Nothing is for certain and there is always a risk of catching the coronavirus when you leave your house. I’m not a scientist but some scientist think that it is unlikely that you will catch the coronavirus outside with distancing. I’m not ready to do indoor dining yet but I thought I’d take a chance on the beautiful Confluence Patio and enjoy their amazing food they are known for.

I came early to try to beat the crowd and I was mostly successful. It stayed empty for most of my dining.

One side of the patio offers stunning mountain views. Tonight the weather was amazing here. It’s around 6 degrees cooler in Carefree than most oof Phoenix so with the cloud cover it was actually a cool temperature here.

Tried the four course tasting menu for the first time ($65. each).

They started us off with their amazing country loaf bread and a high quality olive oil accented with vinegar. The bread is so flavorful…….it’s impossible not to eat. I think it’s one of the most delicious breads I’ve ever ate.

Our first course were –

Aguachile – shrimp, radish, avocado, cilantro, onion ash, lime pickled red onions, cucumber, peptic and crisp yucca chips.

and

Mixed Greens Salad – chèvre, brioche croutons, sunflower seeds, pistachios and blackberry vinaigrette.

Both plates were really delicious but the aguachile had extra special fireworks going on with it and also secret ingredients not mentioned. It was explosive with flavors.

Second courses were-

Gnocchi – farm egg, pancetta, broccoli, pine nuts and pecorino

and

Wild Mushroom Soup

Wild Mushroom Soup – portobella dumplings, shallot, buttered leeks, leek oil and mushroom powder

Both plates were amazing. The soup was very silky and intense with flavors. I have no idea how each ingredient in the soup has so much flavor.

Our main plates were –

Iberico Pluma – stewed tomato, baby squash, crispy garlic, crispy caper, chick peas, pea sprouts and Calabrian Chili.

and

Arctic Char – mushrooms, English peas, fettuccini, herbs and preserved citrus butter

Both plates tasted amazing. The pork was caramelized and tender. The fish was mild and flaky. The chick peas had a special pop factor with the most contrast with flavors. The fettuccini was toothsome and had this amazing buttery taste and the peas popped with freshness.

The sweet endings.

White Macadamia Tart – caramelized white chocolate pudding, macadamia brittle, salted caramel sauce

and

Blueberry Crisp – black pepper oat crumbs, dried blueberries, lavender, creme fraiche semi freddo

WOW! Both desserts were magical.

The flavors in the macadamia were so intense and delicious.

The blueberry crisp was almost savory but also so delicious with different textures.

It was an amazing magical delicious dinner from Confluence in Carefree.

That was my first dining out during the CoronaVirus Pandemic.

Everything is subject to change and we hope these times change for the better.

www.RestaurantConfluence.com