infusion of aromatic smoke. Phoenix certainly has its share of expert grill masters tending fires around town. Filthy Animal flies a little too close to the flame. Dessert woes Until this point, the meal was going well. Amazing drinks, a delicious appetizer and some entrees that, for the most part, were enjoyable. Then a miso cheesecake let us down. A slice of baked cheesecake arrived turned on its side with a quenelle of some- thing like ice cream. A sweet, apprehensive server performed the tableside dulce de leche service, which involved him strug- gling to pour a small ramekin of thick, pale caramel over the slice. One bite raised a quiet concern. Another confirmed that the cheesecake, with the miso souring the cream flavor, was not for me. That’s okay, I thought, I’ll eat the ice cream instead. I took a big scoop only to receive a mouthful of something more similar to frosting. Over the next 15 minutes or so that the plate sat on our table, the scoop never melted. Thankfully, we had a few sips of our drinks left. So we cleansed our palates with the truly exceptional cocktails. Across from the booths in the dapper dining room, there’s an equally gorgeous bar. In the future, we’ll stop by to enjoy a delicious drink or two and a plate of the smoky tartare. Left feeling confused by the wild trajec- tory of this meal, we headed back out to Mill Avenue, dodging the hoards of now drunk college students to rescue our car and leave campus and Filthy Animal to the chaos. Filthy Animal 740 S. Mill Ave., #140, Tempe Cocktails: $14-$18 Small Plates: $14-$22 Mains: $21-$68 Sides, salads and skewers: $12-$18 Lost in the Woods from p 17 The miso cheesecake at Filthy Animal was a miss. (Tirion Boan)
