Chef Justin Beckett conducts a delectable whistle-stop tour of Southern culinary traditions at his new high-toned Camelback eatery.
Slow cooking, a traditional pillar of Southern cuisine, demands a large helping of patience. So does launching a restaurant inside a hotly-anticipated urban infill project.
Enter Southern Rail, the second restaurant from the brain trust behind popular Arcadia gastropub Beckett’s Table. Housed in the new uptown multi-use complex where beloved 1960s-era steakhouse Beef Eaters once stood, the 240-seat Southern Rail shouldered lofty expectations before it even opened. (Opening was no cinch, either. Delays and overruns at the development – named The Newton to honor late Beef Eaters owner Jay Newton – pushed the restaurant’s planned November 2013 opening to May of this year.)
They say good things come to those who wait – and I’m not talking about the extra six months it took to open the doors. After an unsteady debut, Southern Rail is settling into a rhythm. Between my first visit and my most recent one, dishes have been tweaked, service polished. Lunch and weekend brunch have been added. I’d still like a bit more seasoning, maybe a splash of lemon juice in a few dishes, but on the whole, Southern Rail delivers high-end cuisine with a gentrified flair.
With its mash-up décor of the modern-industrial (roll-back glass walls) and rustic (original chandeliers and refurbished leather booths from Beef Eaters), Southern Rail is almost steampunk in appearance. Bare wood tables are graced with mismatched dinnerware, including Dixie-style scalloped plates, embossed flatware and tea towel napkins. The ceiling – designed to give the impression it was ripped from the side of a barn in Old Kentucky and nailed to the roof – is mesmerizing. And like Beckett’s Table, the open kitchen is tucked in the back, just far enough to feel like an invited, if bashful, guest.
Theoretically, there’s no better way to get on board than with a cocktail, although I prefer a local Four Peaks draft ($5, four styles) or a glass of rosé (quaffable Charles & Charles, $8). Reasonably priced cocktails ($9) tend to be as mawkish as their monikers – if you’ve ever swigged iced tea in the South, you know how much Southerners love sugar. Two less-sweet options are the Rail Runner (Bulleit bourbon, Lillet, lemonade and soda) and Hush Puppy Hush (gin, Aperol and grapefruit, served in a martini glass). If you like sweet cocktails, Mama’s Ruin (gin and apple juice) and smoky That Dog Won’t Hunt (rye whiskey, mescal, maple syrup and ginger ale) deliver.
Purists be forewarned: This is an interpretive journey through New Orleans, Atlanta, Charleston and other culinary points south of the Mason-Dixon, part of a national trend blending Southern dining orthodoxies with the fine-dining movement. The menu fits neatly on one page. Lots of dishes beckon. Biscuits ‘n’ sausage gravy ($7) seems odd on a dinner menu unless your roots are Southern. Beckett nails the sausage gravy – flavored with pepper and sage – and lands oh-so close to a proper Southern biscuit, which should be soft and fluffy. Slightly sweet cornbread muffins ($5) have a ways to go before I’d call them moist. Black pepper honey butter helps.
Fried green tomatoes ($9) are a Southern staple and chef Justin Beckett honors them with a tangy twist – the tomatoes are pickled. Cut thick and fried in a seasoned cornmeal crust, the tomatoes are paired with tangy pimento cheese, elevating the dish to must-order status. The tomato, bacon and onion tart ($10) sports a fluted, buttery pie crust, roasted grape tomatoes, bacon and a drizzle of honey. Order two of this sweet, salty, buttery treat – it’s like a gourmet version of classic tomato pie, sans cheese.
It’s easy to craft a satisfying meal from the six-item small plates section, supplemented with something from the beans, greens and grains section. Solid options include sweet and sour succotash ($9), and a cheesy casserole of broccoli, cauliflower and rice with a smoky undercurrent and spiced nut crumbles ($10). The BLT salad ($10) is a wedge of iceberg served with thick bacon batons, pickled grape tomatoes that burst in your mouth, and a heavy hand of tasty dressings: cola BBQ sauce and creamy pickled relish dressing. The grilled watermelon salad ($11) with local greens could use a touch more tang – and watermelon, for that matter.
Designated daily plates honor Southern traditions, with red beans and rice ($15) on Mondays, just like they do it in New Orleans. I specifically went on a Wednesday for fried chicken ($20) but it was sold out before 7 p.m., so chicken and biscuit dumplings ($18) had to do. Though under-seasoned, this version of the dish is better than the one at Beckett’s Table. Both the pulled chicken and the broth are smoky, the latter studded with carrot coins and quartered mushrooms, and a biscuit cut into quarters to soak it up like a sponge. I love the wilted pea shoots served on top. Smoked chicken makes another appearance in the dark and smoky gumbo ($8 cup/$18 bowl). All downright respectable.
I’d choose the hulking cider-brined pork loin with whipped sweet potatoes, collard greens and maple-flavored jus ($23) over the crispy duck leg confit with dirty rice “risotto” ($25). The latter isn’t a dud, it just isn’t as well-executed – or flavorful – as the pork. The la plancha blackened catfish stew isn’t technically stew, but it is delicious – cornmeal-crusted fried catfish over a terrific bed of sweet and spicy roasted tomatoes, corn and baby potatoes ($19). I’d order it again in a second. Not the case with the New Orleans-style “peel & eat” barbecue shrimp ($24). It’s fingerbowl-messy, but that’s not the issue. The shrimp were overcooked and the broth lacked the perfect storm of butter, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and garlic – especially garlic. With so few ingredients, it’s crucial to get it right, and this version falls short.
Some sweets shine at Southern Rail, especially the custardy bread pudding ($8) with brown sugar bourbon sauce. Superb is an understatement. It would make an otherworldly French toast for brunch. Coconut cake ($9) registered thumbs up from my guest, but I found it ordinary and slightly dry. Mason jar pies ($7 or $10 à la mode with house-made ice cream) rotate weekly, but whether it’s pecan pie or brownie pie, it’s guaranteed to be sweet and satisfying.
I suspect Southern Rail is just beginning to hit its stride. We’ve seen glimpses of Beckett’s fascination with Southern cuisine at Beckett’s Table, but here, he puts it on full display. Like a schoolboy crush, his is the kind of excitable ardor that can be a little rough around the edges. But it’s sincere and, ultimately, disarming.
DETAILS
Southern Rail
Cuisine: Southern
Contact: 300 W. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, 602-200-0085, southernrailaz.com
Hours: Lunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday; dinner 5-10 p.m. daily; brunch 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; happy hour 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Highlights: Fried green tomatoes ($9); tomato, bacon and onion tart ($10); BLT salad ($10); smoked chicken and grilled andouille gumbo ($8/$18); cider-brined pork loin ($23); bread pudding ($8)
