Audio By Carbonatix
Chic to Chic: When I first encountered the Valley branch of Cafe Terra Cotta, a Tucson culinary landmark, about a year ago, I had mixed feelings about the experience. I gushed about the Southwestern-themed food–prime ingredients, inventive preparations and a bouquet of aromas. But the Borgata-based restaurant had a decidedly tacky side, too. One section of the menu was devoted to hawking Cafe Terra Cotta memorabilia. Price tags hung from the artwork on the wall. And, most dclass of all, promo cards on the table urged diners to visit the men’s shop operated by the restaurant’s proprietors a few doors down. I wondered what was next–servers wearing sandwich boards? It seemed to me that the irrepressible urge of American entrepreneurs to separate consumers from their money had gone beyond the edge of good taste. If I wanted to be assaulted by commercial messages while I ate, I could stay at home and eat in front of the television. The owners wrote me a friendly note explaining their policy, but it wasn’t convincing. And now, apparently, they have had second thoughts. On my last visit there, though the menu merchandising persists, the annoying artwork price tags and table promo cards were gone. Happily, the food remains. And it really is nothing short of wonderful. Take the heart-stopping corn risotto, a lusciously inventive starter. One bite of these creamy corn kernels instantly revealed their origin: They had clearly just been scraped off an ear of sweet corn, not poured out of a can. They were combined with melted havarti cheese, jalapeos and fresh tomato salsa. I don’t think there are too many things you can do for $5.85 in the Valley that will furnish as much pleasure. The shredded duck quesadilla ($6.45) is no appetizer slouch, either. Along with the fowl, it’s filled with scallions and wild mushrooms, and lined with zingy tomato chipotle sauce. And these aren’t puny, bite-size dishes for the ladies-who-lunch crowd, which you might expect in this location. Both the risotto and quesadilla are fashioned for diners with hearty appetites. Main dishes are as good as ever. A grilled whole chicken breast comes coated with an achiote-sherry glaze, resting in a fragrant puddle of mole verde ($14.95). If you’re going to order chicken at a restaurant, this is the way to go. It’s accompanied by thick mashed potatoes dotted with chipotle and an irresistible mound of spaghetti squash. Chile-rubbed halibut ($17.95), an evening special, sounded too good to pass up. I didn’t regret the decision. The juicy slab sat on a bed of arugula, flanked by garlicky wedges of polenta flavored with shiitake mushrooms, and a roasted-corn-and-tomato relish.
Desserts have their own momentum. The outstanding praline cheesecake ($5) is decadently dense without being too sweet. It comes drizzled with caramel sauce, and topped with chocolate-covered toffee crunch. Yum. There’s some seriously good cooking going on here. And now there are no distractions preventing full enjoyment of it. Cafe Terra Cotta is open every day for lunch and dinner. It’s in the Borgata, 6166 North Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale. Call 577-8100.
