Hey, not every place has to be The French Laundry. Everyone needs restaurants in their little black book that are just always a solid experience.
Bandera reminds me of Houstons (same owners?) and has a gorgeous layout and open kitchen that give the place a great energy. Their specials are well rounded for the fish lovers, just in case someone doesn't want a big slab of moo, and their appetizers are good enough to have just as the meal. Desserts are straight-forward and well executed.
Round that out with a decent wine list (a lot of the wines are by the glass, which is HUGE) and a full bar that knows how to do your drink and you have a bar that gets a "solid" rating.
It's location makes it easy to walk to quite a few other restaurants or bars and of course downtown Scottsdale and "The Waterfront" are one of the best places to hang out in America for the evening.