Christopher’s Restaurant (Phoenix, AZ)

We were trying to find a nice restaurant for a little celebration dinner and came across Christopher's through some research.  I hadn't heard much about it before, but the little bit I had heard about Christopher's was positive, so we decided to head out to the Biltmore area to try it out.

Christopher's is a trendy establishment, serving the range from pizzas and cheeseburgers to escargot and foie gras, and is located in the Biltmore Shopping Center.  Typically I gravitate more towards restaurants that are less trendy and away from shopping malls, but we decided it was worth a shot.

Lobster Bisque

The base of the lobster bisque was very rich and creamy.  However, I prefer more of a pronounced lobster flavor and there was, unfortunately, no lobster meat as part of the dish.

Escargot en Croute w/ Garlic Herb Butter

This was a delicious variation of escargot I hadn't had before.  Instead of serving with bread, the escargot and butter were covered with a pastry dough and baked.  The escargot itself was nice and tender, while the crust deliciously soaked up the butter and melded well with the escargot.

Wild Mushroom Soup

The soup typically is served with foie gras, but the decision was made to order without.  The base was very similarly rich and creamy as was the lobster bisque, but this had much more of an earthy mushroom flavor as compared to the lobster flavor in the lobster bisque.

Frisée Salad w/ Poached Egg, Bacon, and Sherry Vinaigrette

I absolutely love frisée salads.  Or I really like bacon and eggs on my salad.  Either way, this was a tasty presentation of the dish, if not a little heavy handed with the vinaigrette.

Steamed Mussels w/ Spanish Chorizo in a White Wine Broth

I thought this was one of the highlights of the evening.  Some of the best steamed mussels I've had were from Hopleaf in Chicago.  This dish rivaled the dish in Chicago.  The mussels were quite tender while the chorizo provide an excellent spicy and smokey flavor to the dish.  

Duck Two Ways

While the mussels were one of the highlights to the meal, this was unfortunately one of the lowlights.  I never would have thought presentation would have put such a damper on the excitement of a meal, but this unfortunately did the trick.  It looked as if the duck had been sitting under a hot lamp for about 20 minutes too long.  It was especially unfortunate since the duck itself was actually quite tasty, especially with the confit preparation.  

The fish was prepared excellently, as it had a nice firm flavorful outside, while staying moist on the inside.  Why be so vague?  It's been a couple of weeks since we went here and I quite honestly can't remember what type of fish was served.  Oops....

Lamb Shank

I do remember the lamb shank though!  This was actually one of the better preparations of lamb I have had in a long while.  The meat was more than fork tender; it practically fell off the bone by just looking at it.  The beans provided a nice firm counterbalance to the to the tender lamb, while the accompanying sauce provided a great salty and savory robust flavor.  In addition to these dishes, grilled asparagus and mac and cheese w/ham was also ordered.  

Maybe Christopher's is a little overpriced, but probably not that unexpectedly because of its trendy theme and Biltmore location.  Regardless, it was definitely a meal that was not overshadowed by the few mis-steps along the way.

Sable Kitchen & Bar (Chicago, IL)

Sable Kitchen & Bar is a place that I've been wanting to try for awhile now. One reason is their "American gastro-lounge" small-plates style cuisine, but also because of their cocktail program. Head Bartender Mike Ryan is well known in Chicago, having come from the Violet Hour, and has an enormous cocktail menu, broken up into 9 distinct sections for cocktails alone. As for the dinner menu, Sable allows the majority of the menu to be ordered in half-portions, allowing us to sample a number of different dishes.

Speaking in Tongues | Del Maguey Mezcal Vida, Luxardo Amaro Abano, fresh lemon, muddled strawberry

A deliciously smooth mezcal drink, had the sweetness from the strawberry but a nice smokiness from the mezcal.

Running with Scissors | Hendrick’s Gin, Solerno, Campari, muddled strawberry, lemon

I enjoy gin with most anything. This had a sweetness from the strawberry, an herbal note from the gin, and the compari tied the two together nicely.

Bacon Wrapped Dates, ewe’s blue cheese

A twist on the regular bacon wrapped dates, having been stuffed with blue cheese. Though a bit pricey at $3 each, I feel guilty wishing we had ordered a full plate. The smokiness of the mezcal cocktail paired perfectly with this dish.

Bison Short Rib Sliders: root beer glaze

I wish I ordered a sack of 10 of these sliders. The short ribs were meltingly tender, and the fried onions added texture. The glaze added a nice subtle sweetness, though I wish the root beer flavor was a bit more pronounced. That said, this was probably our favorite dish.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Waffles: bourbon maple syrup

Far better than the last time we had chicken and waffles from Lagniappe, the chicken breast was fried perfectly, to a dark golden brown while staying juicy. The sea salt added a nice salty crunch. The bourbon was a little strong and overpowered the maple syrup, but that is a minor complaint.

Champagne Cocktail | La Marca Prosecco, sugar cube, Angostura bitters, lemon peel

We ordered another cocktail, and tried something a bit lighter. We were split on this one, as Kristen enjoyed it more than the first round of cocktails, while I enjoyed the first two more.

Grilled Peach Flatbread, brie, toasted hazelnuts, honey

We finished with one of the six flatbreads. The sweet peaches melded very well with the brie, making it a nice transition into desserts. This was easily the best value of the night; we probably could have split this alone and been full. We couldn't finish it, especially since we had a few desserts still to come.

Butterscotch Pot de Crème, Brown Butter Pecan Shortbread, Candied Kumquat

Neither of us are the biggest kumquat fans (not that I've ever heard someone say that they are a big kumquat fan...), but these were a necessity due to the richness of the butterscotch. They turned out to be a great match. As decadent as the butterscotch was, we could both have gone for seconds.

