Author Archive
Years ago, many restaurants used to close on Mondays nights — perhaps to give staff a break after a busy weekend or to provide the kitchen a chance to restock. There’s also the possibility that the first day of the week was simply not popular for dining out, so restaurateurs decided it wasn’t worth the effort. In any case, I was surprised to discover that Sunday is the new Monday. That is, some fine dining establishments may be open for Sunday brunch, but come mid-afternoon the doors are shuttered. This year my wedding anniversary fell on Sunday. Consequently, The Blue Star was our fortuitous choice.
Apparently a lot of people like The Blue Star on Sunday nights – and with good reason. Not only is the menu inventive, but all bottles of wine are half price. The place was packed, I’m talking about the dining room not just the bar and lounge, which are routinely busy. We started with Swordfish Sugarcane Lollipops. A glistening sauce coated the grilled chunks of skewered fish which were tender with a hint of citrus and spice that found their way into the sauce. Grilled chicken topped with spinach and a roasted red pepper sauce on creamy risotto was delicately rich. Ham, mushrooms, and peas added balance. The flaky Pan Roasted Halibut was served with sweet pea pesto and pasta.
The wine list is a tome. Thanks to the Sunday night special, this made selecting a vintner even more fun than choosing our entrees.
The Blue Star
Four Plates
1645 S. Tejon St.
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Aimee Bender’s second novel, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, is quirky but glum. The premise follows Rose, the young narrator, and her ability to discern people’s emotions through the food they prepare. This is in stark contrast to the concept that cooking and eating meals are meant to be enjoyed and shared. Poor Rose must develop a strategy to avoid knowing more than she cares or wants, but, of course, she also has to eat.
It doesn’t help that Rose’s family is on the eccentric side to begin with. Lane, her mother, is flighty. And, as Rose deduces from her mother’s cooking, Lane is also very unhappy. Rose’s father is distant and professional. Her brother, Joe, is a genius void of social skills, with an enigma of his own. Despite the food affliction, Rose is pretty much the clan’s anchor with Joe’s friend, George.
Bender deftly portrays the efforts young Rose endures to, at first, keep her disorder a secret and, eventually, live with it. Rose is wise and perceptive; she is smart enough not to reveal too much. Although there are a few light moments, it’s more than a slice of cake that’s particularly sad. Rose and most everyone around her are all woefully unhappy.
The story’s saving grace is Bender’s writing which blends melancholy with the bizarre, while throwing sensitivity and a bit of wry humor into the mix. She’s also excellent at describing a Los Angeles neighborhood that doesn’t rely on tired landmarks.
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
Three-and-and-half Bookmarks
Doubleday, 2010
292 pages
Writers who pay to have their books published often go through the wringer when it comes to perceptions. Such efforts were once identified as vanity-pressed or self-published. Now the preferred term is indie, or independent, publishing. Some indies are poorly constructed, rife with grammatical errors and simply uninteresting; yet many are well-written including Summoning the Strength by Stephanie Briggs. She manages to avoid those most frequent missteps. In fact, she’s really only guilty of not calling on her own strengths, which are plentiful, when it comes to writing.
At 169 pages, Briggs’s novel is all-too brief to accommodate the numerous characters. The account follows Katherine, a small-town girl who endures a disastrous marriage to a wealthy man. She’s interesting and has an especially strong relationship with her mother, which unfortunately, just withers.
Katherine’s unhappiness is tangible because Briggs tells the story in retrospect. However, the explanation for the discontent is one-dimensional. The husband’s a jerk and Katherine’s an intelligent woman too blind to see the obvious.
One problem is the large number of long-lasting friendships Katherine has from her childhood and college days. It’s clear the author appreciates the importance of women’s friendships. However, here’s an instance when having more isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Briggs’s prose is engaging and descriptive, but she could have easily created fuller (and fewer) characters for a richer story. I’ve come to enjoy Briggs’s writing through her blog, Honie Briggs. It’s smart, humorous and meaningful. I suspect her next book will be, too.
Summoning the Strength
Three bookmarks
Briggs& Briggs, 2011
169 pages
Creekside dining at The Wines of Colorado provides a relaxing location; the fact that it was once a convenience store somehow adds to the experience.
One of my friends joked that The Wines should get an award for the best re-use of a 7-Eleven; she’s right. It takes a strong memory, or good imagination, to envision the space as a one-time Slurpee dispenser. The several additions – including a deck and the creekside patio – hide the past well. The restaurant is part wine shop featuring Colorado wines, what else? Since I didn’t have any, I’ll keep my opinion about that to myself.
