Rocco's (Academy & Maizeland)

After seeing the afternoon performance of the Mannheim Steamrollers at the Pikes Peak Center, we felt like grabbing some Italian chow on our way home.  We went by the Roman Villa - which we hadn't been to in years - but they were closed, so we backtracked just a bit and went to Rocco's.

Rocco's is a little family place stuck back in the corner of a strip mall at the corner of Academy and Maizeland.  It's been around for years (I think 25+) and is decorated with Italy's red, white, and green flag colors, red checked tablecloths and curtains, and some kitschy Italian art.  It's cozy and comfy - and is really just a little neighborhood joint.

The daily specials are on a chalkboard by the door and as the hostess took us to our seats, we noticed that the place was not overly full that particular night.  We were shown a booth (but from past experience, we could have asked for a table) and Stephanie, our waitress who’s been there over 5 years), hustled over to take our drink orders.  The wine list at Rocco's is limited - but really - in an Italian place like Rocco's, all you need is a good Chianti!  Which we ordered - ½ litre, please!

We perused the menu, which hasn't changed in years, either - but on this occasion, I skipped over my usual tortellini and read the other pasta dishes in detail.  I finally settled on the manicotti (with one sausage and one meatball) and Mike decided to try the scallops and linguini.  We also got an order of garlic bread to go with dinner.

Our dinners came with soup or salad and I opted for the dinner salad with blue cheese and Mike got the minestrone soup. The salad was very fresh - always a plus point - and Mike said the minestrone was really good and not too salty, as minestrone can be sometimes.

It didn't take long for the dishes to come out - piping hot and smelling wonderful! I had to let my manicotti sit for a few minutes and even then, when I dug in, I could see the heat from cheese rise.  The dish was cheesy (no, not that kind of cheesy), tomato saucy, and with a sprinkling of shredded parmesan cheese offer by Stephanie, delectable!  I enjoyed the manicotti - but if I were to get this again at Rocco's, I'd pass on the sausage and meatball. Don't get me wrong here - they were both good, but just not my taste. I ate a couple of bites of each - just to see what they tasted like - and passed the rest to Mike, who thoroughly relished them.

Mike said his scallop dish was really good - lots of scallops and the linguini was perfectly cooked.  The sauce was not too heavy and had a very nice lemon component. 

Needless to say, we didn't save any room for desert and I actually took one of the manicotti home to have for lunch the next day.

Rocco's is truly just a little neighborhood joint - with lots of return customers - and if they keep serving up meals like the one we had - they'll be around a lot longer.

So, Rocco's - Do Again?  Si! It was .. Chow bella!

Bang! (Denver)

Mike and I ventured up to Denver to the Denver Art Museum so I could see the Xu Beihong exhibit (it was sooo good – I’m a huge fan of Xu Beihong’s horses!) – and we decided to visit Bang! for lunch.  Yes, Bang! is the name of the place – it’s on a little side street just west of I-25.  Bang! was recently  featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network channel and one of my co-workers also had eaten there after he saw the TV show.  

We navigated the streets of Denver to get to Bang! and snagged a parking spot in the strip mall across the street (cagily walking by a couple of shops in the strip mall so I could feel okay about taking up one of their parking slots which were clearly marked for strip mall customers only).  From across the street, Bang!’s vivid colors grab your attention first, then you notice that the front of Bang! is big windows, looking directly into the kitchen – and to get to the dining area, you have to go through a narrow alley (very narrow) around to the back. 

Since it was about 1pm when we got there – and on Tuesday – we asked for and got a table in the enclosed patio section.  The place wasn’t too busy – just one other table (out of 6 on the patio) taken.  There was music playing, very eclectic choices – contemporary to 50’s classics to soft rock – and not too loud.  Just right.  Our server came right out with menus and we each ordered beers.  I chose the calamari for an appetizer and Mike ordered the deviled eggs.  Deviled eggs are a bit unusual – but so is Bang!

While we waited, I ducked inside to see what it was like and it’s full of small tables, very soothing and calming art on the walls and just a bit dark.  My friend had mentioned that inside was somewhat dim and when I told Mike, yes, it was dim inside, the server came over and said they’d had some water damage and a couple of windows were covered.  When they get those fixed, it’ll be a bit brighter inside!  Off the main dining room, there was one small room with four tables – perfect for a small group to commandeer for a lunch or dinner.  About that time … out came our appetizers.

My calamari was fried rounds, but they were obviously hand-battered (a huge plus).  And they came pre-sauced (what? pre-sauced?) – just enough to get a taste on each one, but not enough to make anything soggy.  The sauce was a sweet red chili sauce with red peppers flakes in it.  The calamari and sauce was excellent, just excellent.

Mike’s deviled eggs were very smooth – and a just ever so slightly pickle-y- tasting – I think you could actually taste the smoked paprika more.  I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen deviled eggs as an appetizer in a restaurant.  Again – Bang! is unique.

For our lunches, Mike ordered the gumbo, which had been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and I asked for the penne pasta with shrimp. Mike was actually torn between getting the meatloaf and the gumbo, as the meatloaf was also featured on the TV show and he doesn’t get meatloaf at home unless I’m TDY. (There are a couple of foods I don’t do and meatloaf is one of them.  Others are stuffed bell peppers and whitebait, which I did try and will never eat again.)

We didn’t have too wait long and out came our lunches – and the gumbo smelled so good.  Dark, dark roux base – lots of meat and flavor, accompanied by a fried jalapeño cornbread slice.  How clever to fry the cornbread so it’s not so crumbly?  

My penne was perfectly al dente and – plus point – the tails were off the shrimp.  The sauce was tomato-y and home-made with chunks of well-cooked tomato and globs of home-made ricotta cheese completing the dish.  The portion was generous enough that I probably took home 2/3’s of it.

