The Raven CafeA "New West" SaloonThe Raven Cafe is what Prescott's Whiskey Row would look like - if it was designed around today's tastes and sensibilities. The Raven's original wood floors, high ceilings and polished 
bar tops pay homage to Prescott's Western origins, but this is a newer,
hipper version of the Old West bar. The whiskey shots and clouds of smoke are long gone. Instead there are some 30 handcrafted beers on tap plus another 350 bottled beers. Then there is the wine list that, for Prescott at least, is truly impressive - around 200 individual wines , all from small production wineries. Pair that with some pretty decent food and you have a place that locals and visitors alike should try. Located just a block North of the Town square on Cortez, The Raven Cafe is housed in a vintage building but, while the building may cause you to glance back in time, the look and feel, the attitude, of The Raven will bring you right back to the here and now. The big open "dining" room is populated with numerous tables, a few overstuffed easy chairs and a couch or two that beckon to a highly diverse crowd that spans all life styles and age groups. The atmosphere is conducive to folks getting together for a beer or a casual meal - or just to listen to the music of a local entertainer. When you gather that many people in one place - with all hard surfaces - it can get loud - just so you know. If none of the above get you going, try the Monday night vintage films - Casa Blanca, Moonstruck, Breakfast at Tiffany's and the like. Still stuck in front of the tube? - ok - check out the top quality art on the walls - all by prominent local artists. Walk up the stairs to 
the soon to be opened roof top patio - complete with water feature,
mosaic walls and custom iron work that will knock your hat in the
creek! .... No? Last chance- How about Water Shed Wednesday - Just one of many environmental awareness programs that The Raven Cafe supports - and lives by in it's daily operations. Alright already - The Raven Cafe is a modern day watering hole and gathering place for people who like beer, wine, art, music, people watching, old movies - are concerned about the environment - did I miss anybody? But what about the food?  The
lunch menu is interesting . There is a Chipotle Chicken
Salad wrap ($9), a Raven Burger
(that looks great and is huge!)($12), a Beet & Chevre salad
($9), quiche of the
day ($7), Falafel ($8) and a whole raft of appetizers including Flat
Bread Pizza ($6) and Hummus & Pita ($6). That's not the whole story though. Breakfast, lunch and dinner all have a "specials" menu. The specials for todays lunch included - A salmon burger ($10), a southwestern seared Ahi salad ($12), a steak sandwich ($9) and a Greek wrap ($8) - with the exception of the Ahi salad all came with fries or a salad. We made our choices and I was elected to stand in the short line at the counter to place our orders. I know some people really don't like having to leave their table to order - but it wasn't bad and the Raven servers do deliver your order and clear the table when you are done. I went for the steak sandwich made with prime rib, peppers, onions and provolone cheese on a Kaiser roll. Really, what I had was a Philly steak sandwich, whatever it was called, the prime rib was well seasoned, the roll was fresh - it was a good sandwich. The paprika fries and the sweet potato fries ( I begged for a half order of each - you know how my wife Loves sweet potato fries!) were very good. Good stuff to snack on while watching a movie or listening to some tunes. One word of warning - the red bell pepper aioli that came with my order, I'm not sure if it was for the fries or the sandwich, smelled and tasted like fish! Not very pleasent. The Southwestern Ahi Salad included a generous portion of Ahi seared in a southwestern rub served on a bed of Butter lettuce, black beans, corn, tomatoes and avocado. The Ahi was seared perfectly - very rare- but the cumin in the rub tended to overpower the Ahi. The veggies ( all organic and locally sourced when available) were fresh and very good. Washed down with a couple of draft beers, this was a good meal in a convivial atmosphere. 
We will return to The Raven Cafe try one of the interesting desserts, catch a performance by some local talent, or maybe even try a Monday night movie, a beer or two and some of those paprika fries. The Raven Cafe is expanding their kitchen, developing a new menu and revamping their Wine Room into an intimate space sporting a couple of small Chef's tables and their own menu. There are occasional wine tastings too - check with the Bar Manager. We will check back on all this stuff and let you know how it turns out.
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