| rev:text
| - The best way to summarize my feelings towards Renegade Canteen is to share the following: As I was finishing family dinner here, I commented to them that I think this might be the first time they suggested a place with a spirit of enthusiasm instead of concession since moving to Arizona that I thought was worth it. (In balance, I'm not sure they loved it but at least they would go back.)
Excluding portion size, the upscale interpretative Southwestern-bearing Renegade Canteen is large and sprawling like its surrounding strip mall and city.
Normally service is an afterthought for me but this also proved to be an exception. Our waiter, who I shall not name because I think I might embarrass him, struck me as a displaced, awkward Southern gentleman from Manhattan who understood all of the trappings of true high-end American service but was insecure and defensive about them enough to explain why he was doing the right things. That said, an encyclopedic knowledge of the menu, a parlor trick memory of not writing down anything, the sense to not interrupt conversation flow and the flash of a personality stable against customer anger/assault contributed to the ultimate disarming beta to the food's alpha. Usually, anything outside of refinement or used car salesman puts off my family but somehow he succeeded in charming them and interesting me. It might have all been an act but an effective act it was.
The true star is the food. I'm often skeptical of restaurants whose websites contain a "chef's ego" section and talk about James Beard awards, but in this case it was worth it. Fitting with my general approach to dining, family style is the way to go here:
- Shrimp & Halibut Ceviche ($10): Tangy, refreshing, a superlative start.
- Tortilla Soup ($9): Strong flavor but a bit too heavy and salty for a starter.
- Spinach Salad ($9): The honey bacon, candied pecans and egg combine well.
- Green Chile Pork Stew ($14): Basic, savory deliciousness - even a parent pleaser.
- Deconstructed Paella ($25): A little bit of everything - lobster, filet, chorizo + clams.
- Alaskan Hallbut ($26): Lobster sauce thoroughly trounces club sauce.
- Flourless Chocolate Cake ($7.5): More cakes should use flan in lieu of frosting.
- Pecan Pie ($7.5): The bourbon ice cream was unfortunately the highlight. Skip.
Outside of a special event, I'd come back for the more affordable happy hour if it wasn't a parental-funded excursion, but at least with the options and price range near Scottsdale, Renegade Canteen is a welcome statement against local norms.
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