When the server, Christine, asked how everything was, Mike said “Two yums up!” She got a kick out of that and shared it with the owner. 

We couldn’t bring ourselves to stop there  … since this place was so special, we ordered dessert.  Mike had the peach cobbler with bourbon cream and I had the chocolate mousse with hazelnuts. The peach cobbler had a crumbled topping that was more like crumbled pie crust than biscuit-y or regular crumble-type toppings.  The bourbon cream was yummy.   My chocolate mousse was really good mousse – soft, light, smooth.  My only complaint was it could have used more hazelnuts – but then I love hazelnuts!

We gathered up our doggie bags, thanked Christine for a wonderful lunch and headed out to go home. 

So … Bang!  Do Again?  You bet … you definitely get a good Bang! for the bucks! 

Texas T-Bone (North Academy & Union)

Once again, we were in the mood for a steak and didn’t feel like cooking, so we buzzed down to the Texas T-Bone on Academy and Union. The place was not too busy and we’ve seen business fall off over the past few months.  Was it the restaurant or the economy?  Anyway, after the normal “Welcome to Texas T-Bone,”  there was some discussion between the hostess and a couple of servers over where to seat us.  The hostess asked if we’d mind sitting at the bar.  Now, the place wasn’t very busy, tables galore open and it appeared that none of the many servers milling about were working up a sweat.  So, we politely declined but said we would sit at a table in the bar area.  That seemed okay.

We started off with iced teas and a couple of appetizers – the bacon wrapped shrimp for me and boneless wings for Mike.  The bacon wrapped shrimp can be a bit of a gamble – but this time the bacon was well done (but not too much). Mike’s appetizer size serving on chicken pieces was more like a dinner sized portion and we ended up taking some of our appetizers home with us.

I do like the way Texas T-Bone does the dinner salads – check off what you want (choose between three types of lettuce, five out of about 25 toppings and a salad dressing out of about 12 choices, all served in a big silver dog bowl) and turn it over to the server.  We’d already filled out our salad choices when the waiter returned to take our order. 

I ordered the bacon wrapped filet for dinner and Mike asked for the Jack Daniels top sirloin.  The wait for our salads was a bit longer than usual, but we kept occupied watching football and current country music videos on the big screen TVs.  My salad was fine – as was Mike’s.  Perhaps the lettuce could have been a bit fresher …

After another rather longish wait, our steaks came.  Mike’s was done perfectly, but mine was cooked unevenly and a bit too much.  One slim part of it was actually well done, but once I cut into the rest of the steak, it was medium to medium well.  Okay – but I ordered medium rare.  I’m usually not that fussy about how my steak is done, and given the wait we’d already had, I didn’t send it back.  (I always kick myself; I should send it back when it’s not done right.  Kick, kick!)  But, it was tender, however, and a very generous portion.  The baked potatoes we ordered were big and dressed just as we had asked. 

So, after getting comfortably full, we asked for doggie bags (yea, like the dogs are getting any of this other than the toast) – and packed up our leftovers – which were plenty for lunch the next day.  I made sure points were added to my loyalty card and off we went for the short trip home.

So – Texas T-Bone?  Do again … well … I think the place may be going downhill – just a bit – but enough to notice.  Maybe that’s why we’ve seen an apparent decline in patronage … or is it the economy?  I don’t know.  But, for a quick steak that’s not too bad – yea, I’d Do Again, at least until I find another place we like better for that quick steak dinner.

Nosh

We were on the way to see the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and we usually go to MacKenzie’s Chop House before seeing a show at the Pikes Peak Center.  But on this night – daring to be a bit different – we crossed the street (literally) and went to Nosh for drinks and appetizers. 

Nosh is one of the more upscale places in downtown Colorado Springs and when the weather is nice, they have a lovely patio area facing the old City Hall building, which now houses the Pioneers Museum (which is excellent, by the way).  However, this night – just a bit cool, so inside we’d stay.  To get to Nosh, you have to walk through the lobby of the South Plaza of the Rockies building, past the security desk and down a hallway.  Through the double doors – and you’re at Nosh.

The interior is well appointed, seductively lit, with large (really large) koi drawn swimming around a pebble-lined stream on all four walls.  Nosh has an elegant bar area in the center with larger tables and some cozy, two-seat tables circling the bar and along the walls.  We opted to sit at the bar.

Our bartender was quick to welcome us and hand out martini and food menus.  Nosh offers some interesting martinis so I took the time to read the martini menu.  As good as they all sounded, I ordered the pomegranate lemonade.  Mike opted for the house Manhattan.  Our drinks were excellent – the pomegranate lemonade was really refreshing and Mike said the bartender mixed a mean Manhattan. 

On to the food … Nosh specializes in small-plates and the menu is limited – but certainly unique.  I started off with the calamari and Mike ordered the cheese tray.  The orders didn’t take too long and we enjoyed the atmosphere and drinks while we waited.

Here’s something we did notice – there seemed to be a lot of women in the place – executive/business types.  Is Nosh to executive women as MacKenzie’s is to downtown lawyers?  The place to see and be seen?  The Power Happy Hour for business women?  We wondered.

Anyway, our food came and my calamari was not the usual rings – but strips of meat, lightly breaded and perfectly cooked.  Tender, flavorful, excellent.  Mike’s cheese tray had labna (yogurt cheese made in-house), beer soaked cheddar, and smoked provolone with fruit preserves and thin cracker bread.  The labna was really different tasting – I really can’t say what might have been mixed in with it, but it was really good.  The other cheeses were excellent, but the labna took the cake, so to speak.

