Callaghan Winemaker’s Dinner Menu

May 10th, 2013

Dinner_3_Callaghan3
Callaghan Wine Dinner
Thursday, May 16th
Seating at 6:30PM
Call (602)276-0601

1st
House Made Mortadella, Fresh Schnepf Farm Apricots, Toasted Pistachios, Shaved Fennel,
and Fresh Lemon Thyme
2010 Ann’s
2nd
Two Wash Ranch Chicken Torchon, Boysenberries, and Mixed Herb Salad
2009 Mourvedre
3rd
Summer Vegetable Timbale, with Smoked Ricotta Cheese, Red Wine Reduction, and Crispy Basil
2009 Padres
4th
Pecan Wood Roasted Beef Shoulder, Spring Onions, and Green Garlic Tepary Beans
2009 Caitlin’s
5th
Lemon Cream Tart, Blueberry Coulis, Pinenut Brittle
2010 Amor Fati

April 4th | Sand-Reckoner Wine Dinner Menu

March 28th, 2013
Part One: Arizona Winemaker Dinner Series

Part One: Arizona Winemaker Dinner Series

VDay Menu | Served Feb 13th, 14th, & 15th!

January 14th, 2013

QuiessenceisforLovers_overlay_zps1791b37d

The Lovers Menu
with Dueling Plates & Shared Entrée
FIRST COURSE
Two Wash Ranch Chicken Terrine
with Soft Boiled Egg, Shaved Asparagus, and Truffle Vinaigrette
AND
Baby Shrimp and Crab Salad
with Winter Vegetables and Fresh Herbs & Flowers
SECOND COURSE
Rainbow Valley Farmers Cheese Gnocchi
with Wild Mushrooms, Cauliflower, and Green Garlic Sauce
AND
Creamy French Onion Soup
with Crostini of Braised Short Rib and Melting Northern Gold Cheese
THIRD COURSE
Surf and Turf for Two
Grilled Wild Boar Chops & Seared Scallops
with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Celery Root Puree, Carrot Sauce, and Fennel
FOURTH COURSE
Cinnamon Raisin Pain Perdu
with Apple & Rosemary Preserves and Vanilla Bean Gelato
AND
Blood Orange & Mint Salad
with Dark Chocolate & White Chocolate Custards and Pistachio Biscotti

Last week, we asked our servers….

December 13th, 2012

“Tell us about your dining experiences at Quiessence.”

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The winebar is still my perfect place to enjoy the full Quiessence experience with more of a lowkey vibe. I am able to interact more with the servers and my favorite, get my wine quickly. Plus it’s a great place to enjoy great wines and amazing food with friends. My picks would be Chef Tony‘s House-made Charcuterie with Artisan Cheese + paired with a glass (or two) of Gruet Blanc de Noirs, whatever the soup is…it is ALWAYS my favorite, with Dos Cabezas “Pink” (good ol’ Arizona), gnocchi is always a fan favorite paired with our ahhhhmazing Calera Chardonnay –I’m not one for chardonnays, but this one is absolutely delish–. Now for me, Chef Tony is most known for his work on hand rolled pastas and my favorite protein: PORK! Apple-braised pork shouler, pork chop, ham hock, crispy pancetta wrapped around Dave’s Two Wash Ranch Chicken…you name it, if it has pork, I will eat it…and enjoy every single bite, with a glass of Aguileon or Callaghan Back Lot. I love local wine so I mainly stick with those. For dessert, I am a chocolate fiend. If it has chocolate, I will take it with Dos ‘Cades’. Since we’re talking about this in the Holiday Season, my belly will enjoy Housemade Eggnog (yes, with brandy). It should be known, I had no idea what to write. Lol.quoteend

  • Lindsey (aka The Doctor, Luna, Linz, Lindsey Loo)
  • Quiessence Server, from August 2011 to current
  • Complete Daddy’s girl, Smarty Pants, Wildcat, Evil Laughter
  • Current Favorite Wine: Caduceus ‘Ladrones’
quotestart

