Sometimes, I just don’t understand Boris.

Oh, don’t get me wrong here. He is a decent guy and has made Madge very happy. (Although they really need to stop calling each other “Pookikins” and making kissing sounds all the time – something J. and I never do… much.)

Anyway, Boris has developed a habit of throwing out limits on drive time when we go out to dinner. He will say, “Sure, let’s go to dinner, but nothing more than 15 minutes away from the house.” Well, that’s all well and good, but then when it is his choice of restaurants, he will pick someplace in North Scottsdale that is about 35 minutes away. Go figure.

This habit started recently when I discovered a restaurant in Fountain Hills that I wanted to try. The place was called Redendo’s and was on Shea Boulevard just before the turnoff to the Beeline Highway. After convincing Madge and Boris to take the trek with me, we got into the Seth-mobile and headed up Tatum to Shea and then plodded East on our way to the restaurant.

When we arrived at the location, I was sort of puzzled because I didn’t see the restaurant even though the address was noted as being on Shea Boulevard itself. I saw the McDonald’s and then the Circle K, but no Redendo’s. I decided to make a U-turn and I saw the restaurant tucked behind the Circle K, but it certainly wasn’t facing Shea Boulevard. In a tiny strip mall, the Italian joint was right there with plenty of red, glowing neon beckoning us to enter. We parked the car and walked through the door… and into another world.

The interior was bright and cheery with old WWII posters pushing the war effort with lots of nods to Rosie the Riveter and plenty of cartoons of Hitler with demon horns. The red neon lit up the place and we noticed that the space was very small with only a few tables and a couple of booths. We were waiting for someone to seat us when we realized we had to go to the counter to order.

When we approached, a very friendly woman took our order. We looked at the vast menu that was mounted to the wall just above the ordering menu. It contained a full range of Italian favorites from pizza to pasta to sandwiches.

It took us a bit to make up our minds, but when we did, we selected a vast array of items. To start, we decided to get the Garlic Knots with Marinara Sauce ($4.00 for a dozen). Madge and I decided to also get the small Caesar salads ($4.95 each). For our entrees, Boris went with the Lasagna Bolognese ($9.95) while Madge had the Mr. Pinstripe Suit Calzone ($6.95). For myself, I was in the mood for pizza and selected the Latin Quarter Pizza ($13.95). We also order various large drinks at $1.50 each. The total for our bill was $53.91 which included tax.

We looked around for a table and ended up taking a small table near the entrance because the place was pretty full, even at 8:30 PM. We saw some of the other dishes coming out and we were sort of surprised because the dishes were being delivered to the patrons (instead of them being called to the counter to retrieve their orders) and the food was served on real dishes instead of paper boxes or paper plates or in Styrofoam containers. The portion sizes also looked substantial.

Our Garlic Knots arrived and they had plenty of garlic on them. They looked delicious with their golden brown exterior and a dusting of garlic salt. The Marinara sauce that accompanied the knots was deep red with plenty of herbs clearly visible. We each grabbed a knot, dunked it and then enjoyed. The knots were excellent. Slightly crusty on the outside but chewy and soft on the inside, the tidbits were a great way to start our meal. There was plenty of garlic and butter flavors, so we were happy all the way around. Even better, though, was the Marinara sauce. Renado’s didn’t wimp out on the sauce as it had a very bold taste and a wonderful spicy kick to it. We liked it so much that Boris was wishing his Lasagna would be covered with the same sauce.

We had just finished our garlic knots when the Caesar salads Madge and I had ordered arrived. The serving size was huge. In fact, I asked if the salad set in front of me was indeed the side serving size and was informed it was followed by, “You should see the regular size.” Yikes. The plate was filled with plenty of Romaine lettuce, croutons and Parmesan cheese all tossed with a tangy and creamy Caesar dressing. The lettuce was cold and crisp and the dressing was well proportioned for the salad. We loved every bite. We also loved the charming plates the salad was served on.

The arrival of our entrees was a welcome sight. Just from appearance and preparation, we were pleased. The aroma also helped us along in our joy at our meals. Boris’ was very happy to discover that his Lasagna Bolognese was indeed served with plenty of the delicious Marinara sauce that graced the Garlic Knots. The lasagna had plenty of layers and was quite filling. The garlic toast that was served with the lasagna was, according to Boris, very good.

Madge’s Mr. Pinstrip Suit Calzone was killer. At first, I was expecting another standard calzone with a little bit of filling and a lot of hot air puffing up the dough to make it look good. I was completely wrong. When Madge cut into the calzone, she let out an “Oh my” and I looked over to see what she was talking about. The calzone was stuffed full of cheese, spinach, pesto and chicken. It was an unexpected surprise to see that Renado’s didn’t skimp on the filling but instead forced as much filling as it could into the dough. Madge said the taste was excellent and she was pleased that she got some of the Marinara sauce for dipping.

My Latin Quarter Pizza was quite large. The pizza was placed on a metal pedestal to keep it off the table. The pie was piping hot and I waited a few minutes for it to cool. Taking a bite from the first slice, I loved the fact that the crust was slightly chewy, not soggy and generally held its shape. The toppings of white meat chicken, four cheeses (mostly ricotta and mozzarella), pesto were excellent and the cheeses were plentiful. There was one minor disappointment, however, and that was the “Creole” seasonings that were supposedly included in the mix. I didn’t taste any at all. While the flavor of the pizza was outstanding, it would have been that much better if I could have taste that seasoning. Still, I was happy and Madge and Boris agreed that the pizza was top notch.

After stuffing ourselves silly, we still had plenty of leftovers to take home. The service was exceptional. Even though we ordered at a counter, we were waited on like a full-service restaurant after placing our order. Our beverages were constantly being refilled well before they ran dry and the staff when out of their way to clear plates to make sure we always had room.

We got back into the car and started to make the trek home to Phoenix. I thought Redendo’s was a super find in Fountain Hills. It was some of the better Italian food I have had in the Valley for the price point and the decorative throwback to the 1940s was fun and educational.

So, with the lights of Phoenix in the distance, we headed west on Shea Boulevard with Boris fussing about the length of the drive. That’s fine. I am more than happy to sneak Madge out of the house and head back to Redendo’s.

Boris can order from Domino’s as they deliver and he won’t have to leave the house.

Rendano’s Italian
16948 East Shea Boulevard
Suite 104
Fountain Hills, AZ 85268
Dress: Casual
Hours: Monday through Thursday – 10:30 AM to 9 PM; Friday and Saturday – 10:30 AM to 10 PM; Sunday – 12 Noon to 8 PM.
Notes: A second location at 14700 North Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard just opened, but the hours are different.
Alcohol: None.
Website: www.redendos.com