Chow & Tell: Tapas for Three

Week 2: Carefree Station | Slideshow
Week 1: Uncorked – The Unpretentious Wine Bar | Slideshow

Tapas for Three decided to do its next review in the Cave Creek/Carefree area. Two of the members live in this area and we had heard great things about some of the local restaurants that we hadn’t yet tried.

Our first choice was Bodega Bistro, as we had heard the bistro serves excellent tapas, but it has closed. We wanted to find a place where we could sit in the bar and watch the NFL playoffs while enjoying great food to share. Carefree Station has numerous televisions and management said they would be willing to turn up the audio so we could watch the game.

When you arrive at Carefree Station, you cannot see the restaurant from the outside. Spanish Village is a courtyard establishment that houses numerous shops and a few restaurants. Park at Spanish Village and walk into the courtyard to find Carefree Station. You will notice when you walk up to the restaurant that it has an abundance of outdoor seating.

There also is a huge rooftop seating area that is popular during the warmer months. There is live music in this area and it is great for watching the beautiful Arizona sunsets. The restaurant also has an outdoor patio that is covered and heated for use during the winter.

We headed into the bar to find a seat and start watching the game. The staff was friendly and greeted us with menus and place settings right away. We asked to see a wine list and were presented with a book of extensive choices ranging from about $30 a bottle to up to more than $200.

The list also includes the points that each wine was given, which is a nice addition. Considering that we are not wine connoisseurs, we went with a bottle of Pinot Grigio for $27. The wine came quickly and we looked over the menu to decide our first course.

After asking for recommendations on appetizers from our bar tender, we went with the Precious Prawns ($12.95), Tuna Ta Taki ($11.95), and the Southwestern Fondue ($9.50 to serve two). As we reviewed the menu, we noticed that the entres include a petite and a regular offering. This is a great idea for those who are light eaters or people who want to share entrees.

Our first course arrived fairly quickly and the presentations were excellent. The fondue came in a black cast iron bowl with a candle burning underneath to keep it warm. It included chunks of sourdough bread for dipping. We dove right into the fondue first because the aroma was so tempting. The cheese was warm with a great kick of spice to it.

It included Asadero, Gruyere, Parmesan, and Habanero Jack cheeses. The combination was excellent and it definitely qualifies as southwestern in flavor.

The shrimp presentation also was appealing. The jumbo prawns were wrapped in a thick piece of bacon and drizzled with a delicious honey sauce. The plate looked so good that we felt bad digging into it, but the shrimp proved to be just as delicious as they looked. They were warm and the bacon added just the right flavor profile to compliment the shrimp and honey sauce. There were only three on the plate, but we definitely would have eaten another three if we had them.

The tuna ta taki was good, but probably our least favorite of the first course. The tuna lover in the group thought it was excellent, but those of us who aren’t big tuna fans were not as impressed. One member mentioned that tuna ta taki usually comes thinly sliced and this was actually presented in chunks. However, the tuna lover thought that the wasabi aioli sauce was superb and really enjoyed the endive leaves that were to be used for scooping up the tuna.

Overall, our first course was above our expectations and we were excited to move on to the next section of the menu. Carefree Station has quite an extensive menu with a southwestern feel that includes pasta and seafood.

We decided to try a few different things on the menu to share. We chose the Seared Sea Scallops (regular size $26), Salmon ($19.50), and The Carne Filet ($32.) The bartenders were extremely friendly and we enjoyed talking with them about the local area restaurants while watching the game and waiting for our food to arrive.

The second course arrived in a timely manner and all the dishes had appealing presentations, similar to the first course. Everything smelled delicious and we were excited to start sampling. The scallops were pan seared and served over “southwestern orzo”. The scallops were cooked perfectly and had a nice flavor; however, the orzo was either under cooked or extremely al dente. It was actually somewhat crunchy. We were disappointed with this, but still enjoyed the scallops.

The Carnet Filet was perfectly cooked to the request of rare and was accompanied by potatoes with goat cheese and spinach with mushrooms. The sides were delicious and a great compliment to the meat. This dish definitely made up for the undercooked orzo.

However, the salmon was the biggest hit with our team. The piece of salmon was placed on a bed of relish that consisted of black beans, corn and a lobster sauce. It doesn’t sound as appealing as I write it, but it was fantastic. The salmon was perfectly cooked and we couldn’t get enough of this dish.

By the time we had finished, we were way too full for a dessert course, but were told that the desserts are expertly made and fabulous. After our meals, we had to take the staff's word for it.

Carefree Station also offers an extensive lunch menu and has a Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. that includes all-you-can-drink champagne. We will definitely be back for that!

The restrooms at Carefree Station are large and spacious with three stalls for the women. Everything is extremely clean.

Upon leaving the restaurant, we noticed the quaint feel of the exterior that looks out onto the courtyard fountain. It is definitely a great place for a walk after finishing a good meal. We recommend Carefree Station for the great food and the great seating options it has year round.

Lara Rawles and Chris Clark (and Matt Lewis, who is not pictured here) are our Tapas for Three review team. They visited Carefree Station for their second review.