Chow Down Phoenix!

Rating:

We made another trip to Bisbee this weekend. This time we went with my mom and her friend Mari. It was a special occasion to have them out in Arizona, so we went to Cafe Roka for a special dinner. I had never been to Cafe Roka before, but I had read a lot of good reviews.

We made reservations earlier in the day for 5pm, right when they open. Just by chance, it was Friday, which is the one day that they have live jazz every week. The jazz trio started up promptly when Roka opened, and it really enhanced the atmosphere.

We started with a round of drinks. First, there was my Pomegranate Italian Soda ($3), which I just couldn’t pass up. It had a natural, tart flavor and wasn’t overly sweetened.

My wife got a Raspberry Margarita ($7). She said it was her favorite margarita ever because of the unique, fresh raspberry flavor.

In keeping with the red berry theme, my mom ordered a Raspberry Martini ($7).

The meals at Cafe Roka are four courses as a standard. While we waited for the first course we enjoyed freshly baked Italian bread. It was excellent. It was very moist and chewy with a thin, crunchy crust.

We were soon served our first course, which was mushroom potato soup with garlic and herbs. The garlic was strong, but that was good because we needed some defense from all the ghosts in Bisbee!

Next was the salad. It was very fresh, and had a creamy vinaigrette that was one of the best dressings I’ve ever tasted.

The third course was a lime sorbet to cleanse the palette. It was very tart and removed even the strong garlic taste from my mouth. I loved the minimalist presentation.

With our palettes cleansed, the jazz in full swing, and our stomachs begging for more, we were served our entrees. Mari got Spinach Crepes ($15), which she thoroughly enjoyed.

My mom ordered the Flat Iron Steak Salad ($16), which turned out to be the most visually stunning dish of the evening. She doesn’t eat red meat but maybe once or twice a year, but after eating this wonderful dish, she proclaimed “it makes me want to eat red meat again!” She absolutely loved it. Mama, my wife’s mom, ordered the same thing, and she said it was the best meal she’d had in her life.

My wife got the Herb Roasted Chicken ($17). She thought it was heavenly. It was a half chicken, and she normally doesn’t like eating chicken breast because its dry and lacks flavor, but that wasn’t the case with this dish. It was extremely moist and tender meat, and every bite was full of flavor.

In my tradition of ordering overly spicy food that I can’t eat when I’m in Bisbee, I got the Spicy Sausage Penne Pasta ($17). The vegetables were amazing. I believe they were all locally grown. They were so fresh and flavorful, they made me want to become a vegetarian. Imagine that. The sausage was seriously spicy though, and it got to be too much for me about halfway through the dish. I had to call it quits. I did the same thing at The Bisbee Grille last time when I ordered a spicy Chipotle pasta dish that I couldn’t finish.

Even though we were stuffed, we had to try dessert at Roka. My wife picked the Caramel Pots de Creme with Belgian Waffle ($6). It was good, but the best thing about it was the fresh mango they used to garnish the dish. I don’t know where the heck they got it, but it was some of the tastiest mango I’ve ever had.

My mom ordered the Nutella Crepe ($6). I had never tried Nutella before, and I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor. The crepe was good, but overall, I didn’t think the desserts were as good as the fabulous entrees.

Cafe Roka is flat out the best place to eat in Bisbee. Chef Rod Kass has created an excellent menu, which changes twice weekly, rotating between about 35 different dishes. Considering the quality and artistry, I found it to be a decent value, too. 

Cafe Roka
35 Main Street (Map)
Bisbee, AZ 85603
phone: (520) 432-5153
hours: change seasonally, 5pm-9pm Fri & Sat only during Summer (be sure to call ahead for current operating hours)