Saturday, August 31, 2013

A Taste of the Philippines, Denver, Colorado



I admit that the food I talk most about is rather "high-brow".  I'm a self-professed "Top Chef Stalker" and not ashamed to admit it.  Yes, I have the James Beard Award list bookmarked on my browser and I keep count of Michelin stars.  All this aside, at heart I am a lover of food no matter where it comes from.  I grew up on a lot of Filipino home cooking and know that really good food can come from humble beginnings and unexpected places.  So, it was rather fortuitous when I came across a Filipino food cart while taking a final stroll down the 16th Street Mall in Downtown Denver only hours before catching my flight out of town.

Donning the iconic sun of the Filipino flag, the aptly named food cart "A Taste of the Philippines" is situated on the Mall between Stout and Champa Streets (near Walgreens).  Lucky for me, we were looking for a drug store and Walgreens won out over Rite Aid.  Because, had I not ventured far enough to get to "Wags" (as it is affectionately called by my pharmacist cousin), I would have never known that this cart even existed and that would have just been a shame.

Filipinos are all over the United States and Canada.  We've been coming to the U.S. for years and quite a number of us (like me) are actually born and raised Americans.  Yet, regardless of our ties to this country, we are also very tied to our "pinoy" culture.  We are a proud people and we like to show it (mostly when doing karaoke).  To paraphrase Bruno Mars (who, yes, is Filipino), we are all so happy and proud to be Filipino!  So, when one Filipino happens upon another, we are compelled to introduce ourselves and demonstrate just how proud we are.  And that's exactly what I did when I met Kathy Gietl.

Turon
Kathy is the proud proprietor of A Taste of the Philippines.  She was born in Quezon City, near the country's capital of Manila.  And, although she immigrated with her parents years ago to Springfield, Illinois, she is still very conversant in the national language, Tagalog.  This I know because she asked me exactly from where in the Philippines I was from - all in perfect Tagalog - just after I placed my order for "turon" (plantain banana fried in an egg roll wrapper, often with a slice of jack fruit).  See, I was with my daughter, Anna, and naturally I had to say I wanted "tatlo" (three) pieces of turon because it was compulsory for me to demonstrate for Anna's sake just how Filipino I am.  (Let's forget that I only understand Tagalog and am only 50% conversant in "Taglish".   Let's also forget how I've bastardized both the Ilongo and Visayan dialects.)   Kathy's Tagalog is perfect and mine ...  is not.  So, from there, I quickly initiated a conversation with her - in English.

Kathy told me that she's had her cart on the 16th Street Mall for about a year.  And although she has some Filipino visitors, she is proud to say that she has a lot of American regulars too.  She offers a "frequent diner" card (so diners can earn a free entree) after 10 visits.  And her cart window displays quite a number of frequent diner cards to prove just how popular she is becoming with the locals.   What's intriguing to me is that Kathy's popularity is being built upon on traditional Filipino staples, our "comfort food" so to speak.  From her cart, Kathy serves dishes like fried "lumpia" (the Filipino version of the egg roll made primarily of meats and more tightly wrapped than its Chinese cousin), chicken adobo (similar to the Spanish version but employing soy and vinegar), bistek Tagalog (a version of stir fry beef and onions) and sinigang (a vegetarian or seafood soup often made with bok choy and similar greens).  (Photos of these Filipino favorites appear under the menu tab of Kathy's website.  Click here to see them for yourself.)  She does this with a personal mission to expand interest and awareness of Filipino culture.  And that is something that I can definitely support.

When I happened by Kathy's cart, I'd just had breakfast and it was too early for lunch.  She was just setting up shop and I didn't have enough time left in Denver to sample her usual lunch time fare.   So, my full review of A Taste of the Philippines will have to wait for my next trip.  But until then, I do encourage Denver visitors and locals to stop by Kathy's cart near 16th and Stout and give her Filipino dishes a try.  I think you'll find that Filipino cuisine definitely stands apart from other Asian cuisines that are better known to American diners.  Our food reflects a unique fusion of Spanish and Asian influences and even our more Asian dishes draw influences from all over Asia.  Believe it or not, Filipinos - like Americans - are diverse and varied people.  Kathy's chosen menu of usuals does a good job of demonstrating that.  And, if the reviews of other bloggers are any indication, I suspect that dishes will be satisfyingly good to the American palate.   But, of course, you'll have to try it and tell me for yourself!  Would love to hear your comments below!




