17 Nov 9th–Nov 15th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | cONTeNTs | feeDBacK | OPiNiON | NeWs | feaTuRe | NighT+Day | culTuRe | film | cafe | music | on a smooth, creamy texture that almost smacks of rich, fatty pâté. And a yuzu semi- freddo cake topped with raspberry and rooted in thick pistachio butter is simple, elegant and impressive. But Pa’La saves its best value for Tuesday night’s communal dinner — a format so well received that it’s recently come to the downtown location as well. Find a seat at the community table Alford wasn’t gunning for cheap fine dining. His thought, in the wake of the 2020 restaurant apocalypse, was to offer a casual community table on a quiet week- night where folks could share some good food and wine and shake off the antisocial fog of the pandemic doldrums. He’s certainly done that, and Pa’La’s porch is an ideal home. But in conceiving the communal dinner, Alford has inadvertently created a sort of casual fine dining experience that includes some expertly crafted cuisine at a price point far lower than similar tasting menus around town. Dinner starts with little fanfare, the chef doesn’t have a scripted spiel for every course, and the wine — one white, one red — sits on the table for you and your neigh- bors to pour whenever you please. Hardly a fancy-pants production, it plays like a dinner party where the informal presenta- tion is what makes the price point viable. The food, however, is anything but casual. Disarmingly plated family-style, to be shared with your neighbors, Alford and Bennett’s community menu mirrors the sophistication of Pa’La’s regular menu. Gargantuan, plump langoustine arrive as a crudo, a loose nori hand roll filled with sushi rice and dressed with shoyu. Buttery, thick scallops — expertly seared — grace a golden beet puree with hints of curry and lime. Rings of fresh squid in parsley sauce are a bit of a misfire, arriving tougher than they should be. But roasted turbot served in the same style as the snapper is almost worth the price of admission alone, a gleaming piscine specimen roasted to a deep golden hue, meltingly tender in spots and brac- ingly crisp in others. By the time the Iberico pork arrives — a New York cut this time — not only can’t my newfound compatriots believe it isn’t beef, but they’re so well fed that we spend the next 15 minutes offering the last few slabs to each other. Everyone gets their own dessert, which is wise because the crowd is well sauced at this point and someone’s bound to lose a digit in the scrum. But in the afterglow of a fine meal and a couple glasses of wine, I can’t help but appreciate that Pa’La, though very different from the restaurant that blew my mind in 2017, has managed to maintain both its mission and its integrity through a chef change, a pandemic and a conceptual makeover. No one wants to be forced to adapt. But sometimes good things happen when we do. Pa’La 24th Street 2107 N. 24th St. 602-795-9500 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 6-10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 5-9 p.m. Sunday. Tapas $7-$20; Vegetables $10-$12; Sandwiches $18-$20; Large plates $20- $62; Tuesday Community Dinner $85; Wednesday Vegetarian Omakase $65. Muffuletta sandwich with calabrese, mortadella, prosiutto, olive relish and pecorino served on homemade Italian flatbread. (Photo by Mary Berkstresser) Pa’La on 24th Street. (Photo by Mary Berkstresser)
