Like James Bond disguised as a plowman, Vovomeena achieves an appealing balance of rustic and suave. Disassembled wooden boxes zig-zag across the wall and cords of rope, strung from floor to ceiling, cordon off the tables. And the wall installation consisting of beakers, chains, and tubes holding dark liquid isn't really decor at all: it's the coffee brewing system, letting Mornin' Moonshine beans—and, often, spices such as cardamom—slowly drip through to be served the next day, following a Japanese cold-brew system that extracts as much mellow flavor as possible from the beans.

The menu also fancifies classic morning treats. The corn and chili johnnycakes, for example, don't come with plain maple syrup—they sport a prickly-pear-flavored variant. The banana-bread-pudding french toast gets its sweetness and its bite from whiskey caramel, and you can add a Portuguese donut to anything on the menu. The B.M.O.C. stacks up these and about half the rest of the menu, including a huge smoked pork chop, a waffle, and a couple of eggs. Many dishes nod to their Southwestern setting with touches such as the "excellent spicy and moist chorizo," as a Phoenix New Times review put it.

Although it often opens before the sunrise to serve morning commuters scones and other baked treats, Vovomeena isn't strictly a breakfast joint. Weekdays also offer a handful of sandwiches stuffed with bacon, grilled chicken, or other, tinier sandwiches.