Archive for the ‘restaurants’ Tag
I was in the mood for something special – most likely inspired by the biography of Julia Child I’m reading. Whatever the reason, we landed at La Baguette French Bistro. I’ve written before about La Baguette, known for its French Onion Soup and crusty bread, but the Bistro, while sharing a similar name, is a different family altogether.
This comfortable, unpretentious restaurant has an impressive dinner menu. Yes, French Onion Soup is an available starter, but we opted to begin with the Tomate, Avocado, Mozzarella Salate. It’s an upgraded version of a Caprese Salad; thanks not only to the addition of the avocado, but also the orange-infused olive oil.
The evening special was Salmon Tips in a cream sauce served over quinoa with green beans almondine, which my husband ordered. It’s hard to go wrong with a cream sauce on anything, and the salmon was no disappointment. However, this was one meal where I did not suffer from entrée envy. I was unabashedly smug with my choice of Veal a la Normandie topped with a cream sauce made with applejack brandy, mushrooms and apples. The apples added just the right amount of texture to balance the earthy flavor of the mushrooms. This was a lick-your-plate-clean meal.
An inordinate amount of attention has been paid to the décor with a French village motif. Lighting is dim, the service considerate, but the owners really need to say au revoir to the canned classic rock and roll music coming through the speakers.
La Baguette French Bistro
Four Plates
4440 N. Chestnut St.
Colorado Springs, CO
Spice of Life is always one of those reliable go-to places. Well, almost always. Breakfast and lunch standards have been part of the Spice landscape for (20) years. In truth, the food is more than standard, especially considering the small cooking/prep area behind the counter.
This is a popular Manitou Springs hangout. It’s the spot to meet friends, have a cup of coffee or pick up a gourmet food item, including spices. Recently, a beer and wine license was acquired and tapas appeared on the menu. Unfortunately, the tapas fall into the average category.
By definition, tapas are small plates. Although they’ve been around for years, it seems there’s a tapas bandwagon that has recently come into favor in the Colorado Springs area. Without taking anything away from the Spice guys (Michael and Doug) or their establishment, snacks are a more honest description for much of the Tapas menu. Handfuls of olives, cheese, slices of baguette and roasted peppers fall short of a well-rounded tapas identity. Of course, if we had ordered the Caprese Sandwich or Chicken Skewers, something that involved cooking or more preparation, I’d have less to quibble about.
Nonetheless, the appetizers were tasty: a large variety of olives, a tangy caponatta, and a creamy Roule – in this case made with sheep’s milk and rolled in herbs. I’ve always been pleased with the granola pancakes and sandwichs (especially the Vegetarian Delight), I’ll stick to those. Although, when enjoying a glass of wine, it is nice to have a little nosh.
Spice of Life
Three Plates
727 Manitou Ave.
Manitou Springs, CO.
Most Italian restaurants go in for overkill in the dining room: red-checkered table cloths, Chianti bottles coated in streaming tears of wax, accordion music playing in the background. At Bella Panini, however, the emphasis on all things Italian takes place in the kitchen – where it should.
The friends who introduced us to Bella warned us that on a Friday night we’d be in for a lengthy wait to get a table. Somehow, we timed our arrival just right and were seated immediately. Although our companions are regulars, we all received a warm welcome.
The restaurant features an impressive beer and wine menu, but it’s the food that commands your attention. An array of pastas and Paninis are available, as are soups and salads. The thin crust pizza was tempting, but I was more attracted to the Stuffed Pasta Roll and the nightly fish special: Sea Bass Topped with Etouffee over a bed of Linguini.
The pasta roll is stuffed with sausage, spinach and mushrooms covered with a sun dried tomato pesto sauce. It’s lasagna gone round. The fish was equally creative. Who would think of Etoufee in a place called Bella Panini? The classic Louisiana stew made with shrimp and crawfish was just piquant enough to make sure I was awake to enjoy it. The mild, flakey sea bass was the perfect neutralizer.
The one nod to the décor is in the subtle murals evocative of rural Italy. That’s easy enough to dine with. Mangiare!
Bella Panini
Four-and-a-Half Plates
4 Highway 105
Palmer Lake, Colo
My friend, Esteban, knows food. He reads about it, talks about it, cooks it (exceptionally well), and, of course, enjoys eating it. When it came time to celebrate his recent birthday he knew just where he wanted to share a meal: Tapateria. This unassuming little restaurant serves, not surprisingly, tapas, or little plates, which are big on variety and flavors.
Placemats with photos of the tapas serve as the menus. A couple of chalkboards feature additional items, including drink specials and desserts. The laminated placemats are the least classy aspect in the place. Nonetheless, it’s hard to keep eyes averted. Each menu item is numbered and falls into one of four categories: Bocadas (snacks), Verduras (vegetarian), Mariscos (seafood) and Carne (meats).
