The Gist: http://www.scottsdaleprincess.com/dining/bourbon-steak
The Why: My friend Michael had suggested we check out something for Arizona’s restaurant week and while I generally do not fancy the “RW” concept due to limited menus, rushed service, and the sort of diners who only visit high end dining locales during such “events” I figured that if anyplace could do it right it would be a top end steakhouse from one of America’s greatest restaurateurs – Michael Mina. A fan of Mina’s upscaled takes on American classics and having visited his restaurants in Michigan, California, and Baltimore I was additionally impressed by the Restaurant Week menu at Bourbon Steak and the location less than two miles from my office at the Scottsdale Princess Resort really couldn’t be overlooked.
The Reservation: A bit convoluted, this reservation was set up by Mr. Ed Tracy, the GM at Michael Mina’s NobHill Tavern in Las Vegas – a man I’d met during my visit to Bourbon Steak Detroit a number of years back who’d apparently been keeping tabs on my blog ever since. Having originally reached out to me regarding a reservation at Nobhill that I unfortunately had to take a raincheck on (Christmas, I’m hoping) due to the delayed closing on my house Mr. Tracy offered to arrange for our reservation at Bourbon Steak on short notice and although he certainly did not owe me such a thing I was happy to accept as there are few things better than a good meal to take the edge off of life’s stress.
The Space: Bourbon Steak Scottsdale, much like the Detroit iteration, is big and swanky with lots of wood, high ceilings, and lacquered tables all befitting the resort and the price point. Light on linens, heavy on stonework, wood, and brushed metals I like to think of this design as steakhouse chic – an elegant place for people with the necessary means to feed their carnivorous urges in style – it could be Mastro’s, Cut, or any of the others…not a negative, just a fact.
The Service: Ignoring the oddities of checking in at a hotel restaurant in Scottsdale – the forced valet, the ‘central’ podium, and the long hallways service was everything you’d expect from a Mina restaurant; personable and informed, expeditious but never hurried, and happy to discuss their fondness for the restaurant’s patriarch. Taking into account the fact that our reservation was arranged as it was I’d be foolish to say that a trio of visits from GM Anibal Macias was something every other diner should expect but all things being equal it seemed every table was well taken care of by Anibal’s team and our server, Christina, never left us for want even when performing some of Mina’s famous tableside preps across the room.
The Food: Amuse, Bread Service, 1 Restaurant Week Menu, 1 appetizer, 1 main, and 2 extra (comped) desserts plus coffee and a parting gift.
Amuse Bouche – Trio of Duck Fat Fries including Smoked Paprika-BBQ Sauce, Pepper Dusted-Rosted Garlic Aioli, and Fine Herbs-Onion Ketchup: Known in the past for his ‘trios,’ at his San Francisco Flagship the meal at The Princess started the same as that at MGM Detroit with a trio of perfect French fries each dusted with a signature spice blend and matched to a complimentary condiment. Crunchy on the exterior and just a bit toothsome within I’m still not exactly sure that I’m ‘sold’ on the way so many chef’s flaunt the use of duck fat for fries but all things being equal these were really good, particularly the fine herbs interpretation.
Foie Gras Duo with Roasted Bing Cherries and Almond Streusel: While I generally eschew the restaurant week menu it was the non-RW appetizer that would prove to be the biggest failure of the meal and, perhaps, the biggest food failure I’ve had since moving to the valley – simply stated, this was a piece of foie that should have never made it to the kitchen let alone to the table. Undersized, overcooked, poorly cleaned, and still somehow lukewarm on arrival there was really nothing to like about the seared portion of liver aside from the cherries – and least of all the veins and sinew zigzagging the palate. Moving on to the second half of the duo a creamy terrine beneath cherry gel was presented and paired with buttery brioche it was nearly good enough to save the plate – but not quite, particularly as Christina’s response to our complaint was simply taking the dish off of our bill rather than suggesting the chef take a second try with a better piece of foie gras and more attention to detail.
Caramelized Black Mission Figs- Spicy Sopressata, Preserved Lemon Ricotta: Rather horrified by the liver I was heartened by the first choice from the restaurant week menu; a sort of composed cheese plate featuring the intense fructose of fresh figs matched up against the bite of sopressata and lightly fragranced ricotta. Like most Bay Area chefs I’d suggest that if a Mina restaurant is offering up a fig dish you’d be wise to order it.
