Quiescence Restaurant is located in Phoenix Arizona and is considered among the best restaurants the metro Phoenix Area has to offer. This is a high end special occasion type of restaurant that serves farm to table kinds of foods. Many of these are grown on these grounds that once were a pecan farm from about a 100 years ago. What ever isn’t grown here are mostly locally sourced. They do try to source the highest quality foods possible presented in an stylish way. At Quiescence you dine in one of the farm houses that is from around 1920. The building’s air conditioning doesn’t function as well as it should in spots so be prepared for perspiration. I also should mention again that this is a farm and you walk across a gravel lot to make it to the restaurant so it might be hazardous to wear heels. Outdoor dining is available and a special lone table with a wood burning stove is available for extra special secluded dining.

You order either a la carte, 5 and 6 course tasting. If you pick the tasting then it’s up to the chef on what you’ll get. We went with 5 course tasting because we’ve done that a number of times before and always enjoyed it.

First they present us with baked in-house bread, local olive oil and an herbed butter.

One bread was crusty ciabatta and the other is focaccia with zucchini chips.

Next an amuse bouche comes our way.

House cured steelhead trout with herbed cheese and dill. Just delicious. I could have eaten three of these and considered it a meal.

First of the five courses is Chef’s pick- Corn and House Made Miso Soup with Caramelized Eggplant, Squash Blossom and Basil.

The soup was served table side. This soup was so silky and smooth. The flavors in it were amazing.

Second Chef’s Pick course for me was the Hamachi Crudo.

Fish, Kimchi, Watermelon, Tomato Vinaigrette, Cilantro, Finger Lime, Garlic Chips to eat in three amazing bites. This dish was worth driving across town for as it was astoundingly amazing.  Just full of textures and all kinds flavor. Finger limes were like Exploding POP Rocks Candy. watermelon added the right balance of sweetness against the fish, vinaigrette and kimchi. This was my favorite dish of the evening.

My husband had the Octopus and Cannelloni Bean Salad with house made and grown pickled watermelon.

My husband said it was the best Octopus he’s ever had.

Chef’s Pick Course Three we both had.

More Corn Soup that they are calling a pasta dish…….?

Thy are calling this dish Ricotta Cavatelli. Anyway this dish is delicious so who cares. This is composed of smoked hatch chile, CORN, watercress, basil oil, parmesan cheese and few handmade micro-tiny pieces of delicate pasta. The pasta was so delicate and tiny it was doll house sized. I think the soup only contained about 8 pieces but I wasn’t counting. This pasta dish was like an Italian corn soup to me.

Chef’s pick dinner for me – Course Four-

Halibut with CORN TWO WAYS. Corn as a relish and CORN as a puree.  Corn was served to me two more times. As amazing as all the previous corn dishes were….and they WERE…… I didn’t plan on a corn themed dinner this evening and my dinner suddenly became slightly disappointing to me.

Then I go to taste the halibut.

Then I am next to speechless………..I would never imagine I’d get served a plate like this at such a fine restaurant……WOW I’m MORE disappointed. The FORKING TRUTH WAS that I can’t cut threw the fish. I need a steak knife. Oooh it’s dry and very salty. It more salty than a salted pretzel. It’s like sucking a spoonful of salt and it’s over cooked. The salt filled sea beans on top of the fish only add more forking salt…..BAH! Not sure what was worse Chewing on tough Halibut or all that salt…….This is forking disappointing.

I tell the waiter about the overcooked salty halibut. He did offer to have something else made for me. It might be hard for you to tell but this is a very tiny piece of fish. After I sawed off a small piece to taste I only had less than an ounce of fish left. Then I sawed off a small piece for my husband to sample.  It seemed ridiculous to send back such a small piece of fish and I didn’t want to hold up my husband from enjoying his meal so I just kept my plate.

My husband had the Chicken Scallopini Special.

It’s very good and made with outstanding farm raised chicken but this dish is not the type of dish we’d expect here…….

Last course is dessert.

Out come THREE FULL SIZE DESSERTS that seem out of place after all the small or tiny tasting plates.

My favorite of the Desserts was the Complimentary (given for Celebrating a special occasion) Non-Traditional Apple Cannoli. It had a whisper thin light shell and the light airy filling had a refreshing crisp apple taste.

The dessert that didn’t fare as well was…..

Bread Pudding. This dessert was very rich and heavy. I couldn’t eat it because it was just too rich and heavy for me but my husband ate it because he was still hungry.   (Forking Truth!)

