The Gladly Experience

He Said

For years the location was inhabited by a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and just like that a big name chain was replaced by a local group looking to expand their foothold in the valley. Hooray! The same group that brought you Citizen Public House and Citizen R+D moved in the growing Biltmore/Arcadia restaurant world and that makes me very happy. If you squint and pretend you would think you were in New York or any number of dense urban cities. You can enter from the front but most likely you’ll park in the back and go in through the office building entrance. Make your way to the front hostess stand around the often crowded bar with a serious set of mixologists just waiting to put together a party for your taste buds and your brain. I’d recommend reservations if you’re going in the prime time.

We started with Vietnamese Pepper Shrimp which was on a bed of crispy rice. It was tasty and misleadingly spicy. I didn’t feel the spice right away and was just enjoy each bite with a little of the rice and sauce. Then about 2 minutes later my mouth started to burn. Not in a crazy Indian meal kind of way but in a nice enjoyable just enough kind of way.

My meal was the Tuna Steak. It incorporated avocado tzatziki, crispy chickpea cake, zucchini, grape tomato, and herbed oil. It was like an amazing cut of fish on a dream Mediterranean mezze plate. It was a gluten free meal, if that is something you are looking into and actually they had quite a few gluten free options. I could have just eaten my main meal and the desert because it was a very full meal.

The bread pudding was a good ending to our meal and they top it with whatever berries or fruit is in season. This bread pudding wasn’t soaking in liquid but was moist and delicious. Not the kind your southern mama would make but the kind you would expect from a higher end establishment looking to impress.

The service is friendly and prompt without being overbearing. Our server was knowledgeable on the dishes and made some choices for us because we couldn’t decide. My next visit will be to explore the great happy hour options and prices.

She Said

The group that brought us Citizen Public House has done it again!  Located just off of Camelback Road parking is in the rear and we entered through the back entrance. It is not difficult to find your way to the restaurant as there is plenty of signage. Once inside, helpful staff pointed us to the hostess stand. The restaurant was jumping. The bar was full of patrons chatting and laughing giving the restaurant a busy and energetic vibe.  We had reservations and were seated right away. The contemporary décor, dim lighting and attentive wait staff give the impression of a fancy city restaurant but the relaxed, friendly atmosphere make it a casual and comfortable place.

The famous Chopped Salad was the first thing I spotted on the menu, but we wanted to try something different and went with the waiter’s suggestion of the Vietnamese Pepper Shrimp. It was a perfect portion for two. A handful of meaty shrimp sat atop a mound of crispy rice surrounded by a spicy tomato based sauce. The dish delivers a perfect punch. Enough of a kick to warm you up, but not leaving any uncomfortable burning.

For an entrée I got the Pan Seared Scallops. I LOVE everything happening on this plate. The scallops are accompanied by bacon and greens served over sweet corn grits (which are out of this world), finished with a cola gastrique sauce (a cola based syrup that tastes like sweet balsamic.) There is such a nice balance of flavors from the natural buttery influence of the scallops, the southern country tastes of the grits & greens and finally the smoky & salty hints from the bacon all combined create a stellar mix. If you’re a texture person the smooth scallops, grittiness of the grits and slight stringiness of the greens are a perfect combo. I was making each forkful a complete blended bite. Even though its shellfish, this dish fills you up in that wonderful meat and potatoes kind of way. I had a very happy belly.

With barely any room left we shared the Buttermilk Bread Pudding. Topped with blueberry compote and vanilla ice cream, it wasn’t the traditional bread pudding I am accustomed to. Cold blueberries were piled on the bread rather than the bread being saturated by warm fruit. I could only muster a few bites before I threw in the towel. I was sufficiently full and really enjoyed my whole meal at The Gladly. We will be back for sure!