Dissatisfied with his original chefs, the self-taught Joseph decided to take the cooking duties upon himself and make it up as he went along. Chinese, Thai, Mexican and North African influences inject vivid tints into dishes as colorful to the taste as to the eye. But Joseph's finely judged combinations add up to stimulating food, strikingly presented and laced with bold seasonings. His menu changes every two months. Even the incidentals are encouraging.
Appetizers strike a happy introductory note, honing expectations without dulling the appetite.
A zesty crab cake plumped out with flavorful black beans, is further enlivened by spicy corn salsa and needle-thin, cracklingly fresh haricots verts. A cross-cultural treasure is the smoky burrito, packed with fresh corn, zippy Pepper Jack cheese and lightly seared rock shrimp. A fine special on our last visit was an exquisitely creamy, thyme-infused saffron risotto, studded with fresh tomatoes and centered around a disk of deliciously grainy goat cheese. A springlike salad of curly organic spinach shot through with pancetta, Roquefort and toasted pecans in a warm citrus vinaigrette, offers an upbeat alternative. At the Blue Sky Cafe, dissonant flavors are brought into harmony without losing their individual character, though appetizers do vary disconcertingly in portion size - some seem stingy, others overgenerous.