We started with the Pan con Tomate, thick toasted bread slathered with a fresh tomato paste. Because this was reminiscent of Spain, Esteban requested adding Serrano. This air-cured, Spanish national ham was sliced paper thin and deliciously salty. We also ordered the Chorizo-stuffed Mushrooms. Both dishes featured distinct flavors in little bites, however, the mushrooms were disappointingly small. We also ordered the Tuna Carpaccio Salad. Four thin slices of fresh tuna atop a bed of spinach, with capers, cherry tomatoes, sliced red onions, red peppers and diced cucumbers drizzled with a creamy, tangy dressing. It was great way to end our lunch.
The meal was deliberately slow paced, and we could have easily extended our stay. When we finally left it was to enjoy a walk in the cool fall weather — so could we still talk about food.
Tapateria
Four Plates
2607 W. Colorado Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO
National Cheeseburger Day was this week. The place for burgers, just good old fashioned burgers, is Cy’s Drive-In. It’s an anachronism. Not just because of the carhops, Formica tables, and Elvis and James Dean posters; it’s the food, especially the messy burgers and thick shakes. Cy’s has been serving traditional drive-in fare since 1953.
The menu board features variations on burgers and includes a few items requiring explanation like Texas Toothpicks. Green chile and grill sandwiches such as BLTs and Pork Tenderloin add variety, but the burgers are the way to go. With or without cheese, the “top of the line” beef patties are juicy and substantial; lettuce, tomato and onion, with mustard and catsup, on a standard bun round out the flavors.The fries are just okay. In fact, they’re weakest part of the menu. The shakes, on the otherhand, truly stand out and are made with fruit and whole milk. Bits of bananas, cherries or strawberries clog the straws, so it’s helpful to have a tall spoon ready to scoop out the thick, rich goodness. A variety of other fountain treats includes sundaes, cones and floats.
The dining area is often full, but picnic tables line the exterior, and there’s always that carhop service that started almost 60 years ago. Overall, the simple food’s pretty tasty, which is no small feat for take-out, dine-in or eating in the car. By the way, those Texas Toothpicks are deep-fried thin strips of onions and jalapenos served with Ranch dressing on the side. Who knew?
Cy’s Drive-In Restaurant
Three-and-a-half Plates
1833 W. Unitah St.
Colorado Springs, CO
We discovered The Range Café in Bernalillo years ago when we used travel to New Mexico for soccer tournaments. Bernalillo is home to the original Range, but there are two other locations down the highway in Albuquerque. We try to time our travel so we can stop for a meal: usually breakfast or lunch. Recently, we arrived for a late lunch on a weekend afternoon. The restaurant is cavernous, albeit festive; nonetheless, we were in for a 10 to 15 minute wait unless we sat at the bar, which we did.
Colorful, original art and Western décor adorn the walls, as do numerous references to ranges. Not a range as in open prairie, but as in stove. This makes sense, because there is plenty of good cooking going on.
The emphasis is on comfort food: meat loaf, mac and cheese, sandwiches, salads and a standard selection of Mexican dishes. I knew we still had more than five hours left in our drive home, so I didn’t want to overeat. I ordered the Veggie Sandwich with slabs of mozzarella, tomatoes, grilled zucchini, thinly fried onions all pressed between a sliced baguette lathered with pesto aioli! This was a garden on bread. The only disappointment was the tomato which lacked that fresh taste of summer. Although other sides are available, I swear when I ordered I only saw sweet potato fries listed, nothing else was on the page.
I ate only half my lunch and still slept afterward – fortunately, my husband was driving.
The Range Café
Four Plates
925 Camino Del Pueblo
Bernalillo, N.M.
Finding good Mexican food in Arizona is a no-brainer, but thinking to look in a Flagstaff strip mall took some thought. Thanks to our son who attends NAU, we found Tacos Los Altos. It’s been serving an “Authentic Taste of Mexican Homemade Food” since 1999. The mall location has been open four years, and expanded to more than double its space this summer. Only the increase in square footage has changed; the food remains fresh and flavorful.
This is a place-your-order-at-the-counter establishment. The food is brought to the table, but standing at the counter reading the extensive menu can be a bit daunting. That’s why I just went with the daily special listed on the wipe board: Carne Asada, tortillas, rice, beans and soda for $6.99. My husband and son scrutinized the menu a little longer and decided on the beef burrito and ham torta, respectively.
From the outside, Tacos Los Altos is nondescript. The interior, however, is bright, colorful and friendly. A serve-yourself salsa bar features almost too many choices. Pico de Gallo and the green salsa were rich and piquant – they were just right.
