Humility seems like a quantity in short supply these days. Whether it’s social media influencers showing us carefully curated versions of their lives that highlight the good while ignoring the bad or the President claiming that his high IQ will protect us from any adverse effects of artificial intelligence, there seems to be little interest in modesty in public life. With that in mind, when a person or business claims to be humble, there is often a perception of ironic intent. That may very well be the case with Humble Bistro, an Italian-influenced restaurant in downtown Phoenix.
Humble Bistro is descended from Humble Pie, a pizza place that originally opened in Scottsdale with a name that evoked not only the idea of eating humble pie as a show of contrition after an error, but also the band founded by Peter Frampton and Steve Marriott. The original Humble Pie no longer exists. Instead, Humble Bistro now operates in multiple locations with the downtown one situated in the Adeline apartment building just a block away from the Third Street platforms on the A Line. The Downtown Hub where the A and B trains intersect is also a short walk away.
Adeline boasts many amenities for its residents, including a dedicated rideshare pickup and dropoff area, but it is somehow one of the few new housing developments downtown without any obvious bike racks. A solitary one is found diagonally across the street outside a parking garage. Adeline’s design also does not allow for any outdoor patio dining, but the dining room does benefit from plenty of natural light, as well as a view of passing trains and any crowds of fans that may be present in the vicinity for basketball, baseball, conventions, or concerts.
The interior of the restaurant is designed to evoke an urban, slightly old school feel with white tile, dark wood, and photos from another time. There is also plenty of wine on display both in a glass-enclosed room by the entry and in boxes near the host station. The wine program may be an attempt to offer an affordable experience that feels slightly sophisticated and upscale – much like the “bistro” that has replaced “pie” in the restaurant’s name as the restaurant has evolved to incorporate varied international influences that have expanded the kitchen’s original scope.
To be sure, there is still pizza, made with the soft sourdough crust that Humble began with at its original concept. There are four varieties of oblong pizzas suited for two to share, including the Garden Party, a meatless pie with red peppers, onion, basil, and wild mushrooms, and the Gentleman, a spicy pizza with Italian sausage, sautéed leeks, hot honey, thyme, and chili oil. In both cases, the usual mozzarella is augmented with dollops of ricotta. The Maximus goes all out with multiple meats, and the Classy Girl is based on a traditional margherita model of simplicity.
Humble also offers “ettas,” essentially a smaller format pizza with bruschetta toppings. Because these are based on the same dough as the pizzas, the resulting planks are fluffier than typical crisp slices of baguette. Topping combinations include thin slices of capicola with fig compote, arugula, and goat cheese or smoked salmon with jalapeño cream cheese. The pizza dough sees one more use in creating sandwiches like a short rib grilled cheese in which tender beef is paired with cheese both inside and outside the chewy bread that contains the meat and dairy.
The bistro menu has more pasta dishes than pizza, and they match the pies as appealing entrees. Short rib reappears in a creamy sauce with mushrooms and ribbons of al dente peppardelle. Cremini sacchetti is a meatless dish, also with mushrooms in an indulgent sauce. Likewise, the Not-so-Humble lasagna, one of a few instances of this wordplay, is a vegetarian option with ricotta and a duo of marinara and bechamel sauces. Pasta rosa with meatballs and chicken parmigiana are lively versions of familiar “red sauce” Italian-American favorites.
Salads include a Caesar, another dish boldly labeled “not so humble,” that is energized by a top layer of charred Brussels sprouts and a soft-boiled egg; a wedge with a bit of spice from jalapeño goat cheese; and a surprisingly nuanced house salad with queso fresco and pepitas offering contrasting tastes and textures over a base of romaine and arugula. Appetizers include a caprese salad, wings, and the inevitable crispy cauliflower dish, all well prepared with a mixture of Italian and international influences. Many of these items appear in antipasto platters.
Desserts are a bargain here with classics like tiramisu, banana pudding, and coconut cream pie all less than $10. Occasionally, though, the kitchen will produce something seasonal like a recent carrot pumpkin cake at a slightly higher price point and larger size suitable for sharing. The beverage menu leans heavily towards wines with both mass market brands and some less common vintages offered. Although the restaurant has a full bar, even many of the cocktails are wine-based with a “winearita” of pinot gris augmented by flavors of citrus fruits and cucumber.
“Social,” or happy hour, pricing before 5 PM each day offers substantial discounts on selected appetizers and wines, making this a suitable destination before an event at one of the nearby sports venues. As much as a return to humility might be good for our civic health, it is not an unwelcome development that Humble Bistro may not be so humble anymore. The restaurant has grown beyond its original pizzeria format, opened multiple locations, and the upside is that all that expansion and development has landed the restaurant right in downtown Phoenix.
222 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix AZ 85004
https://www.humblebistro.com/
