McClintocks - Is It Worth It?

Well, I'm now officially on board and ready to share my thoughts. It was quite the process - it actually has taken months! (of course I wasn't working it very hard ... O.K. not at all). Sooo, my first comment will be something easy - a restaurant review! I made reservations at McClintocks in Saguaro Ranch for my Mother-in-Laws 77th Birthday. My daughter-in-law and my grandson also attended. We all crammed into one vehicle and headed up Thornydale. I had never been north of Moore road. Upon entering the Saguaro Ranch community (over 1100 acres) we went throught the tunnel... magnificent! Upon exiting we entered an very green and uninhabited area filled with saguaro's - thus the name. We came upon the security gate and they were very nice. They checked their board and saw that we did actually have reservations at 5:30pm and another gentlemen (mexican cowboy) offered to be our guide up the winding road to the end of the street, where McClintocks is located. The drive was beautiful .. probably 1.5 mi drive or so. We saw a few built homes and a couple under construction. We later found out that there are only 11 home sites in Saguaro Ranch that have actually been built (or are in the process of being built) and of these there are only two permanent residents - the rest just come and go since it's the second, third, or "pick a number" home. One of the eleven homes has been there for ages...probably the original squatters.

We were met at the restaurant by a number of waiters/waitresses who eagerly greeted us as we approached the front porch. Upon entering the atmosphere was expectantly western and rustic. We were the first guests of the night. We were sitted at one of the front tables with a direct view to the South peering through the hills of the Tortillito mountains. It was an extradinary vantage point that grew even more exceptional as the sun began to set and the Tucson valley darkened, except for the millions of twinkling city lights and the lights from above. We observed some protesters during the early part of the experience. It appears there is still some quarreling over the land by certain environmentalists. They were promptly escorted off the grounds.

Our waiter was exceptional. We later found out that he has spend many years in the restaurant business and had prior work experience at Flemings, McMann's, and some other reputable and more high end establishments. We also learned he was a mortgage loan officer and working at Saguaro's was just a side job. He took great care of us throughout the night...we had his undivided attention. The menu was typical and presented the normal steak and seafood varieties. My Mother-in-law ordered an onion appetizer...not sure of the actual name, but she loved it. She devoured it all by herself...but then she loves onions (and garlic)! We all ordered and ultimately split between steak and seafood (salmon) dishes. The food was good... receiving a 7 out of 10. The prices were expectedly high, which after finishing dinner I surmised was mostly due to the atmosphere rather than the menu selection/creativity/taste.

After finishing dinner we took the elevator up to the top floor (2nd floor) and walked out on the upstairs open dining area. It was not is service this night, but mirrors the size of the first floor, which provides them great overflow capacity, but is mostly used for special occassions (i.e. weddings, ...). Our waiter followed us up and answered all our questions and enjoyed the calm of the desert night with us. Often people just come to the restuarant and get something simple w/ some coffee (or a drink) and sit on the 2nd floor and stare at the Tucson valley.

Overall, we had a great time! In the end, Saquaro's were very hospitable and extended us a very warm and personable experience. We had a respectable dinner w/ exceptional care and attention. We spent some quality time w/ our loved ones and took in the beautiful desert surroundings and viewed the awesome night lights of the city and the heavens. I'd recommend Saquaro's anytime for that special occassion.

Anniversary Dinner

Well, Mary and I celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary on Monday. We decided to go out to dinner as part of our celebration. I had heard about Elle Wine Country Restaurant a couple of years ago and have long wanted to try it. Their commercials play all the time on the radio and it always "sounded" delicious. So, now was the time to finally try one of Tucson's Originals. Things started out okay, we arrived just before six to an almost empty restaurant and were seated promptly. Service was prompt, of course it was almost empty after all, and the wait staff was friendly. Here's where things started to go downhill. The small bread plates we used for our olive oil & balsamic vinegar dip and our single forks stayed with us through our bruschetta appetizer and our meals. One might think it customary for these items to be replaced at finer dining establishments, not Elle. Our dinners were not all that great either, maybe "just okay". Mary ordered the grilled beef tenderloin medallions medium and I ordered the pan seared ahi tuna rare. The medallions were tender, but overcooked. The grilled red potatoes that accompanied them were way over cooked, almost burnt. My ahi was prepared just right, but the cut of tuna was off. I'm not sure what it was - cheap tuna, old tuna, maybe frozen tuna, I'm not quite sure. One thing I do know is good tuna, having feasted on it many times on my trips to Hawaii. Now, I'm not saying that the tuna in Tucson should be as good as the tuna one gets in Hawaii, caught fresh that morning, but I have seen better pieces of tuna in this town. Bottom line, we won't go back. For all the hype in the commercials, the slick web site, and it being a Tucson Original, Elle Wine Country Restaurant was a big let down.