We each opted for a second drink and I decided to try the tuna tataki. When it arrived, the first thing we noticed was the excellent presentation of this dish.  The tuna, barely seared, with the oils and radishes – delightful to look at - wow!  But – looks aside, it was meant to be eaten, so we did and we both really enjoyed the tuna tataki.  If you like sushi/tuna, this is a dish you won’t want to miss.

So, with that, we got our bill from the bartender who (more points in his favor) asked to see Mike’s photo ID for the charge card – and we took our leave. 

So, will it be one time MacKenzie’s, the next time Nosh?  I don’t know – it’ll probably depend on my mood!  But ….

Nosh … do again?  You betcha.

Schnitzel Fritz

We were looking forward to Schnitzel Fritz, as it had gotten such good reviews in the papers – and we like German food. Schnitzel Fritz is tucked into a strip mall just south of Sky Sox stadium and it’s a small deli with about 10 tables and booths, selling pastries, some German specialty foods, meats and cheeses – and of course – schnitzels.

We looked over the menu at the order counter and I chose the jaegerschnitzel (one of my favorites) with spaetzle. Mike had the same but added red cabbage.  We selected a couple of non-alcoholic beers (the only kind they serve) and sat down at a booth.

The place seems to do a pretty good business – there were several other couples, one family of four eating dinner. The décor is all German flag colors and is very pleasant. There are some stuffed animals around a high ledge (and on top of the Pepsi case) and steins above the counter.

The server, obviously German, brought some bread to our table – but it was just plain, sliced French bread – not brochen. The butter was hard, nearly frozen pats.  A few minutes later – here came the jaegerschnitzels. At first glance, we could tell they were not freshly prepared, but the frozen type that had been deep fried. (From my seat, I saw them put the schnitzels into the deep fryer.) The breading was thin and not the usual, flakey crust-type breading we’d come to expect on breaded schnitzels. The gravy was dark and had mushrooms, but was thin and skimpy – and kind of bland. And, there simply wasn’t enough to cover the schnitzel on the plate, let alone extra to dip the spaetzle in. While the schnitzels were fair sized and the servings of spaetzle were big, the amount of gravy was unusually small.

Mike’s had the same comments about the gravy and schnitzel – except he really enjoyed the red cabbage. I had a bite and yes, it was really good. Warm, flavorful, just a bit sour/sweet – definitely the best dish of our meal.

We finished up, bussed our table, and as we drove away, we talked about our next German restaurant visit … to either the Edelweiss or Uwe’s.

Schnitzel Fritz … Es wieder tun?  Nein. Ich denke nicht so.

Additional Review: Below is another review from friends of ours, who visited Schnitzel Fritz that same evening … in fact, they must have been driving up as we were leaving! I asked them to give opinions, too  ...

Sorry we got there too late to enjoy Schnitzel Fritz with you two. I ordered the special: Frikadellen, Kartoffelpüree, und Rotkohl. It was much better than I expected after I heard the name translated to meatballs, mashed potatoes, and cabbage. The red wine marinade on the cabbage really brought out the flavor and added a hint of sweetness. The gravy on the mashed potatoes did a great job of tying into the flavors of the oven baked meatballs. Vera described her Wienerschnitzel with Lemon Sauce as really good. The capers were a great addition to the lemon sauce that was not very saucy. Vera's spaetzle (egg noodles) side dish was quite delicious and reminded me of every meal I ever ordered in Germany. Her other side, bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes) had nice bacon flavor and was probably the best part of the meal.

MacKenzie's Chop House

Once again, we visited a favorite restaurant of ours before going to an event at the Pikes Peak Center.  This time – it was the Blue Man Group – and of course, we had to stop at MacKenzie’s Chop House for drinks and appetizers before the show. 

And – bonus – Ramsey was bartending!  She was voted Gold (first place) in the Gazette’s 2011 “Best of” bartender listing – and MacKenzie’s would be wise to pay her what she’s worth and keep her as the primary bartender! She’s friendly, remembers customers, fast behind the bar, mixes good drinks, attentive … exemplifies really good service.  Ramsey (and one of her MacKenzie’s predecessors – Sean) set the standards by which we “measure” our bartenders.  Ramsey sets that bar (forgive the pun) high!

We snagged a couple of chairs at the bar and Ramsey was right there – ready to take our drink orders.  She knows we know the menu and we have our favorite drinks, so she was not surprised by my request for Killer Kool-Aid and Mike’s Chop House Manhattan.  The drinks were there in a jiffy – icy cold and perfectly mixed.

After checking out the fresh sheet to make sure oyster were available, we asked for a dozen on the half-shell.  Then, after some discussion, we also ordered the beef and brie – which is hearty enough for a meal.  Our oysters were out in no time and we asked Ramsey to put in the beef and brie order. 

The oysters arrived and they were good – a bit small – but good.  (I think all oysters are good – but the ones we got at Hemmingway’s in Denver years ago were some of the best we’d ever had – before or since. Is Hemmingway’s still around? Alas, no.  It’s now Max Gill & Grill; but they still serve sea food.  Anybody been there?)

Just about the time we’d finished off the oysters and Ramsey gracefully swept away the dishes, here came the beef and brie.  Warmed brie (almost melted) with beef tips and dark gravy – over crusty garlic crostini.  Excellent!

As a finisher – I ordered the dates – simply to die for.  Plump dates stuffed with gorgonzola, wrapped with bacon and served with a balsamic reduction. Absolutely the perfect last bites with the last few sips of my second Killer Kool-Aid. 

So, with that – pay the check, visit with Ramsey again for just a minute (she knows how to keep us coming back!) – and off to the show. 

MacKenzie’s Chop House – Do Again? You bet.  And again, and again, and again. 

