I've been banging this drum for a while now, but Kid Sister continues to be one of my favorite additions to the scene over the past few years.
It is an excellent wine bar with a really curious and funky selection of natural wines, not to mention a whole bunch of other offbeat and unconventional spirits. And I love that about it.
But man, it isn't even really a
restaurant, per se, and everybody seems to want to pigeonhole it as a drinking destination with some nibbles, and yeah, that menu is tiny. But honestly, take away everything else, and the food makes this one of the best new restaurants in town.
Our strategy has been to order The Menu (yes, all of it), and that seems to work out perfectly as dinner for four.
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Just a little twist! Not everybody has to do freaking deviled eggs! (As much as I loves me some deviled eggs.) How about a little oeuf mayonnaise instead? Beautiful cook on the eggs, with deep golden yolks that were just barely set. (Should've gotten a photo.) Tarragon mayo, white anchovy, a little garnish. Done! Beautiful. Bring me a dozen more.
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Very straightforward tuna crudo, very delicious, with a light ponzu and (I think) olive oil dressing, some shallot, shiso, aji amarillo and chunks of peach and Persian cucumber. Exactly what it sounds like, done just so.
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Puff pastry, killer melted tomatoes, some greenery and a blanket of shaved comté. There is nothing not to like here.
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Okay, this risotto was way better than it had any business being. I can count maybe two Italian restaurants in town that can actually pull off risotto with any kind of skill, and this was better than the rest of them put together. Squash blended in, some squash blossoms strewn about, toasted hazelnuts, fresh sweet crab and a hit of Calabrian chile that wasn't remotely bashful. Really nice job with this.
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Right down the middle of the plate, but look, it's a strike. Cook on the salmon was perfect — gorgeous crisp skin, edges that flake, deep ruby-orange core. Set on what I believe they said was a bit of "sunflower miso," dressed tomatoes (lots of coriander in the dressing) and duck fat cipollini confit.
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Just a damn good chicken. Crisp, beautifully seasoned skin, meat cooked juuuuuuust enough, sitting in a thick, rich veloute loaded with oyster mushrooms and scented with black garlic. Our server suggested an order of focaccia to use as a bread mop. Don't mind the upsell one bit.
Phoenix is — yet again — snoozing on one of the best new(ish) restaurants in town while they pack dumb, mediocre hotspots to the rafters. If you haven't been yet, I would strongly encourage you to go. Kid Sister is just great.
Kid Sister
www.kidsisterphx.com
4810 N. Seventh Street
Phoenix, AZ 85014
602-633-9559