A Taste of the Philippines on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Rioja, Denver, Colorado



For our final night in Denver this summer, I made a point of making reservations at the LoDo (Lower Downtown Denver, for those not in the know) eatery of Chef Jennifer Jasinski, Rioja.  Rioja is one of three popular and celebrated Denver eateries in which Chef Jasinski has had a hand.  (The other two are Euclid Hall and Rioja's across-the-street neighbor, Bistro Vendome.)  A former protege of the renowned Wolfgang Puck, Chef Jasinksi was both a semi-finalist and finalist for a James Beard Award and has been honored as Chef of the Year by Denver Magazine.  In addition to her success as a chef and her recent turn as a competitor on Top Chef Masters, Jennifer Jasinski has also ventured into the role of author, having recently publish a cookbook containing recipes from the Rioja menu.  Certainly, Chef Jasinski is one of the best and, like the adage, I saved the best for last.

Larimer Square
Lower Downtown Denver
Unlike my visit to Fruition the prior night, our experience at Rioja was incredible from beginning to end.  Rioja is centrally located in Larimer Square, an eclectic block of one-of-a-kind restaurants and shops lined with old fashioned street lamps, baskets of flowers and garlands of white lights.  Just driving onto the street makes you feel like you've just stepped through a door into another place.  Parking is not an issue since Larimer Square's valet stand is located just in front of the restaurant (valet service is $8 for Larimer Square customers).  Inside, the restaurant decor is modern and artsy featuring colorful glasswork on the walls.  The tempo of the restaurant is upbeat and energetic, to match the brightness of the street outside.  Although the noise level is a bit louder than other restaurants, it matched the restaurant vibe and was surprisingly acceptable.  Seating is situated in a way that didn't require either my husband or I to raise our voices to hold a conversation.

Just as the night before, we had children in tow.  But unlike Fruition, Rioja was much more welcoming to them.  Admittedly, the more energetic atmosphere is more forgiving for the diner with children.  Their questions about the menu and our reminders to them to mind table manners blended in with the other din in the restaurant.  They - and we - were also comfortable enough to allow them to busy themselves with their iPods without concern for bothering other guests.  The masque of the noise aside, however, the staff was much more accommodating than our prior experience.  The team of staff that waited on us at Rioja was very coordinated, more pleasant and conversational and sometimes even witty.    They complimented our menu choices, made suggestions for how we might better accommodate plate sharing with our children and even encouraged it.  Loved that.

For the table, we ordered the cardamom spiced Kurobuta "fresh pork" as a shared first course (again because I just have to try the pork belly wherever I go).  I then ordered two entrees to share with my children - seared sea scallops with leek custard, black truffle vinaigrette, grilled baby leeks and a white grape-fine herb compote; and Alaskan halibut pan roasted with brown butter, rye pansoti with a potato-butter filling, radishes three ways, watercress puree and nasturtium flowers.  My husband ordered the full size portion of Chef Jasinski's basil gnocchi served with chanterelles, micro basil, sheep's milk ricotta, olive oil and shallots.  When everything came to the table, we ate tapas style with entrees placed in the middle and sharing plates passed all around.  It was great to share such wonderful food "family style" in such a lively and energetic place.

What I loved:  All of the dishes were truly wonderful.  Everything was cooked well, seasoned well and timely served.  The handmade pastas were exceptional.  They were light and flavorful with the right amount of bite, not too toothy.  Often I find the filling in filled pastas to be on the scant side.  Not at Rioja.  The potato-butter filling in the pansoti was ample in quantity and velvety smooth in texture.  And where either the pasta or the filling can often overpower the other, in this case both were equal in proportion and could be equally appreciated.  Another element I loved was the white grape compote.  Subtlely sweet but not so much to standout above the scallops; they were wonderfully sweet little bites.  Frankly, what I found most interesting is how all the components of our dinner complemented each other, even as we were eating elements from different dishes together.  Everything worked, even if it hadn't been planned that way.  Perhaps I just lucked out in selecting our dishes, but the wait staff did say that some of the menu items contemplate sharing.  So, I suspect that this might in part be due to the genius of Chef Jasinski.