I was fortunate enough in my life to have enjoyed food in different continent, Europe and USA. Passionate about food and wine, the list of restaurants where I had dinner includes Guy Savoy, Alain Ducasse in Paris, Joel Robuchon, Daniel Boulud, Charlie Palmer, Thomas Keller…in Las Vegas and many other venues in New-York, Chicago, San Francisco, Paris and Las Vegas. I am the kind of guy who can drive hours just to have dinner, alone if I have to. Well, Quiessence blew me away. I am bluffed, very impressed, a little bit intimidated. The setting is fantastic, located in a farm, the restaurant enjoys a cozy atmosphere, and keeps the farm’s feeling true. The feeling of well being, of home away from home. Went with the tasting menu, I had to, it is the best way to enjoy what Chef’ LaPrad has to offer. Not one item was disappointing. Remarkable menu, well balanced, and 6 courses portioned to perfection. Started with the Salumi plate, house cured meats with lavash bread and Queen Creek Olives, second course, a Canteloupe soup made in heaven, spicy coppa, refreshing and perfect with the 110 degrees outside, third course the Ravioli, firm in texture, perfectly combined with the chanterelles mushroom and the parmesan cheese, main course was a fantastic pork chop, totally local, very rustic, fingerling potatoes and tomato provencal. The dessert was to die for, chocolate financier and cherries. All this or less than $100 for 6 courses. A deal. I loved the influence of herbs, and other aromatics, mint, oregano, purslane, the seasoning made to perfection. An experience I wanted to share, a service that is right to the point, attentive but not intrusive, not stuffy at all, relax and professional. Not only I can easily put Quiessence in the top 3 of my culinary experience, I want to tell everyone that if Phoenix is in your traveling destination and you love food and wine well served and well prepared, Quiessence is a must. For locals, a great way to enjoy what Arizona has best to offer, Chef LaPrad knows personally whoever grows or raises whatever comes in the plate. Amazing. Quiessence, a destination, a Must go, you owe it to yourself.quoteend

  • Gilles
  • Quiessence Server, from August 2012 to current
  • “Best Fajitas in France” Award Winner, Veggie-Lover
  • View this review posted on Yelp.com on 08/10/2012
quotestart

I was visiting my sister in Phoenix the first time I ate at Quiessence (she worked there). I came to the restaurant that night to eat to check it out while I was in town. I had never eaten in a fine dining restaurant before so my big sis told me to go with the Farmer’s feast with wine pairings. The food was amazing! I had an eggplant soup that I still crave all the time. The pasta that Chef Tony made that night was this all cheese gnocchi, literally my favorite pasta I have ever eaten. I always said that I don’t like seafood, but Quiessence changed that. I can’t believe how much I liked the scallops that night. I had just started dating Mark back then and I remember texting him pictures of all the food, telling him how impressed I was. Such a wonderful experience.quoteend

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My favorite dining experience was sitting on the patio, perfect with a slight chill in the air and one of the heaters on. A tasting menu allowed me to sit back and enjoy the atmosphere of the farm. It was exciting as I did not know what I would receive, got to see some wonderful preparations. I have had some of the best dishes that way. I thoroughly enjoyed the Rainbow Valley Farmer’s Cheese Gnocchi. Come to think of it, I haven’t met a pasta that Chef Tony has made that I am not blown away by.quoteend

  • Ian McEwan (aka Thunder)
  • Quiessence Manager, from August 2012 to current
  • Mr. Fix-It, Aussie, Blend Guy
  • Fave Red Blend: Cain Five
quotestart

My dinning experience at Quiessence was unsurpassable. My significant other had only been to a “white linen” restaurant one other time in his life and in his words, they didn’t stack up to this. Our night was pure magic from the time we walked onto The Farm. We arrived just before sunset and were seated at a table next to a window facing the front lawn–such a breathtaking view. Once inside you feel more like you are in a romantic resort/retreat rather than a restaurant in the heart of Phoenix. We enjoyed the tasting menu with wine pairings, a variety of courses of the Chef’s choosing and an Artisan glass of wine with each delicious offering. A standout: Chilled Cantloupe Soup with Spica Coppa. Perfection. Not only could you see the amount of passion that went into each perfectly positioned plate but you could taste it. Everything was so crisp and fresh; The temperatures and seasonings were perfect and each bite was savory. Once the sun had gone down the entire Farm seemed to twinkle with lights and candles. It was absolutely beautiful. We left that night feeling elated and rejuvenated, stopping to take pictures under the canopy at the Brick Oven Table and the arch over the cobble stone entryway. Everything about the evening was perfect. I don’t see any other dinning experience in the near future matching the ambiance, delectability, or location of Quiessence.quoteend

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I fell in love with Quiessence on February 23rd, 2010. My daughter was born just two months before and so eating at Q was our first romantic night out in some time, not to mention that it was my first time dining at a fine dining restaurant (high stakes, I guess lol). We sat at my favorite table in the Front Solarium (117) on a slow night in the restaurant. It was so beautiful in the dining room…I remember loving the lighting, super dimly lit with little candles everywhere. Got started with a couple of glasses of Gundlach Bundschu Pinot Noir (I might have spelled that wrong :p), a super-easy drinking Cali pinot. My love and I ordered the “Farmer’s Feast” –I believe it is called the “Tasting Menu” now–and it started with the Chef Spread, which was a selection of house cured meats and charcuterie. The meat and cheese combinations were so good, and I loved that Grissini breadstick! It manages to be flaky and moist, good salt, I could have eaten a million of them. Our next three courses showcased a Sunchoke Apple Salad, Gnocchi, and fresh seafood, but our entree was the showstealer. Chef served us Muscovy Duck Breast with a sweet vin cotta reduction around the plate. AMAZING! The baby carrot puree was such a vibrant orange. To this day, I can’t help but compare every duck dish to this one. The server was nice enough not to make us feel too silly about having our picture taken in front of the fireplace (thanks Andy!) so I have a few pictures to remember a day that shaped my standards for dining and ultimately my career. For so many reasons, that was an amazing night and Quiessence was a huge part of it.quoteend

