Durant’s
$$$$
2611 N Central Ave., Phoenix
602-264-5967 | durantsaz.com
I love new restaurants, new twists on food and the sensational experience of tasting something delicious for the first time. I also love new artists and new music. My standard snarky remark to friends who have their car radios permanently tuned to classic rock is “Hey, you know they’ve made new music?”
So why is it I feel summoned to revisit two restaurants I’ve been to countless times? Is it the retrospection of the upcoming High Holy Days, the Throwback Thursdays and the Do You Remember When’s on Facebook, or is it that hardwired need for comfort only filled by tastes and memories of our childhood? Maybe it is a little of all that; I just know I wasn’t in the mood for new, I just wanted to go back and savor.
Durant’s opened its doors in 1955 on Central Avenue and has remained in the same location ever since. Its “humble entrance” is a back door through the kitchen. Yes, you enter through the kitchen. You feel the heat, smell the food and nod to the chef as you pass through to the dining room. Today, I’m having lunch and I’m seated in the red velvet-wallpapered dining room where the movers and shakers of politics and business have been doing deals all these years. I’m seated next to what they call the “The Governor’s Table,” and while reading the menu, I hear a familiar voice. Sure enough, there’s former Gov. Jan Brewer discussing the outcome of the latest presidential debate. Soon her discussion turns to whispers, and I refocus on what’s for lunch. Oh, if these walls could scream.
The section of the menu called “The Fatman’s Special” is my favorite, but my waiter tells me that today there’s a new item, not on the menu, and he recommends beef shoulder roast in a mushroom Madeira sauce. I take his advice but ask him for a favor. I ask for the relish tray they serve at dinnertime with Durant’s Night Sauce, and he smiles knowingly. The relish tray is made up of fresh celery, green onion, radish slices, carrots and olives. These simple vegetables are merely vehicles for bringing the blessed Night Sauce into my mouth. Night Sauce is Durant’s steak sauce, and it is wonderful. The thing is, as a purist, I would never put steak sauce on my steak, so I had to find another way to eat this delicious red, tangy condiment. My mouth is watering as I write.
Fatman’s Special, $17.95
Roasted beef shoulder in mushroom Madeira sauce, choice of soup or salad, and choice of mashed potatoes, French fries or sautéed vegetables.
Served medium rare as requested, a generous portion of beef sits swimming in a rich sauce, and the aroma begs you to dig in. It is tender with a nice char, and the Madeira sauce has been deeply reduced and is complex and flavorful. I chose the salad with a lovely French garlic vinaigrette and passed on the soup of the day, which was cream of cauliflower. It’s a heavy lunch and I skipped dessert.
Don and Charlie’s
7501 E Camelback Road, Scottsdale
480-990-0900
donandcharlies.com
Don and Charlies has been a Scottsdale fixture since 1981. It’s a special-occasion restaurant, and I can hear choruses of “Happy Birthday” throughout the evening. The restaurant is ordained with memorabilia, mostly from Chicago, on every square inch of wall space. Sadly, she’s showing her age with matching green duct tape on some of the green upholstered booths. The customers, however, are not deterred from their celebrations. It’s Sunday evening and the place is full.
The main reason I’m here is for the chopped liver appetizer. I know. This isn’t for everybody, and I’m not saying you should try it if you don’t like chopped liver. What I am saying is if you love chopped liver, you’ve got to try this. Now that I’ve given the review away, let’s go ahead and dive in further.
Chopped Liver Appetizer, $6.95
What I’m about to describe you can’t believe you get for the price. Mind you, it used to be free, but those days are long gone. What you do get is a plate with silky smooth chopped liver, chopped onions, diced hard-boiled egg, marinated shredded carrots and sweet peppers. As if that weren’t enough, there’s a basket of some of the best rye bread I’ve ever had, along with crispy bagel chips. The chopped liver is light, flavorful and has a perfect texture. It’s fun to build your own little open-faced sandwich, varying the ingredients and start all over again. There’s plenty of bread, and they will bring you more if you like. This is a must-have.
Prime Rib Regular Cut, $33.95
12 oz.
I order mine medium rare with a baked potato, and the skin is salted and peppered. The meal comes with coleslaw served like a salad before the meal. The slaw is good, tangy, served in a vinaigrette, but I only eat a few bites as I have already consumed half a loaf of bread and chopped liver. The prime rib is served exactly as ordered, and it looks larger than 12 oz. It is very tender and rests in some au jus. I dip pieces from time to time in raw horseradish, and I’m in heaven. Again I skip dessert because I think it is an actual crime to eat both a chopped liver appetizer and dessert.
I guess sometimes you just want to go home, and food is a great way to do that. It’s funny how we become attached. You know how sometimes you can’t get past that one item on a menu, and you end up always ordering the same thing? This happens to me. Maybe even more so around this time of year as the cycle of life renews. It’s good to start over.