What I didn't love:  It's really hard to think about the low points of this dinner because it was really a great meal.  So, I suppose I just have to choose the things I loved least.  One of the items on the bread service was something akin to an herb crusted breadstick.  I didn't like that as much as the other bread selections, but only because the herbs were embarrassingly caught in my teeth.  And I will say that I did not find the goat cheese and fig-filled beignets to meet my expectations.  I'm a bit of a fig fanatic, so the dessert menu had me at "fig".  But these beignets are filled more with goat cheese than with fig.  I love goat cheese too but it did make for more of a salty-sweet dessert than I was prepared for.  That being said, I did comment several times to my salt-loving husband that they would certainly be to his liking.  He's on a self-imposed sweets hiatus right now so unfortunately he did not verify for himself.  And since I ate all of the beignets myself, he'll just have to rely on my opinion!

Raspberry Spuma with
Lemon Pound Cake and Raspberries
How much I spent:  ($$$)  Our family of four had one first course, three second courses and two desserts along with soft drinks and coffee.  Both still and sparkling water are complimentary at Rioja so there were no separate water charges.  Even with all of this food, we only spent $136 with a generous 20% tip.   I'm sure we could have spent more but it just wasn't necessary.  We had plenty to eat!

My overall rating:  4 1/4 spoons.  I loved Rioja and will definitely plan to make it a regular stop on my future trips to Denver.   Just like our shared dishes, everything about this place worked together harmoniously to make dining there a really great experience, especially when capping off a great vacation.  The atmosphere, energy, food and wonderful service contributed to a great dinner all the way around.  I wanted something to be a hallmark of this summer vacation in Colorado and Rioja obliged by giving me something nice to savor the next day as I traveled back home.  I fell in love with Colorado the first time I visited years ago and Rioja is just one more reason for me to come back.




Rioja on Urbanspoon

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Buccan, Palm Beach Island, Florida

Father's Day weekend  this year included a trip to Palm Beach, Florida. While Palm Beach has a fair number of great dining options, I elected to make a first trip to Buccan, a contemporary Palm Beach eatery.   Buccan has gained popularity of late since its owner, Chef Clay Conley, became a 2012 nominee for the James Beard Best Chef of the South Award.  As most who know me know, any restaurant whose chef garners that type of recognition ultimately winds up on my must-dine list. 

Buccan's atmosphere is energetic, not to be unexpected for a Friday evening. The casual seating area and bar situated at the front of the restaurant is primed for the after work crowd. Just past the bar, the dining area is de-marked with a long continuous bench and row of tables that accommodate two person seating.  My visit was not only in celebration of Father's day but my 17th wedding anniversary.  So, our table at the far end of the bench was appropriate.  It was certainly an intimate dinner, although my dining neighbors were a bit too close for my taste.  It wasn't that I could hear their every conversation, but navigating from the bench seat to get up, even momentarily, felt a little uncomfortable.  This aside, I was happy to be seated at the last table in the row, next to a window, which afforded us a little more space to one side and provided me the sill to place my handbag.  


Buccan specializes in small shared plates, "tapas" or "pinchos" for the more well-traveled diner.  I personally enjoy the shared plate concept, particularly when dining in groups. It allows the diner to experience different tastes without having to commit to one individual dish.  And this particular menu highlights Chef Conley's fusion style cuisine, which clearly includes both Asian and Latin influences.  The wait staff suggests 2 to 3 small plates per person.  For our meal, however, we shared three small plates (oysters, short rib empanadas and lamb shank rolls) and a simply grilled New York prime rib steak (which is a large plate meant to be more like a traditional entrée) with garlic sautéed spinach and steak fries.  

What I loved:  The short rib empanada (click the link for a photo) is the one menu item most recommended by all other Internet reviewers and food bloggers.   So, of course, you know that I had put it on my order list.   Well, there is a really good reason why this is the most talked about dish on the menu.  It just really is that good.  I love short rib but was a bit unsure about how it would be used in a traditional spanish dish like empanada.  My past experience with empanada is from my own Filipino home, where empanadas are traditionally made with ground beef or shredded chicken in a fried pastry wrapper.  This upscaled version was definitely a pleasant surprise.  The meat was flavorful and moist but not overly spicy (as I was anticipating).  The pastry wrapper was nice and buttery, better than the doughy version of my youth.  If my memory serves me correctly, the plate provided enough for two empanadas for each of me and my husband.  But I could have eaten much more and would have been very happy to have ordered 3 of these plates for MY entire dinner.  They are just delicious.


