Two visits in, I’m completely smitten with Neutral Ground Lounge, the cozy but sophisticated restaurant and bar tucked away in The Marilyn boutique office complex on Thomas Road and 46th Street. I love the assonance of “ground” and “lounge” as well as the New Orleans-centric history behind the term. See, in NOLA, “neutral ground” denotes the grassy median that separates opposing lanes of traffic, but long before cars superseded horses, the term was used in that city to describe the Canal Street divide between the rivalrous French-speaking Creole and the English-speaking Anglo populations. In our own politically fraught times, neutral ground sounds like where I want to be.
The venue is tiny but charming, maybe even a bit feminine, thanks to curving green velour booths and a gorgeously wall-papered entry wall of trees in muted colors. The latter provides the backdrop for a romantic tableau of wall sconces and two high-top bistro tables. The black granite-topped bar with comfortable chairs is the best place to get the 411 from staff about what to order – which, from what I can tell, is pretty much anything and everything.
Who, I wonder instantly, is behind this place that feels elegant but unpretentious, timeless yet completely current? The answer is Kevin Ehret, a guy who spent formative years with Gio Osso at Virtù Honest Craft, as did his ultra-talented chef Ryan Jeisy, who makes dishes that I remember fondly days later.
The 14-item food menu, built around small plates, is seasonal. Ehret says it will be changing sometime in March, as will the cocktails. That means I’ll have to get back soon for the tequila-based Blushed Orange cocktail, made with local grapefruit and blood oranges from Ehret’s mother’s tree. I’m just as keen on a crisp daiquiri, also made with blood oranges.
Then, too, I’ll want one more go at Gold & Greens, a humble-looking but unbelievably tasty mélange of collard greens, pancetta and heirloom rice, fried in the pot liquor (broth) that’s left after simmering the collards ($14). If you’ve never cottoned on to collards, this rich, smoky, multi-textured dish could rearrange your thinking.
Light, crispy crab beignets – a savory riff on a New Orleans staple – are equally fantastic dunked in citrusy yuzu crème fraîche ($23). Meanwhile, tiny savory tarts, filled with caramelized onions and mantled in melting Comté, are reminiscent of French onion soup, rich, salty and comforting.
The menu lists one dish as duck liver pâté, but it’s not the typically rustic slab of pâté to which diners are accustomed. Rather, it’s an airy, ultra-smooth mousse, formed into an elegant, salt-flecked quenelle, then simply sided with blood orange wedges and pistachios. Crunchy toasts are provided for schmearing. How can you not love a place that delivers on sophistication without exuding that affected la-di-da vibe?
For dessert, we manage to stuff down a warm, gooey brownie topped with candied cranberries and rosemary gelato. It’s wonderful. I’ll be back for the winter fromage one server recommended, which involves sweet focaccia, crème fraîche, goat cheese and caramel. In fact, I’ll be back for everything I haven’t eaten yet, because I’m in no way neutral about Neutral Ground. This place is unequivocally awesome.
4602 E. Thomas Rd., Phoenix, 602-314-2626, nglphx.com