The Sweet Potato Cake was the most attractive dessert and was GOOD.

Right amount of sweetness with balanced flavors. The cake had a nice light smooth texture.

The First three courses were Astonishing Amazing.

I loved all the plates before my main entree.

I can’t help that I’m still thinking of the main entree……..I note that I am surprised that they just didn’t replace both my dinner entree (since it was over-cooked and over salted and my husband’s entree plate because this is a high end restaurant. You don’t just eat here…you dine here. That’s the kind of thing fine restaurants do.

Would I return?

YES….. but I will only order a la carte and skip the tasting menu. I feel things would work out better than Chef’s Picks Tastings. Because after four rounds of corn and a tiny dried out salty dinner and getting stuffed with too much dessert ….all Chef’s Choice……I’ll take my chances making up my own tasting with ordering full size plates off the menu.

For more information on Quiessence please visit www.QATTHEFARM.com

Quiessence is still Worth a Fork……..It’s just not a perfect Fork!

and YES I do drive across town to come here.

Deseo is Modern Upscale Latin Cuisine located in the beautiful Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale AZ. They offer a comfortable traditional looking dining room with large windows to view the beautiful desert plantings that surround the resort. They have an open kitchen and you might be able to get a seat at “The Rail” (seats that loop around the open kitchen) to see the kitchen action and make conversation with the Chefs.

We were seated at “The Rail” and got to see the action.

The started us off with hot steamy out of the oven yucca rolls and soft creamy butter that melted right into the roll.

We started with what was called “Rainbow” on the menu.

It was a mix of fresh tasting fish, salmon, tuna and another mild fish that was in white soy citrus and pickled jalapeños. It was refreshing and light. At the time it seemed like the best ceviche I ever had.

We also shared a Wagyu Beef Empanada that was very detailed.

The Empanada sat in spiced tomato sofrito and was garnished with green apple slaw. The purple dots are some sort of huitlacoche sauce. This was the most high end empanada I ever had anywhere for sure.

For dinner I had the Big Eye Tuna Encebollado.

Now this dinner was different than I expected. I was expecting a cumin crust. But got a Black Cumin Crust that doesn’t taste the least bit like cumin. Black cumin looks and taste very similar to caraway seeds. Actually I enjoyed the light sprinkle of Black Cumin over the sweet tomatoes. That’s a new taste for me that I will remember.

The fish tasted good in the light refreshing fruity tomato consommé and the accents of pickled shallots, and mini yucca dumplings added more interest to the dish.

My husband had the Duroc Pork Chop.

The pork chop was covered with a reddish mole that wasn’t bitter with lots of flavors. All kinds of interesting garnishes surrounded the plate such as spiced pepita brittle, a corn tamale, shaved baby carrots and apple.

Sadly I was too full for dessert 🙁

Yes Deseo is Worth a Fork and YES You would drive across town to dine here.

Dishes I had at Deseo on my last visit were-

Kapalhi

Pan seared Halibut with Fideo.

For more information on Deseo at Westin Kierland please visit www.KierlandResort.com

FnB restaurant of Scottsdale AZ is located in the Arts District of Scottsdale. This is a contemporary restaurant that serves a farm focused, globally inspired Foods and Arizona’s most notable wines. On the one end of the restaurant they have a tiny store section where they sell some local organic produce, local artisan goods and Arizona Wine. The food this restaurant serves is among the best that Arizona has to offer as the Co-Owner and Chef has been nominated several times for a James Beard Award.

I’ve been to FnB dozens of times over the years because I forking love the food and good service. It’s a little thing but this is the only restaurant in the metro area of Phoenix that actually will give you a black linen napkin if your wearing black. That is an example of classic service.  I have to say I didn’t get that at places I spent twice as much to dine at this past year.

When I dine at FnB not only do I enjoy a delicious meal I also become a better cook myself by learning more about food from dining here. Every time I come here there are always things on the seasonal menu I learn about. On my most recent visit they had Bagna Cauda(a warm hot Italian dip), Shiraz Salad (Persian Tomato and Cucumber Salad), and Sauce Gribiche (French Cold Hard Yolk Sauce) on the menu.

The menu changes with the season and is usually broken down into selections of small cold plates to share, small hot plates and entree plates.

They started us off with Noble Bread Heirloom Grain Bread, a locally made bread that’s considered to be the best in Arizona that made from stone ground local heirloom grains and quality olive oil that’s flavorful.

We picked a small cold plate of Melon, Mango, Jicama, Cucumber, Lime, Chile, Feta Cheese and Purslane.

