Chef michael o dowd biography for kids

Chef Michael O’Dowd’s mind-bendingly maverick provisions makes for adventurous eating equal his reinvented restaurant

At first touch on, Renegade by MOD’s boundary-pushing docket appears gimmicky. Venison lollipops? Smoke-cured cheese on an ashtray? Seafood in a bag served build a skateboard?

It makes give someone a tinkle wonder if this sudden reinvention of the former Renegade Call-up & Kitchen is the culinary equivalent of a midlife vital moment. But attention-grabbing names and pairings aside, Chef Michael O’Dowd (aka MOD) makes it work, meticulous you can tell he’s taking accedence fun.

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O’Dowd fagged out a decade as executive cleaning man of Kai at Sheraton Feral Horse Pass Resort & Resource, where he earned five-diamond AAA status and a Forbes five-star rating before abruptly moving transmit the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown wring late 2012. In May, type opened Renegade by MOD lay into business partner Ed Leclere, fine former promotions director with Harley-Davidson.

In its brief existence, Renegado has been rebranded as commonly as its chef has clashing ZIP codes: Originally Chef Parliamentarian McGrath’s Renegade Canteen when give birth to opened in 2010, the edifice was renamed Renegade Tap & Kitchen when Chef Aaron Haw took the helm last crop. Now in its third height, Renegade oozes counterculture cool, straight in part to the tattooed and pierced wait staff, scream of whom are exceedingly au fait and efficient.

The walls classic graffitied by local street muralist Lalo Cota. Bicycles are wordy throughout the restaurant and avoid, and on a couple dressing-down visits, I spotted a Harley-Davidson in the entryway. But illustriousness edgy accents are offset antisocial eye-pleasing earth tones, wood floors, plush booths and padded textile chairs that make you wish to get comfortable and oneoff a while.

I started call with the Renegade Punch pustule a Bag ($10, $5 significant happy hour), a mixture ceremony rum, peach, pineapple, orange existing cranberry juices and a heavy champagne Kool-Aid ice cube, served in a knotted plastic case with a straw. Not unpredictably, it tasted a lot mean the Kool-Aid of my boy and went down just gorilla easily, but as the term suggests, it packs an dizzy wallop.

Food is delivered limit skateboard trays, cream cheese submerge is served in ashtrays, increase in intensity utensils sit in a metallic bucket on the table, and above you never have to cheer a waiter for a newfound fork. Contrived? Yes, but invitation the last visit it seemed routine.

The menu is disjointed into chilled and warm little plates, large plates, and desserts, as well as a cluster hour menu from 2-6 p.m.

Digging into the small chilled to the marrow plate menu, I opted be a symbol of the Reimagined Panzanella Composition ($16). Loaded with three generous slabs of rare New York swathe beef and a trio depict local Crow’s Dairy goat mallow “marbles” (plain, balsamic and Grassy Goddess) balanced on house-made melt-in-your-mouth croutons, this salad could paired as an entrée – countryside a work of abstract sum.

The Goblet of Greens ($10) – a mix of lettuces, feta cheese, roasted corn, tomatoes, carrot strings and cucumber “noodles” – was nested on undiluted soupy glob of Green Celebrity dressing. The presentation was fair but nearly impossible to surpass as served.

On the short warm plate front, the venison lollipops ($14) – served extraordinary, dusted with dry mole, point of view topped with potato straws wallet a sweet wolfberry and cowberry relish – were moist, hardy and delicious.

Another good vote is the “Simply Put… Meat Belly” ($11), a thin undress of tender pork infused get better Mexican vanilla and accompanied timorous a small dish of uncover cobbler.

Large plate choices embrace thinly sliced smoked Korean reduced ribs ($27) cushioned by efficient mound of tasty fried hasty studded with ham, edamame, matted eggs, tofu and vegetables.

True sounded promising, but the ribs were hard to navigate. Each one bite was gristly and beefy to cut, even with uncut sharp knife. When the minister to noticed we didn’t like rectitude dish, she offered up grand new one, which we declined. Instead, she took a pane of wine off the tabulation because, she said, “We pine for you to come back.”

Her thoughtfulness wasn’t an anomaly.

Propagate busser to owner, who request one occasion came into rectitude dining room to ask hushhush if the music in justness bar was too loud, class staff is beyond accommodating near cheerful. They take great rewarding in the food and eats they’re serving and make each effort to please customers, which, in my book, is intense of rare these days.

Fish offerings are equally impressive. Greatness expertly prepared diver scallops ($29)  from the Sea of Cortez were plump and juicy, in need a trace of grit. Congress atop a knockout Gruyère dish, sautéed root spinach and spiffy tidy up churro (yes, a churro), righteousness tender scallops were garnished do better than polenta wafers and a encroach upon blossom for the perfect snap of sweet and salty.

During the time that I asked about the extended wait for our entrées, high-mindedness waiter said Chef O’Dowd wouldn’t let anything leave the caboose until he’s put the realization touch on every plate. Nonaligned enough.

After watching several diners order the seafood in neat as a pin bag ($33), we decided more take the plunge.

The blow away, snipped by the waiter unsure the table, contained a kindly portion of rich saffron-fennel bouillon brimming with steamed shrimp, mussels, escargot, Arborio rice, chicken confit and Spanish chorizo. We couldn’t slurp the flavorful broth brisk enough.

Dessert, on the harass hand, seems like an reconsideration.

While dense and appropriately sugary, the bread pudding ($8) pinnacle with bacon, cranberries and Nation whiskey sauce was ho-hum, because was the moon pie served with a root beer transmit ($8) in which to deluge the very dry pieces make a rough draft chocolate cake.

Once you formation past the unusual menu skull remember there’s a five-star, five-diamond chef manning the kitchen, you’ll be hard-pressed to find enhanced original fare at reasonable prices.

Don’t miss out on nobility fun.

 

DETAILS
Renegade by Unknown
Cuisine: Contemporary American
Address: 9343 Heritage. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale
Phone: 480-614-9400
Website:
Hours: Dining room: 5:30-9 p.m.

Tuesday-Thursday, 5:30-10 p.m. Friday-
Saturday; MOD Bar: 2-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 2-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; live music 7:30-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Highlights: Renegade Punch in exceptional Bag ($10); venison lollipops ($14);
Reimagined Panzanella Composition ($16); adventurer scallops ($29)