Christopher’s Has the Fancy French Food You’ve Been Looking For
Christopher’s at Wrigley Mansion
Christopher’s used to be in the Biltmore Fashion Park, kind of on the side between the old Apple Store and the parking garage. It clearly wasn’t a hidden gem—the chef is kind of a big deal—but it always felt like a secret. A delicious secret. But now they’ve moved to the Wrigley Mansion and things have gotten out of hand. That view? Way too nice. The prix-fixe dinner menu? Way too delicious. That soufflé? I almost feel bad digging into it. I’m not jealous at all when you tell me you’re going soon. If I went, it would just ruin my appetite for all the normal foods I’d have to eat afterwards.
Camelback East - 2501 E Telewa Trail
Awards + Accolades
Reviews
There's a big, beautiful world out there, and my meals at Chistopher's reminded me that it still exists. They also reminded me that a chef can be a visionary, an artist who offers a taste of wonderment, weirdness and beauty.
It's worth the splurge, because art is essential to our lives, no less so if you eat it.
- Andi Berlin, AZ Central
Here’s a good story: celebrated Valley chef opens an unconventional restaurant in a new dining era in the bright twilight of a long career. It follows its own dreamlike drumbeat and hits every note from the yellow Chartreuse spritz to the unholy bite of coffee cake that comes, unasked, with your cappuccino in a brutally simple gray cup designed by the chef.
Expectedly yet unexpectedly, the restaurant is a 10/10.
- Chris Malloy, Phoenix New Times
Social media is abuzz with his latest concept, a multi-course, three-hour mega-meal worth every penny of its $250-per-head price tag. Valley dining heavyweight Mark Tarbell opined on Instagram that Gross has elevated local dining to an “international level,” and I agree. Recalling most strongly the luxe, formal fare he served at the original Christopher’s, his cooking is more global now, with a greater emphasis on impeccable sourcing, but with the same effortless elegance.
- Nikki Buchanan, Phoenix Magazine
What to Get
ABC Terrine
Chef Christopher Gross named his iconic starter after the A, B and C grades of foie gras used in the three most common preparations of the fine-dining staple, and each is represented here: pâté-like terrine, seared medallions and luscious mousse, one layered over the other and delineated by dehydrated mushroom powder for a decadently artful presentation.
- Phoenix Magazine
Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup
Roasted red bell pepper soup is a sleeper hit of the first course section. Inspired by a 1982 recipe he contributed to Bon Appétit magazine, It has no doubt gotten a 2022 upgrade with a minimalist presentation with only a striking black line of mushroom powder for garnish. The simple blend of bell peppers, garlic, potatoes and cream had an explosive vegetal quality that was both complex and comforting.
- Andi Berlin, AZ Central
Smoked Truffle-Infused Filet
While the tasting menu is the heart of Christopher’s, on several weekdays a menu of classics Chef Gross became known for throughout the years is offered. On the three-course prix fixe menu are favorites like ABC Foie Gras Terrine, a dish Chef Gross created with Chef Jean-Louis Palladin, and Smoked Truffle Infused Filet, which he wowed Julia Child with on her PBS TV show in the 1990s. The restaurant just launched a lunch and brunch service.
- Dena Roché, Iconic Life
Parnassienne au chocolate
You can't say my majestic Parnassienne au chocolate, aka chocolate-mousse tower, hasn't stood the test of time. I came up with the idea more than 30 years ago, and it got so much buzz that I made it for Julia Child on her television show. Inspired by a dessert I saw in a Paris pastry shop window, it starts with a cylinder of white chocolate supported by a scaffolding of latticework dark chocolate. Stuffed inside is creamy chocolate mousse, finished with a drizzle of espresso sauce.
- Christopher Gross