What I didn't love:  Hands down, I did not love the lamb shank rolls.  In fact, I dare say that I really hated them.  My Anna is a lover of lambs so it's not often that we get to eat any lamb at all.  In fact, she admonishes us for even thinking about it.  So, when she is not dining with us, we sometimes jump at the opportunity to order this old favorite.  Buccan's lamb shank rolls look similar to Shanghai style egg rolls (the thin tightly wrapped variety) which I then assumed would be filled with shredded lamb shank.  Since the Shanghai style of egg roll is my favorite, I was hopeful I would love this too.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  One bite into these rolls and I was overcome with an overwhelming taste of cumin that I couldn't shake for the rest of the evening.  It was as if the lamb itself had eaten an entire bucket of cumin and taken a bath in it before being sacrificed for the making of the dish.  Don't get me wrong.  I love spices and use cumin in my own cooking but this was just too much.  And, unfortunately, all the dishes afterward (the steak and even my dessert) couldn't erase the memory of the cumin on my taste buds.  For the rest of the night I could taste that cumin (or rather the memory of the cumin was that strong) and no amount of sparkling water was washing that away.  


How much I spent:   ($$$$)  For the two of us, we spent $131.  We don't order alcohol, but I always order sparkling water.  At the end of the meal, I did order dessert while my husband enjoyed coffee.  


My overall rating:  2 3/4 spoons.  If we were talking about the empanadas alone, this would easily be a 3 1/2 spoon review.  They were fantastic.  All the other dishes (save the lamb) were good; not overly so, but good.  The lamb, however, was such a sour note that I just can't get myself to rate this restaurant higher.  Let's hope that it's sister restaurant, iMoto, can redeem Chef Conley and inspire me to give Buccan another try.
 


Būccan on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Blue Moose Pizza, Vail, Colorado


Outside of Blue Moose Pizza in Lionshead Village

Not every restaurant we dine at is the four or five star type.  I admit I'm a food snob and when I travel I have a habit for tracking down all the James Beard Award nominees in my chosen destination.  But, from time to time, I do want food that is simple and straightforward.  Sometimes, I appreciate a really good pizza.  Vail is miles away from both New York and Chicago but that doesn't mean it's lacking in fine pizzerias.  Blue Moose Pizza is one of them.    With locations in both Beaver Creek and Lionshead Village, Blue Moose Pizza is a favorite for Vail visitors.   Blue Moose is especially loved by families.  Their walls are adorned with pizza box-sized  framed artwork of younger diners.  Tables are topped with butcher paper and cups of crayons, ready for drawing.  Kids are kept happy and busy until the pies arrive to the table.  It's no wonder that the Blue Moose is a hit with parents and children alike.

What I loved:   As a Chicago native, I know I ought be to be loyal to the deep dish.  But, I'll apologize to my fellow Chicagoans now and confess that I love a good thin crust, especially the crispy cracker kind.  Some may say that's more flatbread than pizza, but I don't care.  It's how I love my pizza.  And what I love most about Blue Moose pizza is their crisp thin crust which I understand is a well kept secret.   I have no idea what is in it or how it's cooked, but I assume it must be cooked in a brick oven.  The crisp browned bubbles on the bottom of the crust prove that it is cooked through, not soggy, chewy and droopy like other New York style pizzas.  I also like that Blue Moon uses ground sausage to top their pizzas when sausage is ordered.  I am just not a fan of that sliced sausage stuff.  When I want pepperoni, I order it so I don't need my sausage to fake being it.  Ground sausage is the way to go and I love that Blue Moose gets that too.  What's the other thing they get?  Just how much sauce a pizza really needs.  In my mind, sauce doesn't need to drown the pizza; it just needs to be there enough to lend its flavor.  So on a Blue Moose pizza, the sauce is applied thinly where the cheese is applied liberally.  And right where the cheese stops and the crust begins, which is my favorite part, is a nice, sweet ring of tomato.  Just enough to flavor the bit of bread that finishes off the slice.  I don't need to dip that crust in marinara because Blue Moose has brought that marinara to me.  I'm getting hungry just writing about it.

