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Nix Supper Club
4441 N Buckboard Trail, 480-423-9043

How often do you get to go out to dinner with your spouse and friends – once or twice a month? Lucky you. How about dinner at Nix Supper Club? Extremely lucky you. If you haven’t been to Nix, don’t let the “Supper Club” sway you, while there is supper, and maybe a club of Nix aficionados, there are no bars of entry or fees to dine at Nix.

This evening was preluded with one of the couples in our group facing the trauma of leaving their newborn with a pair of professional infant managers: the grandparents. It was tough prying them away from the wailing baby, but once the new parents gave a crash course in infant CPR and a reminder of how to dial 9-1-1, the grandparents bid us farewell and we were off.

We blasted open the door of Nix like spaghetti western cowpokes on the hunt for grub. Once seated, respiration slowed, and the heart rate was soon behind. Strange how linen tablecloths do that; it’s a medical marvel. Now on to the task of grinding out the apps, a task given to our friendly host, and co-owner of Nix, Geoff.

“Had any good ostrich lately?” Geoff asked. This is probably the first time that question has ever been asked, I thought. But people have eaten at Nix; this must resonate through the place. The portions of this strange-looking bird, but beautiful-looking meat, were like medallions of filet mignon. My supposed educated palate had to be informed I was eating ostrich, and not expensive beef. This intense, tender, charred morsel of meat was served on a bed of truffle infused risotto and red wine reduction. This app was a ten (actually $9.95).

Country Paté, a duck galantine served with crostinis, stone ground mustard, cornichons, kalamata olives ($8.95) was devoured by some of our party like black labs wolfing down hamburger patties. Most of us were closing our eyes and tilting our heads back, engrossed in savoring the flavorful magic of these appetizers.

The sounds of our waiter removing plates led us to believe serious entrée discussion was about to occur. We mumbled amongst ourselves as we supplemented a Jewel Petite Syrah ($22) for oxygen. Safe to say, this crew would hit the mother lode of epicurean delight. Being only eight robust choices for entrees (one not available tonight), chances were good we were coming out of here with the holy grail.

My Cast Iron Seared Wild Alaskan Salmon ($15.95) was excellent, but as one diner in our party put it: salmon is about as hard to mess up as cereal. Another challenger was the Cajun Shrimp and Grilled Scallops ($19.95) over saffron risotto with asparagus and an orange-poppy seed vinaigrette. A delicious, not overly spicy Cajun dish.

A solid choice was the Lemon-Pepper Shrimp and Portabello ravioli ($16.95) served with a rosemary cream sauce. This was as close to a perfect marriage of flavors as Nick and Jessica (well, before they broke up, of course). Sliced Pork Tenderloin on a bed of brown sweet sauce with raisins with asparagus ($16.95) sealed the deal for Mrs. Places We Liked.

The undisputed heavyweight champion entrée of the night was the Roasted Rack of Lamb ($22.95) served with Boursin whipped potatoes, artichokes, kalamata olives, finished with a light mint syrup and a balsamic glaze. Good thing “rack” is plural. The poor guy hardly got to enjoy his prize. A resounding OMG was given by all participants.

Our waiter fired up a sturdy Cardinale Cabernet in perfect time to bathe our buds with the pilfered lamb. The cabernet was the expert choice, but it’s hard to go wrong with Nix’s carefully selected wine list. Stephen Johnson, another Nix co-owner, is a former Cellar Master at The Phoenician, and between Geoff and Stephen, you’re sure to find ample wine knowledge.

This cozy ambiance, the white tablecloths, the historic postcard pictures on the walls, and the excellent wait staff is enough to make you forget there is a 2-month-old at home, crying. Reassured that G-ma and G-pa are battle proven stalwarts, we proceeded into the flourless chocolate and raspberry cake our waiter promoted.

This posed the question, “Espresso or port? Or both?” Both. Completely fulfilled, we exited in the exact opposite speed that we came in. It’s as if we were underwater headed for the door. Mission accomplished: a superb night out.

Nix is a great place that is right in Arcadia’s back yard. It’s a must for a romantic night out, or as evidenced, a cool night with some good friends needing decompression. If you ask to get on Nix’s e-mail list, you’ll receive occasional news updates (usually in a simple, two or three sentence message) about upcoming events, like wine tastings and wine dinners.

Nix Supper Club is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner (supper) Monday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.