During my business trip to Phoenix, Arizona, I got to explore the downtown food scene a bit. The first one I visited was The Arrogant Butcher, interesting name that came with high reviews.

It was a nice weather, and they had a good amount of outdoor seating. I took these photos in the morning time, but we actually dined here for dinner.

At dinner time, it was lively and a handful of people were waiting for a table. Since we had a reservation, we didn’t have to wait but a few minutes while they got our table ready. The first thing I saw was a huge bar, equipped with a few TV screens for sports fans. They had some seating alongside the entrance wall, going all the way to the side. This restaurant was much bigger than it looked from the outside. They had plenty of large windows, so I am sure they get a really nice natural light coming in during the daytime.

in the back behind the bar was more seating, mostly booth seating. They were pretty busy, with most of the tables occupied with customers. The booth seat were larger than the typical four-people booth, it can comfortably seat up to six people. I liked the large light fixtures hanging over the tables, they somehow looked inviting.

They had some interesting art and decor on the wall, modern and creative. At the back, they have an open kitchen, where the magic happens. Always nice to be able to peek into a clean kitchen. As I mentioned, it is much bigger than it looks on the outside. The atmosphere is fun and vibrant, seems like a popular spot among the locals and alike.

We started off with a couple of appetizer to share. The first one was Crispy Shrimp ($14) with shishito pepper and spicy aioli.  They were crispy without being too crispy, if you know what I mean. The shrimp was juicy and plump with a little kick. The spicy aioli was not so spicy, it actually calmed down the spicy flavor of the shrimp. It was very tasty and addicting. The portion was a bit small, especially considering the price tag.

The second appetizer was Spinach & Artichoke Dip ($10) with sour cream, pico de gallo, and warm tortilla chips. The dip was tasty and well crafted. Not too mushy or too creamy, still had some good solid spinach left in the dip without being overwhelming.

Chips were tasty too, right amount of salty flavor and other spices that complimented the dip. This one was also addicting. I liked the mix of pico de gallo in the dip, added extra flavor and texture which was interesting.

For main, I went with Diver Scallops ($27), comes with braised Brussels sprouts, caramelized sweet potato, crisp bacon, and maple sherry reduction.

The scallops were super plump and firm, cooked well without losing the texture. Sweet potato had sweet glaze over it from being caramelized, which added extra flavor to the dish. The sweetness and salty flavor complimented each other and created well-balanced dish. Brussels sprouts were braised in a way they became very crispy, which was fun. The other greens were juicy with seasoning that was comforting. It was a well prepared dish, I really enjoyed it.

 

At the end, we decided to share one dessert. Our server told us that their desserts are easy to share, and most of them (maybe all of them?) come in a bowl or some kind of container. We went with Warm Peanut Butter Cup ($7) with chocolate gelato. When it arrived, I was surprised by the way it looked. It was whipped dessert, more creamy than mousse. Very interesting and very peanut butter-y. It was served warm, at really nice temperature, not too warm, not too lukewarm. It had small chocolate gelato ball in the middle, creating fun temperature mix and textures. It also came with two large cookies. They were very sweet and soft, with chocolate in the middle.

Our server, Logan was quite awesome. He was friendly and very informative, made us feel welcomed with a big smile. The service overall was very nice, all the staffs were polite and took good care of us. We had a nice dinner here, the price tag might be a bit high based on what you order, but the quality was also high. Everything was cooked with extra love and care, we enjoyed them all. The others at the table had steaks, and they seemed like they enjoyed them as well. Definitely a great spot to get together with friends and family, or for a business dinner. Reservation is recommended with its popularity.

 

The Arrogant Butcher – 2 E Jefferson St #150, Phoenix, AZ 85004