What I didn't love:  I can't really say that there is anything that I don't like about Blue Moose.  It's a fun place to come for a quick bite to eat.  I think I can only say that I don't love visiting on a rainy day.  The outdoor seating is the best place to be.

How Much I Spent:  ($) Our family of four ordered a 15" "build your own" pizza with sausage on 1/2 and four sodas for a total of about $32, with tip.

My overall rating:  3 1/2 spoons (out of 5).  Now I can't comment on any of the other menu items because, frankly, the only thing I've ever ordered at Blue Moose Pizza is the pizza.  But, I assume with pizza this good, the other menu items are at least worth a try.


Blue Moose Pizza Vail on Urbanspoon

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Fruition Restaurant, Denver, Colorado

When I first knew that I would be flying in and out of Denver this summer, I began to research popular restaurants in the area.   My Pinterest dining board includes pins for notable restaurants in and around both Denver and Boulder.   Among these is Fruition Restaurant.  Fruition is housed in a renovated home along the busy thoroughfare of 6th Avenue.  It is an intimate setting for couples and small groups.  And its chef, Alex Seidel, is attracting attention.  In 2011, Fruition was rated Denver's top restaurant by Zagat.  Farm-to-table restaurants like Fruition are part of the current epicurean trend.

The four of us shared a slab of pork belly topped with a six minute egg and paired with english peas and handmade cavatelli.  My husband and son shared a grilled Bavette steak (which we learned is a flank cut) with duck fat french fries (yes, I said duck fat), swiss chard, summer leeks and olathe corn.  I enjoyed a Maple Leaf Farms duck breast with duck confit potato hash, poached asparagus, meyer lemon hollandaise and duck crackling salad while Anna ate pan roasted halibut cheeks en papillote.

What I loved:  The food was definitely good.  The sourdough bread in particular is a treat.  Soft in the middle with a nice crisp salty crust, served with appropriately softened butter.  Hmmm.  The farm-to-table concept is a plus and was most apparent in the service of the vegetables incorporated into our dishes.  The english peas, swiss chard, olathe corn and potatoes were all flavorful and fresh.  Believe me, one can really taste the difference when the vegetables are fresher.  The meats we ate were all cooked well (not the best we've ever had yet still good), but the veggies were the clear stars.

What I didn't love:  The service, which accounts for the shortness of this review.  We couldn't wait to get out of there.  The hostess was rather standoffish, which is a rather odd quality to have in a hostess.  When she mentioned the slight threshold between the entrance and our portion of the dining room, I swear she was whispering which explains why my husband tripped over it.  Our waitress clearly wasn't interested in waiting on us either.  We waited nearly 10 minutes for her to approach us from the time we were seated at our table.  Drinks did come in good time but the promised bread service was also slow.  Bread here is served by the piece and I actually found myself wishing they would just leave the bread on the table.  It was just a shame because I think the bread was probably my one favorite.  Our server rarely asked us how we were doing and whether we needed anything.  Again, very odd as I know there are other places that practically smother you.  And after our dinner was done, it took several more minutes just to clear the plates (which we were actually starting to stack on the table ourselves).  By the time someone noticed my nice, neat stack of dishes and realized we had been waiting, we were ready to go.  We asked for the check before she even had the opportunity to put down the dessert menus.  Our waitress couldn't have dropped that check off faster - the only really prompt service of the night.

What was most disappointing was seeing all the great service being given to our neighboring diners, not only by other servers but by our own server.  None, save one other table, included children.  It's sad to say, but I'm left to assume that was the problem.  Fruition did not have a separate children's menu, which did not surprise me, but our server made no attempt to make suggestions for my kids.  Now I didn't need suggestions, my kids are used to me taking them to restaurants just like Fruition.  But it would have been nice to see the effort.  Even the waiter at the more elegant Restaurant Kelly Liken tried to engage them, awkward as it may have been.  In fact, the hostess and servers all seemed uncomfortable serving my children.  They were tentative and unapproachable.  I suppose they just aren't used to young diners and frankly my kids are not that young.  (They are 8 and 13.)

