In honor of Spring's rising temperatures and blooming flowers, I recently ate at My Florist (534 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix). No, I wasn't eating daffodil bulbs and rose buds - My Florist is a cafe.
The atmosphere at My Florist is both posh and casual. A baby grand piano sits on a wooden platform, contrasting with the pale green walls and large windows. It's a perfect venue for the hipster downtown art scene.
The menu reflects the sleek atmosphere with items like a Brie salad and Willo chips and dip. Our group ordered the Willo chips, which were actually thin slices of toasted baguette covered in white cheese, with fresh avocado and salsa on the side. Although one member of our party said the salsa tasted like it was out of a can, the cheesy bread and avocado alone were a delicious combination.
One of my dining companions, the SPM editor, ordered the Brie salad (greens, caramelized pears, berries, chicken, Brie and raspberry dressing). She said it was good, but nothing too special. Of course, the cheese was the best part.
I ordered the veggie wrap - the best thing that appeared at our table. It was a mix of sprouts, cucumbers, tomatoes, cream cheese and red peppers in a spinach tortilla - the tastiest veggie wrap I've found in the Valley.
The biggest screw-up of the night came with the soup and half-sandwich combo. One member of our party who detests mayonnaise ordered the prosciutto sandwich, which was supposed to come with ham, pesto and mozzarella. Instead, it was delivered to our table with ham, mozzarella and mayonnaise. When she complained to our waitress about the mayo, the waitress dutifully took it back to the kitchen. When she brought out the sandwich again, it did have pesto - but it also still had mayonnaise.
But like the saying goes, the third time was the charm. The sandwich came out again with the proper ingredients. But by that time, the rest of us had finished eating, and she didn't like her sandwich much anyway.
To make up for the mistake, our waitress offered us a free dessert, and we settled on the chocolate volcano cake - a poor excuse for a typical chocolate souffle cake. The chocolate was a gooey mess with the consistency of warm pudding instead of cake. The best part by far was the vanilla ice cream on top.
Despite the meal's setbacks, it was an overall enjoyable experience, and the large selection of salads, sandwiches, appetizers and wines makes My Florist worth revisiting, despite the lackluster service.