Potato Black Truffle Bread: Having mentioned the stellar cornbread served at Detroit’s Bourbon Steak Michael mentioned a really good skillet bread he’d experienced on his last visit to the Scottsdale location and inquiring with Christina we were told the bread was ‘by request only’ and as odd as that would seem it is definitely worth inquiring about; a light and spongy focaccia style bread rife with a nose of black truffles and topped with crunchy sea salt.
Crispy Sonoma Duck Breast- Cipollini & Brussel Sprout Hash, Huckleberry Compote: One of three RW main courses and for my dollar the most obvious choice by a landslide the kitchen was gracious enough to serve us each a separate portion of the Sonoma margret and while I cannot say it soared to the same levels as Chef DeRuvo’s version at Davanti Enoteca a few weeks prior this was another excellent preparation of my favorite protein with the aged fowl’s slight must perfectly tempered by the pungent hash and sweet berry reduction. Easily cut with the edge of a fork despite being served with one of the restaurant’s signature steak knives and as tender as you could hope I’m still having trouble getting over the fact that I now live in a city where good duck exists at not just one but multiple restaurants.
Whole Fried Chicken for Two with Truffled Mac & Cheese: Yes it is $58 for chicken, but compared to the $200 Bresse at Savoy or the $78 version at The Nomad I guess you could call this brined, battered, and duck fat fried version a bargain if it was nearly as good as the others…and thankfully it was. Featuring a plump hen with breading so dainty that it approximated the thickness of skin the bird was carved tableside and laid on a bed of truffled macaroni and cheese plus baby carrots before being topped with crispy onion rings and with each of the accoutrements quite delicious none were as good as the chicken itself – dense, moist, full of flavor, and complimented by rather than being overwhelmed by the seasoned breading.
Passion Fruit Panna Cotta Guava, Kaffir Lime, Coconut Sorbet: Still reeling from the chicken and generally not one to fancy passion fruit or panna cotta this RW menu dessert was actually much better than I’d anticipated and with pieces of grapefruit and lime adding an intense sour component to the otherwise sweet custard it was actually the coconut sorbet that brought this dish together preventing any one component from outshining the others.
Bourbon Bar- Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Pretzel: Seeing as how my writing is impossibly behind at this point suffice it to say I’d already experienced this dish at Baltimore’s Wit & Wisdom and I was glad to revisit it as the alternate RW dessert. Described loosely as the chef’s interpretation of a candy bar this dessert beings with a core of sweetened peanut butter mousse and dresses it with dense 70% dark chocolate ganache before bespeckling it with crumbled nougat, peanuts, and finally chocolate covered pretzels. Clearly a dessert designed for an American sweet tooth the only thing that needed to make this dessert the perfect steakhouse finale was a single malt whiskey…or a few cups of Mina’s signature blend coffee from LAMill.
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing, Crème Fraiche Sorbet: With Mr. Mathias stopping by to check in as we enjoyed our dessert a conversation about Mina et al’s approach to pastry ensued and after mentioning my fondness for his unique interpretations of American comfort foods we found ourselves gifted this one last plate. Beginning at its base with airy spice cake flecked with carrots and studded with currants atop a smear of whipped cream cheese this dessert, much like the panna cotta, was taken to a whole different level through the addition of two frozen quenelles, one tangy crème fraiche and the other strikingly vegetal carrots. Bite for bite the most delicious and complicated of the evening’s three desserts this was every bit as good as any of the desserts I had at Wit & Wisdom and just another example how Chef Mina understands the powerful effect of American comfort foods.
Caramel Corn with Black Truffle: A parting gift for each party I’ll admit I was skeptical when this bag of popcorn was presented but in the end it would in fact prove to be the most notable of the three “truffled” options of the evening as the fungi’s signature aromatics rose came through brightly over the salt and sweet of the popcorn; an effect I’d have to guess was attributable to the use of truffle oil, truffle salt, or both.
The Verdict: While certainly not a perfect meal – especially when taking into account the butchering of one of my favorite ingredients – there are a lot of things to like about Bourbon Steak and although my fondness for Michael Mina is balanced by my general ‘ennuyer’ for steakhouse cuisine I have little doubt I’ll find myself back at The Scottsdale Princess sometime again soon – particularly if they should ever bring back the mussels soufflé or perhaps simply to work through a tasting of the half priced desserts after 9:00pm alongside a lobster pot pie.