For centuries, France has been positioned as the leader in winemaking. Ans, almost every year, France is the top wine consumer in the world. The most critically-acclaimed and treasured whites, reds, sparkling and sweet wines come from France. What makes French wines so different from American wines (and why should you come in and try the ones we’ve selected especially for you)?
1.    Emphasis on locality: While American wines tend to emphasize the grape variety, French wines generally reflect the grapes’ “terroir” or the characteristics of the particular location where the grapes were grown. It’s probably because of the centuries of experience and success the French have with making wines that they emphasize terroir. Newer wine regions might discount the importance of terroir, but that’s most likely because they just haven’t experienced the impact of their own wine terroirs yet. It’s also the case that Terroir is a more important issue for fine wines than it is for simple beverage wines. In contrast to the French, most American wines, and especially the less expensive ones, focus on the grape variety. With this mindset, American wines’ main goal is for the flavor to reflect the varietal character of the grape.
2.    Naming. Because of the French’s emphasis on locale, most French wines are named after the place from which the grape originates such as “Burgundy” or “Bordeaux”.  Not surprisingly, American wines are named after their primary grape varieties, such as “Merlot” or “Chardonnay”.
3.    Climate. Many French wines are made in cool or temperate climate regions. These include Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and the Loire Valley. In contrast, only a small percentage of American wine is made in such cool climates. Because they are cool-climate wines, French wines tend to be lower in alcohol, lighter-bodied and higher in acidity than many of American wines with grapes grown in warmer climates. The characteristics of grapes grown and wine produced in the cooler French climates enable many French wines to accompany food more pleasantly than the higher alcohol, fuller-bodied American wines.

If all this talk of French wines has given you a thirst to enjoy a glass, we hope you will try some of wines we are featuring in our wine tasting this month:
Bouvet Brut NV
Louis Jadot Chablis
Louis Jadot Pinot Noir
Chateau Gresac

Arizonans may be surprised to learn that African foods are actually quite varied and plentiful. Africans enjoy a diet rich in dietary fiber that can be quite healthy when the menu is created wisely.

Foods eaten by Africans are natural and unrefined since they are products that can be easily grown at farms near where the people live.

Although Africa is a huge country, most of the foods eaten there are based on common ingredients including

• Beans
• Beef
• Black eyed peas
• Cassava
• Coconut
• Cocoyam
• Goat meat
• Lentils
• Maize
• Melons
• Millet
• Palm oil
• Plantains
• Rice
• Seafood
• Poultry
• Potatoes
• Tropical fruits
• Vegetables
• Vegetable oils
• Wide selection of spices
• Yams

While African foods are often starch-based, they also include good amount of vegetables and meat or seafood. Africans’ diets are low in refined sugars and excess food additives and rich in fiber. And get this; 90% or more of African foods are organic!

Feeling jealous? We’ve got you covered! Come to Tryst in January and try our menu (all entrees are gluten-free!) featuring items common in the African diet including chicken, black eyed peas, delicious spices and tropical fruits!

Braised Chicken with dates, almonds and Moroccan spices over curry rice (spices include ginger, cinnamon, curry, turmeric cayenne pepper)

Grilled Chicken with green olives and lemon over a roasted peanut and turmeric rice

Senegalese Chicken with black eyed peas served with an avocado, zucchini cilantro relish

DESSERT:  Sugar cookies and dried fruit over vanilla ice cream

According to Catholic law, flesh meat includes the meat of mammals and poultry. The main foods that come under this heading are beef chicken, pork, chicken and turkey. While flesh is prohibited, the non-flesh products (butter, cheese, eggs and milk) of these animals are not. Lucky for the fish lovers among us, seafood does not belong to the flesh meat category.

Even if you’re not required to eat fish on Fridays, we’d like to remind you that eating fish is extremely beneficial to your health. It is high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids (heart-healthy!), vitamins and minerals. Eating fish on Fridays is a great routine to establish for everyone. In fact, the American Heart Association recommends that we get at least two servings of fish per week to help lower blood pressure, prevent heart disease and reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.

As an extra-special treat for all of you this holiday Season, Tryst Café has created a December menu that includes some unique and healthy seafood dishes.

Not to be missed and offered this month only at Tryst Café:

• Crab Cakes with spicy aioli and a roasted corn and black bean compote
• Shrimp & Mussel Pompedori Pasta
• Cioppion – mussels and shrimp in a tomato herb broth

We are also offering our ongoing Friday feature of our ever-popular Fish Bake/Fry. Because our customers love beer with their fish, we suggest pairing your Fish Bake/Fry meal with Bison Draft Beers. The Fish Bake/Fry meal is available for both lunch and dinner. Enjoy all-you-can eat fish just $9 for lunch and $15 for dinner!