How much I spent:  ($$$)  Because we were dining with our children, we shared several plates.  The four of us had a shared first course, and my husband and son shared their second course steak.  Because of her size and smaller appetite, I ordered a traditional first course halibut as my daughter's second course.  Although I stayed with water, everyone else ordered sodas and lemonade.  With a slim 10% tip due to very poor service, our bill came to $110.

My overall rating:  1 1/2 spoons.  The food is well prepared, not necessarily the best I have had but still good.  On food alone, this would have rated at least 3 spoons.  But the service was very poor, too poor to ignore.  It could have been much better, as clearly our dining neighbors got great service.  It's a shame that our server was not thrilled either by the lack of any wine at our table or the notion of serving our children.  And any place that isn't interested in having my kids there isn't a place I need to return to.  Chef Seidel should take a cue from Richard Blais and The Spence.  Now that's a place that loves kids, but that's another review for another day



Fruition on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Mountain Standard, Vail Valley, Colorado

Sunday was our last day in the Vail Valley and on Sundays in the summer Vail Village is packed with visitors to the popular Vail Farmers' Market.  Local farmers, artisans and food vendors flock to the Village to exhibit their goods and summer Vail visitors can never get enough.  It's one of my favorite things to do in Vail (because those who know me know that I love shopping).  There are a lot of great food purveyors at the market and, if I were traveling alone, I would not hesitate to sample all their wares.  But when traveling with my kids in tow I'm much better off finding a place where I know they'll be sitting down and relatively well behaved.  So, despite walking past some very enticing aromas, we took the path from the Solaris toward Gore Creek.  On any other day, we would have wound up at Up The Creek, a well-attended lunch spot along the creek.  Instead, we happened upon Mountain Standard.  We've heard good things about Mountain and after eyeing some of the dishes being served on the outdoor patio, I agreed to give it a try.

Mountain Standard rests on the bottom floor of its older sibling, Sweet Basil, which itself was voted as Colorado's Most Popular Restaurant by a Zagat survey.  Only open since December 2012, Mountain boasts a contemporary tavern style that is more appealing to a casual diner.  The outdoor patio is only a few feet from the creek and the best spot to dine.  But indoor diners won't be disappointed because they get a full view of the open kitchen and its wood fire grill manned by Chef de Cuisine Brian Broulliard.  The menu at Mountain reads simply but tastes just as sophisticated as the food upstairs.  Classics like club sandwiches, French dip rolls and potato skins are elevated in a way that make you forget that these are pub staples.  This is definitely a place where both simple and refined tastes are equally satisfied.

For lunch the kids enjoyed their usual favorites:  cheeseburger, hot dog and fries.   (An Urbanspoon reviewer commented that Mountain is skimpy on fries. It definitely was NOT my experience. Plenty of fries to go around here.) My husband ordered the French dip sandwich with the eye catching onion rings that drew me into the restaurant.  I ordered the duck confit potato skins and an appetizer of fried green tomatoes.  Water was served in glasses cut from wine bottles (reminiscent of a Pinterest project) etched with the restaurant's porcine logo.

Fried Green Tomatoes
with House Ranch
What I loved:  I was quickly sold on the fried green tomatoes when our waitress, Kayla, told us they were fried in bacon drippings.  I love everything with bacon so I was completely expecting these to be good.  They weren't just good.  They were great.  Different than the traditional Southern recipe that uses cornmeal, these batter dipped treats were nicely seasoned and served with a house-made ranch dipping sauce.  The green tomatoes were mildly tart, warm but still firm to the bite.  The duck confit potato skins, a menu appetizer that I ordered as my lunch entree, was also enjoyable. Shredded confit of duck topped lightly crisped potato skin shells and were accompanied by mole, crema and wisps of scallion.  I'm not certain why, but the texture and taste of the dish reminded me of an open faced pulled pork sandwich made with better quality ingredients.

