If you’re looking to dine out with friends while enjoying a few nibbles and beverages, then you definitely should give The Culinary Dropout restaurant a try!
The First Impression
My first experience with the Culinary Dropout occurred at Devour Phoenix; there were so many delicious samples. Though I cannot remember what I had, it was enough of a sample to keep this restaurant on my must visit to dine list! When I arrived after searching for the place and waiting in line for parking, I was excited. Once I entered, I noticed that there were two other restaurants connected to the Culinary Dropout, which were on my list, so I must return to try those out.
The Layout
I loved the openness of the restaurant, with very large windows and exposed high ceiling. I especially loved the open kitchen; it was very cool to walk by and watch the chefs flow in harmony as they cooked and plated each of the meals. The restaurant was very large and could definitely accommodate very large crowds and the live bands On the flip side to the large eating area, the restaurant was extremely loud even without the live bands playing.
The Food
During restaurant week there was a set menu, For the first course I started with the gluten free Antipasti plate which included Marcona almonds, marinated olives, fig compote, prosciutto, grilled asparagus and sweet bell peppers, and my husband had the smoked salmon bruschetta. For the entree I had roasted salmon with grilled asparagus, green beans (substituted for the creamy barley), mushrooms and chili vinaigrette dressing. The salmon was perfectly cooked. However, the dish was a little too salty for my liking, but still edible. For the third course there were no gluten-free, vegan options for me, but my husband was happy to sample the desserts, and he enjoyed both of the desserts that he sampled!
Typically before I head out for restaurant week I call the restaurant just to see if they could make some accommodations for me, but after my hectic week I just wanted to eat and didn’t call. Well my server was nice but said that the chef is not substituting and I didn’t want to take that as the final answer and asked if he could ask the chef to replace the creamy barley for something else like an extra side of veggies. After a couple of minutes he returned with a yes and the rest of the service that night was an A+.
The End
So, if you are looking for a restaurant that is centrally located, with a great dining experience, friendly staff, and gluten free offerings you definitely want to add the Culinary Dropout to your list! Be sure to Like their Facebook Page!
Please note that if you have severe allergies, please make sure that you alert the chef or staff member just in case the server looks uncomfortable with servicing you due to your allergies.