Shortly after placing my order, the carne asada was removed from the wipe board. Mine was apparently among the last available. The meat was a little dry but the flavor remained. The rice and beans were winners; the true champion was my husband’s beef burrito filled with chile con carne that makes my mouth water just thinking about it. We eventually traded plates.
Tacos Los Altos
Three-and-a-half Plates
2500 S. Woodlands Village Blvd. S
Flagstaff, AZ
A simple, colorful sign on the white clapboard siding indicates Shuga’s is not a residential house. Nonetheless, it’s home to good food and comfort. Celebrating a friend’s birthday, we enjoyed a long, better-than-average lunch outside (a few tables are at the entrance, and a larger patio is in back).
The Brazilian Coconut Shrimp Soup is Shuga’s signature dish. It’s available by the bowl or cup. I wish it were sold by the potful. We each ordered soup with two bruschetta. We both had the fresh tomato and mozzarella, but took different directions with the second. She had the tomato, bacon and goat cheese, and I had smoked salmon.
The range of flavors was like sibling rivalry, each vying to top the other. Parents aren’t supposed to play favorites, but as a diner it was easy to choose: the soup. Plump shrimp, a hit of jalapeno spiciness offset by the rich, smooth coconut milk and the suggestion of peanuts completed the bisque. As my friend said, “It’s a series of flavors.”
Thick slices of hard-crusted bread were the base of the bruschetta. One was slathered with aioli then topped with a generous serving of smoked salmon, capers and red onions. The other was a version of Caprese with olive oil, substantial slices of salty cheese and taste-of-summer tomatoes topped with fresh basil. The soup may have overshadowed, but these sides were not family embarrassments.
It’s been years since I was last at Shuga’s. I won’t make the mistake of waiting so long to return.
Shuga’s
Four-and-a-half Plates
702 S. Cascade Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO.
A brewery should be known for its beer. On that point the Breckenridge Brewery doesn’t disappoint. Even the pub fare is above average. The shortfall is the service. A cold, rainy late summer afternoon found people looking for places to stay warm and dry, so perhaps the lunch crowd was larger than usual. I suspect it wasn’t. Our server started off by asking if we wanted shots. Duh. Beer was the drink of choice. He took our order and that was the last we saw of him until he dropped off the check long after we had finished eating.
I was intrigued by the Green Chile with Andouille Sausage, but I wanted more information. The server’s response was “If you like green chile you’ll probably like this.” Despite his uninspired response, I ordered it. Typically, pork is the meat that has been stewed with tomatoes, green chile and onions. The sausage worked surprisingly well. There was the right amount of kick to help raise my body temperature, but only enough to enjoy the flavors without a chaser. My son ordered a Bacon Cheeseburger topped with crispy onion rings. This two-fisted burger packed a messy punch of juicy flavor.
Although we weren’t in a hurry to go back out in the rain, we waited (and waited) for the check. When the server finally dropped it off, he only had one thing to say: “Do you want any shots?” It wasn’t a question I expected before or after a meal in a brewery.
Breckenridge Brewery
Three-Plates
600 S. Main St.
Breckenridge, CO
I’ve long given up trying to get into the Butterhorn Bakery & Café (in Frisco, CO) for breakfast/brunch on the weekend. Yet, this popular eatery attracts locals and tourists in equal numbers for lunch during the week, too. The draw: this is a real bakery and the menu features baked goods. Recently, friends arrived early to get on the list for a table, so it didn’t really seem like much of a wait – for me.
I ordered the Vegie Hummer. For some reason I neglected to register the menu fact it was black bean hummus, rather than traditional chickpea. This was a surprise, not a problem. The dark, thick mash had a depth of flavor, which was nearly lost under the jungle of sprouts and shredded carrots. This, with slices of red onion, tomato and lettuce on a Jalapeno-Cheddar Baguette, made for a pretty bulky, filling sandwich. The cheese was an edible lacquer on the freshly-baked bread. The combination of all the elements was an excellent vegie hoagie.
Other items selected in our group were the Thai Chicken Wrap which inspired no order envy, and the Spicy Chicken Guacamole on a croissant which did. The latter, however, was messy to eat, but melted pepper jack with grilled chicken made it worth the need for extra napkins.
All sandwiches come with a choice of potato salad, pasta salad or chips. Be forewarned, the pasta salad is actually macaroni salad – that old-fashioned kind with a mayonnaise base. It was out of character with the otherwise trendy menu.
Butterhorn Bakery & Café
Not-quite-Four Plates
Breakfast and lunch only
408 Main St.
Frisco, Colorado
I was in the mood for something special – most likely inspired by the biography of Julia Child I’m reading. Whatever the reason, we landed at La Baguette French Bistro. I’ve written before about La Baguette, known for its French Onion Soup and crusty bread, but the Bistro, while sharing a similar name, is a different family altogether.
The Blue Page Special 