Everything worked together like magic. It wasn’t in the description but small rich pieces of ripe avocado brought a satisfying richness to the plate. The Purslane gave off a crisp juicy text and a slight bit of mild sour and saltiness to balance things out. I’ve never actually eaten purslane before. It’s a common weed here in the U.S but in this fruit bowl the Purslane works really well with food.

We also shared House Cured Salmon with Citrus Labne, Heirloom Tomatoes, Aleppo Pepper and Radishes.

The Star of this plate was the really perfect Salmon. There wasn’t much of it and it almost got lost among all the lovely vegetables in the tasty citrus Labne but the Salmon was the memorable part. The Salmon just melted in my mouth. It was sliced with expert precision and the gentle perfect flavors that didn’t over power the fish and were perfect accents.

For Dinner I had the Halibut.

The Fish was prepared in a masterful way as it was perfection. The halibut had a nice seasoned crust and was ultra moist and flaky. The Sauce Gribiche with Mustard was simply delicious. I had no idea that these sauces would be so delicious on fish. That was an inspiring combination.

My husband had the Duck with Summer Herbs and Ancient Grains.

I didn’t try it but my husband said it was savory and nicely seasoned.

I was stuffed but managed to share some dessert because desert is always good here.

We shared a Berry Short Cake served with Sweet Republic Vanilla Ice-Cream. The berries were sweet and very flavorful. The cake part seemed very rich with butter, not too sweet and harmonized well with everything.

Yes FnB of Scottsdale AZ is Worth a Fork!

For more information on FnB of Scottsdale AZ please visit www.FnBRestaurant.com

 

 

You can get a taste of the Caribbean at Caribbean Cuisine in Glendale AZ. I do note this is a very small NO FRILLS, mostly take-out restaurant with with only four tables.

You are on Caribbean time when you dine here. Music from the Islands fills the air along with the aroma of slow cooked stewed foods. The food is prepared like the way it’s made at a Caribbean Home and that means it’s served in a Caribbean Minute thats English for when it’s done you’ll get it, possibly 20-30 minutes depending on what you order.

According to www.CaribbeanTraveler.com Caribbean Food is influenced by Chinese, Indian, Dutch, French, Spanish, British and Amerindian Foods.

We ordered from the friendly cashier who is also the cook and waited a Caribbean Minute.

I received the Escovitch.

It’s a whole fish that might have been poached then marinated with herbs,spices and vinegar and then  fried. Strips of marinated peppers including a Scotch Bonnet cover the whole fish. This is spicy but tasty and interesting. It’s not too strong with heat or vinegar it’s just right. The plate is served with stewed cabbage that sucks up the flavors from the marinated peppers. They give a very generous portion of rice and beans that are topped with sweet fried plantains.

My husband had the Oxtail.

The Oxtail has been slow roasted and is very succulent and very beefy. I didn’t try the potato but my husband said it was amazing how it was slow cooked with the beef and absorbed all the beefy goodness. This plate is also served with rice and beans with stewed cabbage and plantains.

Other dishes I tried from here were……..

Curry Chicken

Jerk Chicken

Stewed Red Snapper.

All the food was delicious! Portions are large and Prices are very low.

Caribbean Cuisine in Glendale AZ is Definitely Worth a Fork.

For more information on Caribbean Cuisine in Glendale AZ please visit www.CaribbeanCuisineAZ.com

 

 

El Alboroto Mariscos Y Chavelas Restaurant is easy to pass by because the pervious shuttered restaurant’s  sign haven’t been replaced. This restaurant is located in an older strip mall in not the prettiest part of Peoria AZ. This by no means is a fancy place and you are only here to have some of the best freshest Mexican Style Seafood in the Metro Phoenix Area.

As I entered I wasn’t sure if they were serving food because the entrance was dark and is filled with stacked tables, chairs and a deserted hostess stand and an empty bar. A few steps away I noticed the dining room and walked that way.

The dining room is sort of mis-matched and unusual in shape. Tables and booths are older and a little beat up. Mexican Music is slightly too loud. The menu is mostly shrimp, octopus and fish. If your not into shrimp octopus or fish your in the wrong place.

They started us off with crisp corn tortillas, lots of limes and a fresh made salsa that was rich with tomato taste and slightly sweet. Many bottled Mexican Sauces are on all the tables.

Soon complimentary fish tacos arrive. I don’t know if they give everyone fish tacos or maybe the chef just felt generous today.

