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 Risky Business Finds A Happy Medium Between Good Food And Good Fun. By Rebecca Cook WHY IS IT that every time I hear a new restaurant described as "perfect for the whole family," I cringe? Maybe it's the generic, tasteless (but hardly bargain-priced) food that's routinely served in such establishments.
Nor am I a fan of places that rely on so many gimmicks and machines that grown-ups feel as though they're being held captive in a nightmarish, arcade bedlam. Given the long waits at the popular chain establishments, the minimal service and the mediocre food, no wonder many families opt for rented videos and a home-delivered pizza. But what if there was a restaurant designed with the idea of serving the entire family? Just suppose there was a restaurant that intuitively understood that in order to bridge the tastes and attention spans between generations, a few compromises have to be made without sacrificing taste or quality? If there were such a venture, it's apt name might be Risky Business--the new restaurant in the space formerly occupied by Ventana Grill, at the corner of Sunrise Drive and Kolb Road. Self-styled as "extreme" fun for the whole family, Risky Business does a commendable job of providing a casual and thoroughly satisfactory dining experience for all ages. The physical space is slick, contemporary and, oh yes, very colorful. Black geometric shapes and splashes of primary color command attention as you walk through the door. These bold hues bespeak action, a theme reinforced by sporty, airborne mannequins suspended in various corners of the room. A skier swooshes from one corner of the restaurant's ceiling, while a motorcyclist revs his engine in preparation for a spectacular descent from another. They create quite a visual mobile. In addition, a goofy green, red and yellow dinosaur named "Risky" snakes playfully above. Risky is more Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade than Jurassic Park, so even small children can enjoy his gentle intrusion.
The qualifying member of our party sampled the cheese pizza, an eight- to 10-inch slice of pie with lots of gooey cheese and a mild red sauce--a definite hit at our table. Soda or juice is included with every kid's meal. Another kid-friendly characteristic of Risky Business is the abundance of elbow room. Rather than oodles of booths and tables scrunched together, the owners have left generous spaces between tables that allow small children to at least move around without disturbing other diners or accidentally knocking things over. It's a much appreciated feature. The main menu offers several plausible options for the more mature diner. A lengthy list of appetizers will help everyone until the main course arrives. Parents can nibble on the spinach-artichoke dip, while youngsters are likely to enjoy a hot quesadilla or potato skins with bacon and cheese. Perfect with that Friday night brew is a basket of Risky Business' crispy onion rings, served piping hot and with a modest batter coating. If you're eating light, soup or salad are also options: The French onion potage, a spicy black-bean, and split pea with ham are available daily. Salads range from simple mixed greens to Oriental chicken, Greek pasta, Caesar and taco varieties. The Business' burgers and sandwiches are also big hits. My teenager, who's become somewhat of a burger connoisseur in his adolescence, pronounced the bacon-cheddar "good, juicy" between mouthfuls. The patty appeared about double the size of the normal fast-food variety and, for once, one was enough to fill this kid up. Lots of slender, crisp fries are piled on the side. My mom was satisfied with a good, old-fashioned turkey melt: a huge sandwich served on toasted sourdough, and stacked with lots of grilled turkey, green chiles, bacon and melted Swiss cheese. If you're tired of sandwiches, burgers and pizzas (more adult versions of which can be ordered), Risky Business offers pasta dishes and other more hearty specialties, such as T-bone steak, grilled fish, stuffed chicken breast and barbecued ribs. Two pasta dishes--the linguini with shrimp and clams, and a grilled, herbed chicken pasta--fared well. Although the noodles in each were a bit overdone, the other components combined to a perfectly satisfactory effect. The seafood combo was tossed in a pleasingly spicy marinara, while the chicken paired nicely with broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes and a light garlic-wine sauce. Neither could be considered fine dining, but hey, it beats doing the cooking yourself. No family restaurant would be worth its salt without dessert, and again, Risky Business, covers all the bases in terms of generational taste: Mud pie, a sinful brownie sundae or a killer chocolate thunder cake will soothe the chocolate-loving kid in all, while the crème brulee or tirimisu round off the meal suitably for full-grown diners.
Next time you're scrambling for a place to take the kids, parents,
aunts, uncles and cousins, keep Risky Business in mind. It might
not make anyone's rave list (kids and arcades are not soon parted),
but it might be a perfect compromise. When you're dining out with
the whole clan, that constitutes real success.
Risky Business. 6866 E. Sunrise Drive. 577-0021. Open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. Full bar. V, MC, AMEX, DC, CH. Menu items: $2.95-$16.95.
Wines are served with 7 ounces in 8-ounce glasses, and while most of the two dozen offered are by both bottle and glass, there's no preservative system for opened bottles of red. The selection offers a better variety of prices than consistency of quality at each level--kind of hit and miss, though the prices are more fair than many eateries. John's partner picks the wines, which might explain the "risky business" name. --Gary Greenberg
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Maybe it's the memory (formed on more than one occasion) of a
persistent, ear-splitting caterwaul emanating from the gaping
mouth of some small child in a family seated directly behind me.
If you're dining with children under 12, crayons and a menu begging
to be colored will accompany you to your table. For just $2.95,
kids can choose from a hot dog, grilled cheese sandwich, burger,
fried shrimp or chicken nuggets (all served with fries), spaghetti
marinara, cheese pizza, macaroni and cheese, or nachos. If your
child is a hearty eater, don't worry about the portions from this
juvenile menu--serving sizes are plenty generous, and should satisfy
all but the most voracious of appetites.
