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reviewed on: February 1, 2008
Traditionally the captain always goes down with his ship. And very often we’ve seen the owner of a restaurant do the same thing, desperately clinging to a concept that wasn’t working while the water was lapping about his ankles. Then there are guys like Mel Master who has boldly changed the name and concept of his three restaurants numerous times over the last six months, seeking the right combination of food, name and atmosphere that will strike a chord with diners and make that cash register ring.
The latest change, which Master also swears is his last, is the changing of Annabel’s to Agave. And, whereas Annabel’s said nothing as a name, Agave fairly screams southwestern. Physically, it didn’t take much to change Annabel’s to Agave, since it had previously been another southwestern eatery, Ocotillo. So, back came the native tapestries, the ristras and other accoutrements of that genre and, voila, we have Agave.
Of course, it takes more than wall-hangings to make a good restaurant, so Master wisely recruited Chad Clevenger, ex of the Coyote Café, to head up his kitchen. And, with the cast complete, and the stage set, he gave the world Agave. We could spend the next half hour debating what is and what isn’t southwestern fare. The term seems to be more of a jumping off point for dishes that embrace the concept of food that includes elements of native American, Mexican, and Spanish. At Agave they’ve covered all the bases by a defining statement on their menu, “culinary adventures from the southwest and beyond.”
We settled in with some wine—you can’t not drink wine at a Mel Master restaurant—and perused the appetizer selection. Chef Clevenger has assembled a nice assortment of tempting items that includes chicken quesadillas, rock shrimp marinated in a chile sauce, a crab and mushroom cake with an orange-chipotle sauce, and made-to-order guacamole. The tostada we enjoyed was spread with a shredded duck confit, black beans and a sauce of tomatillos and chipotle peppers. An intriguing dish that we didn’t get to try is the “Sloppy Jose” sliders served with cowboy ketchup. Perhaps next time.
The entrée selection, which is planned to change seasonally, has a number of very intriguing items, like Chef Clevenger’s interpretation of chicken and waffles, prepared with rice-pecan waffles, and served with a bourbon maple syrup. Sadly, it was another dish we didn’t get to try, but one can eat only so much.
Other entrée temptations include corn-crusted scallops with shrimp-stuffed piquillo peppers, a coffee-and-chile-rubbed buffalo ribeye, and a pumpkin-seed-crusted pork tenderloin. The simply named Grilled Mexican Seafood Dish brought a nicely balanced mix of calamari, shrimp and sea scallops in a sauce of red onions and jalapenos, served with a side of cannellini beans. The highlight of the evening had to be the Mole Rubbed Elk Tenderloin, delightfully tender, and prepared with a cranberry mole sauce. The elk was accompanied by a superb butternut squash flan that could easily have passed for dessert. In fact, at first taste of the flan I wondered how it could possibly pair up with the rich elk, but the flavors and textures came together seamlessly.
Given my choice, I’d choose southwestern over straight Mexican any day. It has all the flavor of Mexican with a lot more depth, and yet it doesn’t have the intense heat of Mexican.
Agave, 5960 S. Holly (corner of Holly and Orchard), 303-488-2662 |
