"Durant's story begins in 1950, when James E. "Jack" Durant opened his steakhouse on Central Avenue. A former minor-league baseball player and Las Vegas pit boss at the Flamingo Hotel, Durant brought a touch of unconventionality and theatrical flair to the Phoenix dining scene, along with his larger-than-life reputation and rumored ties to the mob and mobster Bugsy Siegel. Whether urban myth, reality, or somewhere in-between, the mystique and drama still permeate the dining and cocktail areas."
"A signature pink exterior remains, as well as the clandestine backdoor entrance leading through a gleaming kitchen and into a different era. Even with a recent ownership change and the "sprucing up" of tired decor, Durant's still drapes its space with tufted red-leather booths, dim lighting, vintage-patterned wallpaper, and a long wood-lined bar, like a scene lifted from 1950s film noir."
Durant's Steakhouse opened in 1950 on Central Avenue in Phoenix, founded by James E. "Jack" Durant, a former minor-league baseball player and Flamingo Hotel pit boss. The restaurant retains a signature pink exterior and a clandestine backdoor that leads through the kitchen into the dining rooms. The interior features tufted red-leather booths, dim lighting, vintage-patterned wallpaper, and a long wood-lined bar evoking 1950s film noir. Rumored ties to the mob and Bugsy Siegel contribute to a lingering mystique. A recent ownership change led to modest updates while preserving the classic ambiance. Dining includes a caviar/raw bar with oysters and iced crab.
Read at Tasting Table
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]