Archive for the ‘Restaurants’ Category
Riding a train on an overnight trip is nostalgic on many levels, but not
necessarily in a positive way. It’s a slumber party with strangers; or
perhaps a little like a B&B with neither a real bed nor a good break-
fast. Sure, breakfast is served, but that’s where another questionable
parallel surfaces: it’s like school cafeteria food.
The California Zephyr is a good way to get from Colorado to the Midwest.
I wanted an aboard meal, and breakfast seemed the best option. Following
a fitful night’s sleep, my husband and I wobbled our way to the dining car.
The menu featured scrambled eggs, French toast, oatmeal or cold cereal,
and The Chef’s Morning Special: tomato, spinach, mushroom quiche. Every-
thing was overpriced, but we were game.
I ordered the special which included potatoes and a choice of biscuit,
raisin bread or croissant. Another passenger, who had just spent his
second night on board, was seated at our table; he said he had the quiche
the day before. I blame lack of sleep on my inability to react. I chose
the quiche, realizing just before my plate arrived, that it was probably
leftover from the previous day. In fact, what was once perhaps a flakey,
buttery crust had become soggy and bland. The thick slices of French toast
weren’t any fresher.
As for the passenger who joined us, that was similar to a B&B; and the train
was, indeed, a throwback to another time. Too bad the meal tasted like it.
One Plate
Breakfast prices $7 to $10.75, includes juice and choice of coffee, tea or milk
The difference between pizza baked in a wood-fired oven and a conventional one is like
the dissimilarity between dark chocolate and milk chocolate. The former simply has much
more depth. For pizza, the intensity of the wood-generated heat allows each component
(dough/crust, sauce, cheese, and toppings) to surpass its potential, so the final product
becomes extraordinary. That’s what served at Pizzeria Rustica.
The mozzarella is made in-house. It’s on the pizza, but to fully appreciate its creamy,
silky elegance try the Insalata Caprese of mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, basil leaves and tangy
balsamic vinegar. The Pagliasotti is an appetizer featuring the Caprese but also includes
olives, salami, prosciutto, fresh vegies and crusty bread.
Pizzeria Rustica uses authentic Italian ingredients, as noted on the menu, for the Neapolitan
pizzas. Although round, the pizzas are not exactly uniform since they’re individually hand-
stretched. The Salsiccia (sweet sausage) pizza we ordered had a few bulbuous air pockets,
but nothing was lost on taste. The pocket-free Rustica was topped with tomatoes, the
house mozzarella, prosciutto di parma and handfuls of fresh arugula. The peppery arugula
was an inspired addition. Another nice touch was the truffle oil for dipping the crust.
The menu is a primer in simplicity. A wipe board displays the daily specials, but don’t expect
much more than salad and pizza – and dessert. Prices are a bit high, yet sticker shock
is surprisingly short-lived; these are made-to-order pizzas with fresh, quality ingredients
very rich in flavor.
Four Plates
Pizzeria Rustica
2527 W. Colorado Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80904
Having a tamale person is like having a good mechanic – something everyone needs, but
doesn’t always find. In the case of Olga & Sons Tamales, they found me. This is a mom and
pop –oops, hijos — operation; Olga makes tamales in her kitchen and her sons sell them
in offices and at farmer’s markets around Colorado Springs.
Olga’s son Omar has the route that includes the light industrial area where I go for my
Spanish class once a week. Usually, the available choices are pollo or queso. The shredded
chicken tamales have an appealing but unusual essence thanks to a green sauce made with basil.
When combined with the masa (dough made of ground corn meal and lard, yep lard) spread
inside the corn husk wrapper, the result is a subtle fiesta of flavors. The cheese variety
is filled with mozzarella wrapped around a thin sliver of jalapeno. It’s a small piece, so
more zip would be welcome.
Occasionally, the selection includes carne. Recently, there were two meats: shredded beef
and ground beef with jalapeno. I opted for the former. The meat was stewed in a red chile
sauce making it tender and savory. The masa was seasoned with a bit of the sauce for a
thoroughly flavorful tamale. The kicker came in a baggie of runny, but potent, eye-watering
salsa to pour on top.
Some tamale makers have a tendency to bulk up on the masa and skimp on the filling, but
Omar’s mom has just the right balance.
Tamales are $10 a dozen.
Three-and-a-half Plates
(Let me know if you want the phone number for Olga & Sons so you can place an order.)
Shopping and lunch go together like peanut butter and jelly,
or soup and salad, or burgers and fries. Although Swedish
meatballs and IKEA are an appropriate duo, they have neither
the right ring nor the compelling taste of those other
lunch-food buddies.
That doesn’t stop shoppers from standing in line to
order – cafeteria-style – a plate of meatballs and mashed
potatoes smeared with what IKEA calls a cream sauce; most
would consider it gravy. Thank goodness for the dollop of
lingonberries for color and flavor. Of course, there are
other menu items: baby back ribs, spinach crepes, Caesar
salad and spaghetti with meatballs. I suspect, though, they’re the same meatballs covered with a
tomato-based sauce rather than the brown goo.
The beige, walnut-shaped meatballs are dense while the potatoes are creamy; however, the true star
of the plate is the cranberry-like lingonberry sauce. It’s sweet and tangy, the perfect foil to the
otherwise bland meatballs. It’s served as relish, but can also be used for pancakes, sandwiches
and other meats.
The price is alright at $4.99. If you forgo the accompanying undistinguished salad and beverage it’s
two bucks less. What the IKEA restaurant has going for it, of course, is location: it’s inside the
store. Based on the lines, shoppers do work up an appetite wandering through the maze of displays in
the upscale warehouse. Next time, though, I’ll go straight for dessert and grab the Chocolate Overload Cake,
because it just has to be better than the meatballs.
Two plates
The Blue Page Special 