Despite the anomie-inducing zoning at CoolSprings, you shouldn't have trouble finding Canyon Cafe: giant tiki-torch things are blazing away outside, flanked by stone pillars. Even among the striking restaurants (Cozymel, Joe's Crab Shack) nearby, Canyon Cafe stands out for its presumably pueblo style architecture. Clay-colored floors complement sand-colored stacked stone walls, and a giant lodgelike arbor rises in the room's center.
None of us had ever been to the desert Southwest, so the whole architectural iconography of Canyon Cafe was lost on us. We thought it looked Polynesian, between the arbor and the eternal flame thing burning in the middle of the room. In fact my husband said ``Gosh this is sort of retro.''
Like the decor, the food is distinctly desert Southwest. Not Tex-Mex, and not Mexicali, but the contemporary cooking of the Southwest, which combines Indian ingredients, Mexican techniques and plenty of California influence (not to mention produce). If you don't care about such pigeon-holes, just go because it's great food.
You can see the confluence of styles in the spinach-portobello quesadilla ($6.95), and in chili-rubbed tuna topped with sauce of chipotle (a dried smoked red jalapeno) and served with cooling slices of avocado ($11.95).
Coast meets desert in the Baja fish tacos, which are popular finger food in the Baja. Fried pieces of fish are rolled into a corn tortiulla with a chipotle-spiked mayonnaise sauce and shredded cabbage and lettuce ($8.95). A pair of chicken tacos is decorated with plenty of cilantro and a mixture of crunchy raw vegetables so you know you're not at Taco Bell ($8.95).
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| Canyon Cafe. (Fred Clarke/staff) |
The trick with such cuisine is knowing when to stop with the Southwestern touches before they grow tiresome. The gorgeous mahogany skin on Hannah's roasted chicken ($9.95) is delectable by itself, but if you like, dip it into the fiery, salty smoked jalapeno garlic marinade alongside. The marinade isn't forced on you; it's offered as an option, and that's where the restraint comes in. There's a side dish of spicy, frighteningly buttery chile mashed potatoes. The plate is rounded out with a sauteed medly of vegetables with no apparent Southwestern influence, which would have been a bit much.
The emphasis at Canyon Cafe is on distinctive, memorable flavor combinations, and that's what you get with the Tahoe tenderloin, about which one guest said ``Let me just say, this is really, really good.'' It's seared but still juicy, and topped with sweet and tart caramelized onions ($16.95). Same goes for carne asada. Tender, tangy strips of deeply marinated meat are full of flavor by themselves, but if you can't leave well enough alone, there's a strong, salty garlic butter ($10.95) for dipping.
So far, they aren't cutting corners: Besides all the distinctive sauces and marinades, Canyon Cafe is using top grade drink mixes for its margaritas, and it really shows. If you're a margarita drinker, this is the place to get one.
CoolSprings restaurants have notoriously long waiting lists, but so far Canyon's aren't as lengthy as I'd expected, and certainly not like Cozymel's 2-hour waits of yesteryear. Our Sunday night visit found the place very crowded at 7 p.m., but a Monday visit yielded a table right away.
If the food and drink quality are noticeably higher than any California-Tex-Mex-Western chain around, that's because the prices are noticeably higher. Appetizers, drinks and dinner for five was $115, while appetizers and dinner for two, plus one drink, was $38.
location:
Canyon Cafe
1645 Westgate Circle, off Moore's Lane. 221-8882.
Nicki Pendleton's "Eat Beat" is a regular feature of the Nashville Banner's Friday Backbeat section. All reviews are based on two or more visits. The Banner pays for all meals. We welcome your comments.
Copyright 1997, Nashville Banner
