Whenever we come to Phoenix, where to dine for dinner is a major decision. We are always relying on our friend Ryan to make the choice based on all the best places he has been to since our last trip out and then taking us to his favorite.
Ryan tripped us up a bit this time by providing us a list and making us choose from some that he had been to and some he has been wanting to go to. After about an hour and a half of careful menu reviewing by the three of us we picked The Herb Box.
Had I gone down the list in 5 minutes it would not have been my first choice and I think the other two of us felt the same. We made our final decision based on the menu seemingly being able to quench our three very different moods for chicken, steak and something different.
We arrived to an upscale looking place that really surprised us with elegant seating and our table was perfectly positioned near a welcoming fireplace.
The next best surprise, A honest server with a more exotic opinion on taste who was not afraid to add her own commentary, which I appreciate.
We started with shared plates and upon our servers suggestion we had the Korean fried cauliflower dish and the indian kale and corn pakora. I definitely left with a new found love of cauliflower and kale.
Ryan was pretty much bent on the Korean barbeque ribs from the moment we picked the restaurant and was really happy he made that choice. Michael was talked out of the buttermilk chicken by our server based on her saying it was good but not as expressive as the more flavorful choices on the menu that highlight the chef's choices to mix unique flavors. He ended up choosing the ribeye along with me, my choice the minute I read thru the menu. The queso blanco and cilantro lime gave the perfectly cooked ribeye an extra special boost.
We also shared the crisp fingerling potatoes sprinkled with course salt and the skillet corn and leek gratin. I was excited about the corn and blown away by the potatoes.
I am not a connoisseur of mac n cheese by any means but will never refuse a taste from someone else's plate to make sure that my life doesn't end without having possibly tasted "The one redeeming recipe" that actually validates the existence of that dish. I tasted Ryan's and thought to myself, "wow, I could eat a dish of that," it was very good.
The Herb Box was really enjoyed by all of us and we were very happy we went there. Definitely one of the weekend highlights!