Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
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.
My sons are in their twenties and I still refer to them as the boys. It’s not so unusual, then, that Elizabeth Strout’s latest novel since her Pulitzer Prize-winning Olive Kittridge identifies the 50-something protagonist brothers as The Burgess Boys. Yet, it’s unsettling that they are such poorly matured men.
The backstory of Bob being accidently responsible for his father’s death is almost a character unto itself. This aspect of the novel emerges slowly and evolves, just as everyone else does, providing an especially interesting angle.
Jim is the older brother, the successful, high-achieving one. Bob, on the other hand, is less driven, and far more endearing. He rarely grows weary of Jim’s disparagements toward him, although reading them is tiresome. The boys left their childhood home in Maine years ago to pursue their lives in New York City. Jim is a hot-shot lawyer and Bob, also a lawyer, serves a different clientele. They receive word from their perpetually-unhappy sister (Bob’s twin) in rural Maine that her son is charged with a hate crime. This is the driving narrative, but that backstory is never far behind.
Strout has created a novel full of multiple layers, but not different versions. She provides snapshots of what happens in real life. Some are faded, some in black and white. The characters are heartbreaking in their deception, confusions and naiveté. Unlike Olive Kittridge which was a collection of connections among its characters, The Burgess Boys focuses on a family’s past and present, along with its shortcomings.
The Burgess Boys
Three-and-a-half Bookmarks
Random House, 2013
337 pages
Beginning as a small outlet for seasonings, Garden of the Gods Gourmet has a long local history. It’s evolved as a local catering favorite and as a place to purchase upscale meals-to-go. Also, it has emerged as small, out-of-the-way lunch, and occasional dinner, spot. That latter point is precipitating an upcoming move to a larger, more visible location.
Sometime this fall, according to the market manager, it will relocate to the corner of U.S. Highway 24 and 26th Street. That will allow for longer business hours for the catering side and a bigger restaurant space. The new site should also include better ventilation.
Although it was a hot day on a recent visit, the limited shade in the patio area was far more comfortable than the stifling temperature inside. Fortunately, the soup of the day was a cold, refreshing roasted red pepper and corn which highlighted each ingredient. Along with a cup of soup, I had half of the Beef Banh Mi. Traditionally served with thinly-sliced pork, this roast beef version also featured pickled carrots, cucumbers, radishes and fresh cilantro on a baguette baked in-house. Because of the heat, and the inability to resist, we ordered the raspberry-lemon gelato. Neither flavor overwhelmed the other.
Garden of the Gods has successfully managed to remain a catering, epicurean market and restaurant with a cohesiveness that doesn’t make it feel like an establishment with multiple personalities. Its new locale is likely to better showcase its strengths.
Garden of the Gods Gourmet Café and Market
Four Plates
2528 W. Cucharras Ave.
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Most parents, whether with young children or those who remember when their kids were small, are familiar with meals being a time for whining and dining. Herman Koch’s The Dinner applies the concept at a very different level.
In Amsterdam, where the story takes place, two couples meet one evening at an upscale restaurant. The novel is narrated by Paul who is unhappy about the location, the companionship and, ultimately, the reason for getting together. Paul whines, a lot. He, with his wife, is joined by his brother and sister-in-law. The dining establishment is pretentious and so is his brother, Serge. Paul’s lack of enthusiasm is understandable, although none of Koch’s characters are worth embracing.
Initially, Paul’s attitude seems justified. Serge comes across as shallow, and the food does sound haughty: “The ‘grapes’ were lying beside a deep-purple piece of lettuce, a full two inches of empty plate away from the actual main course — ‘filet of guinea fowl wrapped in paper-thin German bacon.’”
As the novel and meal progress, it’s evident that the story is less about the five courses than about Paul, in addition to his son and nephew. The latter are the impetus for the couple getting together; the parents share a lot of responsibility when it comes to dealing with a criminal act committed by their boys.
By meal’s end, what has been served are layers of rationale that demonstrate how far some parents go to protect their children. Thankfully, there’s no to-go box for this repast.
The Dinner
Three-and-a-half Bookmarks
Hogarth, 2012
292 pages
Isabel Allende is a master storyteller. Her characters have depth; their lives are full of mystery, love and befuddlement. Her most recent novel, Maya’s Notebook, is no exception. Well, it is, because it’s exceptional – even for Allende.
Maya is a 19-year-old girl on the lam on a remote island off the coast of Chile, her grandmother’s homeland. Maya was raised in Berkeley by her grandparents, a couple remarkable in their differences and their passion for life. Maya’s father floats in and out in a minor role; her mother doesn’t even rate that distinction. Several stories are told through Maya’s journal. She recounts her magical childhood, her arrival in Chiloe’ and counters these almost idyllic recollections with the explanation of why she is in hiding. The book’s first sentence, while seemingly melodramatic, creates suspense: “… if I valued my life at all, I should not get in touch with anyone I knew until we could be sure my enemies were no longer looking for me.”
