Twin crab cakes, 16-ounce T-Bone steaks, a Cheeseburger Salad, Fire Fries (homemade steak fries tossed in cayenne) and Jumbo wings — these are just a mouthwatering mention of the solidly all-American food and drink you’ll find at The Pourhouse American Grille located at Breezy Corner, where routes 73 and 12 (Pricetown Road) intersect. At long last, this easy destination convenient to both city and country has landed a dining establishment that’s upscale casual and deeply committed to quality food.
After making over the restaurant using wine-and-drink-themed colors of merlot, champagne and olive, owner Marty Grosso focused on a simple but well-rounded menu with the kinds of dishes that can garner big attention.
“It’s one of my personal goals to get Guy Fieri here someday so he can taste The Pourhouse’s baby back ribs or maybe our slow-braised, mouth-watering pulled pork,” says Marty Grosso, owner. (Fieri is, of course, the star of the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.) “That would be fun. Someday!” he smiles, nodding confidently.
With Chef Nelson Sanchez and assistant Bruce Epler in his kitchen, Grosso may just reach that benchmark. On a recent Thursday night, the restaurant’s prime rib entrée was ready for action, having slow-roasted 12 hours prior to dinner. The cut was thick, at least an inch high, and far trimmer than most prime ribs. Best of all, it was cooked to perfect doneness, according to preference, and served with a dipping jus — slightly peppery — that evoked a rich, moody flavor. Hand-cut French fries, with the skins on for freshness and nutrition, plus a side of honey-glazed carrots, complemented the beef.
The Delmonico, though, is hard to pass up, with its piles of caramelized onions and mushrooms. And there’s also the Flat Iron made with gorgonzola butter. How to choose?
But, tracking back a bit, it’s clear that this whole dining experience is carefully crafted to ensure a holistic, satisfying sense of “best choices.” For example, The Pourhouse’s select wines include Avia’s Pinot Grigio, a perfect inch away from dry, and Canyon Oaks’ silky-tasting Merlot. The whole wine menu itself is cleverly displayed on an empty wine bottle label adorning the table. Ingredients are proudly American, with beef from nearby quality butchers, salmon from Alaska, and Oreo chocolate cake and limoncello desserts made by a local Amish woman.
Starters, Soups, Salads
Even the appetizers are uniquely thoughtful, yet deceptively simple. The Brew City Onion Rings are the real deal: one bite tells you that a large, succulent onion was just sliced, slathered with an amazing batter, and then close-fried in very fresh oil. These bad boys are worth sharing with the whole table, delicious plain or dipped in The Pourhouse’s chipotle ranch sauce for some sweet heat. Steamers, popcorn shrimp, and pot pies (choice of crab, lobster or shrimp in a puff pastry) are among a wide range of appetizers.
No less than 10 salads bring an assortment of colorful greens and other veggies to the table, and — best of all — the salad dressings are almost all chef-created. It’s not often you can order a garden salad tossed with an exquisitely creamy homemade bleu cheese dressing. The same culinary care is found in The Pourhouse’s vinaigrettes, including a mixed berry vinaigrette (in season) and a tangy Italian. You can’t go wrong with the Caesar, either: its crunchy, juicy Romaine hearts are adorned with a gentle but oh-so-addictive classic dressing, allowing the flavorful herbed croutons and cheese gratings to lend their natural harmonies to the salad course.
In the heat of summer, the salads portion of the menu may be all you need to stay happy. That plus a Pourhouse martini or mixer: all martinis come with their personal side car and a smiling server who says, as she doles out the first sips, “You are at The Pourhouse, you know!” The Royal Manhattan has a refreshing zing made more delicious somehow by the life-is-good, elegant, blue-tinted glass.
Savory Seafood
Thursday, Friday and Saturday are “Straight Off the Hook” nights — so anything fresh is what makes it to the menu. Scrumptious and sumptuous is the grilled swordfish-salmon-tilapia combo dinner. Again: the chefs are uber-careful to retain and reveal — not bury — the distinctive flavor of each fish variety, using just-ground pepper and a lemon wedge to lightly season. Their focus is on perfect preparation, and flaky, delicate fillets are the result. Pair with fabulous, thick-cut, crunchy cole slaw and homemade, killer-good house applesauce.
A slew of seafood options includes twin crab cakes patted with 100 percent lump crab, a lime-pepper Mahi Mahi with cilantro sour cream for cool flair, and pan-seared sea scallops and bacon broiled in scampi sauce.
Hearty sandwiches come with steak fries. Try Pourhouse pulled pork, rubbed in spices and barbecued to melt in your mouth. Burgers are made either of ground chuck (8 ounces) or black beans — and they’re almost too pretty to eat.
By Marian Frances Wolbers | Photos by Heidi Reuter
