Stock and Stable NOW OPEN (Media Preview + Brunch)

Last week, a couple of the bitches checked out the now-open Stock & Stable!Uptown Phoenix is home to a variety of cuisines ranging from Italian to Asian and plenty in between. Over the last 6 months, we’ve noticed at least a dozen notable openings in the area and this week included one for one of the first and much-anticipated gastropubs in the Uptown area. The Colony on 7th Street and Missouri is already home to the Herb Box, Pure Sushi and now Stock and Stable!

Chef Joe Absolor of The Clever Koi and mixologist Stephanie Teslar from Hotel Palomar are pairing classic American comfort foods and cocktails inside this stylish two-story space at 5538 N. 7th Street.

You can find their menu here. The front of the restaurant features an outdoor dining patio that’s fully covered and shaded from the sun, while still giving you that outdoor dining experience without the heat stroke.Inside, sleek dining tables and copper ceilings create a classy, yet laid-back, dining experienceThe Haymaker drink is only available by the the pitcher and is a mix of Old Overholt rye, Salers aperitif, lemon coridal, mint and seasonal fruit.“…wW decided to make the bar the center of the dining room like on the TV show ‘Cheers,’ rather than an exposition kitchen,” Absolor says. “This is more old school like dining at grandma’s house back in the Midwest – where the food is cooked with love in the back and then brought out to the dining room table for everyone to dig in.” As such, look for a pastoral space with intimate ceilings, muted colors, warm lighting and vintage tile work, including classic herringbone patterns and a mosaic floor under the main communal table reminiscent of a colorful throw rug.And, while we’ve been graciously awaiting the opening of Honor Amongst Thieves, we’re told the lounge will open later this June and feature an extensive list of handcrafted drinks that are reinventions of the classics, as well as a compact menu of cheese and cured meat boards. Showcasing locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, Stock & Stable will feature LUX pastries and desserts and Noble Bread. “We want people to be intrigued, but never intimidated by everything on the menu,” Absolor says. “Like squid ink cavatelli, which combines the familiar with the different in one irresistible package.” Also intriguing is Stock & Stable’s version of the now-ubiquitous beet salad starter, Joe Absolor adds, which they’ve given a unique twist by fermenting the beets to enhance their naturally sweet, earthy flavor and then pairing it with heirloom carrots, goat cheese curds and Marcona almond butter.Stock & Stable is “a real back-to-roots take on the American gastropub but with hints of a casual Italian trattoria,” Joe Absolor says. As in, plate-bending Double Cut Pork Chop with roasted peaches, a house-cured Beef Tongue Pastrami (pictured above) or house-marinated Beer Butt Chicken served with lemon confit and fresh herbs. Plus, enjoy an ever-changing selection of house-made pastas, such as Shrimp Stuffed Cannaloni and Lamb Agnolotti, and salumi boards featuring artisan meats handpicked in Chicago!This rustic, modern restaurant led by head chef/partner Joe Absolor, formerly of The Clever Koi, and managed by Corbin James, formerly of Tarbell’s, boasts an expansive menu of hearty made-from-scratch meals and, with handcrafted cocktails by renowned mixologist Stephanie Teslar who has places like Hotel Palomar and FireSky Resort in her résumé, we know we’re in for a treat. Their cocktail menu is bound in beautiful leather and includes drinks like the Smith & Wesson, which features coconut-infused rum, brown sugar, chai and soda and the Black Hatchet, made with Jenever, blackberry wine, orgeat, fernet, lemon and balsamic. Above: The Cottontail, concocted with brown butter washed scotch, Stiggins pineapple rum, BroVo’s Boomerang, tumeric, honey and garnished with a Thai chili. Fermented Beets combined with heirloom carrots, goat cheese, deep-fried curd balls and Marcona almond butter. Cubano, featuring smoked pork shoulder, coppa, provolone, Tony Packo pickles and yellow mustard.Although housed inside an adaptively-reused former office building, Stock & Stable built out a completely custom space with a cozy dining room seating 180 and centered around a massive bartop where patrons can charge their smartphones at the built-in USB ports. “Even though it’s a new space, we really worked hard to rough up the environment, make it feel a little lived in,” Teslar says. “You can’t have a place named Stock & Stable that looks too shiny and sleek.”It was seriously so good, we went back for brunch, this time with the fam! The girls loved the French toast sticks, served with maple butter and cherries, which reminded me of churros.Plus, our server was smart: She saw we had kids and brought their food out first!The basic (bitch) Breakfast. We’re okay with that because sometimes simple is perfect when done right. These eggs were cooked to perfection and this toast was freshly grilled.Croque Madame was one of the best things my husband’s ever eaten, and I believe him because that same Gruyère sauce is what I believe was on my Benedict and it was a perfect medley of cheese and almost-hollandaise sauce.I ordered the Bernina Bresaola Benedict with arugula, grape marmellata, poached egg gruyère and basil. It had phenomenal flavors: The grape jam complemented the gruyère and it was served on light toast, creating a perfect texture and flavor combination. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.