Fantabulous means – Top of the line, marvelously great, peachy keen, and DYNAMITE!
Confluence is a small restaurant located in Carefree Arizona just above North Scottsdale. This restaurant serves an ever-changing menu of elevated modern American cuisine.
They always start you out with some sort of delicious house made bread. Tonight it came with olive oil and white vinegar.
We started out by sharing an amazing cold detailed appetizer of kampachi crudo.
The fish is clean and buttery and is enhanced with baby bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, radish, supreme grapefruit, red onions peanuts and laced with ponzu. It’s light and refreshing but also interesting.
This next one is a drop the mic moment. Sorry my picture doesn’t do it justice.
Above is the miso braised wagyu beef cheek. (Insert the sound of angels singing)
OMG it’s one of the most amazing things that I have ever eaten and I am not a beef person.
This beef isn’t like any beef that I’ve had anywhere……It’s so tender that you don’t need teeth. It really does just melt in your mouth.
The combination of everything on the plate is simply FANTABULOUS! It’s miso braised beef cheek with fried forbidden black rice, kimchi, miso emulsion, lotus root chips, garlic chips, and pickled ginger.
Both dinners were masterfully prepared to perfection……both were fish and both were much better than from any fish house that I’ve been to.
My husband went with the branzino.
This is one of the only restaurants that crisps and seasons the fish skin in a way that I can eat it. The fish also always. comes with something interesting and and very detailed that you won’t get anywhere else…..
On the side of the branzino is house prepared fettuccini with Parmesan, pancetta, kale, crimini mushrooms, eggplant, and white anchovies. My husband usually doesn’t order fish but this one was maybe the best that he has ever tried anywhere.
I went with the grilled steelhead.
Look how crisp the skin is…..It eats like a seasoned. potato chip. You just don’t get this almost. anywhere.
Under the perfectly prepared fish is a combination of wild rice, cauliflower, carrots, celery, scallions in a fumet (reduced stock).
Dessert should never be missed at Confluence because desserts here are ALWAYS as detailed and amazing as the food.
Tonight we tried the smoked toffee risotto.
It’s full of all kinds of surprising textures and flavors that have a confluence together…….The risotto is a very elevated kind of rice pudding with spiced pear, cocoa nibs, hazelnut, mint, and maybe orange zest.
I’ve had some Yum-Dingers this year but This dinner from Confluence in Carefree AZ was the most FANTABULOUS Dinner of 2021. It was stupendously impressive and Worth a Fork!
www.restaurantConfluence.com
Everything is subject to change. Remember that the menus change often so don’t wait.
