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.
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