Sure, you could suffer through a tuna sandwich, soup or macaroni and cheese on Fridays or you could come in to Tryst Café and try one of our seafood taste sensations. (See you soon!)

As you may know, seafood is a very good source of vitamins, minerals and proteins. Many types of seafood are low in fat (most of its fat is unsaturated – like omega-3 fatty acids – which is the good type of fat), sodium and cholesterol. It is also packed with vitamins including A, B6 and B12 and minerals including iron, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.

How can coming into Tryst and ordering one of our seafood dishes regularly benefit your health? Studies show it can:

1. Aid in weight loss
2. Boost the immune system
3. Help prevent arthritis, cancer and osteoporosis
4. Improve heart functions
5. Lower blood pressure
6. Protect against bronchitis and emphysema (associated with smoking)
7. Reduce depression and the risk of heart disease
8. Support optimal eye, nerve and brain development in children

As you can see, the influence seafood can have on our health is extraordinary,  so below are some dishes Tryst Cafe offers that can bring you such benefits.

AHI WONTON CUPS – Ahi mixed with a sriracha aioli in five wonton cups. Green onion frieze’ sweet soy drizzle and sesame seeds

TALAPIA TACOS – Tilapia served in warm, soft, tortillas with pepper jack cheese, cabbage, mango salsa and chipotle ranch dressing served with cilantro rice, guacamole and beans

SALMON NAPOLEON – Served over a lemon asparagus risotto

SEARED AHI SALAD – Cajun crusted, seared, ahi tuna, organic greens, daikon sprouts, grilled portobello mushrooms, carrots and grape tomatoes tossed with a honey lime vinaigrette and topped with a wasabi aioli and wonton crisps

GRILLED SALMON – Roasted tomato, lemon parsley on a brioche bun with sweet potato tots

And to ensure that you get your weekly serving of seafood, we bring you our Friday Fish Bake/Fry! Make it a weekly tradition to stop by for either lunch or dinner and indulge in all-you-can-eat cod. Pair it with a Bison draft beer for a meal you look forward to every week!

Best new Restaurant 2011, Phoenix Magazine
Each September, Phoenix Magazine selects the Valley’s 23 best new places to chow down, from cafes to canteens to classy joints to comfort food.
What do they like about Tryst Café?

• Relaxed, classy mood
• Numerous windows and open air architecture
• Colorful, contemporary, Asian-style fabric wall hangings
• Friendly staff
• Comfortable for everyone from kids to couples to those dining solo
• Streamlined wood furniture
• Parisian-feeling patio with plastic drape protection

Their list of “must-trys” is quite extensive:

• Sweet potato tots (represented in the November 2011 issue of Phoenix Magazine)
• Organic China Mist teas (with a beautiful manufacturing plant and executive offices right in Scottsdale!)
• Portobello sandwich (which comes with those sweet potato tots)
• Desert Ridge Summer Rolls with Daikon sprouts, shredded carrots, celery, cabbage, red onion and mango wrapped in rice paper and accompanied by a sweet and spicy chili mango dipping sauce
• The Hawaiian Breakfast featuring our house-smoked kalua pork
• The Monte Cristo Sandwich overstuffed with ham, Gruyere cheese and topped with strawberry jam
• Bring It On Burger with capicolla ham, buffalo mozzarella cheese, roasted tomato and pesto sauce
• Local Beer Battered Green Beans (Recognized in  the October issue of New Times  in their “best of” for best use of green beans”
• Organic Spirits  including wine,  tequila , vodka and beer

Best of 2011 – Best Breakfast, North Phoenix, New Times
Narrowing it down a bit to just one type of meal, Phoenix New Times recently awarded Tryst Café “Best Breakfast”. To what do we owe this award?

1. Sweet potato tots…for breakfast!
2. Reasonably priced
3. Organic Coffee
4. Extensive list of gluten free options
5. Organic mimosas and bloodies
6. Belgian waffles (buttermilk, multi-grain or even gluten-free smothered in bananas foster, strawberry cheesecake or candied walnuts
7. New Times, like Phoenix Magazine, also singled out our unbeatable Hawaiian breakfast

Best of 2011 – Best Use of Green Beans, New Times
You may think you’ll never get your kids to eat green beans, but think again if they’ve never tried our Local Beer Battered Green Beans. Maybe it’s the beer, but kids of all ages can’t get enough of these fun, crispy treats. Served with choice of dipping sauce in Ranch, blue cheese, chipotle, sriracha aioli, pesto and cilantro dressing, these are a great starter for a hungry family. They offer an excellent source of  complex carbohydrates, fiber and protein. They’re also packed with folic acid and molybdenum.  They provide significant amounts of iron, potassium, magnesium phosphorus and manganese. The kids may not know why these are good for them, but they’ll sure know they love them!

