J & G Steakhouse
Review of J & G Steakhouse at The Phoenician
About.com Rating 
J & G Steakhouse - What I Liked
- A menu that has surprising variety without offering a hundred items
- A fantastic view of Phoenix
- Unpretentious
J & G Steakhouse - Be Aware
- Dark, not especially romantic dining room
- Mature clientele
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J & G Steakhouse - The Mood
Take the elevator up from the main lobby of The Phoenician Resort to
the J & G Steakhouse. It has a dimly lit and serious look. Dark
woods, square black chairs. No flowers on the tables here. The
south-facing glass wall offers up a lovely view of Phoenix, accented
by flames and subtle lighting. Technically, there's no dress code
here, but many men wear jackets. If you can't decide between two
outfits, you can't go wrong with the dressier of the two.
J & G Steakhouse - The Damages
My guest and I shared a salad, we each had an appetizer, and entree
and dessert. We shared two sides. The bill, excluding beverages and
before tax and tip, came to $80 per person. Wines by the glass range
from $9 to $25 per glass. The cocktail menu suggests a list of
concoctions at $10 each. Although the 'damages' for our meals may seem
steep, we ordered quite a bit of food, and some of the costlier choices. It is certainly possible to enjoy two entrees, two sides and two
desserts, for example, for less than $100 per couple.
My Review of J & G Steakhouse
J & G Steakhouse opened in December 2008, having replaced Mary
Elaine's as the premier dining establishment at The Phoenician.
It took me about 15 minutes to get used to how dark this restaurant was! At our table, my guest had light on his place setting, but mine was dark. If this is a concern, pay attention to it before you are seated. Clearly the most popular tables are the ones closest to the glass and the spectacular view. The dining room is warm in colors but not in accents, which is why I say it might not be considered a romantic spot. The mostly wooden floors, wooden tables (I was slightly bothered by paper placemats that seemed out of place), easy listening background music makes J & G equally appropriate for a business or group dinner. Tables are well-spaced so as not to make patrons feel crowded. A large party (50+) in the adjoining banquet room made it very noisy.
While it is clearly an upscale ambiance at J & G, I never felt that it was pretentious. The food was well and attractively presented without being over-the-top. We are told that the chef places a priority upon sourcing his ingredients from locations -- locally, nationally and internationally -- where he can obtain fresh, high quality product.
 Dover Sole Fileted Tableside at J & G Steakhouse © Judy Hedding |
This restaurant features an a la carte menu. Although the menu isn't extensive, I found many choices for each course that appealed to me. We shared the Heirloom Tomatoes with Crispy Onions on Russian Dressing ($12). Onion rings instead of buffalo mozzarella? A nice change! By itself, it would not have been enough for two of us to share. We ordered the Crispy Calamari ($11) and the Sweet Corn Ravioli ($9) appetizers. We can highly recommend both. This calamari is not the stringy dry strips of stuff that you might receive elsewhere; this might have been the best calamari I've ever tasted. Our entrees consisted of a Petite Filet Mignon ($28) and the Sauteed Dover Sole Grenobloise ($55), the latter of which is fileted at your table. The beef was perfectly prepared and tender. The fish was mild and flavorful, but if you are like me, and not a person who can truly differentiate Dover Sole from its more plebian relatives, it might not seem worth the price. We tried three sauces: Smoked Chili Glaze, Soy Miso Mustard, and -- my favorite -- Black Pepper Condiment. The side dishes, Creamed Spinach and Potato Au Gratin ($7 each) were both excellent. Fine for two people to share, but probably not three or four.
We sampled two desserts ($8 each). The Warm Chocolate Cake with Caramel Ice Cream was very nice and not too sweet. Surprisingly, my pick was the Cheese Cake with Cherry Compote and Sour Cherry Sorbet. Wonderful flavors alongside a cheesecake that was creamy, yet firm.
J & G Steakhouse is open for dinner only, 7 days per week. Reservations are highly recommended.
Where to Find J & G Steakhouse:
6000 East Camelback Road
Scottsdale, Arizona 85251
Phone: 480-214-8000
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Date of review: February 2009.
All dates, times, prices and offerings are subject to change without notice.
As is common in the industry, the writer was provided with a complimentary meal for the purpose of the review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