As I ate, I thought this entry was going to be built on the strength of the confit alone, but I was wrong.  The best lunch bite came from my husband's plate and his French dip sandwich.  The French dip at Mountain is made of slices of roast beef carved from rib eye.  That roast beef was the juiciest and tastiest bit of roast beef.  I only intended to have a taste but wound up having more, sopping up the remnants of the mole on my own plate as I went.  If Brian Broulliard ever decides to dip that roast beef in the mole and pile it on a bun with melted Swiss cheese, that would make one awesome faux-BBQ beef sandwich!  I'm not a steak and potatoes kind of gal, but I'm kind of sorry I didn't order that French dip for myself.  You can be certain that next time I will.

Duck Confit Potato Skins with
Guajillo Mole, Crema, Lime & Scallions
What I didn't love:  While it's fair to say that I had a great lunch at Mountain, there was one thing that didn't appeal to me as much as I had expected.  I had first been drawn to dine at Mountain when I eyed another patron being served large, golden breaded onion rings.  I like a good ring but I didn't love these.  I don't know if it is because I'm partial to the beer battered variety, but these were too crumby and crunchy for my taste.  More breading than onion.  I had one bite and that was enough for me to say no to the rest.  I also wasn't keen on Anna's hot dog, which was a bit salty and had a rather chewy skin.

How much we spent:  ($$)  We were a party of four with two children dining from the kids' menu.  We all had soft drinks and did not order any dessert.  With a generous tip of more than 22%, we spent $90 on lunch.

My overall rating:  4 spoons (out of 5).  Unlike the better fine dining counterparts in the Village, including Sweet Basil, this is a Vail restaurant that could easily fall onto my "must dine" list for future visits.  Lovers of fine dining may say that the simplicity of the menu lowered my expectation and in turn improved my perception.    I say that good food is good food and doesn't need to be complicated to be appreciated.  


Mountain Standard on Urbanspoon

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Restaurant Kelly Liken, Vail Valley, Colorado


Grilled New York Strip with crispy smashed Yukon gold potatoes,
green garlic aioli, roasted red pepper romesco, fennel & red pepper slaw

While visiting the Vail Valley in Colorado this summer, I made plans to visit Restaurant Kelly Liken.  The self-named establishment of Chef Kelly Liken won the 2012 Open Table Diner’s Choice Award and has been featured in Food & Wine Magazine.  Chef Liken herself has appeared on both Top Chef and Iron Chef America.  Her distinctions as a James Beard Award Finalist made this restaurant a sure pick for my Colorado dining list this year.

The restaurant is located near the entrance to Vail Village at Vail Road, which is a plus since much of Vail Village is restricted to walking and Village bus traffic only.  The convenient access to the restaurant’s complimentary parking made it easy for us to meet our 6:30 p.m. reservation on time after a very full day in nearby Glenwood Springs.  Inside, the contemporary American décor lends itself well to business casual dining without need for a formal dress code, just perfect for dining with our two children. 

When I make any dinner reservations through Open Table, I always include a note to let the restaurant know that we will be dining with my children so that the chef can be prepared with appropriate menu suggestions.   So, I was pleased when each of my children were presented with a mini version of the full size menu containing a $35 prix fixe menu designed especially for children.  It’s this kind of touch that I appreciate since most high end restaurants don’t take the time to cater to younger eaters.  The children’s menu options were appropriate yet sophisticated for those with budding epicurean tastes, like my Anna.  Of the children’s menu items, I found the macaroni and cheese “amuse bouche” to be the most surprising.  The updated Kelly Liken version of this children’s staple is made with small pearl-sized pasta in a mild cheddar cheese sauce.   The dish, which at first bears a strong resemblance to couscous or quinoa, looks nothing like its traditional counterpart but would certainly satisfy the most picky of eaters. 

For us “adult” diners, Restaurant Kelly Liken offers a $74 three-course prix fixe menu.  Although the menu doesn’t provide a la carte pricing and the option wasn’t offered, a la carte ordering is permitted (which is something I had picked up when reviewing the restaurant website before our visit).  So, with that knowledge in hand, my husband and I opted for a small shared cheese plate, a shared first course of pork belly and separate entrees of pan roasted wild caught bass and grilled New York strip steak (pictured above).