Spice Island Grill (10 N Sierra Madre)

Al set up a dinner evening at the Spice Island Grill, a new Jamaican place downtown Colorado Springs. Spice Island Grill is in a building that used to be a Mexican restaurant and you can still feel the southwestern influence – you really don’t get a “Jamaica-mon” feeling – but hey – ambiance isn’t everything.  Let’s see how the food is!

Mike and I were just a few minutes early so we went into the bar area to wait.  Well, not really a bar area – yes, it was in fact a bar – but was evidently being used as a bussed dishes drop-off, napkin-rolling table, oversized stereo location, and a “I’m not here to work; I’m just watching TV and taking up customer space” space. After we milled about for a few minutes and were only greeted by the napkin-rolling lady, (who was very friendly), we retreated back out the front desk area and asked for our table. Good decision.

Once at the table, Mike and I both got that evening’s drink special – rum punch – which was actually quite good.  And, since we were a little hungry, we got a sampler appetizer plate – pick any three, so we got fried plantains, fish balls (insert your own joke here), and the spicy shrimp.  The fried plantains were excellent – just like the ones my old Army WAC barracks neighbor cooked up in our shared kitchen. The fish balls were kinda like hush puppies but better – different dough and lots of fish flakes – I liked them.  The spicy shrimp was spiced on the shell – so when you peeled off the shell – there went the spices.  Then, they became ordinary shrimp – and didn’t taste very spicy. 

Once our dinner companions joined us, we ordered dinner.  I requested the Jamaican tilapia with mashed potatoes and Mike asked for the goat curry with one of the house side-dish specialties – mac & cheese.  The wait for our dinners was quite lengthy – especially when we saw our server outside on his cell phone, apparently unconcerned that we needed water and another round of drinks, not to mention our food. 

But, our food finally came – and we all dug in.  My tilapia was very spicy – bordering on too hot.  In fact, for most folks, I’m sure it would have been too hot.  The mashed potatoes were actually a combo mashed and chunks and were good.  Mike said while his goat was okay, there were too many bones – big bones – (and that complaint mirrored another review about their goat dish) and just not enough meat.  The mac & cheese was okay, too – but nothing all that special. 

During the meal, I ordered the mango rum drink and while it was mango-y, it was also water-y. And I do wish it had been more rum-y. 

We found service to be very lackadaisical – yet there seemed to be about one employee per table milling about the small dining room.  I’m really not sure what all those people did, ‘cause we only saw the hostess (who refused to take drink orders and said she’d find our waiter) and our waiter (who either dashed by and we couldn’t catch his attention or was outside on his phone) actually do any “work.”  Hmmmm.

 After we finished up our meals and asked for our checks, we realized we had not indicated separate checks. When we asked our waiter to split up the bill (just between Mike and I and another couple) – the answer was basically no – but he did give us a very confusing and hard to read receipt which was impossible to decipher and indicated we could figure it out ourselves – so we ended up doing some quick calculations. Not great customer service on that point.

So – Spice Island Grill – Do Again?  Naa.  Mi no go deh.  (Unless I get a really bad hankering for fried plantains and fish balls!)

Old Chicago's North (I-25 and Woodman/Commerce)

It was our monthly Mensa Buzztime Trivia night at Old C’s, and even though our play console batteries were about as weak as newborn kittens and this review is supposed to be about the food – I gotta say – we Mensans kicked some ass at Trivia!

Back to food – and beer (can’t review Old C’s without mention of the beer selection). After we got our weak consoles and traded several of them in for new ones in not much better condition, we ordered beers and iced teas and perused the menu’s starters, calzones, pizzas and salads. As for beer, I opted for Stella Artois – and vowed next time we’re there, the Stella glass is coming home with me – love that glass. There’s over 100 beers at Old C’s and I almost always get the Stella Artois but I have several friends who’ve been “around the world” on the Old C’s Beer Tour – not once, not twice, but multiple times. Betsy, Phil – how many times?

After thinking about what I was in the mood for, I decided to try a new Old C’s specialty – the Artisan-Style pizza topped with pepperoni, mushrooms, black olives and anchovies. (Love those anchovies!) Mike opted for the Roasted Chicken Salad with Bacon & Apple. 

According to Old Chicago’s, the Artisan-style pizza is based on “hand-stretched” dough that is drizzled with olive oil in an attempt to create a thin, crispy and light crust. And – Old C’s got this one right. It was excellent. The crust was perfect – absolutely perfect. And the topping were generous enough to be tasty but not so much that the crust was overwhelmed.

Mike said his salad was okay – the greens were fresh, but there was way too much broccoli, and that took away from the rest of the special ingredients (chicken, bacon, carrots, apples, etc). He did like the parmesan garlic dressing – but said if he ordered that salad again, he’d ask for it without broccoli. (Damn it - if he had wanted broccoli, chicken with bacon & apple, he would have asked for it!)

So – if you’re into Buzztime Trivia – you might want to find a place where the controllers all work. But if you don’t mind that or if you’re simply at Old Chicago’s with some buds – do try the Artisan pizza. And a beer. Or two. Or enough to complete at least a continent on the world tour!! Have some fun!

Old C's - Do Again? Yes! (But avoid the broccoli salad!!)

Panda Express ... Again!

Fast food.  Fast review.  Done again.  Do again.

Here's the rest of the story:  New dog (Otis).  No time to cook.  Mike heads to Panda Express.  Truck clutch goes out.  I pick him up (with Otis in the back).  We continue to Panda Express.  Go home.  Call AAA.  Eat.  Meet the tow truck (with Otis in the back).  Go home again. 

Poor Otis - it was such a long day for him - long car ride first thing in the morning, new home to explore, new pack of dogs to meet, two more car ride ... new everything!  He was so tired - I could see his little (little?) head nod and eyes start to close - then something would happen and he'd have to wake up again!  He sure slept good that first night at our house!

