I could eat Asian food any day of the week. It is, by far, my favorite type of food. Give me sushi, give me Chow Fun noodles, give me Wonton Soup- it simply doesn't matter. I love them all.
For a bit of comfort food the other night, I made my way back to Super Star Asian Cuisine with my parents in tow. If you drive too fast up Alameda, you could miss the small sign for it. Tucked in the back of the same strip mall that houses Pacific Ocean Market Place- somewhere I'm dying to go!- Super Star sits in a back corner. The place is larger than it appears from the outside and is so clean. We sat down, and I told my parents to get ready to feast. I did the ordering, and the food that kept coming was a bit overwhelming in amount. Apparently you are really supposed to get Dim Sum for brunch, but I was craving all the tiny morsels, and the others that were there that night were ordering off that menu, so I felt confident I could go against tradition and still get some really fresh, yummy stuff. I wasn't wrong.
It all started with Shrimp Crepes. I ordered the wrongs one. These were steamed, and the fried ones are so much better. I think they have shrimp paste in them instead of full pieces of shrimp. None the less, these were pretty good. Soon came the Baked Pork Buns, quickly followed by the Steamed Pork Bun which are definitely the better of the two. The yummy, sweet pork is wrapped in what has the taste and texture of Wonder Bread and they are delicious. Then came Beef Chow Fun and some War Wonton Soup. Both super tasty.
The table was filling up, and we were barely making a dent. Half of a Crispy Duck was put down, followed by Steamed Pork Dumplings, and my absolute two favorite dishes- Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce and the Eggplant Stuffed with Shrimp. Pour the sauce over the Broccoli, you won't be sorry. And watch your tongue on the eggplant- that dish always comes out piping hot!
That was when we threw in the towel. And then proceeded to take home enough leftovers for both my mom and I to each have two meals. Did I mention the place was cheap?! All that food, plus two Bobas and some tea- $60!!
So, don't waste anymore time. Get yourself and a couple friends and drive on up. The more people you bring, the more things you can try. This place is not to be missed. And the guy that owns it is so incredibly nice.
Ciao!
Super Star Asian Cuisine
2200 W Alameda Ave # 5A
Denver, CO 80223-1947
(303) 727-9889
I couldn't begin to tell you if they take reservations...
September 10, 2009
September 9, 2009
Like An Old Shoe? TBD...
Hmmmm, considering my last post, you could think of me as a bit of a liar, huh? Okay, I really feel like I've got my battery recharged this time, and that I am ready to go. This time around though, I'm thinking things are gonna be different. I still love to eat out, but I'm really starting to love cooking more and more. I want to be able to share with you not only dining high and low points, but also fabulous recipes and kitchen disasters. I'll also make sure to tell you about any other little food related thing that might come up. I look forward to your comments- PLEASE feel free to leave some. I really just want to know that someone is reading this! ;-)
To get back in the swing of things, let's talk about Potager- one of my favorite places to go in Denver. I love how laid back it is there; how you can show up looking nice or in ripped jeans, and no one seems to care. I also like, okay- love, the food. It's simple, it's good, and it's local. The last one just makes me feel good about myself, like I've helped decrease my carbon footprint. I know, ridiculous...
So, for my mom's birthday a few weeks ago, it seemed the perfect place to celebrate. I started with the warm, Twice Baked Goat Cheese Souffle and Red Wagon Farm fresh beet salad. I gotta tell you that the souffle was probably the best one I have ever had. It was so light and the flavors were amazing. Pairing it with beets gave it this beautiful, sweet bite that was perfect. My mom had the Chilled Cure Farm Cucumber-Yogurt Soup, and I think that if it had been acceptable to lick the bowl, she would have. It wasn't, though, so she spooned as much out as humanly possible.
You'd think for the main we'd choose different entrees and share, but no. We both went with the Grilled BBQ Pork Loin Chop with a corn pancake, peach salad and spicy tomato sauce and were not the least bit disappointed. The fresh peach salad was more of a salsa, right on top of the chop,making it the perfect ending to summer kinda dish. The spicy sauce had a bit more bite than I expected, so I can't tell you that I scooped it all up, but I definitely enjoyed it.
Dessert. We'll I can't sing the praises of Potager here- but only because we didn't order any from them. I surprised my mom with a most delicious cake from D Bar. If you haven't gone, GO! I got the house specialty cake. It was the best we've had yet. Others have been so chocolaty, that no one could keep eating them with abandon. They were overwhelming. Delicious, but just so rich. This cake, though, was incredible. Vanilla pound cake, with layers of icing that was both lemony and vanilla, and just the right amount of sweet to not be cloying. The cake was topped with a thicker version of this icing and decorated plain and pretty. I've left out the best part though. They threw fresh raspberries into the batter and with every bite, you'd find a delicious surprise. It was just so good!
If you go to D Bar, other things to not miss out on include the PB&J Cupcake and any flavor Macaroon. My parent's bring these bar for me every year from Paris, from Laduree, and I have to admit that the ones I bought from D Bar were just as excellent. That's saying a lot.
So, before we head into fall, I'd definitely say head over to Potager. I love the autumn and winter dishes but there is just something about their summer menus that's amazing.
Till next time... Ciao.
Potager Restaurant
1109 Ogden St
Denver, CO 80218-2809
(303) 832-5788
No Reservations Accepted. Wait it out at the bar and have some vino...
