The culinary troika behind Citizen Public House gives rise to another enchanted New American superpub.
Generally speaking, when you subtract one big-box corporate steakhouse and add one swank independent gastropub, it results in a net positive gain. A food-scene “win.” It’s basic culinary math.
Case in point: The closing of Ruth’s Chris Steak House on Camelback Road near Biltmore Fashion Park, and the subsequent opening of The Gladly in the same space. Led by Chef Bernie Kantak, mixologist Richie Moe and manager Andrew Fritz, the chic New American eatery is a more global, slightly more urbane answer to the trio’s beloved Citizen Public House in Scottsdale: inspired pub fare, crazy-good revivalist cocktails and stylish period digs. There are also 175 varieties of whiskey to chose from – a nod to the Roaring Twenties jazz-lounge mystique that also gives the restaurant its name.
Ruth’s who?
Decorated in light-colored woods, contemporary light fixtures and floor-to-ceiling windows, The Gladly faces Camelback Road, lending it an energetic cosmopolitan feel. One drawback: The high ceilings paired with uncarpeted floors make for some eardrum-busting decibel levels.
Moe’s cocktail list showcases his remarkable ability to whip up imaginative and tasty libations, including a Thai Margarita ($11) with galangal and kaffir lime simple syrup and tamarind reduction, and a Moe’scow Mule ($10) featuring Fever Tree ginger beer and cucumber. He also stocks a broad selection of craft beers.
The eclectic menu – presented by a personable and hyper-attentive staff – includes an abundance of gluten-free items, along with an invitation from the kitchen to inform them of your food allergies or dietary restrictions, which plays into The Gladly’s mission that they will “gladly” prepare, alter or accommodate guests’ requests.
From the appetizer list, I started with the smoky cheese fondue ($10), a perfectly melted vat of cheese with a hint of wine, served with a plate of crusty baguette pieces and sturdy chunks of pear and cherry-wood-smoked pork butt. It’s an old-school dish with an updated twist that works well as a starter. The crab cakes ($15), two plump and crispy orbs stuffed with chunks of fresh crab and red pepper, shared the plate with a smear of avocado butter and fennel slaw tossed in a light tomatillo vinaigrette. A little pricey for an appetizer, but so filling you could bypass dinner.
Our server suggested what she described as a “deconstructed bruschetta,” i.e. the burrata caprese ($12) – two pillows of soft cheese with an outer layer of mozzarella that, when cut, reveals a soft center of fresh cream and bits of curd. In the summer, Kantak pairs the buttery cheese with peaches. In the fall and winter, the dish features grape tomatoes, onions, fresh basil, a balsamic reduction and a small wedge of toasted lepinja, a light Middle Eastern bread.
On another visit, I sampled the octopus salad ($13), a light and refreshing mix of thinly sliced octopus, cucumbers, grapefruit, avocado, fennel, peppercorn and micro cilantro. The palate-pleasing combination of flavors left me longing for more.
Sandwich lovers will swoon over the Pigstrami ($14), a happy marriage of wood-smoked pork butt, melted Swiss cheese, Brussels sprout sauerkraut and Dijon mustard, sandwiched between thick slices of grilled rye bread. Another first-rate pub-pleaser is the Wagyu burger ($15), an over-the-top hunk of ground beef topped with spicy tomato relish and mizuna (Japanese mustard greens), dripping with hollandaise sauce and cradled by a soft potato bun. It’s a protein-packed powerhouse that could be a top contender for Phoenix’s best burger.
The buttermilk chicken breast ($24) is an attention-grabber among the entrées. The oversized breast (no skimpy, pounded-flat poultry here) came dressed in crispy skin topped with an herb-heavy chimichurri sauce. The organic chicken breast rests on a fingerling potato casserole laced with smoky, oily cheese. While tasty, the whole package – including the flavorful but somewhat irksome chicken skin – had too many conflicting flavors, overwhelming my taste buds.
On the fish front, I tried the pan-seared scallops ($26) laced with cola gastrique and peppered with bits of smoky bacon. Tender but gritty, the silver-dollar-size scallops sat on a bed of creamy corn grits – the perfect foil for the sweet, tangy sauce and salty bacon. My dining partner tucked into the coffee-charred short ribs ($30), three sweet and fall-apart-tender beef ribs, and deemed them excellent, down to the last scrap of burnt, crispy fat. The ribs are seated on a bed of caramelized Gorgonzola barley and blueberry cumin compote, a tasty complement to the succulent meat.
For pork lovers, the slow-roasted Berkshire pork collar ($24) – served with a generous helping of thick Yukon gold mashed potatoes, flanked by baby carrots and sprinkled with pickled yellow raisins – will hit the spot. There’s a fair amount of fat to navigate because of the cut, but it’s worth plowing through to savor the tender and flavorful meat.
Dessert selections include buttermilk bread pudding with blueberry compote and vanilla ice cream ($9), a dense but creamy and sweet affair; and the smoked-tea-infused chocolate pot de crème ($10) with Angostura marshmallow and a Golden Graham treat, a chewy wedge reminiscent of a Rice Krispy treat.
Thursdays through Saturdays, The Gladly offers an affordable late-night menu that changes weekly. Recent dishes included pork sauerbraten, smoked chicken wings and barbecued beef navel – perfect munchies for off-the-clock restaurant pros and assorted scenesters.
One thing you won’t get at The Gladly: an awkward adjustment phase. Since its opening in September, the restaurant has pretty much hit on all cylinders – the kind of well-engineered, predictably excellent dining experience one might expect from the Citizen Public House brain trust. Success seems a given. It’s basic math.
DETAILS
The Gladly
Cuisine: New American
Address: 2201 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix
Phone: 602-759-8132
Website: thegladly.com
Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily; late night 11 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Thursday-Saturday
Highlights: Burrata caprese ($12); octopus salad ($13); the Pigstrami ($14); Wagyu burger ($15); pan-seared scallops ($26); coffee-charred short ribs ($30); buttermilk bread pudding ($9)