Smashburger (on North Nevada Avenue)

Mike and I were out doing something around lunch time and Mike suggested that we try Smashburger (on North Nevada).  We'd heard about it, but hadn't been to one before.

Smashburger is really just a burger joint with its "claim to fame" its unique "smashed" burgers.  They offer a variety of burger dishes and a make-your-own selection of toppings (cheeses, sauces, etc).  Plus, they have fries (even sweet potato fries) and real shakes.

Both Mike and I ordered the BBQ, Bacon & Cheddar (BBQ sauce, applewood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese and haystack onions on an egg bun), Smashfries (tossed with rosemary, olive oil and garlic) for Mike and Sweet Potato Smashfries for me (also tossed with rosemary, olive oil and garlic).  To drink - strawberry shake for Mike and chocolate (what else?) for me.

At Smashburger, you order at the counter and they give you a number to post at your table.  We no sooner sat down and here came our burgers and fries.  A couple of minutes later - the shakes in real glasses with the overage in a metal shake-mixer container.  Icy cold and thick!

Mike enjoyed his burger and really liked the fries. While my burger was good, next time I'm there (if there is a next time), I'll do the "Create Your Own Burger" option so I can get the topping I know I like.  I really didn't care much for the BBQ sauce on my burger - and I could have done without the haystack onions - but those are just my preferences.  Now, my sweet potato fries were just a bit overdone - but you could taste the rosemary, olive oil and garlic - they didn't skimp on those seasonings. 

The shakes were great - I'd stop at Smashburger just for that if I was on North Nevada and got the urge for one.  Otherwise, I wouldn't count Smashburger as my favorite place for burgers ... but I'm willing to give them another chance.

Do Again?  Yes - but I would try the "Create Your Own Burger" - probably skip the fries (even though they were good).  And, get a chocolate shake.  Oh, hell - skip the burger and just go for the shake!

Red Lobster

For a late birthday dinner, Young Mike and Lauren took Mike and me to Red Lobster.  Red Lobster was running their "Endless Shrimp" special and it's a convenient location - so off we went.  Now, understand that Young Mike and I are the reason Red Lobster doesn't do the "All You Can Eat Crab Legs" anymore - we can eat some seafood.

We met them in the bar, where Lauren had snagged a table.  We all ordered drinks and got menus.  The waitress, an older lady, was efficient, but frustrated by the slow bar service.  She apologized to us several times during the meal - but from our vantage point, we could tell it was not her - but poor service at the bar.  Anyway, I ordered some raw oysters and Lauren got some coconut shrimp.  When those came - we ordered our dinners.  Young Mike and I had shrimp: scampi and sweet/saucy shrimp for me, Mike had shrimp with pasta and (I think) grilled shrimp.  Lauren got the crab legs ... and - sad to say - I don't remember what Mike ordered - serves me right for waiting to write this up!

Anyway - as for appetizers - the oysters were good but a bit small - not the best I'd ever had, but they were acceptable. The coconut shrimp was good - crunchy, not overdone, and the sauce was tasty.  The salads were fresh and crispy - just as they should be.

When we got our dinners - Young Mike and I made short work of our shrimp dishes - and I got another serving of the scampi. Hey - I like scampi and it's fun to say .... scccammmpi.  Young Mike got another shrimp dish, too and we continued to chow down.  Lauren shared some of her crab with me - she doesn't like the knuckles - and it was good.  Crab is just about always good. 

After absolutely stuffing ourselves with shrimp and crab and all the rest of the stuff (or stuffing?), we waddled out - definitely sated and satisfied.  I could barely carry myself out, let alone my two volume "Good Eats" books Young Mike and Lauren got me.  Thanks, guys!!

Now, I know some folks avoid the chains like the plague - and I like to support the independent restaurants - but a trip to Red Lobster once and a while is okay ...

So - Red Lobster - Do Again?  Sure - especially if they re-instate "All You Can Eat Crab Legs."

The Bon Ton (for lunch!!)

The Bon Ton is one of our favorite breakfast spots on the West Side - and we were going to the 1pm Fairview Cemetery tour.  Bon Ton for lunch before the tour?  Let's try it! 

It was warm enough to dine al fresco - which you know I love.  We got a table in the corner of the patio - perfect!  I ordered hot tea and a French Dip and Mike had iced tea and their Turkey, Bacon & Cheddar Melt.  We didn't have to wait too long for the food to come and in the meantime enjoyed the sunny day, doing some people watching.

BTW - the Bon Ton patio is dog friendly - and there was a Great Dane at one of the tables.  What fun!  On the down side, a lady at the table next to us  - her chair leg broke and she toppled over. No harm - it could have been a lot worse.

Back to food.  My French dip was good. There was just a bit of fat on the meat, but the au jus was super.  Dark, flavorful, spicy and just a bit peppery.  Fresh bun and really good fries.  Yum. 

Mike enjoyed his melt - but he said next time he'd ask for a different cheese.  He felt that the cheddar really didn't compliment the turkey and bacon. Maybe mozzarella?  He had the potato salad (and I had a bite) - very good, homemade, not too mayonnaise-y or mustard-y. 

So - Bon Ton for lunch ... Do Again?  You betcha!

The Famous

After seeing the play Assassins at the Fine Arts Center with some friends last Sunday, we decided to have an early dinner and all headed downtown to The Famous.

Mike and I snagged a pretty close parking spot and met up with the rest of the gang at the bar. We all ordered cocktails - Mike wanted a Bombay martini and I requested a martini (from their martini menu) that was seemed close to a Killer Kool-aid martini from MacKenzie's Chop House.  I got my drink, but how could The Famous have no Bombay gin?  Strike one!