The food, though, is inventive and surprising. I ordered a portabella stuffed with spinach, diced tomato, feta, herbs, and served with hummus and pita bread on the side. Feta isn’t one of my favorite cheeses, but its slight tanginess and gooey consistency when melted provided a palette-pleasing contrast to the mushroom’s texture. It’s hard to go wrong with smooth, earthy hummus, although I did run out of pita.
My friends ordered the salmon Cesar and the ravioli salads. The smoky, flakey salmon made the Romaine appear superfluous. The latter salad featured large raviolis on a bed of greens, which was a successful combination.
Since it was such a pleasant setting after a hot morning hike, we shared the Carrot Cake for Four. Chock-full of nuts, raisins and flecks of carrots, the rich, thick frosting was like a blanket no one needed.
Oh thank heaven for, well, Wines of Colorado.
The Wines of Colorado
Three-and-half Plates
8045 W. Highway 24
Cascade, Colo.
I learned about The Healer from a link sent by a friend featuring book doppelgangers. Antti Tuomainen’s novel was identified as the literary twin to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. That’s all I needed to know – or so I thought. Unfortunately, it’s more a fraternal connection than identical.
Yes, it’s set in Scandinavia but from there the similarities are tenuous at best. The Healer is compact but can’t quite settle on a specific genre. It’s crime fiction, without the thrill of trying to determine whodunit before it’s spelled out. It’s an apocalyptic tale, without an explanation of what actually took place – except for references to global warming. It’s a love story, told only from Tapani the narrator’s perspective, which is unreliable.
Tapani recounts his frantic search for his missing wife, Johanna, a journalist working on a story about a series of murders. The couple has never gone more than a few hours without communicating with one another. Her editor is disinterested, the police are over-worked, and friends are not forthcoming. Tapani is on his own left to retrace his wife’s steps. Along the way he is befriended by a helpful yet mysterious cab driver. And, Tapani uncovers a few secrets from Johanna’s past, which make him question how well he truly knows her.
Tuomaninen’s description of Helsinki is stark; it’s a city of constant rain, poverty and crowds. None of which, like Tapani’s search for Johanna, is very engaging. Nonetheless, I found myself thinking about the ending long after finishing this terse novel.
The Healer
Three Bookmarks
Henry Holt and Co., 2010
211 pages
It’s been a while since I’ve written about dinner The Margarita at Pine Creek, one of my all-time favorite restaurants. Recently, I was there for lunch, when the choices are fewer and lighter, just right for a summer day. (Dinners are served as three or five course options.) Some things such as service, ambiance and the food are remarkable no matter when you’re there.
A good friend suggested it as the place to celebrate my birthday. He is an accomplished chef and connoisseur of fine foods. I am always happy to dine with him, not just for his good company, but also to get his take on the cuisine.
The lunch menu is strong on salads, with a few other selections, but I was immediately drawn to the Sesame Chicken Salad. My host was torn between that and the Duck Confit Salad, so he asked to substitute the duck for the chicken. Even though I was very pleased with my choice, I almost wish I had done the same.
A small loaf of fresh whole wheat bread with a ramekin of pimento cheese arrived at the table. Pimento-spimento you might say. Go ahead because then I could have the creamy, slightly tangy red-flecked spread all to myself.
The salads were large and overloaded with ingredients to augment the greens and roasted chicken/duck confit: fresh vegetables and a lightly-flavored sesame dressing.
A pecan crumb topping coffee cake was served as dessert. Although it was very good, it’s better suited to breakfast or brunch, something I’ll look forward to.
The Margarita at Pine Creek
Four-and-a-half Plates
7350 Pine Creek Rd.
Colorado Springs, CO
Barbara Kingsolver and Joni Mitchell have a lot in common – at least to me. I’m especially drawn to their early works. They’re prolific and both know the beauty of language. Even though they’re favorites of mine, it doesn’t mean I don’t see their foibles.
Admittedly, it’s been a while since I’ve listened to anything by Mitchell, but I did just finish Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior. I pretty much read anything and everything she writes. Unfortunately, it didn’t wow me. It has plenty of descriptive images and the characters are interesting, but the story itself is just too predictable.
Climate change is the driving issue with the theme of understanding the world around us. Dellarobia is a young mother of two in a lackluster marriage. Just as she is about to embark on an affair, she discovers monarch butterflies have blanketed the woods on the family land in rural Tennessee. This introduces her to scientists, the media, family secrets, and herself.
Dellarobia’s an appealing character. She’s a good mother, but isn’t thrilled by being a wife thanks to her easy-going husband, Cub, and his willful, demanding parents. To counter the country folk, Kingsolver brings in the intellectual Ovid Byron, a researcher.
The gist of the story can be found in the first and last chapters. The downside to only turning those pages is that you’d miss the imagery, sarcasm ascribed to some of the characters, and the magic Kingsolver has with words. Then again, you’d get to skip the preachy tone and predictability. It might be time to listen to Joni Mitchell again.