Remember how we mentioned those tots Phoenix Magazine was raving about in the Best New Restaurant listing? We just found out they just won the Best Tots award!

Hope you’ll stop in soon to enjoy our award-winning menu items!

Who is this dynamic duo? They’re hometown boys! Tod is a native of Phoenix and a graduate of Moon Valley High School. He currently plays with one of the Valley’s hottest bands, The Walkens (www.TheWalkens.com). He is also a SCUBA instructor! Ethan hails from Prescott and Prescott High School. He has played with every band in town at some point and can be heard on countless local musicians’ CDs as a studio player. He currently plays with another local favorite, EastonAshe. (www.EastonAshe.net)

This talented guitar and voice duo is influenced by a long list of popular artists including:

• Bob Schneider
• Bob Seger
• Bruce Springsteen
• Jack Johnson
• James Taylor
• Jason Mraz
• Jimmy Buffett
• John Mellencamp
• Led Zepplin
• Maroon 5
• Metallica
• Mumford and Sons
• Rage Against the Machine
• Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers
• The Avett Brothers
• The Beatles
• The Eagles
• Third Eye Blind
• Tonic
• Victor Wooten
• And more!

Can you say, “versatile”?

Tod & Ethan have played countless local establishments, corporate functions, private parties and weddings. Besides finding them at Tryst on Monday evenings, you may run into them at one of their gigs at Wild Horse Pass Casino (poolside), Armitage Wine Bar in DC Ranch, O’Donaghues Irish Pub in Scottsdale, Primebar in Scottsdale Quarter or Sandbar in Peoria.

Of course, the BEST place to enjoy Tod & Ethan’s music is Monday nights, at Tryst, chilling with a Bring It On Burger on your plate and a Organic Bison IPA in your grasp.

Why do we deserve to be nominated for Best Breakfast in Phoenix? Many reasons…

1. We understand that what you choose to eat for breakfast is important, affecting your physical and mental performance, your mood, your weight and ultimately, your long-term health. We know that a good breakfast gives you the vitamins and minerals you need for good health and the energy you need to face the day.
2. We have seen the research which shows that eating first thing in the morning helps to stabilize blood sugar levels which control energy and appetite.
3. Our menu offers the starchy foods that provide you with B vitamins, energy, fiber and iron. Our bagels, English muffins, flapjacks, Belgian Waffles, French toast, cereals and Steel-cut oatmeal are all good sources of energy that will help you kick-start your metabolism. Oh, and did we mention they’re all low in fat too?
4. We offer plenty of fruits and vegetables which are good sources of fiber and vitamins. Breakfast is a perfect time to start with at least one of the recommended five portions a day of fruits and vegetables. You can start your day off right with our fruit salad or yogurt parfait served with seasonal fruit. At Tryst, you also have the option of drinking your fruit! If you like it simple, start with a glass of cranberry or apple juice. For a bolder move, go with a strawberry-banana or seasonal fruit smoothie or our Pomegranate Acai Blueberry or Kiwi-Passion Fruit Kefir!
5. Our menu offers plenty of choices in the milk and dairy category to give you B vitamins, calcium and protein. You can get these benefits from our Yogurt Parfait or Kefir drinks which are yogurt-based. If you like eggs, our omelet dishes are oozing with calcium-rich cheese! Try our Cheesy Omelet with pepper jack, Gruyere and white cheddar, our Veggie Omelet with yellow cheddar or our Tryst Omelet with buffalo mozzarella.
6. We offer plenty of dishes with meat, fish and eggs which are great sources of iron, protein and vitamins. For a high-protein breakfast, we have many options including our Chorizo and Eggs, Meat Lovers Omelet, Steak and Eggs, Breakfast Burrito, Hawaiian Breakfast and Monte Cristo.

With all we do to serve you a good breakfast to help improve your concentration, mental performance and mood, we hope you will nominate us for Best Breakfast!

To submit your nomination, click here. Thank you and enjoy!

