Ben N.
Yelp
Between a couple of dishes that weren't executed (or conceived of) all that expertly, a menu whose dots were somewhat difficult for us to connect, and a server who seemed uninterested in helping us connect those dots, Joseph's might have been the most disappointing dining experience of an eight-day New Mexico trip.
That's not to say it was terrible or even bad. But based on what we'd heard and read about, our expectations were lofty and the experience we had fizzled disappointingly short of that.
The wife and I like to share dishes in higher-end restaurants, mainly because of the opportunity to sample more of what a kitchen can do. Plus, it's just more fun. As Joseph's website says, the chef likes to "showcase his love for local product and cuisine but also cuisine of the world." That "of the world" aspiration is great if you can pull it off. Joseph's menu features entrees like banana lamb curry, duck confit "pad thai style," rabbit bolognese lasagne, and steak au poivre. Those items sound mouth-watering individually but we found it difficult to pair them up with appetizers, sides, and salads, and so on. Maybe we were the ones who were lacking creativity, but our main server sure was resistant to advising us on pairing up dishes. Her patience with us was clearly wearing thin after we asked her just two or three questions about what menu items might work well together. She barely checked on us from there on out, and when she did, she wasn't exactly friendly. (Credit goes to the younger servers who were helping her out, though; they were helpful and sweet all evening.)
We ended up with lamb tartare, the chicken and green chile tamal, the warmed charred ratatouille, and a grouper special that came with a vegetable-stuffed poblano. The lamb tartare was excellent, but not better than the $10-cheaper kibbeh nayyeh we get at the best Lebanese restaurant in our town, and that tamal was delicious, too, but didn't rank notably above some terrific New Mexican dishes at more modest places around town. The ratatouille was wonderful when we started into it, but flagged as you dug from the crispy outer veggies (some nice char) to the mushier center. And although the kitchen was nice enough to split our grouper entree and to plate both beautifully, and the grouper itself was cooked very nicely aside from the soggy skin (disappointing), the poblano--mainly just underseasoned corn and black beans inside--was pretty bland. Obviously, that amounts to some ups and downs.
Desert was simple and one of the best things about our visit: Just a scoop each of ice cream, one basil and one some kind of caramel/duck fat. Superb.
Another great thing about Joseph's is the ambience: It's got that lowlit, convivial feel down perfectly, and although housed in a traditional old New Mexican corner house, it conveys a bit of a country French style that feels very natural.
With tax and tip (and a drink each), this experience came in at around $175. That's hardly the most expensive check in town, but it sure wasn't cheap, either. At that price point, call it 3.25 stars.
