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ONLY THE FINEST ON JOSEPH'S TABLE
by Robert DeWalt
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Santa Fe, NM
November 11, 2005
Joseph's Table, under the watchful eye of chef-owner Joseph Wrede, continues to provide memorable experiences for all five senses. With a menu that changes daily, a stellar wine list, and a well-honed staff, this Taos gem will dazzle. If you don't try the polenta fries, you're missing out; if you pass up the mezcal chocolate bar, you're just insane.
The first and only time I ever met chef Joseph Wrede, I pegged him as a diehard sensualist. A few years ago, in a swank downtown restaurant/nightclub, I sat across from Wrede and watched him cradle a beer in his hand, poking quietly at the bubbles on his glass, all the while surveying his surroundings with the curiosity of a toddler at the zoo.
It seemed that he was in a world of his own. Perhaps he was washing away the memories of his recently closed restaurant in Taos. Perhaps he was pondering the future. Either way, I knew I had not seen the last of him.
It came as no surprise, then, that the reinvented Joseph's Table, which opened in Taos just about two years ago, has risen from the ashes sporting a 2005 four-diamond award from AAA and enough local praise to choke Narcissus.
SUMPTUOUS ATMOSPHERE, SUMPTUOUS FOOD
Passing through the lobby of the Hotel La Fonda de Taos on the Taos Plaza, I noted that the decor at Joseph's Table departs from the touristy trappings of the hotel's exterior; a raised dining room, lowered bar seating, fabric wall hangings in autumn and caramel hues, white linens and china, and unassuming glassware suited to a wine enthusiast's humble table are all offset by intimate lighting.
Along the far wall of the room are a series of giant nichos hung with rich fabric drapes that can be closed for privacy -- seating for the romantically inclined. The staff affectionately refers to these tables as the "love shacks." Be forewarned, though: at a gangly 5-foot-10, I had just enough leg and seat space to sit comfortably, and I still managed to give my dining partner a few unwarranted kicks.
It's nearly impossible to resist the romance of a knowledgeable server who, when faced with the question of which wine to drink with what dinner, recommends a bottle of California Central Coast Qupe Syrah, 2003. Well-dressed fish and well-grilled meats are perfect partners with this bottle, a complex, chameleon varietal with the legs to complement almost any entree.
We started with a bar-menu selection of crispy polenta (cornmeal) fries garnished with grilled radicchio (bitter chicory) and Gorgonzola (Italian blue cheese) creme. Imagine a humble representation of the ordinary french fry multiplied by 10. Pure sensualist heaven.
Next came a bowl of steaming black mussels, simply prepared with a garlicky sauce laden with white wine. Not the best companion for the Syrah but still some of the best mussels to be had in northern New Mexico. The accompanying warm bread and herbed olives should make this dish a Joseph's Table staple.
The entree, a 6-ounce petit beef tenderloin, was tender, grilled to a perfect medium rare, and well-seasoned. The smashed sweet potatoes were not overwhelmingly sweet and played well against the crispy white onion rings that gave the dish some vertical crunch. The horseradish-root sauce was tame, a mere hint of the tuber shining through. Normally, the subtlety would leave me begging for more heat, but I was too pleased with the tenderloin's tenderness and depth of flavor to care much about anything else.
My partner's bouillabaisse, a hearty cauldron of halibut cheeks, shellfish, and simply seasoned broth, also was more than noteworthy. As a man resolutely cautious of any shellfish offered in a desert climate, I fearlessly sopped up every remaining pool of seafood fumet. I had, without warning, summoned the sensualist within.
On another visit, we selected wine before dinner. I chose a glass of 2003 Cloudline pinot noir from Oregon's Willamette Valley. My dining partner chose a glass of 2003 "The Craic" California Central Coast Syrah. Both glasses were swift to table and great matches for our meals.
We started with a mixed-greens salad containing goat cheese, dried cranberries, and warm bacon vinaigrette. We moved on to seared foie gras atop sun-dried cranberry chutney. The accompanying buttery, brioche-like roll was fantastic, but the foie gras seemed quite sinewy for Grade A -- yes, I asked. The dish had all the right intentions, but the execution suffered at the hands of a few failures in quality management; the chutney also was a bit tough.
My partner's braised Tierra Amarilla lamb shank was outstanding in texture, size, and flavor; the accompanying apple-mint glaze leaned heavily on the apple side -- thank goodness. It's rare to find local lamb on a fine-dining menu in New Mexico that actually tastes like lamb. Kudos to the chef.
My achiote/citrus-marinated Texas quail with quinoa and cherry pilaf was a feast for the eyes and the tastebuds. Perfectly cooked to a tender pink, both the breast and leg meat were consumed with equal glee. It's worth noting that Wrede's kitchen is one of the few that don't overcook quinoa into a mealy mess.
CAPPED OFF WITH FLAIR
I'm usually not a big dessert lover, but with my inner glutton unleashed by a fine meal, there was no turning back. The panna cotta with blackberry/espresso sauce was an opaque, sexy, whirling dervish on the tongue. The simple dish of gelatin-laden dairy kissed by strong coffee and even stronger essences of blackberry and peppercorn more than rose to the occasion.
The bar menu at Joseph's Table includes a cheese plate with rotating appearances of fruit and homemade crackers. On the first night we dined, roasted pears graced the plate. The four cheeses ranged from sweet Gorgonzola to briny, creamy goat cheese and closed the meal nicely. It deserves a permanent home on the regular dessert menu.
Another time, we shared a house-made mezcal chocolate bar, a crunchy-creamy concoction of light and dark chocolates. If not for the drive back to Santa Fe, we would surely have let loose our desire to make the best of a bottle of port. Oh well -- there's always next time.
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Phone 575-751-4512, or e-mail info@josephstable.com for more information.
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