What I loved:  My pork belly was perfectly cooked and well-presented.  The seared presentation of the belly was akin to that of a well seared section of foie gras.  And the texture wasn’t far off.  The meat was incredibly fork-tender.  The fat held on the plate but melted past my lips.  Surprisingly though, it was by far the “lightest” tasting pork belly I’ve had to date.  This piece was excellent in that it did not have the fatty taste that is often characteristic of pork belly.  This was exactly the kind of pork belly that I could eat everyday without concern for my weight or my health.  It was paired well with pickled onion and charred lettuce, both of which helped to enhance a slight heat that I picked up in the taste of the belly. 

I also loved that our car was waiting for us at the front when were ready to leave the restaurant, engine on and doors open.  The valet service is impressive!

What I didn’t love:  My wild bass was accompanied by a tomato-watermelon gazpacho, warm shrimp and pickled watermelon salad, fresh mint, sliced radishes, heirloom tomatoes and pickled chills.  The gazpacho and tomatoes had the right amount of sweetness and tang to compliment the bass and its nicely crisped skin.  But I was confused by the warm shrimp which frankly didn’t need to be there.  While they were cooked appropriately, they didn't add anything to the dish.  I would have been just as happy without the shrimp and, in hindsight, feel that they detracted from my appreciation of the dish.   

I also did not love that a server dropped the dish carrying Anna’s ranch dressing dip, splattering dressing all over my dress and the leg of my husband’s trouser.  While the staff was very quick to clean it up, offer soda water and provide fresh napkins, I would have thought that the bill might have reflected something for the inconvenience and the certain dry cleaning bill that would be in my future.  Unfortunately, that was not the case.  Perhaps I was just too gracious about the whole thing. 

How much we spent:  ($$$$)  We were a party of four that included two children dining from the $35 prix fixe menu.  We don’t order alcohol but did have two large bottles of Pelligrino water for the table.  Even with two adults dining a la carte, we spent $236, with 18% tip included. 

My overall rating:   3 3/4 spoons (out of 5).   Overall, the food presentation and preparation were exactly as one would expect from a two-time James Beard Award finalist.  I cleaned every plate and did not leave hungry.  Despite this, I didn’t feel that Restaurant Kelly Liken was one that I would be compelled to visit on my next trip to the Valley.  I would love to say that I truly loved the experience but something was lacking in the ambiance.  Perhaps having dressing spilled on my dress was enough of a mood killer to make an impression.  Or perhaps it was because our waiter was slightly tongue tied and seemed to be at a loss to make good conversation.  I will still recommend it to others planning to visit the area, based solely on the quality of the food.  But I don’t think I’ll feel compelled to make a second visit anytime soon.  The Valley has a lot to offer a seasoned diner so I won’t feel cheated if I don’t make it back for a while.  



Kelly Liken on Urbanspoon

Anna Rose's Mini Review: Restaurant Kelly Liken, Vail Valley, Colorado


I really liked eating at Kelly Liken.  I think it was better than Richard Blais and the Spence.

To drink, I had a glass of sparkling Pelligrino water.  

For an amuse bouche, I was served with a mac and cheese.  It was delicious.  It was made out of pasta shaped like tiny little balls.  The cheese was nice and creamy.  

For my first course, I had carrots and zucchini.  I did not like the zucchini because it still had the skin on it.  The carrots were very good but the ranch dressing dip was a little sour.


After that, I had a chicken pot pie that was “de-licious”.  Nothing was wrong with it.  The pastry crust was nice and flaky.  It was very creamy too.  Next, I was served with dessert.  The dessert was very good.  It was two blonde cookies that were perfectly sweet.  In the middle of them was vanilla ice cream, and on the bottom of the plate was a little bit of chocolate syrup.  Next to it was some whipped cream with a bright red maraschino cherry.  After that we were served with a small little plate of goodies in a cupcake wrapper with a little lollipop.  The lollipop was very good.  It had a hint of coffee with some mint in it.  It also had a fudgy brownie.  It had a perfectly smooth taste.  Then there was a little cookie that was like a sugar cookie.  I didn’t not like it because it was not sweet. 

At some point during our dinner, the restaurant got loud.  When we first got there it was quiet.  For some reason, by the end everyone was talking so loud.  The waiters were all dressed in ties and looked very nice.  They were very pleasant by saying “please” and “thank you”.  They had very good manners.  Our waiter was very friendly.  He always smiled.  At the end, our hostess asked how the dinner was .  It was very pleasant of her.

I give it 4 1/2 spoons!