Chef Justin Scott discusses the friendly and sophisticated atomosphere at Cantina Laredo.

Close-Up
with Kitchen Manager Justin Scott
Cantina Laredo Kitchen Manager Justin Scott is an unusual chef – unusual in the sense that no one in his family inspired him to become a chef. “No one in my family has any background in food,” he says. “It’s always been one of those individual things for me.”

Indeed, Scott says this fact may have been the thing that inspired him the most and made him even more curious about food and becoming a chef. Although Scott has no formal training at a culinary school, he has spent a formidable number of years working in restaurant kitchens – 14 of which have been at Cantina Laredo. When he first started his career at Cantina Laredo, he spent a year working with the restaurant’s executive corporate chef in Dallas where Scott says he developed a lot of his cooking technique.

Almost four years ago, Scott was transferred to Arizona from Dallas, where he had lived for the past 20 years. He says he loves the mountains, hiking and weather in Arizona and is glad he made the move. As far as his food philosophy goes, Scott says you can’t beat good, strong tasting but authentic flavors – just like the dishes served at Cantina Laredo. He’s made a cozy little home for himself at Cantina. Here’s to another 14 years.

Q&A
Q: What made you decide to focus your career with Cantina Laredo?
A: I started out with a different Mexican restaurant. I worked five years with them until they decided to convert it to Cantina Laredo, and I was asked to stay for the conversion. I was really intrigued with the idea because Cantina Laredo was more upscale, and I had wanted to go that route. Cantina Laredo is a close-knit family. We now have 20 Cantina Laredo locations.

Q: Tell us a little bit about the restaurant’s menu and what drives it.
A: We basically do a lot of authentic Mexican dishes. We make all our sauces and guacamole fresh. Basically, we’ve gotten plates from all parts of Mexico and many from Mexico City. We make authentic sauces that you find in many Mexican towns. We also have a good variety of dishes here.

Q: What are your favorite dishes on the menu?
A: I really like the Camarones Escondidos, which is shrimp stuffed chicken topped with sauteed spinach and chipotle wine sauce. There’s also the Camaron Poblano Asada, which is a steak wrapped around a pepper filled with sautéed shrimp, mushrooms, onions and Monterey Jack cheese served on a bed of chimichurri – it’s actually one of our signature plates.

Q: What kind of experience do you want your guests to have at the restaurant?
A: We really want them to come in and have a relaxed dinner and not get that rushed feeling. We want them to feel like they are getting $300 service without having to pay that.