The phrase “dead end street” doesn’t usually have a positive connotation. Literally, it means only one way in and out. Figuratively, it suggests a failed project. Maybe that’s why the fancier sounding “cul-de-sac” has become the preferred wording. In Midtown, many local streets were converted to cul-de-sacs two decades ago in order to mitigate traffic in the adjacent Willo historic district. For Oven+Vine, a restaurant on the boundary between Willo and the Midtown commercial corridor, an address on a literal dead-end doesn’t have to lead to a dead-end meal.
To clarify, when the streets connecting Willo to Central Avenue were altered, passages for pedestrians and bicyclists were preserved, but motor vehicles have since had to turn around at or near First Avenue. This means that those arriving by car can approach Oven+Vine only from Central Avenue. Fortunately, Encanto/Central station on the B Line is just half a block east of Oven+Vine’s location on Vernon Street. A bike rack, a natural accommodation in light of the nearby Third Avenue two-way cycle track, is found in front of the small coffee house next door.
Oven+Vine occupies the back half of a vintage building with a generous patio providing most of the restaurant’s seating. The mist-cooled outdoor dining area includes cornhole equipment and is a friendly environment for families dining with children, as well as dogs. Inside, there’s a warm lounge-style atmosphere that resembles a living room. The building is full of brick, both inside and out, and there’s a cozy fireplace within the indoor dining room. The restaurant was originally full service but has since converted its operations to a more casual order-at-the-counter format.
The rustic look goes well with the theme suggested in the restaurant’s name. Most of the food is roasted, braised, or baked in a brick oven in the open kitchen, and the menu focuses on dishes that pair well with the small bar’s wine offerings, along with some cocktails and a changing selection of craft beer. Despite the emphasis on the oven, one way to start a meal is with a charcuterie-and-cheese board that doesn’t require any time inside the brick beehive. Boards are available in vegetarian, meat, and spicy versions, largely differentiated by their cured meats.
Salads begin with a base of greens and then add roasted or smoked ingredients. The Encanto salad is simple but effective with butter lettuce topped with shaved parmesan and crisp bacon. Others involve a foundation of field greens with roasted vegetables or soppressata. All salads come with a choice of creamy Italian or parmesan peppercorn dressing. The warm vegetable appetizers include earthy roasted mushrooms, fingerling potatoes with rosemary, an assortment of olives, and assorted roasted seasonal vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, and beets.
Bread is not only provided alongside many entrees, but the dough also serves as a foundation for oblong flatbreads ideal for two to share along with a salad or a side dish. Many, such as the margherita, the most traditional, as well a white pizza with mozzarella and pesto, are familiar from pizzeria menus around town. Others like the spicy El Diablo involve fiery ingredients like jalapeños and spicy soppressata. Many of the cured meats and roasted vegetables found elsewhere on the menu are used often as toppings, as is local favorite Schreiner’s sausage.
While many items at Oven+Vine are meant to be shared, sandwiches make sense as a hearty meal for one. The selection is small but well crafted. The “Bacontrarian” is exactly as it sounds: loads of bacon with lettuce and tomato. A soppressata sandwich is equally meaty, while the roasted vegetable sandwich is a vegetarian counterpoint. The Nila Monster is a spicy creation with abundant slices of a hotter type of soppressata and jalapeño remoulade. Sandwiches are served with chips or a side salad with the option to upgrade to fingerling or au gratin potatoes.
The heartiest entrees on the menu are identified as “specialties.” These are braised meats, combined with assertive sauces, and served with vegetables or potatoes, either roasted fingerlings or au gratin, as a side dish. Supple pulled chicken or pork are served in a mild green chili sauce while the baby pack pork ribs are marinated in a tangy house-made barbecue sauce. One last category of entrees is a selection of baked pasta dishes. Penne is served in rustic metal dishes with ricotta cheese and marinara or rosa sauce and the option to add sausage.
For dessert, there’s an indulgent chocolate torte and tiramisu, as well as two or three flavors of gelato. The first item is decadent and satisfying, the latter offers a dense espresso flavor often lacking in lesser versions of this popular sweet. The small but full bar focuses on local and craft beer selections from breweries like Fate and Wren House. The wine list is more global in its approach with both domestic and foreign representation via vintages like Unknown Author cabernet sauvignon from California, Fini pino grigio from Italy, and Pink Flamingo French rose.
An addition to the beverage menu since the restaurant’s opening is a selection of cocktails, mostly updated classics such as margaritas and Manhattans. Non-alcoholic options include bottled Mexican Coke, San Pellegrino fruit soda, and a few mocktails. The truncated street that is home to Oven+Vine provides a quiet atmosphere for drinks and dinner despite the presence of Central Avenue just half a block away. With its focused menu and neighborly atmosphere, the restaurant confirms that an address on a cul-de-sac doesn’t have to lead to a dead-end meal.
PHX Rail Food 