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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.