The fish tacos are battered mild tasting fish with fresh crispy cabbage and some pico de gallo and a creamy seasoned fresh sauce. The taco was very tasty and did remind me of the fish tacos I tried in Mexico.

My entree was called Pescado Empapelado – Wrapped Fish.

The fish was wrapped with foil and cooked with peppers, onions, a jalapeño and seasoning in their own juices. This sea bass fish was really fresh tasting and prepared to perfection. This was the best Mexican fish dish I tried in Metro Phoenix so far. It also was almost identical to a fish dish I had from a Seafood Restaurant in Mexico but maybe better! The rice was tasty and the salad garnish was topped with a creamy ripe sliced  avocado and HOT Steamy corn tortillas came wrapped in foil.

My husband had the Camaron A La Diabla – Spicy Shrimp.

This dish was spicy but not too spicy and flavorful with shrimp that were prepared well.

We were very happy we found a very good Mexican Seafood restaurant.

The service was efficient and the owner Jose was nice and friendly!

This restaurant doesn’t have a web site but you can find El Alboroto Mariscos Y Chavelas on FaceBook.

 

 

 

 

 

The Nee House is a casual Chinese Restaurant that serves American/Chinese Favorites, some Cantonese Cuisine and Fresh Fish from Tanks. On my visit the sign read “Fresh Sea Bass” so I was interested in that. I asked the server about it and she tells me they haven’t had fresh sea bass in days but are offering tilapia today. I’m not the biggest fan of tilapia so I ordered the rock cod with vegetables off the menu.

The fish was clean tasting and was prepared to perfection and just melted in my mouth. It came in a very light but velvety sauce with essence of chicken and the sauce was laced with ginger and garlic. The fish was very good.

I went to get some rice.

I almost didn’t because the rice paddle appears dirty. On closer inspection we decide the paddle isn’t dirty and is just stained. A soaking in bleach would remedy the paddle and make me feel better about having rice here.

The bok choy was almost good.

Not cleaned correctly. I would get this dish again but not with bok choy.

My husband had the Szechwan Pork.

It was way better than most any other Americanized Szechwan dish we tried but not the same as from an Authenic Style Szechwan Restaurant we have been too. Americanized Szechwan is saucy with some sweet and not as fiery. Authentic Style is loaded with chili peppers and Szechwan numbing peppercorns that numb your mouth so you can enjoy the heat more. The dish should be just barely sauced and that sauce should be thin and should lack sweetness. This dish was close.

Not perfect here but they do serve above average Chinese Food.

The Nee House in Phoenix AZ does not have a website or FaceBook page.

De Mi Tierra is a small casual Latin Restaurant located in an older strip mall in Phoenix AZ.

The tiny restaurant showcases dishes from Ecuador, Peru, Puerto Ricco and The Dominican Republic. Latin posters adorn the room and a Latin Food Show was playing on the TV.

We decided to start out by sharing a Chicken Empanada.

The empanada was large enough to be a small meal. Inside it was delicious moist flavorful tender chicken. Simple but delicious. The crust was bubbly and crisp and slightly greasy. We both thought it was better without the sauces. A bargain at only $3.50 (at the time of this review).

For my meal I had the Pollo Guisado. This dish is the staple of dishes in the Dominican Republic I read that often this dish is served in Dominican Republic Households usually two – three times a week. It’s chicken that’s washed with vinegar or lime juice and then marinated for two days in ingredients that may include – Worcestershire sauce or sweet wine, garlic, celery, lemon, oregano, peppers, olives, tomato, achiote oil and cilantro. The chicken then gets caramelized in a pot of browning sugar and then stewed in the marinade sometimes with the chicken liver.

The chicken was mostly chicken legs and the meat was very tender and balanced with flavors. My plate came with a very generous portion of yellow rice with pigeon peas that was also flavorful.

My husband tried the Chicharron De Pollo with white rice and red bean stew.

This dish is Dominican Republic Style Fried Chicken. To me it tasted like fried chicken that could have came from any restaurant but it might have been marinated in lime juice and garlic and then fried. The skin was crisp and the meat was tender and flavorful. Rice was a large portion and seemed fresh made. The red bean stew was more like a smoky bean soup.

If your in the area want to try Latin Food you might want to give De Mi Tierra Restaurant a Try!

Portions are large and at the time of this review prices are low. Most entrees run $9.50 and the most expensive dishes are $12.99 (at the time of this review).

Service was very relaxed.

For more information on De Mi Tierra Please Visit www.DeMiTierraRestaurant.com