Monday, December 15, 2014

Quiessence Delivers Farm Focused & Uncomplicated Cuisine to Phoenix Residents

Located on a 10 acre working farm just minutes from downtown Phoenix, Quiessence is a charming fine dining restaurant featuring locally sourced produce, meats and wines.



Guests can enjoy a romantic dinner by the hearth in the main dining area of the rustic farm house, or dine al fresco surrounded by pecan trees on one of two restaurant patios.



Along with the many event spaces throughout the Farm, Quiessence also offers a private dining room that seats parties of 10-12. There is also a private outdoor table with its own brick-oven, for a truly unique farm to table experience.



The menu at Quiessence is limited to a handful of items each day, but don't let that deter you, it's all local, inspired by the season & made fresh daily; including the artisan breads, jellies and hand-crafted pasta. Cocktails, like the Farm Apple Pie, are also crafted in-house from local seasonal items.



We started dinner with the cheese & charcuterie boards, which included a nice assortment of local and house made meats, cheeses, breads and fruits. There were even a few pecans that had been hand picked from the restaurant's grove.



A rich pistachio soup was on the menu the evening we dined, accompanied by Black Mesa Ranch goat cheese, diced green apples and oyster mushrooms. The flavors melded together perfectly and were like nothing I'd ever had before.



Although we were already getting full, our waitress who was extremely well versed in the restaurant offerings, insisted that we try one of the two hand-made pastas and I'm glad she did. We decided on the crispy gnocchi. The traditional pillow potato gnocchi were pan fried and tossed in a light yogurt sauce with duck confit, peppers & onions. This was probably my favorite dish of the evening.



For our entrees my husband and I got the Alaskan halibut & the seared duck breast. The halibut was served in a tomato broth with shishito peppers and a dehydrated tomato confit. It looked amazing and was very tasty.



The duck was seared and served with crimson lentils, a shaved celery salad, roasted apples, pickled mushrooms and turnips. I loved the way all of the components of the dish came together in your mouth.



By this time we were so full we had planned to skip dessert but our gracious waitress informed us that she had put an order of bread pudding in for us. I'll admit I was a bit skeptical as I am not a fan of bread pudding, but just one bite of the warm dried berry and nut pudding....I was hooked. Of course the vanilla ice cream and bourbon anglaise sauce helped.



Quiessence is a special restaurant, set apart from the rest by its unique setting, and the amazing things Chef Dustin Christofolo and his staff do with the local bounty. Plan to spend some time enjoying your meal as good things can not be rushed.



Cuisine Type: Contemporary American
Price Range:  $31 to $50
Atmosphere: Fine Dining, Romantic, Multiple private party spaces
Additional Information: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Beer, Chef's Table, Counter Seating, Farm to Table, Fireplace, Full Bar, Gluten-free Menu, Non-Smoking Area, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Smoking Area, View, Wine, Wine Bar


This meal was provided complimentary. However, all opinions and comments are my own.

24 comments:

  1. I would love to dine there! Thanks for sharing!

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  2. What a great place! I'll be sure to visit if I'm ever in the area.

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  3. Seriously jealous!! That looks like the perfect place for dinner. SO beautiful!

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  4. What a beautiful setting for a restaurant! I'm going to be thinking about that crispy gnocchi all day long.

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  5. What an awesome place and I love farm focused restaurants.

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  6. Such a lovely setting for a romantic meal! And the food looks amazing!

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  7. I wrote it down in case I'm ever in the Phoenix area. Sounds wonderful.

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  8. What a beautiful setting! Everything looks so cozy and inviting...and the food looks incredible!

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  9. What a spectacular meal! That bread pudding looks worth the splurge :)

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  10. The atmosphere is what I'm all over, love the look of it all!

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  11. Such a great looking location and meal!

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  12. I want to be seated at that table with the outdoor fireplace!

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  13. This looks so incredibly dreamy, what a lovely experience! That gnocchi has my knees quivering a little - yum.

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  14. This restaurant looks great! That crispy gnocchi looks fantastic.

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  15. Sounds and looks like a beautiful restaurant. Very nice!

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  16. You discovered a really really nice restaurant here!

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  17. That halibut is a thing of beauty. What a great restaurant find!

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  18. oh my gosh, this is seriously the cutest restaurant ever. That outside table!!!! <3

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  19. Loving the sound of this place! Great looking food!

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