Much like the models expected to grace the S-shaped runway that carves through its dining room, Canal looks very nice. The question for diners: Is Canal more than just a pretty face?

The fashion-themed restaurant opened last month on the second floor of developer Fred Unger’s SouthBridge complex on the south bank of the Arizona Canal, just across from Scottsdale Fashion Square.

Decorated in rich tones of red, gold and brown, Canal’s interior serves up a feast for the eyes. Thirty feet of high-definition screens run along one wall, parallel to the illuminated runway, flashing images of the latest styles to the beat of high-energy music.

Sheer curtains and dim lighting contribute to the intimacy of circular booths and gracefully set tables. A wall of floor-to-ceiling glass windows looks out on a waterfront patio still under construction.

Executive chef Justin Beckett’s menu of “globally inspired cuisine” already has raised eyebrows, thanks to a well-publicized $30 lobster tail sandwich. The rest of the sandwiches, though, cost half that, and almost all dinner entrees are under $30.

For starters, we order the roasted meatballs ($10), which come three to a plate with a mushroom gravy and arugula and fennel salad, and sweet corn cakes ($11), two fair-sized patties with avocado salad, arugula, cotija cheese and a red pepper puree. The meatballs, a special on this night, are a little bland, but the corn cakes are delicious. I only wish they weren’t so stingy with the zesty puree.

Moving on to entrees, a petite filet mignon ($32, shown above) is perfectly cooked but, like the meatballs, fails to excite. One of my dining companions even remarks, “What I wouldn’t give for a bottle of A1.” Compounding the problem, the steak’s thin sauce thoroughly soaks half of the accompanying Parmesan fries, making a soggy mess.

Five macadamia nut-crusted ocean prawns ($27) are average-tasting, but come with a wonderful jicama mint slaw that’s sweet and cool at first taste but has a layer of heat underneath. Even a grilled chicken sandwich ($16) with bacon, mustard aoili and butter lettuce is run of the mill — not bad, just nothing memorable.

Almost saving the day all on its own, though, is an apple Wellington dessert pastry ($9, pictured left) topped with a scoop of Haagen-Dazs pistachio ice cream.

Any fan of TV’s popular “Project Runway” knows the competing fashion designers are encouraged to push the boundaries of style. Playing it too safe is a sure way to get sent home.

In much the same way, Canal’s menu displays flashes of creativity, but too often lapses into the uninspired. Until the restaurant finds a way to “make it work,” I’ll just be tuning in for dessert.

>> Canal, 7144 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, is open 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. (480) 949-9000.