this was my first visit to durant's, the storied, central phoenix restaurant that provides diners with a snapshot of 1950s and 60s arizona power, politics and culture. our guide, a relatively recent transplant with close friends who are long-time residents with strong ties to phoenix, ushered us into the establishment through the kitchen. although durant's main entrance faces central avenue, the preferred entrance after nearly 67 years of operation remains in the back.
as we stepped out of the kitchen into the main dining room, it took my eyes a few seconds to adjust to the mid-century steak house motif. red wall coverings, dark wood, high-backed leather booths and subdued lighting still reflect a time when the proprietor, local gambler, jack durant presided over the smoke-filled, backroom center of arizona legal, political and economic power.
it's impossible at this point to separate fact from fiction, but whether the restaurant's fabled mob connections are accurate or not, nobody disputes that durant's was a favorite watering-hole for the rich, famous, and politically powerful.
although durant died in 1987 and the locally celebrated film starring tom sizemore, "durant's never closes" chronicling his role in phoenix history is barely a footnote on imdb, jack durant and his restaurant still captures our imagination as we gluttonously ignore the advice of our cardiologist to become one with this bigger-than-life slice of phoenix history.
just off the plane and not yet hungry enough for a stroll through this carnivorous wonderland, the three of us opted to share a grilled shrimp & dungeness crab louie salad ($38.25). recognizing that our waiter was tied-up at another table where he was patiently guiding a mother/daughter team of tourists through the extensive luncheon menu, another member of the waitstaff took our beverage orders.
although smoke-free today, little else has changed since the surgeon general's early warnings eventually snuffed-out the last cigarette and expensive cigar at durant's and i was eager to try one of their classic martinis. the result was a perfectly chilled, ultra-dry, bombay sapphire martini ($14) served "a little dirty," in a classic martini glass with four blue cheese-filled olives on a small plate. my less adventurous companions ordered a wonderful glass of sauvignon blanc and iced tea, respectively, but unabashedly requested a sip of my martini.
when our waiter was able to break-free, he stopped by to reassure us and returned with our drinks and a wonderful, freshly-baked bread dish presented in a sea of melted butter, olive oil and herbs to complement our drinks.
although our server may have secretly viewed our decision to split an entree salad three-ways with disdain, he complied without the slightest hint of emotion. likewise, our request to substitute a continental dressing (roquefort or blue cheese layered over a vinaigrette with a hint of balsamic dressing) in lieu of the standard thousand island dressing usually associated with a "louis" was met professionally with exactly the right questions to assure no errors on the part of the kitchen. crisp, and perfectly chilled, our salad was topped with three large grilled shrimp and supplemented with generous servings of shrimp meat and dungeness crab. this was, hands-down, the best entree salad i have ever consumed.
we topped-off this perfect luncheon experience with a generous slice of new york style cheesecake ($10) and coffee. i'm a cheesecake snob, and while my view of a perfect cheesecake can only come from the kitchens of either carnegie's or katz deli in manhattan, i found the flavor, if not the texture of durant's version, spectacular.
leaving a well-earned 25 percent tip for our shared entree salad, modest bar bill and shared dessert tapped my wallet for a c-note, so there's no other way to say this: "durant's is expensive, but worth every penny."
while i may need to save my pennies, i'm already looking forward to dinner at this fantastic slice of phoenix living history.