j&g steakhouse - the phoenician resort

overall a very nice meal in a lovely restaurant with impressive atmosphere ........... located in the beautiful phoenician resort is where you will find this steakhouse with breathtaking views. one of the must get dishes is the tuna tartare. i can't do raw tuna often and my husband is a hater of avocado but honestly this stuff was amazing. another dish that we found really scrumptious were the little marble sized black truffle fritters. i could have ate all of them myself. they were seasoned just so with an almost potato chip thin crust stuffed with cheese with the perfect seasonings highlighting the truffle taste. dinners were good. the grouper was flown in fresh that day and was delicate with asian flavors in the sauce. the steak was typical of most steak house steaks but the black pepper condiment was memorable and had deep developed flavors. for me the the only dishes that scored lower for me were the brussels sprout side and the good and tasty but homestyle apple crumble with ice cream.servicewas friendly and efficient.

better steak options. not the greatest steaks...have had much better.servicewas offensive at best. i went with my children as it was advertised as family friendly for resort guests. we had spent a week at the phoenician and were told by that a discount was offered, as in all restaurants at the resort, to children that order off the main menu. i thought delayed and poorservicewas because we were receiving a discount. in the end...service was just not good. ordered a bottle of wine and saw the waiter open and taste my wine off in another area before i received the first taste. in all my years of wine tasting, have never seen the waiter tasting my wine!! two steaks had to be sent back as they were not medium rare. obviously this didn't make them happy because they brought them back rare. it wasn't worth the battle at that point. when i received the check i found no discount. after questioning about discount i was offered a minimal amount off the check. i'm ok with paying full price for a great steak...but don't do well when lied to. if a steak place has to lie to get you in the door...they're not a 4 star restaurant. this is a place that doesn't respect serving women and families. shameful...and a poor representative of the phoenician.

incredible!. i have been fortunate enough to dine out quite often and when we were in phoenix , we ended up eating here 4 out of 5 nights on our vacation. the food is incredible and to top that off, theserviceis something that i have never witnessed before. ryan the manager was the best manager i have seen in the restaurant industry ever. words cannot describe theserviceand passion he has for this restaurant. its been almost 4 weeks since we were there and i am still speaking and thinking about how amazing it was!

great view great service. i've had filet and ny steaks, a bison special back in march '13, and hamburgers. usually come back for the hamburger, a beer and a view of the valley. the food is consistently good, as is theserviceand ambiance.

food was good butserviceneeds tweaking. whoever heard of fine dining in an hour? ridiculous.

perfect spot for drinkies. i only had time for drinkies at the bar, but the bar area is the perfect meeting spot. it is relaxed, comfortable, with wonderfulserviceand cocktails (i really recommend the strawberry!) and has a gorgeous view.

j&g steakhouse, my new favorite place!. so, a couple of blogs ago susie wrote that when she told me that she wanted to go to bourbon steak at the fairmont princess here in scottsdale, i rolled my eyes and said "does scottsdale really need another steakhouse" (it's true i did say and do that). however, my visit to j&g steakhouse at the phoenician changed my mind!

i was with two new and exciting friends that i met this year. we sat in the lounge, which if you have not seen it in person or on the website is unbelievable! rich leathers and checkerboard butcher-block polished tables. jackie and shelly are both foodies like us fans and enjoy culinary adventures as much as susie and i do.
lounge

lounge

now, let me just say, i would put my experience at j&g in my top 5 of restaurants, not just steakhouses, in arizona. here's why:

1. the place looks like your rich uncle's new york city loft. (not an onion blossom in sight.)
2. theserviceis beyond anything we traditionally get in arizona. alicia, our server, was really able to enhance the experience by ensuring that our every need and possible need was taken care of… all with grace and professionalism.
3. the presentation of the food, under the directional lighting, makes it look like its about to sing a solo on a darkened broadway stage. (think "memories" from cats)
4. and most importantly, the food. oh, the food. when i took a bite of the sweet and sour pork belly, i had one of those moments of pure and utter joy. similar to the first time i laid eyes on my first titanium powerbook a few years back. (i know..i dork out easily)

as you can see from the pictures, we ordered a few appetizers to get a feel for the variety in the menu. one of my favorite things to do when trying out a new restaurant is to sit in the lounge (or at the bar), order a few appetizers, and get to know the bartenders. a good trick to becoming a "regular" at a restaurant in relatively few visits is to know the bar tenders. you walk in, sit down, they know your name and your drink of choice! (right now for me it's a st. germain, champagne and soda in a tall glass with ice and a lemon twist..great summer drink)

sweet and sour pork bellysweeet corn raviolicalamarituna_tartar

ok..back to the food. as i already squealed about, the pork belly was my favorite. i think anything that reminds me of bacon immediately shoots to the top of the list.

next on the list was a sweet corn ravioli with basil butter and cherry tomatoes. they were almost too cute to eat..almost. great blend of flavors and as you can see from the picture they were as good as they look.

the calamari came next, it was also delicious. light and crispy exterior served with a lemon dip. for sure, i will order that again.

the spicy tuna tartare with cucumber and black olives was an unexpected blend. next time, i think i will start with that one before i order anything else. the taste is very delicate but definitely something that will appeal to all tuna lovers.

the manager, michael shapiro, stopped by a few times to ensure that we had everything we needed. great guy, he just moved out from ny (why he would give up the restaurants out there, i will have to find out). he really understands theservicestandard that fine diners need here in arizona and is able to have his team execute it flawlessly.

i will definitely be back. they have an amazing menu and for the summer, they have a $35 summer prix-fixe menu. take a look at their website and when you do visit be sure to say "hello" to michael and tell him you read about the restaurant on foodies like us! click here to make a reservation!

bon appetit!

foodie jay