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A FEW FAVORITE MEALS OF 2004 (excerpt)
by Michelle Pentz Glave
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Santa Fe, NM
December 31, 2004
Mirror, mirror, on the wall -- what was the most memorable meal of all?
That's what Pasatiempo asked our restaurant critics when we invited them to think back over all the meals they consumed in the line of duty in 2004 and -- considering the setting and service as well as the cuisine -- write about the meal that most pleased them.
Their choices? Santa Fe's Baleen and Café Pasqual's; The Blue Heron in La Cienega; and Joseph's Table in Taos.
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Joseph's Table
Last spring, when we dined at chef Joseph Wrede's reinvented Joseph's Table at La Fonda de Taos, we realized that without risk, a meal is, well, just food. But with the additional excitement injected by a daredevil chef, a meal can become a culinary adventure, and when it succeeds, an unforgettable ride. That's what it's like dining at Joseph's Table.
Having reached a comfortable point of maturity in his culinary development, the already-celebrated Wrede decided it was time to cut loose, experiment, and take chances. And so, following a yearlong cross-Pacific sabbatical, he decided to bring Japanese ingredients to the traditional fare of northern New Mexico. The result? Exciting, unexpected, and sensual -- even a little psychedelic.
From square one, our April visit to Joseph's Table proved a delightful fest for the senses. Marlin sashimi arrived as a paper-thin web of pristine raw fish fanned over flash-fried puffs of black-green kale that poofed, then dissolved on the tongue, leaving the salty-nutty-tangy essence of seaweed enhanced by an orange-soy vinaigrette and juicy bite of sour grapefruit.
Yearning for comfort food? Wrede took crisp, custardy polenta, turned it into oversize fries, then stacked them like Lincoln Logs balancing a wedge of bitter radicchio -- the whole served over a rich yet tamed Gorgonzola crema.
For dessert, Wrede created an airy angel-food cake dressed in soufflé clothing -- a foamy, tongue-tickling froth of spongy meringue nearly four inches high. To that he added the intrigue of pinstripes of tarragon, grapefruit, and caramel sauce, heightened with a cloud of fresh-whipped cream. At the meringue's peak: "JT" in the form of two buttery cookies.
Our stunned taste buds met all this fantastical food in an elegantly bohemian den adorned with pussy-willow chandeliers, "love shack" cabanas, and giant painted tulips illuminated by 2,500 shimmering bronze and gold stenciled butterflies.
This wasn't just dining. This tour de force evening at Joseph's Table was like snapping our fingers and waking up in a Shirley Temple storybook world where all our foodie dreams came true.
Details
108-A South Taos Plaza, in La Fonda de Taos, (575) 751-4512
Dinner nightly 5:30-10 p.m.
Sunday brunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Wine and beer only
Reservations recommended
Bathrooms handicapped-accessible;
staff accommodates wheelchair users in dining room upon request
Major credit cards, local checks
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Click here to make a reservation...
Phone 575-751-4512, or e-mail info@josephstable.com for more information.
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