Flight Behavior
Three-and-a-half Bookmarks
HarperCollins 2012
433 pages
Located in an old strip mall, Tacqueria Los Gordos is the type of place you might be forgiven for ignoring. But don’t let the setting deter you.
A craving for quick, authentic Mexican food led us Los Gordos. One section is for take-out, and the other is a sit-down restaurant. Initially we thought we’d get the food to go, but then decided on a table in the colorful room with festive music rumbling through the speakers.
As the name implies, this is a taco place. It’s also an enchilada, tostada, relleno and torta place.
Tacos al Pastor (pork) were filled with small bites of barbequed pork and lots of cilantro. Fresh lime on the plate for squeezing over the taco contents added a layer of zestiness. The guacamole tostada featured fresh, chunky pieces of avocado topped with shredded lettuce and cheese. The only problem was the tostada shell which shattered with each bit. Still, while the shell remained in large pieces it was like a hand-held taco salad. Several tortas are featured. My husband ordered a torta which he found surprisingly spicy – and filling.
The real treat was the chile relleno. The deep fried chile was cooked perfectly without being greasy. A mild red sauce smothered the plate and the result was a meal in itself full of the depth of each element. The crunchiness of the fried batter-coated chile complemented the soft chile-cheese combo.
Taqueria Los Gordos is a good example of not judging a restaurant by its neighborhood.
Taqueria Los Gordos
Four Plates
1034 S Sable Blvd.
Aurora, CO
Anyone worth his or her salt in the kitchen has drawers and cabinets full of wonderfully useful and incredibly useless gadgets. Bee Wilson’s Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat provides historical and cultural perspectives on how most of them came into our lives. The book is divided into eight sections, each addressing a specific element of cooking under such headings as “Knife,” “Fire,” “Eat,” among others. Yes, the fork gets plenty of attention, but so do other implements that impact not just how food is prepared, but what’s eaten.
Wilson examines the technology behind cooking tools, using the purest definition of the word: “Techne means an art, skill or craft, and logia means the study of something.” Occasionally, she gets bogged down by too much detail, such as the various types of fuels, or the dangers inherent in knives. But who knew about the egg beater boom in the late 1800s? How about that “Kitchen Debate” between the U.S. and Russia at the time of the Cold War?
Nonetheless, reflecting on why we use certain implements versus others, or why some are no longer to be found, is pretty interesting stuff. Wilson has done her homework. If nothing else, I gained insight into the evolution of pots and pans, and now know that the fork was initially not well-received. It took the Italians and pasta to demonstrate its usefulness.
Besides, having read the book I discovered a few new Scrabble words: quern, trifid and ulu.
Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat
Three-and-a-half Bookmarks
Basic Books, 2012
310 pages, including notes and bibliography
Although The Broadmoor Hotel is a five-star resort, with its multiple restaurants boasting accolades from various sources, not everything merits high praise. Recently, for example, the Golden Bee lacked the culinary chops of the resort’s other dining facilities, but out distances the pack when it comes to fun.
Not only was the food lackluster, but several missteps were surprising: a dirty fork and a gummy drink menu. Yet. Yes yet, we had a very enjoyable time.
The Bee is meant to evoke an English pub. The setting is beautiful and newly remodeled to accommodate a larger crowd. Some things remain, happily, the same, including the sticky bees thrown onto diners’ clothing and the yards of beer. Two of our sons ordered half-yards.
The piano, next to our table, contributed the evening’s success. Bud, the versatile pianist, struck up a conversation, and soon our youngest son, an accomplished player, was performing in his place.
In keeping with the pub theme, my husband ordered the Fish and Chips and was disappointed. Two of us ordered the Cottage Pie, beef tips with vegetables in a rich gravy beneath a golden biscuit-like crust. The vegies were inconsistently cooked and the crust was dense. The same was true of the Chicken Pot Pie. The winning dish of the night was the Bangers and Mash. A sherry sauce with onions served over the sausages created entrée-envy among us.
Nonetheless, we could not have asked for a better environment in which to consume our mostly uninspired food.
Golden Bee
The Broadmoor Hotel
Three Plates
Corner of First Street and Lake Avenue
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Years ago, many restaurants used to close on Mondays nights — perhaps to give staff a break after a busy weekend or to provide the kitchen a chance to restock. There’s also the possibility that the first day of the week was simply not popular for dining out, so restaurateurs decided it wasn’t worth the effort. In any case, I was surprised to discover that Sunday is the new Monday. That is, some fine dining establishments may be open for Sunday brunch, but come mid-afternoon the doors are shuttered. This year my wedding anniversary fell on Sunday. Consequently, The Blue Star was our fortuitous choice.
