Testing Bobby Flay

One of my goals while living in New Jersey was that I would try at least one restaurant that had been started by a famous chef I had heard of and see if it really deserved the hype. I was originally torn between Mario Batali's Babbo and Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, but then I read that almost everything at Babbo has organ meat in it, so Mesa Grill won.

I didn't have a reservation, so I wasn't entirely surprised when they seated me right next to the kitchen. Normally I would be a little uncomfortable and insulted, but I got to peak in at the chef, so it was okay. The prices were a bit steep for my small pocketbook, so I planned on just an entree and a dessert. But boy, were those margaritas calling my name.

As soon as my bread basket arrived, I took out my camera and took a picture. Then I wrote down what was inside (plain rolls, sage biscuits, and two-color jalapeno cornbread). This must have scared the young manager that was walking around because he was suddenly my best friend. Every plate was brought out by him personally. He checked on me again and again. I almost had to laugh. The man probably thought I was a food critic of some sort.

For my entree I ordered the spice-rubbed pork tenderloin. It comes with a sweet potato tamale, so I also ordered a side of spinach. As soon as it arrived, I knew I had made the right decision. The pork smelled heavenly. The tamale was amazing, with its topping of butter and pecans. I was practically moaning as I ate.

For dessert I tried the Chocolate Brown Sugar pudding, which turns out to be a chocolate souffle cake topped with sweet pecan flatbread pieces. It was delicious. Unfortunately the manager had first brought out the bread pudding, so in his panic, he took the pudding off my check.

Final decision on Mesa Grill? Make a reservation, but otherwise it is worth every cent you'll pay. I absolutely loved it.