Restaurants

100 Favorite Dishes 2015: Pig’s Feet at Christopher’s Restaurant and Crush Lounge

This year we're marking the hundred-day countdown to Best of Phoenix 2015 by sharing some of our favorite dishes at restaurants all over the Valley. Have a suggestion for a dish you'd like us to try? Leave it in the comments section or email lauren.saria@newtimes.com. 12. Pig's Feet at Christopher's Restaurant...
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This year we’re marking the hundred-day countdown to Best of Phoenix 2015 by sharing some of our favorite dishes at restaurants all over the Valley. Have a suggestion for a dish you’d like us to try? Leave it in the comments section or email lauren.saria@newtimes.com.

12. Pig’s Feet at Christopher’s Restaurant and Crush Lounge

Chef Christopher Gross is nothing short of a Valley legend. If you get him talking you’ll soon find out he’s been everywhere (including Paris, London, and Aspen), met everyone (celebrities including Julia Child, Jaques Pepin, and Martha Stewart), and can cook pretty much anything. He won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest and was the first Arizona chef to win the Robert Mondavi Culinary Award of Excellence. And after all that, believe it or not, you can still find him in the kitchen at this Biltmore restaurant Christopher’s Restaurant and Crush Lounge. 

Gross has fun with the menu, which isn’t just French standards like escargot en croute and chicken Viennoise. There are also approachable American favorites like a ribeye and burger that benefit, of course, from Gross’ impeccable technique. Still, his most well-known dish is probably pied de cochon, or pig’s feet, a rustic French dish that you can find at the restaurant every Friday night. 

Though it’s rustic, the dish is far from easy to make. Gross has to pressure cook the trotters until they’re broken down and soft, then add in vegetables, ground pork, and spices before frying the mixture in chicken fat. He rolls the whole thing into a log, which goes into a water bath for two more hours — and that’s all before he can wrap each puck in pastry dough to be baked for 15 minutes. In the end you get buttery, flaky crust that gives way to fragrant pork meat and feet, the kind of stick-to-you ribs meal that’s impossible not to love. 

The 100Favorite Dishes so far…

100. Waffle at Matt’s Big Breakfast 

99. Pacific White Fish Taco at La Santisima 

98. Beef Roll at Taiwan Food Express

97. Zinc Burger at Zinc Bistro
96. Goat Biryani at Khyber Halal 

95. Key Lime Doughnut at Welcome Chicken + Donuts

94. Chicharrón Prensado Quesadilla at La Merced

93. Moist Succulent Pork Chop at Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Cafe

92. Deep Fried Squid with Salt and Pepper from Nee House Chinese Cuisine
91. Coconut Raspberry Brownie at Karl’s Quality Bakery

90. Fried Chicken at Phoenix Public Market Cafe

89. The Tyler at Cheese ‘N Stuff

88. Hurricane Popcorn at Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour

87. Ceviche at El Chullo

86. Date Shake at Couscous Express

85. Red Bean and Rice Burger at Liberty Market

84. Banh Thit Nguoi at Da Vang

83. Breakfast Sandwich at Ollie Vaughn’s

82. Crispy Pig Ears at Crudo 

81. Parillada at Asadero Norte De Sonora 

80. Warm Jar of King Crab and Butter at Little Cleo’s Seafood Legend

79. Pumpkin Spice Macaron at Essence Bakery

78. Falafel Sandwich at Al Hana Restaurant

77. Sheng Jian Bao at DingHao Shanghai

76. Baked Vegetable Pesto at Oven + Vine

75. Pollo Guisado at FrinGo’s Kitchen

74. Aloo Paratha at Tahoora Grill 

73. Exotic Mushroom Pan Fry at Cowboy Ciao

72. Otro Cortado Salad at Otro Cafe

71. The Standard with Cheese at The Stand 

70. Kimchee Bokum Bap at Hodori 

69. The 301 Pizza at Forno 301

68. Green Chile Burrito at Rito’s Mexican Food 

67. Aloo Tikki Chaat at Little India

66. Oysters Rockefeller at The Salt Cellar Restaurant

65. Bún Thit Nuong at Hue Gourmet

64. Pistachio Chicken Liver Pate at The Gladly

63. Fried Green Tomato Sandwich at Welcome Diner

62. Crawfish at Angry Crab Shack

61. The Lady at Short Leash Hot Dogs

60. Torta Ahogada at Tortas Paquime

59. Baiynchaiv Crepes at Reathrey Sekong

58. The Straw at Miracle Mile Deli

57. Fresh Shattered Potato Chips at Ingo’s Tasty Food

56. Southern Fried Chicken at Bobby-Q

55. Buffala Verace at Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana 

54. Baklava at Middle Eastern Bakery and Deli

53. Tri-Tip Sandwich at Grassroots Kitchen at Tap 

52. Fig, Cheese, and Caramel Empanada at Republica Empanada

51. Cauliflower Pizza at Forge Wood-Fired Pizza

50. Bandeja Paisa at La Tiendita Cafe

49. Footlong at Ted’s Hot Dogs

48. Chettinad Dosai at Woodlands Vegetarian South Indian Kitchen

47. Sticky Buns at El Chorro 

46. Wood Grilled Artichoke at Central Bistro

45. Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings at New Hong Kong Restaurant

44. Carne Adovada Enchiladas at Los Dos Molinos

43. Mac n’ Cheese at Lux Central 

42. Carolina Dog at Joe’s Farm Grill

41. Whole Chicken at El Pollo Supremo

40. Fried Saimin at Aloha Kitchen

39. Hummus at Princess Market 

38. Xiaolongbao at Chou’s Kitchen

37. No. 6 Crepe at Jobot

36. Lo-Lo’s Special at Lo-Lo’s Chicken and Waffles

35. Banana Cream Pie Trifle at The Parlor Pizzeria

34. Bean & Cheese Burrito at America’s Taco Shop

33. Butterfish Tatki at Roka Akor

32. Pan Seared Scottish Salmon at Bootleggers Modern American Smokehouse

31. Peking Duck at Hong Kong Asian Diner

30. Vic’s Meatloaf and Eggs at Dick’s Hideaway

29. Arizona Super Taco at LuLu’s Taco Shop

28. Zucca Chips at North Italia

27. Haemul Soon Du Bu at Café Ga Hyang

26. Salmon “Yasu Style” at Yasu Sushi Bistro

25. Pineapple Li Hing Mui Ice Candy at Super Chunk Sweets and Treats

24. Mixed Grill at Copper Kettle

23. Super Colossal Shrimp Cocktail at Steak 44

22. Egg Tart at Great Wall Cuisine

21. The Pittsburgher at Wimpy’s Paradise 

20. Beignets at Southern Rail 

19. Ricotta Gnocchi at Rancho Pinot

18. Ika Kare Age at Hana Japanese Eatery 

17. Pork Belly Pastrami at Citizen Public House

16. Pig Face Dumplings at The Clever Koi

15. Grand Prix at Crepe Bar

14. Hoppin’ John at Yard Bird + The Larder
13. Churros Rellenos de Cajeta de Cabra at Barrio Cafe

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