Now LOWDOWN
MAMMA MIA! PASTRIES APLENTY
Belgium-raised pastry chef Jenna Leurquin recently opened a second location of JL Patisserie in Central Phoenix, with the first located in Scottsdale. The retail store and cafe serves French-inspired pastries, breads and croissants. All items are made from scratch, utilizing high-end ingredients while featuring locally sourced, seasonal components. Inspired by Leurquin’s time in France while attending le Cordon Bleu, where she studied pastry and cuisine and went on to specialize in patisserie and bread baking, all breads and croissants at JL are naturally fermented with their sourdough starter. JL also partnered with a local roaster to design a custom blend of coffee, which is served at the Phoenix location. The eatery is also currently developing a brunch menu. www.jlpatisserie.com.
Pomo Restaurant Group recently opened Pomo Pizza, a new casual dining concept. Located at Biltmore Fashion Park, the 1,500-square-foot restaurant is a full-service eatery with an open kitchen with bar seating and a large pet-friendly outdoor patio. Pomo Pizza is a spinoff of Pomo Pizzeria and specializes in varieties of pinsa, pizza Romana and classic-style pizza. The pinsa Romana is a style of focaccia flatbread that predates pizza, with a crisp bottom and airy center. Pizza Romana is a truly authentic Italian dish that is made with natural yeast and 48 hours of leavening-maturation. The menu also includes Italian appetizers, bruschetta, fresh salads and paninis on homemade baguettes for lunch. www.pomogroup.com.
TASTY TAKEOUT
Postino recently launched a community-focused initiative, ramping up its to-go program and helping people at home prepare delicious meals. The locally based eatery is offering curbside pickup specials including a date night-in package ($25), featuring an appetizer, bruschetta board and salad; a kickback pack ($45), which includes a board of bruschetta, three appetizers and a cheese board; and for wine lovers, a wine to-go two- and four-pack ($30 and $55 respectively). For every to-go board of bruschetta, the restaurant will also be donating a meal to No Kid Hungry. The chefs at Postino are also sharing recipes and cooking tips on their social media (@postinowinecafe). www.postinowinecafe.com.
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Uptown April ‘20
PLANTING KNOWLEDGE
The Urban Farm recently started offering free online classes daily. Each weeknight at 5 p.m. through April 17, farmer Greg Peterson will present an hour-long lecture followed by a Q&A session. Topics will include Jump Start Your Spring Garden, Introduction to Permaculture, How to Grow Great Soil, Edible Weeds 101 and more. There will also be movement, yoga and breathing techniques offered throughout the month. The Urban Farm U chat room will be open to connect with people from around the world who are also learning. The Urban Farm podcast also offers over 550 interviews with experts that are free to listen to and explain how to grow everything from apples to zinnias. Visit www.iwanttogarden.com for the free online daily courses. Visit www.urbanfarm.org for more information.