Cast-Iron Bronzed Cauliflower and Natural Beef, Red Chile and Potato Stew are just two ways to start off a meal at Joseph’s Culinary Pub, located on the corner of Agua Fria St. and Montezuma St., across from St. Guadalupe Church in downtown Santa Fe. From there the choices blossom into a range of pastoral fair.
Chef Joseph Wrede, previously of Joseph’s Table in Taos and Santa Fe’s Tomme, has captured an air of provincial Italian and French ambiance through austere wooden tables, antique copper pans, stone flooring, and an overall energy of reciprocal enthusiasm between the kitchen, servers, and his guests. Chef Joseph incorporates the “farm to table” approach, offering global level menu items brought home with local, traditional foods; he particularly enjoys using New Mexican lamb and beef for his signature dishes, yet still holds a place for the his delicious Sweet & Spicy Glazed ½ Duck Confit. Each entrée is surrounded by a symphony of vegetables, highlighted by New Mexico tastes like foraged mushrooms, local goat cheese, and chiles.
In describing his approach to food, he stressed the importance of providing food the sophisticated traveler has come to expect in a larger city, yet highlighting ingredients and approaches accentuating the agricultural and family traditions of rural New Mexico and his own family’s European roots. After reaching for the words to describe this approach, he landed on “uncommon food made from common ingredients.”
Beyond his approach to the menu itself, Chef Joseph prides himself on creating a dining experience moving away from the long-standing “master/servant” relationship seen in restaurants of old. Instead of the owner or chef driving the staff and guests’ interaction out of his own approach to food, he works to cultivate knowledge and enthusiasm within his server team, encouraging a dialogue with his customers to learn what works best from their expectations, constantly evolving the menu to match his warm, yet austere ambiance.
Feel free to request special dietary constraints on arrival—his team will work with you directly to understand your needs and create a dish honoring them while reflecting his passion for contemporary food melded with time-honored flavors.
In Health and Prosperity, SamG of the IOG
