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Chef Dave
Discovering the joys of ‘Arizona formal’

By Dave Ross

You know you are in Arizona when you walk into a fine restaurant where the waiters are wearing tuxedos and the diners are wearing shorts. When the waiters in the tuxedos make the diners in shorts feel welcome and comfortable, you know you are in John Henry’s.

Located at the corner of Rural and Elliot Roads in south Tempe, John Henry’s has long been a favorite dining spot for locals.

On a hot Friday evening a couple of weeks ago, my wife and I were treated to dinner there by a good friend.

The atmosphere is almost club-like when you walk in the door. Everyone was warm and friendly, and acted genuinely happy to see us.

The dining room is elegant yet cozy, and the diners’ dress varied from casual to evening wear, and bridged several generations.

At other restaurants I have been to in the Valley, this mix wouldn’t work. Somehow at John Henry’s it does.

The friendliness of the staff rubs off on the diners. During our visit we noticed several people talking between tables and recommending various dishes to each other. As I said, it is almost club-like.

Now that I’ve covered the atmosphere and service, let’s talk about the food.

If you are looking for a steak and baked potato, John Henry’s isn’t for you. If you’re looking for more of a continental menu, it is definitely the place of choice.

On this visit my wife ordered the seafood pasta and I had the lamb chops. Since we were sampling, we started with appetizers. Lobster bisque “to live for” and oysters on the half shell that tasted like they were straight out of the bay. The entrees were fresh, flavorful and well prepared. The pasta was full of jumbo shrimp, scallops and clams.

The sauce was light and flavorful, and allowed the seafood to be the star.

As for the lamb, it was tender and perfectly cooked medium-rate, flavored with a garlic-and-rosemary-infused demi-glace.

A large portion of our dinner went into to-go containers so we could have room for dessert. We split a more than ample crème brulee, a creamy smooth custard with a light caramel glaze. Perfect!

If you are looking for fine dining there is no need to travel further than John Henry’s. It is one of the best restaurants the Valley has to offer.

If you would like to try crème brulee at home (even though it won’t provide the same ambience we found at John Henry’s), here is a recipe I have used with great results.

Crème Brulee

1 Tsp. vanilla extract

1 pint whipping cream

5 Tbs. sugar

6 large egg yolks

Additional sugar for glaze

Fresh berries for garnish

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Combine the egg yolks, vanilla, sugar and cream in a bowl. Stir until well mixed. Fill four 4-ounce ramekins with the brulee mixture.

Place carefully in a large baking pan and fill with water until the water is halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake for approximately 60 minutes or until set.

Cool in the refrigerator at least four hours.

Just before serving sprinkle the tops with 1/8 inch granulated sugar and caramelize with a propane torch. If you re uncomfortable with that, you can put them under a hot broiler to caramelize the sugar.

Garnish with a few fresh berries and enjoy. (You can make the brulee a day before, though it has been my experience they tend to disappear from the refrigerator between midnight and 6 a.m.)

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