The Famous serves, without a doubt, the best steaks in Colorado Springs.  And, they are very proud of their steaks.  The cheapest is $37 and they go up to $45 and if you want Oscar or Scampi, add another $16 or $13.  All the sides are a la carte and served family style, which can limit the options if there are just two of you.  Yes - it's pricey.  Really pricey.  Strike two?  Yes, but the food is really, really good.

To start off, I tried the tuna tartar - which was excellent.  Tender, coarsely ground tuna in small round stacks, very nicely presented.  BTW - Service throughout our evening was excellent and when we ran out of the delectable bread, more was brought out immediately.

Most of the group ordered steaks, no toppings, with salads and baked potatoes, plus we had a couple sides of asparagus.  One person ordered the salmon ($30) - which she said was excellent.  Everyone raved about the quality of the meat and how it was prepared. 

But - as good as the food is at The Famous - we don't go there often.  Besides the cost - it is very expensive - the acoustics of the place suck!  We were there early that night - before the place filled up.  During the normal dinner hours, when there are folks at the bar, diners at all the tables, and possibly the piano playing - you literally cannot carry on a conversation with those sitting next or across from you.  Strike three.

So, let's tally this up ... No Bombay gin. Expensive. Noisy.  Do Again - probably not (stress on probably).  We can actually get a steak that is just about as good at MacKenzie's Chop House (and significantly cheaper) where we can carry on conversations during dinner.  And, MacKenzie's wouldn't dare run out of Bombay gin!!

IHOP (North Academy Blvd & I-25)

Mike and I were running some early errands a couple of weeks ago and Mike said he wanted some pancakes. So, since we were on the north end of town and IHOP was close, we popped in for a quick breakfast.

The place was busy - just about all the tables were full, but we got a booth quickly and then checked out the extensive menu.  Mike ordered his pancakes with a slice of ham and a couple of eggs and I opted for the steak tips (sautéed with mushrooms and onions) and eggs.  After getting our coffee pot filled and my tea set-up, we ordered.

It wasn't too long and breakfast came out of the kitchen.  Everything looked good - but I was reserving judgment until I cut into my eggs and ate some steak. Well, while Mike said his breakfast was okay - no complaints from him - I did have problems with my breakfast.  The eggs, ordered over medium - were actually just a bit past medium, bordering on hard. This wasn't such a big deal - but the steak "problem" kinda was.  The sirloin steak tips had a funny (to me) taste.  I even asked Mike to take a bite.  I think either someone neglected to clean off the teriyaki sauce from the grill or the onions sweated a whole bunch of sweet juice.  The meat had a definitive sweet, almost like a hoisin glaze taste that was not really what I wanted to go with eggs and hash browns.  In fact, it was kinda yechy. Funny, though - the mushrooms were wonderful - perfect slices, golden brown, tasty.  I wonder now if they cooked everything separately and combined it on the plate?

I probably should have asked for a new dish - but damn it - I rarely do that.  I need to grow a set and complain if my food is not what I think it should be!

Another sour note:  there were flies buzzing around - not just one or two - I spotted about five or six.  Annoying and yecky!

So - overall - Do Again?  You know, the last time we were at this IHOP, I had their eggs Benedict and they really sucked. So ...  I'll go with ... No, I don't think so. 

Now, since Perkins is closed and IHOP is not working out, we need to find a new fast breakfast spot up in our area of town.  Suggestions, anyone??

Gertrude’s (2625 West Colorado Avenue)

After driving over to Old Colorado City in the light snow storm Saturday morning, through the fat, fluffy flakes, we were looking forward to a cozy breakfast at Gertrude’s, one of this area’s premier restaurants.

And, since it was before most businesses on Old Colorado Avenue open and there was plenty of parking, we snagged a spot practically in front of the place and dashed through the wet snow, not stopping to peruse the menu posted outside, European style.

We hadn’t been to Gertrude’s in years and then only for dinner. It’s a small place, probably about 15 tables and booths. Lots of local artwork on the walls, all for sale. When we were there before, part of the décor was also some holiday greenery and without it, the place is a bit stark. Not bad – just a bit stark, even with the artwork on the walls.

But – I’ll eat in a barn if the food is good – so we got a couple of tables for our group and ordered coffee and tea. Just about then, Mike noticed the breakfast menu featured mimosas and Bloody Marys. So, when we got our hot drinks, we ordered Bloody Marys. Our Bloody Marys were really good Bloody Marys.  Spicy and peppery, not too weak or watery – yes – you guessed it –I sucked mine down and ordered a second one!

About this time, our breakfast companions showed up and between the lively and varied discussions going around the table, we managed to order breakfast.

For breakfast, Mike got the breakfast platter with Italian capicola ham. He said it was excellent – and everything was fixed exceptionally well – except the potato pancakes were kind of blah.  Not much going on there.

I had the Eggs Gertrude (their version of vegetarian eggs Benedict) with a side of bacon.  (I know, vegetarian dish with a side of bacon – hey – I’m a carnivore!)  Anyway, Eggs Gertrude has the normal eggs, muffin, and hollandaise sauce, but they add avocado and grilled tomatoes. I probably should have asked for no tomatoes – although they were good – just not my thing. The hollandaise sauce was excellent – creamy, smooth, tasty.  (I’m one who thinks that there are a couple definitive restaurant gauges and the sauces - hollandaise and Béarnaise – are definitely a couple of those gauges.)  And the eggs were poached perfectly – beautiful yellows, solid but soft whites – yum.  If you like eggs Benedict - try the Eggs Gertrude – you won’t be disappointed.

One of our group did have the steak and eggs and proclaimed it excellent – although he had the same comment about the potato pancakes – good, but not remarkable.

