Jorge Gallardo owes much gratitude to fellow Spaniard Salvador Dali-arguably the most important visual artist of the 20th Century. Dali painted melting watches while gazing on the divine softness of ripe Camembert; Gallardo invents plates of colors, textures and flavors that evoke images of the Mediterranean culture and landscape.

Gallardo, chef de cuisine at Marquesa-the top-of-the-line restaurant at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess-is a native of Barcelona. His inner vision of ideal food art is based on his experimentation with a bold integration of Spanish, French and Italian Mediterranean cooking styles.

"I grew up in Spain and learned how to cook the food of my country in the traditional manner, but travels to France and Italy allowed my cuisine to evolve in an entirely new and exciting direction," said Gallardo, who has planned and prepared the menu items at Marquesa for the past three years. "You can sample my roasted fig soup with Serrano ham ice cream and question, 'Is it Italian, Spanish or French?' In the end, my goal is to go beyond the borders of countries to create a new genre of cooking."

The Marquesa Experience The dining room is tucked in the back of the lobby in the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, one of the best hotels in the US (if you enjoy golf, swimming, a first-class spa or the surreal aesthetics of the Arizona desert.) Southwest interiors and waiters dressed in semi-formal attire greet you at the door, and a quiet and elegant dining room offers the perfect ambience for a culinary trip to another continent-and another dimension-in finesse cooking.

The First Courses You can find many examples of Gallardo's integrative cuisine in the appetizer courses. My favorites include Coco Dusted Foie Gras with Caramel-Mustard Vinaigrette and Chocolate Sorbet ($16)-merging French and Spanish ingredients and cooking styles; Seared Veal Sweetbreads with Chestnut Polenta--a bizarre, yet brilliant, French-Spanish partnership ($11); and the Baked Pequillo Peppers stuffed with Crab and Fontina Cheese ($15) that may be the best appetizer I've sampled in many years. Spanish gourmands will want to try to Braised Pig Trotter-Pork Confit and Apricot-Sage Pesto, ($10) while vegetarians should opt for the Wild Mushrooms Canalons with a truffle salad ($12).

Soups & Salads I favored the Haricot Vert Bisque with Olive Cream-no chef outside of Paris would have the cajones to create this dish and pull it off with such perfect elan ($9) and the Marquesa Salad, a simple and clean-tasting plate of Harvested Micro Greens, Oranges, Olives and Goat cheese in a Ricotta-Pimenton Emulsion ($10).

The Main Event The seafood dishes are absolutely authentic and faithful to the cooking in Spanish coastal towns such as Port Lligat and Cadeques, where Dali painted his most "important things." The Bouillabaisse includes Lobster, Mussels, John Dory, Lagostine, Clams, Leeks and Garlic ($45); the Paella-my personal choice-offers an orgy of yellow rice infused with the reduction of various seafood stocks and topped with generous portions of Lobster, Pork, Sausage, Chicken, Mussels, Escargot and Clams ($42). If you're not into fish, for the Herb Crusted Lamb Loin-served with Fava Beans as soft as Dali's watches ($44) or the Trilogy of Flight, which provides equal servings of Duck, Squab and Quail in a caramelize Pear Gratin ($34).

End of the Road As with any classic European meal, close with the cheese course-Marquesa serves the best variety of French semi-soft cheeses of any restaurant in the Western USA. Order a port or sherry to complement the cheese, then put the finishing touches on the culinary trip to Catalonia with the best flan outside of Madrid.

MARQUESA
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
7575 East Princess Drive
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Tel.: 480-585-4848; Fax: 480-585-0091
http://www.fairmont.com/scottsdale/

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