13 Nov 9th–Nov 15th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | cONTeNTs | feeDBacK | OPiNiON | NeWs | feaTuRe | NighT+Day | culTuRe | film | cafe | music | E veryone’s a little raw about the cost of dining out right now. The $10 lunch is ancient history, the $250+ tasting dinner is back, and everything in between is taking a bigger bite than it did a few years ago. Diners are displeased, and though their frustrations are often misplaced, they’re understandable. Dining in America has long been a story of artifi- cially low prices subsidized by the exploi- tation of somebody (probably a lot of somebodies) in the supply chain. The economic pressures of the pandemic burst the dam, forcing a long-overdue correction that may have eased the pres- sure on some restaurants but also pushed customers into a state of sticker shock. Whether this inspires a capitalistic race to the bottom or a wholesale revolution in restaurant and dining culture remains to be seen. But for eateries like Pa’La, which launched in 2017 with a mission to make fine food affordable to more people, it’s time to adapt or die. As a result, Pa’La 2023 looks a lot different than Pa’La 2017. But the ways it has evolved over the past six years are fascinating, instructive and — thankfully — still delicious. Times (and prices) change Before the second location opened in 2021 with two stories, full service, a lengthy menu and upstairs lounge in downtown Phoenix, Pa’La existed solely as a quaint little restaurant on an unassuming stretch of 24th Street. The downtown location is an excellent restaurant in its own right, but it doesn’t have a fraction of the charm of its older sibling. The whitewashed bungalow with bright blue trim sits nestled off 24th Street behind a small orchard of citrus trees and succulents, hiding a cozy room with hard- wood floors, knitted throw pillows and an open, wood-fired kitchen. A wooden porch that takes up nearly half the lot is a beau- tiful setting when the weather is nice, its tables sitting in dappled shade by day and the faint glow of twinkle lights by night. Here, Claudio Urciuoli — perhaps the most overqualified chef ever to serve $11 entrees — held court for five years, chatting at the counter while baking fresh bread to order, slinging skate and sausage and any premium protein he could procure splashed with imported olive oils and vine- gars on sturdy paper plates with compostable utensils. It was an unconven- tional and oft-misunderstood approach laser-focused on convincing a skeptical public that a carefully crafted sandwich built with premium ingredients at $11 was both a better deal and better for you than a burger and fries at $8. But what happens when that $11 sand- wich costs $13 to produce? Or $16? Or $20? Today, under chef Jason Alford, the orig- inal Pa’La is a different restaurant with a similar — if modified — ethos. But to under- stand the trajectory of Pa’La’s philosophy, it’s instructive to go back to the Source. Sourcing value Urciuoli left Pa’La in mid-2022, and by Christmas, he had launched Source, a new restaurant very similar to the original Pa’La, at Agritopia in Gilbert. The dishes at Source are stunning — a reminder of what a meal at Pa’La used to be, retooled in a way to keep the old price points viable. Urciuoli’s red lentil croqueta sandwich is folded into delicate, steaming flatbread that’s baked to order, glistening with premium olive oil and dusted with a bracing dash of za’atar. Enrobed in cool lemon labneh and thinly shaved cabbage slaw, the croquetas are steaming hot and tender with a crisp shell and an earthy spice. At the risk of channeling a clickbait headline, the chopped salad will shock and amaze you. It looks awfully pedestrian — mixed lettuce with diced vegetables and beans, a little meat, a little cheese, a cabernet vinaigrette and a light dusting of breadcrumbs. But perfect execution and flawless balance turn this plain-faced salad bowl into something exquisite: A bright and vibrant medley that dances with flavors and textures, wild and ebullient in a way you wouldn’t have thought a green salad could be. And the house pizza punches far above its weight class because it’s an exercise in careful sourcing. A blend of imported and domestic premium flours, Bianco di Napoli tomatoes and di Stefano mozzarella from California, Decimi extra virgin olive oil from Umbria and wild mountain oregano from Controne — they all come together and shine with the brilliance of the summer sun when prepared by a skilled hand. The sandwich is $13. The salad is $12. The pizza is only $11. And Urciuoli can do this because rather than leaning on fresh meat and seafood, he has switched his focus to grains and vegetables that are inherently low cost. The wholesale price of $4 per pound might be expensive for lentils, but relatively speaking, lentils are cheap. And $4 is all it takes to get you some of the best lentils in Italy. Through adjust- ments like these, he’s managed to continue serving stellar dishes at low prices. “That’s my principle,” Urciuoli says. “I don’t believe in expensive food.” Pa’La takes a different track Back at Pa’La, Alford responded to rising costs a different way — Duck confit and turnips with a side salad dressed with freshly made huckleberry vinaigrette. (Photo by Mary Berkstresser) Thick, buttery scallops sit in a bed of golden beet puree perked up with curry and lime. (Photo by Mary Berkstresser) Pa’La’s New Groove From quaint lunch counter to fine dining destination, the restaurant has undergone an evolution. By Dominic Armato >> p 15 Pa’La’s signature wood-fired oven and chef Nick Bennett. (Photo by Mary Berkstresser)