Service at Gertrude’s was first-rate – it appeared they just had one waiter working and he was hustling and bustling – but we had no complaints.  And, Gertrude’s must have a following - they had a lot of business in for breakfast that Saturday – regardless of the weather.  When Mike and I first got there, there were only two tables occupied, but when we left – the place was just about full up.

And – for you ladies – check out the ladies room at Gertrude’s.  Vera and I didn’t know quite what to think of it – a “buddy bathroom” perhaps? 

So – in conclusion – Gertrude’s is on the Do Again list …and as good as breakfast was – I would expect lunch and dinner to be just as good.  I'll have to find an excuse for another meal there - other than breakfast ... wait - do I really need an excuse?  Nah - I haven't needed excuses to eat out so far!

Noodles & Company (N. Academy Blvd)

After running a few errands, Mike and I decided to drop by Noodles & Company for a quick lunch. Besides our curiosity about the place (as we've driven by it on North Academy Blvd for aeons) - we had a coupon for buy one, get one free (Thanks, Jennifer B!).

Noodles & Company is a chain that originally started in Denver.  It was founded by a New Yorker who wanted to bring fresh, fast food with variety to the masses. He based his restaurants around noodles - since noodles (or pasta) are the shared ingredient of many Asian, Italian and American dishes.  One restaurant can please multiple tastes. I think he hit on something there!  (By the way - besides noodle dishes, they serve soups, salads and sandwiches - but for this visit, let's just stick to the noodles.)

There are essentially three sections to the menu (I said this before, didn't I?):  Asian (pad Thai, Japanese udon, curry, Indonesian, etc); Italian (penne, linguini, curly pasta, etc); and American (mac & cheese, spaghetti, butter noodles, etc).  After looking over the menu, we walked up to the counter to place our order and submit our two-fer coupon.  For this, our first visit, both Mike and I decided to order off the Asian side of the menu.  Mike got the Japanese dish: udon with veggies and beef. I opted for the Indonesian with rice noodles, veggies and a chicken breast.  It was rated at two peppers and they nailed the spiciness.  If you don't like spicy (in this case, spicy and hot) - don't get any food rated at two peppers. Stick to one or none.

We got our drink, grabbed a table at the front of the place and stuck our number "18" on the stand so the waitperson would know which table to bring the food to. It wasn't but 3 or 4 minutes and here it came - delivered by a seemingly happy employee!  The portions were plenty - we had both ordered the standard size - and the aromas were spectacular.  As we dug in, we agreed that the food was tasty, fresh and well cooked. 

I tried a bite of Mike's lunch - and he a bite of mine - and we agreed that we both liked the Japanese dish just a bit better - luscious, smooth brown sauce, tender mushrooms, tasty beef.  Although my lunch was fine - don't get me wrong - I just enjoyed the Japanese one a bit more.  Individual tastes, you know. You might go and like the Indonesian dish better!

I didn't finish my meal, so I got a carry-away box for the leftovers.  Which I ate for breakfast on Mids last night - spices and all.  Maybe I should eat spicy food more often on Mids - didn't even get sleepy the whole shift!  Anyway - the noodles re-heated well - and I had another chance to enjoy the hot, spicy Indonesian noodles. 

Noodles & Company - yes, Do Again - and next time, we'll try a couple of the Italian dishes!

Lombard’s (in the Double Eagle Casino, Cripple Creek) - Breakfast

We spent this past weekend up at Cripple Creek with the Mensa group at what we Mensans call a Mini-RG (Regional  Gathering).  There were probably 20+ of us – and we did all the tourist things at “The Creek” – ride the train, went to the Butte Opera House for the Melodrama, visit the Homestead House museum, etc.  And – luckily, we hit the peak weekend for aspens.  It was beautiful!

We stayed at the Double Eagle Hotel & Casino and on Sunday morning, some of us got together for breakfast at Lombard’s.  They offer menu breakfasts as well as the breakfast buffet.

While everybody else ordered coffee, I got my usual morning tea.  When Vera poured her coffee, it came out about the color of my tea … very weak – and when Vera asked for a new pot – the waitress told us that weak coffee was just the way it was there – and they’d had numerous complaints from staff and customers about the weak coffee, but the kitchen couldn’t do anything about it.  She said she’d bring some instant coffee packets folks could add to their coffee to bring it a little more up to speed (which she did and Vera said it helped a little).

Three of us ordered steak and eggs off the menu and the others opted for the buffet.  Unfortunately, the breakfast buffet didn’t measure up to the dinner buffet the night before, according to the buffet folks.  The eggs were a bit rubbery and the sausages were cold.  Not good.  I noticed one fellow only ate a small bit before pushing his plate away. 

The menu-ordered steak and eggs were quite good – and although the steaks were certainly not the best quality – they weren’t bad, either.  They were all cooked correctly – as were the eggs.  About my only complaint about the breakfast was there weren’t many potatoes on the plate and we each only got one piece of toast.  Probably the two cheapest things – you’d think they’d be a bit more generous with those portions!

So – Lombard’s for breakfast – yeah, Do Again – but be sure to order off the menu … and skip the breakfast buffet.  And consider switching to tea!

Lombard’s (in the Double Eagle Hotel & Casino, Cripple Creek) - Dinner

We spent this past weekend up at Cripple Creek with the Mensa group at what we Mensans call a Mini-RG (Regional  Gathering).  There were probably 20+ of us – and we did all the tourist things at “The Creek” – ride the train, went to the Butte Opera House for the Melodrama, visit the Homestead House museum, etc.  And – luckily, we hit the peak weekend for aspens.  It was beautiful!

We stayed at the Double Eagle Hotel and on Saturday night all gathered for dinner at Lombard’s, the casual restaurant in the hotel.  (Winfield’s is the upscale restaurant at the Double Eagle.)  Some folks ordered off the menu and some of us did the buffet.

