Arizona Foothills Magazine

Swathed in chocolate brown, cream and burnt orange wall colors and furnishings, Christopher’s new spot is rich and masculine but balanced out with delicate touches like clear, flower-filled vases that decorate the perimeter of the dining room. And with pumpkin-color circular booths and glass walls partitioning each dining area, most tables feel quite private. The lounge, adjacent to the bar, certainly has sex appeal on its side: After walking past see-through curtains, diners are greeted with a trio of eye-catching photographs by Ken Ross (including a fishnet-stocking-covered leg wearing a stiletto heel spiking a cluster of grapes).

Luckily, such striking imagery isn’t compensating for a lack of top-notch cuisine. Christopher’s Restaurant & Crush Lounge delivers with mouthwatering, French-inspired fare (you can even find beloved eats from Gross’s previous menu) and Embry’s expert wine list and flights. The roasted red bell pepper soup, on the first plates menu, seems to melt in your mouth with its smooth texture and nose-tingling hints of truffle oil. We were pleased that it came in such a large bowl. For something lighter, the platter of roasted baby beets, pistachios and goat cheese stacked on cucumbers was refreshing. Again, there was no skimping on size: the beets were large, and the goat cheese was plentiful.

For the main event, we opted for a little surf ’n’ turf. The cast-iron-seared New York steak was 12 ounces of goodness—especially when paired with a side of potatoes au gratin à la carte. Other side items include curried duck fries and spaetzle. If 12 ounces sounds like a starter for you, there is also a 32-ounce bone-in prime rib that can feed up to two hungry diners. Since we stopped in on a Monday, we ordered the lobster special. (Every Monday, the kitchen doles out a different lobster dish—Tuesday, pork; Wednesday, veal; and so on.) The butter-poached Maine lobster was served over wild-mushroom risotto and lobster nage and was as colorful as it was delicious.

When dessert time rolls around, diners have the option of familiar items like cheesecake and a lemon tart—even Gross’s signature chocolate-mousse tower. Or, there is the gâteau marjolaine; in other words, layers upon velvety layers of hazelnut, coffee and chocolate mousse. The cool cream and crispy hazelnut bits live in perfect harmony in this dessert, along with a superdecadent scoop of homemade sorbet and a bounty of berries.

If you’re not craving a full-out meal or are a late-night nibbler, head to the lounge area for small plates like a three-ounce steak, truffle French fries, house-marinated olives or a number of pizzas, including one topped with foie gras and andouillette blood sausage. (Headed to the lounge for a post-dinner drink? Be sure to stop by the bathroom en route from the dining room. Instead of a traditional sink-and-faucet setup, diners wash their hands under a gentle waterfall that flows from below the mirror.)

As for the lounge, there is no better place to indulge in Embry’s lengthy wine list—a list that has repeatedly won Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence. The list focuses on lesser-known bottles from around the globe or, as the wine menu states, “ABC” wines—meaning “anything but chardonnay” and “anything but cabernet sauvignon.” (However, a few of these popular wines are sprinkled in.) For a real treat for your taste buds, there are a dozen or so wine flights to choose from. The Risky Business flight dares you to try a trio of grapes you’ve probably never heard of, while Sweet Dreams is a dessert-wine triple threat. And since the lounge is open until 2 a.m., delightful, delicious dreams are sure to follow shortly after your departure.