Maya writes of her past and present in chronological order until the two eventually intersect. She begins with how her grandparents met and moves into how, as an infant, she came to live with them. Allende builds tension through Maya’s descriptions of her avalanche of mistakes made as an adolescent. Grief and environment contributed to one bad decision after another. Yet, a sense of calm surfaces as Maya relates her life in Chiloe’ while learning to appreciate the world around her and her place in it.
Maya’s Notebook
Five Bookmarks
Harper Collins, 2013
387 pages
Bono is a better name for a rock star than a barbecue joint, especially when the latter doesn’t shine. We’ve eaten at Bono’s Pit Bar-B-Q a few times. Although the food is fine, the primary reason is for its easy access from Interstate 25.
Our most recent visit left us perplexed. A small piece of tape was placed behind every use of the word beef. I was certain what was hidden was the word brisket. Our young server assured us that Bono’s had never served brisket – unless it had been delivered by mistake. Hhhmmm… He was also unable to explain what cut of beef is served, but he tried to assure us that it was less fatty and more flavorful. That, to me, seems like an oxymoron.
So, I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and one of my sons decided to brave it out and opt for the beef, whatever it was. While good with nice texture, it lacked depth.
The pork, on the other hand, was pulled and chopped; it had plenty of fat (perhaps too much since I could distinguish it) and loads of flavor. Several sauces are kept tableside to enhance the smoky hickory taste. My favorite was the sweet and tangy, which was a great balance between the two.
Perhaps the most baffling thing about the server’s claim about brisket never being part of Bono’s offerings is that it was – still is if one removes the tape. Funny thing is the online menu hasn’t caught up. Oops!
Bono’s Pit Bar-B-Q
Three Plates
9393 East Dry Creek Rd.
Centennial, Colo.
Trust me, it’s not easy acting cool. I was tested twice in Spago when my eyes landed on Wolfgang Puck as we entered the dining room. Walking past him was one thing, but having him stop by our table to shake hands was more of a stretch. Although I wanted my picture taken with him, I worked on my nonchalance, and had a wonderful meal, albeit one sans photograph.
An early birthday lunch hosted by my mother was the occasion. This was my first visit, so I could not make any pre-renovation comparisons. The restaurant had been closed for several months. The new look is warm and modern. The menu is daunting in its variety – and price. The dining experience, from flavor profiles to service, from plating to ambiance, demonstrates Spago deserves its high praises.
We started with Agnolotti, small ravioli-like pasta filled with pea puree which tasted like spring and featured a light cream sauce and fresh peas. I ordered Lobster Salad, an ultra-Cobb featuring lobster tail, hard-boiled egg so finely diced it looked confetti, avocado, bacon, several varieties of cherry tomatoes, chives and a mix of lettuces; the parts were certainly equal to the sum.
Weiner Schnitzel, a signature dish, remains on the menu, and for good reason. It’s a large, thin cut of breaded bliss. Lemon-butter cold potato salad provided an additional burst of gusto.
Dessert further elevated the meal: Semifreddo, with fresh and dehydrated strawberries, Thai basil and shortbread, a balanced, refreshing sweet/savory combination. By meal’s end, being cool no longer mattered.
Spago
Five Plates
176 N. Canon Dr.
Beverly Hills, Calif
Blue Page Special followers know I can’t resist mole. This is either a character flaw or an attribute, but I love the thick paste usually made with nuts, seeds, chile and cocoa. Guelaguetza Restaurant provides not just one mole item, but so many choices, we had to try Festival de Moles: a sampler of four types.
The large, colorful, Oaxacan restaurant located on the outskirts of Los Angeles’s Koreatown is all things mole. A plate of chips with mole was set on the table soon after we were seated. The sampler featured two reds, one green and one dark mole. A yellow and one of the green moles were not included. Each of the four bowls was filled with shredded chicken and subtle differences in taste, with obvious variations in color. It was impossible to choose a favorite. The dark, Negro Mole, was smoky and the color of fudge. The two reds, Rojo and Coloradito (Little Red), were somewhat sweeter, but each provided a subtle kick — the Rojo more than its misnamed lesser counterpart. The Estofado Mole, something completely new for me, is made with tomatillos and green olives for a tangier flavor and different hue.
Three of us shared the sampler. Initially we thought it wasn’t going to be enough. Four small bowls, a little serving of rice and a thin platter-size corn tortilla. We also ordered guacamole (as in holy moly, not molay),it was chunky, fresh and spicy. Before we knew it, we were stuffed and sorry we left a few bites.
Guelaguetza Restaurant
Four-and-a-half Plates
3014 W. Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, Calif.
The Blue Page Special 