Surprisingly – everybody (and I mean everybody) said their meals were actually very good. Mike and I opted for the buffet – comes with the salad bar – and were impressed with the quality of the food.

Start with the salads – the lettuce was fresh and crisp, all the bins of accompaniments were full – and they even had whole hard boiled eggs and blue cheese!  The dressings weren’t labeled, but it was easy to tell which was which – as the blue cheese dressing was chock full of blue cheese chunks.  (Can you tell I like blue cheese?  Always have.) The pasta salad was made with penne (I think, I’m no pasta expert) and was dressed really nicely – not soupy or too much mayo.  I didn’t have the navy bean soup, but one of our group did and she said it was excellent.

For those who ordered off the menu, all agreed that portions were bigger than expected – and the lady sitting across from me had the linguini dish – which she said was very, very good.  Overall, there were no complaints about any of the menu-ordered meals.

The buffet’s main dishes were stuffed pork loin, chicken breasts stuffed with gorgonzola and ham, and frog legs.  Frog legs?  Yes!  I had to have those!  So, I loaded my plate with the chicken and about 4 frog legs, as well as the mac and cheese.  Wow, frog legs do taste like chicken!  One of our group was an experienced frog leg eater and he proclaimed those were some well prepared legs – and I’ll have to take his word on that, as that was my first time eating them!  They were delicious!  The chicken breasts were excellent – not dried out or anything.  When you cut into them, the cheese oozed out and the chicken was tender and moist. 

I don’t think anyone opted for dessert – we were all just too full! But, if the salad, menu items, and buffet were indicative of the quality – I have no doubt that dessert would be excellent, too. 

Overall – Lombard’s for dinner was a pleasant surprise – and I’d definitely Do Again … if Mike can pry me off the slots machines!!

Jack Quinn's Irish Ale House

After seeing a flick at Kimball’s with some Mensa buds, some of them, Mike and I popped around the corner to Jack Quinn’s after the show. Jack Quinn’s is a cozy Irish pub right downtown. We’ve never had a bad meal there (and this was no exception); they feature Irish music several days a week and sponsor a running club that has grown to huge proportions!

We happened to hit the last day of their annual OysterFest.  Jack Quinn’s holds their OysterFest so it coincides with the Galway, Ireland International Oyster Fest, which started in 1953 when a hotel owner in Galway was trying to figure out how to fill the rooms. His chef suggested including oysters on the menu, as they were just coming into season.  Voila – Oyster Fest is born!

If I remember correctly, this is Jack Quinn’s 13^th OysterFest. They supplement their normal menus with a variety of oyster dishes – from cooked, to fried, to raw!

So anyway, after ordering drinks (mostly beers), we shared the OysterFest menu.  Al, who doesn’t indulge in the treasures from the sea, ordered a sandwich while the rest of us each ordered a different oyster appetizer.

While all the appetizers were all good – oysters Rockefeller, oysters with spinach and cheese, and raw oysters, the angels on horseback took the prize.  Bacon and oysters just seem to go together. Now, these weren’t just oysters wrapped in bacon – they were oysters on a piece of crostini covered with a slice of bacon.  Our only complaint was that the bacon was not done quite enough – but even so, they were very good.  Good enough that we ordered some more!

Al enjoyed his sandwich – and Art had a squash soup that he said was excellent (nicely spiced).  Between the good company, excellent beer and fine food – we once again had an enjoyable meal at Jack Quinn’s.

So – Jack Quinn’s stays on the Do Again list … especially since I just added an Outlook calendar reminder to visit them next year during OysterFest!

Copper Kitchen (La Junta, Colorado)

Before heading out to Bent’s Old Fort last Sunday, Mike and I headed over to the Copper Kitchen in downtown La Junta for some coffee/tea and hearty breakfasts – and we weren’t disappointed!

When we got to the Copper Kitchen  - around 8:30 am – the place was packed. And, it’s a fairly large place: tables, booths, and even counter service. Given the banter between tables and wait staff, most of the crowd had to be locals. The Copper Kitchen appeared to be a family operation – kids were bussing tables and taking care of the counter customers – while Grandpa was manning the cash register. I think Gramps may have been the owner for quite some time – one newspaper article posted at the cash register was from the 50’s I think – and featured a very young Gramps.

We snagged a booth and immediately got menus and “Coffee?”,  which Mike got while I got a large pot of hot water for tea and an assortment of teabags.  We checked out the menu and what was being served around us.  I really thought Mike would go for the biscuits and gravy –the gravy literally came by the cup and the biscuits were obvioulsy home-made – but he chose pancakes.

Mike did the wise thing and asked the waitress how big the pancakes were – as they were listed on the menu as not just an order of pancakes, but in quantities 1, 2 or 3.  She said they were plate sized, so Mike got 2 pancakes and a side of ham.  I got my one of my usual breakfasts: steak and eggs.

While we waited, we again noticed the friendly, small town atmosphere – and the place was clean, very clean.  Always a plus!

When our food arrived – and it was fairly fast even as busy as the place appeared to be – it was all excellent. My steak was a good cut of meat – perhaps not quite as good as I’ve gotten for breakfast at the Bon Ton (in Old Colorado City), but good none the less. The eggs were done perfectly and the hash browns were standard hash browns. The only flaw was the toast was a bit underdone – but not that big of a deal.

Mike’s ham was not a pre-sliced slab – but appeared to be cut right off the ham given the varying thicknesses.  Fried and heated through.  His pancakes were fluffy and not a bit doughy – and they were, in fact, plate sized! 

We enjoyed our breakfast at a leisurely pace – then paid Gramps at the cash register – who threw in a joke as a bonus – and made out way out to the Fort, fully fueled up for the day!

Cooper Kitchen in La Junta – if we're ever there again - definitely a Do Again!