Blueberry Crostata, Almond Ice Cream

To end, we ordered a fruit dessert. This was tasty, but a bit overshadowed by the butterscotch Pot de Crème. I wish there was a bit more of the delicious almond ice cream, as it melted away too quickly on top of the warm blueberry sauce.

We thoroughly enjoyed Sable. There are so many items on the menu that we wanted to try but couldn't get to in one trip. Finally, these were the best cocktails I've had yet in Chicago. And they were very strong. We'll be back soon.

Blu Burger Grille (Chandler, AZ)

If you go to a restaurant called Blu Burger Grille, then I guess it shouldn't be that much of a surprise that everything is blue.  Very blue.  Though the style of the dining area isn't really to my liking, the burgers definitely were.

Blu Burger Grille is a "build your own burger" restaurant, meaning there were several options and combinations for us to try.

Bison Burger | Avocado | Sauteed Garlic | Chipotle Mayo

French Fries

The bison burger tasted just like a leaner version of their black angus burger.  The chipotle mayo provided a nice kick while the avocado provided a cooling balance.  The french fries tasted fresh; crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Black Angus Burger | Lettuce | Tomato | Red Onion | Applewood Bacon | Fried Egg

Thick Cut Onion Rings

I love bacon and egg on a burger and this was no exception.  The gooey provolone kept everything together nicely.  The thick cut onion rings were fantastic as well.

If I had one complaint, it was that both burgers were cooked well done instead of the requested medium.  However, the flavor and juiciness of the burgers were not lost.

We came to the Blu Burger Grille on a recommendation and it did not disappoint.  We didn't order one of the many milkshakes offered, but if we come back, we definitely need to try.  Go Blue!

Blackbird (Chicago, IL)

Its rare that I have an opportunity for a midweek lunch in the city, so I decided to make the most of it and try out Blackbird. Having already enjoyed a dinner at Avec, I was very interested to try out the fine dining, 1-star Michelin rated, sister restaurant in Paul Kahan's empire.

Looking at the menu, I figured the best way to try out the restaurant would be the 3-course prix fixe menu. Immediately after ordering, I was brought a few warm slices of multigrain bread and butter topped with salt and herbs. The bread was only okay, as the crust was a bit on the tough side rather than crunchy.

Charred Baby Sepia with Green Tomatoes, Blueberries, Chamomile Almonds, and Cynar

I chose sepia, or cuttlefish, for my first course. The legs were charred while the body appeared to have been griddled. The body was by far the most tender that I've had. I would have never guessed that blueberries and sepia would go well together, and the chamomile almonds added a fabulous nuttiness to the dish. There was a broth at the bottom of the bowl that was relatively flavorless, so I ignored it.

Roasted Chicken and Sausage with Lime Onions, Tamarind, and Smoked Cucumbers

This plate featured white and dark meat bound together to form a "sausage", which was wrapped with chicken skin and roasted. When this plate was served, I just assumed I misread the menu as "Roasted Chicken Sausage", but after seeing other plates get sent out after I was done eating, it appears that they forgot to add the sausage to the plate. Disappointing that the sausage wasn't included, but the chicken was fantastic. I'm guessing that it was initially cooked sous-vide, and was even more tender than the roast chicken I recently had at Graham Elliot. Also, this was served with pickled cucumbers (instead of the smoked cucumbers listed on the menu), providing a nice tart textural contrast. I thought the tamarind was a bit too sweet and was distracting.

Cocoa Gateau with Goat's Milk, Kola Nut, Fresno and Hibiscus Sorbet

This tasted much like it looks. Rich, crumbled gateau was topped with Kola nut in gelee and crunchy meringue forms. There was also a tart hibiscus sorbet that kept everything from being too rich.

I enjoyed my lunch at Blackbird, but I probably won't be back soon. The prix fixe is a great deal, but its a bit too pricey and I've got too many other places (including Kahan's two other restaurants, Publican and Big Star) that I'd like to try before returning.

Mr. Powdrell’s Barbecue (Albuquerque, NM)

On the drive back from Chicago to Phoenix, Dad and I found a BBQ restaurant in Albuquerque, NM that looked interesting to try.  Mr. Powdrell’s Barbecue touts itself as original hickory smoked.  That was enough to sell us so we decided to go in for a bite.

In order to get a nice variety, I went with the beef brisket and pork (with mac and cheese and corn on the cob), while Dad ordered the pork ribs (with BBQ beans, cole slaw, and seasoned fries).

Though I prefer pulled pork vs.chopped pork, it didn't take away from the great hickory smoked flavor and tenderness of the meat.  The brisket was equally as tender and flavorful.  I would have liked a larger piece of corn on the cob, but the mac and cheese was very flavorful.

The pork ribs were equally tasty, with the abundance of meat falling off the bone at the touch of a fork.  There was an interesting twist on the BBQ beans, as they provided a spicier flavor vs. the traditional sweet flavor.

Although we didn't try it (and probably won't since we are never in Albuquerque), Mr. Powdrell's Rockin' Po-Boy Sandwich looks like an interesting and gut-busting option.  It's described as "a hearty monster of a sandwich with BBQ beef brisket, smoked turkey breast, pulled pork, coleslaw dressing, onion rings, and french fries all on a 12 inch french loaf and of course...Mr Powdrell's famous BBQ sauce."  Yikes.

We visited Smoque BBQ while we were visiting in Chicago and I preferred the BBQ served there.  However, Dad preferred the BBQ here at Mr. Powdrell's.  So that gives you an idea of the quality of BBQ served at Mr. Powdrell's.