  • Brooke
  • Quiessence & MG Cafe, from January 2010 to August 2012
  • High-Heel Sprinter, Sweater Lover, Rockstar
  • The Wine I Drank on Thanksgiving: Marilyn Merlot

A Thanksgiving Question….

November 21st, 2012

Why does Chef Greg serve Venison & Lobster every Thanksgiving?

In truth, Chef Greg LOVES seafood so he would probably offer lobster without a historical reference…

And yet according to historians, the menu at the “First Thanksgiving” included lobster, seal, and swans. Many compliments to Squanto and Wampanoag Chief Massasoit for teaching these Pilgrims how to farm, how to hunt, and how to avoid eating poisonous plants!

So in the fall of 1621, Governor William Bradford organized a feasting festival, what we now call Thanksgiving (term coined by President Lincoln), and invited the colony’s Native American allies. According to Edward Winslow, the Pilgrim blogger, Governor Bradford sent his guys out on a “fowling” mission for the event –turkey’s now on the menu–

And what did the Wampanoag guests bring to the potluck? Five deer.

So in tribute to our history and our holiday, Quiessence presents a menu rooted in American tradition: Turkey, Venison, & Lobster is what’s for dinner! Click to view our HOLIDAY MENU (complete with all the holiday classics)

There are only a few seats left for Thanksgiving Day….make your reservation today!

TO BOOK:

Call (602)276-0601 or Click Here

Click on the link to check out History.com’s fact sheet about

The First Thanksgiving

The Festival at The Farm brings Arizona wine to you!

October 14th, 2012

The Festival at The Farm

Wine Spectator Award of Excellence

August 3rd, 2011

“Let’s create something unique… let’s imagine our wine list differently. It should speak to the story of wine, the terroir that births it, the people that shape it. The list should be handcrafted and do justice to the wine and winemakers it represents.”

One year ago, armed with little more than a few creative minds and a palette for wine, we began a three month project of revamping, expanding, and recreating our wine program at Quiessence. What ensued involved tasting hundreds of wines, visits to wineries, meetings with wine makers, and countless late nights debating which Oregon pinot fit the perfect flavor profile. Hours of time got poured into writing content for our wine list, researching wine makers, and hand sketching drawings. When the wine list was finished, sewn together and stamped with our hand carved “Q” stamp, we created something we were truly proud of: a beautiful American wine list with nearly 150 offerings including, for the first time, over 25 different Arizona wines. Earlier this year, we proudly submitted our wine list to Wine Spectator to be judged for an Award of Excellence, and in their current edition, Quiessence received its first award. I’m proud and humbled to work around such a group of talented individuals that have poured their heart and soul into Quiessence over the years, constantly reaching for excellence. Most of all I am thankful to our loyal guests and diners who have supported our endeavors over the years. We have a great new season ahead of us and we look forward to seeing you soon at Quiessence.

Chef Greg

RECIPE: Basil Gimlet

September 3rd, 2010


We can’t make this drink fast enough here at Quiessence. Guests have described it as a “farm in a cup.” Head to the market for fresh basil and make this summer sipper at home.

Basil Gimlet

5 fresh basil leaves

2 oz. Glacier potato vodka

½ oz. agave nectar

¾ oz. fresh lime juice

In a mixing glass, gently muddle fresh basil, agave nectar, and lime juice.  Add ice and vodka.  Shake vigorously and strain into a stemmed glass.  Garnish with a fresh basil leaf.

Sundance Channel with Sam

May 12th, 2010

Our favorite Arizona wine geek, Sam Pillsbury is no longer our hidden source for entertainment and great wine. The Sundance Channel tapped him as a “Tastemaker” ambassador for Phoenix. Watch the clip where he shares his passion for wine, art and favorite places to eat… including Quiessence! Thanks Sam!

A deliciously Edible book, now on shelves

May 12th, 2010

“Eat Locally.” The headline on the back cover sums up this 325-page book that covers all things sustainable by celebrating local American food heroes, delivering  80 seasonal recipes and is a must-have for foodies, locavores… everyone!Don’t miss pages 101-103 featuring a profile on Chef LaPrad.

Edible is now available on bookstores nationwide, but savvy shoppers will bundle the purchase with a 2-year subscription to Edible Phoenix Magazine for only $56.

View the special offer on Edible Phoenix’s website.


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