I want so badly to give them 5 stars. If I had written this several months ago it would have been 5... Not right now. I am very willing to come back and revise this if another visit in a few months proves this was a fluke.
When we visited Oreganos in Cave Creek the last two times (8 months ago and 2 months ago) we loved it. We ate at the bar and had wonderful service and great food. The last time I ordered the Antipasta salad and my friend ordered a pasta dish. Both were amazing in flavor and presentation. This prompted us to take a drive up and visit there again just a few days ago.
First - our server Hannah was a sweetheart. She understands customer service and was handling quite a few tables with grace and charm. She took very good care of us. All the stars are for Hannah. She should get 5. But I can't give my review 5.
We decided to share the Antipasta salad. I'm not sure if they have changed kitchen staff or maybe the owner is on vacation. We didn't get the same thing we had ordered just a few months ago. What we got looked more like a chopped Cobb salad. And it just wasn't all that good. We also ordered the Calamari. ... OH. MY. God. I have been eating calamari for decades. That was easily the WORST I have ever eaten. Shoelaces. Breaded shoelaces served with a horrible 3 or 4 day old marinara sauce on the side. Horrible. It was inedible and the only reason my boyfriend ate it at all was because he was starving and the kitchen service was slow.
Yes - seafood in the desert is probably not a good idea. Yes, I'm sure it was frozen. But I've bought frozen calamari and managed to not overcook it. IMHO the people who work in the kitchen have never seen calamari, don't know what it is, and certainly don't know how to cook it. The owner should either take it off the menu, or hold a class with the kitchen staff to show them the proper way to store and cook it. Here - this may help http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/the-secrets-of-meltingly-tender-squid-calamari/
Because we have had good food here we will visit one more time to make sure this wasn't a fluke. If it's better, I'll add to this review and change my rating.