Beckett’s Table
Since 2010, Beckett’s Table has been inviting guests in to an experience that can best be described as being invited to dinner without having to help with the dishes. Homemade comfort food that has the majority of the ingredients sourced within 30 miles of the restaurant. Chef Justin Beckett is continuing the tradition of family get together dinners that he and his co-founders envisioned while sitting around their own nights of dinner together. Armed with his deft palate and cultural experiences the Chef is creating dishes that will tantalize you long after the meal is over.
The restaurant is laid out nicely with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating options. But while the restaurant has plenty of tables, it never loses the cozy feeling. The centerpiece is the open kitchen, where you can watch all the chefs’ movements as they create masterpieces. There is a large bar as well as a good size community table to help with any last minute diners. The restaurant is not a secret to the masses, so I recommend making a reservation either through the restaurant or with the OpenTable reservation app.
While the menu does not seem large, the process of narrowing down to a few items was much more difficult than first perceived. They offer a diverse appetizer menu, but the serving size lends itself to shared plates as well. While all the entrée dishes are served with perfectly paired accompaniments, there are also a few Side dishes that are a perfect size to share with the table, although after tasting them, you may want to hog them all to yourself. Many dishes are labeled either gluten free or vegetarian so as to make your selection easier if you have dietary restrictions or choices.
We started the meal with the Duck Confit & Poached Pear ($12). This is served on a large wood block. It has a base of parsnip purée that is then joined by some smoked cashews, poached pear, pickled grapes, and duck fat mousse. All of these ingredients alone would be fabulous, but when you add them together and then with the pieces of shredded duck are just out of this world. When you are able to get a little bit of the mousse and the other ingredients all on the fork together, the only word that comes to mind is phenomenal.
We also ordered the Mac ‘n’ Cheese appetizer ($9), which comes with a little dish on the side of crispy and diced pancetta. The twisted noodles each had just the right amount of cheese seeped into their fiber and then when you added a little of the pancetta, the extra little pop of salty meat tied the dish altogether. I was glad this was a shareable appetizer, as I may have horded the entire bowl to myself if I had the option. If you are a fan of macaroni and cheese, you owe it to yourself to order this dish, but try not to look too cross at the other diners as they will want some as well.
Since we were having a full dining experience, we then ordered the Vegetable Chop Salad ($10), which was also a nice size to share with the table. The salad is comprised of organic Romaine lettuce that is tossed with champagne vinaigrette dressing. It is then topped with fresh seasonal vegetables such as heirloom tomatoes, sliced fennel, as well as a few other tasty morsels. It is always a comfort when the salad is not too overdressed and droopy when it comes to the table. The chefs here know how to put enough for flavor, while not comprising any of the other ingredients.
At last it was time for the entrée course. The first entrée was Tenderbelly Pork Chop ($26). This is a tenderly grilled piece of pork that is served with a brown butter and smoked onion potato croquette. Also adding to the flavors are a roasted carrot purée and some braised Swiss chard. The pork has a lot of flavor on its own, but when you are able to get some of the carrot purée and the potato on the fork together you are able to see the vision of the chef with the flavor pairings. The Swiss chard is handled perfectly and the stems of the beet plant have never been shown a better preparation than here.
The next dish was the Seared Organic Scottish Salmon ($24). On the base of the plate is a parsnip and golden beet risotto style rice dish that is full of flavor and very close to the consistency of a true risotto. When paired up with the salmon, the flavors combine perfectly. It is also served with some sautéed broccolini and then topped off with a spinach and apple salad. The salmon was seasoned and cooked perfectly and the acidic pop from the spinach and apple salad helped round out the dish and cut through the richness of the risotto. Broccolini, some times referred to as baby broccoli, is actually a hybrid of traditional broccoli and gai lan, a Chinese broccoli. The appeal is smaller florets and longer and thinner stalks.
The final main course dish was the Cast Iron Petite Chicken ($20). It is a larger than quarter piece of chicken that has been roasted and seasoned perfectly. It is served with a bacon biscuit stuffing, sliced roasted carrots, and the natural chicken jus for extra flavor and added moisture. This dish is very filling, yet the flavors on the plate make it very difficult to push away, let alone share with the other members of your dinner party. The stuffing and the natural sauce all help to elevate the dish.
We also ordered two of the side dishes to share with the table, and we are glad that we did, as they were both exceptional. The first was the Bacon Cheddar Biscuits ($7). There are three to an order and it is served with some mouthwatering Apple Butter. They are the same biscuits that are used in the stuffing from the chicken entrée, but instead of being dried out to make a stuffing, these are warm and fluffy still. When you break apart the biscuit and slather on some of the apple butter, your taste buds will sing a chorus of praise to you. The other side dish was the Ridiculously Good Yukon Gold Mashed ($7). This potato dish lives up to its name with ease. Piled high, there is plenty to go around and even some to take home. It is whipped and then a large pat of butter is laid on top to melt and mingle with the potatoes. I felt like it definitely helped add something to the roasted chicken and the pork chop dishes.
The entire meal was fantastic and it was a great spot to be able to sit with good friends and talk about the good times that have been had and good times still yet to come. I am excited for a return dish as there were quite a few more items on the menu that were calling to me. The service was pleasant and efficient while not being too much as to get bothersome. The restaurant boasts an impressive wine list and has won awards for it. They even have artistic pig sculptures hidden throughout the restaurant, see how many you can find as a group. Even if you can’t find them all, the food alone might make you go hog wild.
Location and Website – 3717 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85018 http://beckettstable.com