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| - Giving Durant's a 5-star review isn't really all that shocking. It's the Meryl Streep of steakhouses in Phoenix. Still, a recent visit merited a review.
I had a reservation for 4 for a dual birthday celebration last week. The group grew to five and I phoned to ask if that was OK. The maître d' informed me that they could accommodate, but since 80% of their tables were 4-tops, it might be a half hour or so. Not a problem. We just went to the bar.
We were seated in a booth after about 15 minutes. None of us are exactly slender, and the booth was a tight fit for sure, but we were willing to adapt based on the late change in the reservation. Our waitress, the wonderful Rebecca, would have none of that, and promptly cleared off a recently vacant two top and slid it over and created a much more comfortable dining area.
We started off with drinks and appetizers. Four at the table had the shrimp cocktail, and the shrimp were anything but. With a seafood allergy, I settled for the onion rings. I was pleased with my choice as they were large rings of sweet onion, dipped in a perfectly seasoned batter.
I ordered the prime rib, but was first treated to a very satisfactory dinner salad with (obviously) house-made blue cheese dressing and crouton. When the meat arrived (the medium sized portion), it was cooked to medium rare perfection. I was pleasantly surprised at the heat of the horseradish. This was no wimpy horseradish cream sauce like you get at many steakhouses these days. The garlic mashed potatoes were a great contrast to the bite of the horseradish.
And lastly, the desserts. At our table there were three orders of key lime pie and one order of the trio of crème brûlée, along with various cappuccino and coffee orders. The fresh mint sprig on the top of the key lime pie was a nice added touch. And for birthdays? No cheesy song from the waitstaff. Instead, a simple candle on the pie. Perfection.
Rebecca was just what you would expect the staff at Durant's to be: knowledgeable, genuinely friendly, unobtrusive, and unflappable. The perfect addition to a wonderful birthday meal.
We left with our belts let out a notch and our wallets empty, but it was definitely worth it.
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