Actually, Steel-cut oats (also called pinhead oats, coarse-cut oats and Irish oats) are grown in fertile plains of Ireland and refer to whole grain groats. They are gold in color and resemble small pieces of rice or chopped nuts. The inner portions of the oat kernel are cut into two or three pieces by steel rather than being rolled as are traditional oats. Because of their minimal processing, Steel-cut oats take longer to prepare than instant or rolled oats. We typically simmer them for 15–40 minutes. The flavor of Steel-cut oats is nutty and they have a chewy consistency due to the cutting process.
Benefits of Steel-cut oatmeal:

• made up of essential grains that are inherently full of nutritional value. According to the USDA, whole grai
• reduces high blood pressure and cholesterol
• helps prevent cancer, heart disease and diabetes
• helps flush fat and cholesterol out of your system
• provides powerful antioxidants that help you look younger, stay healthier and live longer
• high in B-vitamins
• high in calcium
• high fiber (One cup of steel-cut oatmeal contains 8 g of insoluble fiber!)
• high protein
• low sodium
• low unsaturated fat
• not processed, so likely retain more vitamins and minerals
• takes longer to digest so you stay fuller longer because the inner part of the oat kernel has not been flattened but instead has been cut into more than two pieces

For all these reasons, we believe Steel-cut oatmeal is the best option if you have to choose between this type of oatmeal, traditional rolled oats or quick oats. With their nutty, crunchy taste, heartier, more satisfying texture, Steel-cut oatmeal is a great option for those seeking a healthful breakfast.

Our gluen-free baking genius friend is Julia Lersch, from Julia’s Bakery. When Julia was diagnosed with celiac disease, she began the journey of developing recipes for irresistible gluten-free treats including cakes, cookies, muffins and more. Because she is a celiac herself, she is extremely careful to take the precautionary measures necessary to prevent cross contamination; this even includes using a gluten-free dedicated facility so no wheat even enters the building. Julia says, “We celiacs are careful about the risks and understand how our bodies will react; we become good at making decisions about what is ok and what is not. It is just nice having some options; it was not this good when I was diagnosed.”

When we heard about her gluten-free desserts, we just had to taste them for ourselves. After tasting all of them, two of them stood out to us as treats we simply had to offer to our guests:

Gluten-free mini-cupcakes: These amazing little gems are made with the yummiest cake in town. They are soy-free and are adorned with Julia’s signature cream cheese frosting made with all-natural buttery spread. The cupcakes themselves are all natural as well except for 1 tiny little ingredient – the red food coloring for the red velvet cupcakes! In addition to the red velvet, Julia makes us 3 other irresistible flavors: carrot, lemon and chocolate.

Gluten-free cinnamon rolls: Never heard of gluten-free cinnamon rolls? Neither has most of the rest of the nation, as only 1 other known bakery has attempted this feat. Julia has not only attempted it but has succeeded brilliantly with her recipe. 

“My original recipe for gourmet cinnamon rolls has always been great, but coming up with a gluten-free version was a real challenge. Many “GF” baked goods I came across were too dense and card board-like and they lacked real flavor. When I finally nailed it, I knew I had something”, Julia says.

The cinnamon rolls are made from a soft gluten-free dough wrapped around ooey-gooey cinnamon sugar. They are fluffy with no hint of grittiness or chalkiness. And you know that bizarre after taste that you dread in some gluten-free recipes? No worries with Julia’s cinnamon rolls. All you’re left with is the joy of savoring this sweet and cinnamon treat and the wonderment of when you’re going to score your next one!

The fermentation process

Fermies love Kombucha, a fermented beverage with ancient roots in Japan, China and Russia, because they believe in the benefits of this fermented drink. If you haven’t heard of Kombucha before, you may be surprised to learn that the beverage market share of Kombucha jumped from $80 million nationwide in 2008 to $324 million in 2009!

Fermies are fans of live-culture ferments with foods that maintain living yeast, bacteria or both at the time of consumption. For hardcore fermies, coffee, bread, yogurt and pickles are not considered as advantageous because they are heat-treated after the fermentation process which kills off the live microbes.

In Kombucha, a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) is added to a jar of sweet tea. After 10 days, the bacteria will have consumed 95% of the sugar, leaving alcohol, lactic acid and B vitamins.

Devotees of Kombucha claim that its benefits include:

• Clears acne
• Relieves heartburn
• Soothes headaches
• Reduces acid reflux
• Detoxifies the body
• Enhances the immune system
• Prevents and treats arthritis
• Reduces the symptoms of fibromyalgia, anxiety and depression

While nutritionists and scientists aren’t all convinced of its nutritional value yet, our customers can’t get enough of our delicious Kombucha drinks. Stop by today and try one of our exotic flavors!