D Bar Desserts
1475 E 17th Ave
Denver, CO 80218-1656
(303) 861-4710
To get back in the swing of things, let's talk about Potager- one of my favorite places to go in Denver. I love how laid back it is there; how you can show up looking nice or in ripped jeans, and no one seems to care. I also like, okay- love, the food. It's simple, it's good, and it's local. The last one just makes me feel good about myself, like I've helped decrease my carbon footprint. I know, ridiculous...
So, for my mom's birthday a few weeks ago, it seemed the perfect place to celebrate. I started with the warm, Twice Baked Goat Cheese Souffle and Red Wagon Farm fresh beet salad. I gotta tell you that the souffle was probably the best one I have ever had. It was so light and the flavors were amazing. Pairing it with beets gave it this beautiful, sweet bite that was perfect. My mom had the Chilled Cure Farm Cucumber-Yogurt Soup, and I think that if it had been acceptable to lick the bowl, she would have. It wasn't, though, so she spooned as much out as humanly possible.
You'd think for the main we'd choose different entrees and share, but no. We both went with the Grilled BBQ Pork Loin Chop with a corn pancake, peach salad and spicy tomato sauce and were not the least bit disappointed. The fresh peach salad was more of a salsa, right on top of the chop,making it the perfect ending to summer kinda dish. The spicy sauce had a bit more bite than I expected, so I can't tell you that I scooped it all up, but I definitely enjoyed it.
Dessert. We'll I can't sing the praises of Potager here- but only because we didn't order any from them. I surprised my mom with a most delicious cake from D Bar. If you haven't gone, GO! I got the house specialty cake. It was the best we've had yet. Others have been so chocolaty, that no one could keep eating them with abandon. They were overwhelming. Delicious, but just so rich. This cake, though, was incredible. Vanilla pound cake, with layers of icing that was both lemony and vanilla, and just the right amount of sweet to not be cloying. The cake was topped with a thicker version of this icing and decorated plain and pretty. I've left out the best part though. They threw fresh raspberries into the batter and with every bite, you'd find a delicious surprise. It was just so good!
If you go to D Bar, other things to not miss out on include the PB&J Cupcake and any flavor Macaroon. My parent's bring these bar for me every year from Paris, from Laduree, and I have to admit that the ones I bought from D Bar were just as excellent. That's saying a lot.
So, before we head into fall, I'd definitely say head over to Potager. I love the autumn and winter dishes but there is just something about their summer menus that's amazing.
Till next time... Ciao.
Potager Restaurant
1109 Ogden St
Denver, CO 80218-2809
(303) 832-5788
No Reservations Accepted. Wait it out at the bar and have some vino...
D Bar Desserts
1475 E 17th Ave
Denver, CO 80218-1656
(303) 861-4710
September 29, 2008
I am Starving
Well, hello. It's been a long time since I've written. You are probably all- yes, all 10 of you- thinking, "Wow, she must be starving, she hasn't eaten since June!" That's not the complete truth. Let's just think of the break as... I was a teacher of eating out, a lot, and took a summer vacation from telling you about it! But, I've got some places in mind to eat at and many praises to give to others, so I'll be back to tell you all about them very soon!
Bon Appetit!
Bon Appetit!
June 6, 2008
A Huge Disappointment
You might have guessed by now that I eat out a lot. By a lot, I mean usually at least once a week. And in all the years I have been eating out, I have never received a bill amounting to $0.00. That is, until last night.
It was 7:30 when my mom and I pulled into the lot for Mel's in Greenwood Village. We walked into the dining room and were seated right away. I'd say the place was about 60% full in the front room. We would later find out there was a private party of 40 in the back.
Menus were dropped and the young girl in charge of water and bread came to the table, filled me up and got my mom's order for a coke. She was so quiet, I could barely hear her say she wasn't our waiter. Good thing, I thought, or we'd really be in trouble.
The waiter finally came over, and asked if we needed anything. Ummm, yes, we would like to order! My mom chose the Confit of Duck Leg, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Hearts of Palm, Grilled Arugula. I chose the Classic Roast Chicken with Mashed Potatoes,Spinach, Tarragon Butter. We both switched our potatoes out for veggies- asparagus for me, broccolini for my mom. Then we sat, shared some olive bread, and waited. And then we waited some more. And some more. After twenty minutes, we finally got the waiters attention and asked where the meal was. He went to the kitchen, checked, came back and informed us that the order had been put in twenty minutes earlier and that it was inexcusable to take that long. We agreed. Our order had apparently been fired right after the 40 person private parties entrees had been put through, but ours would be up very soon. Ten more minutes, and we were about to get up and leave when the manager finally came towards out table with two plates. He put them down, said how sorry he was, made some stupid joke that he had cooked them himself, and offered glasses of wine on the house. Dude, we've been here almost forty minutes and haven't been drinking. Too little, too late! He walked away, and we dug in- to cold food. How could it possibly be cold?! What the hell were they doing back there with it?
My chicken's skin was greasy and thick, nothing about it resembling crispy and roasted. My asparagus was ice cold with ridiculous grill marks decorating it. The spinach didn't have it's stem trimmed, some of the greens were hot and withered, while other leaves were crisp enough to be part of a salad. There was no seasoning at all. And that Tarragon butter. Disgusting. It was more of a heavy cream, glopped over the chicken, and flavorless. I avoided it as much as possible. As for my mom's dish- her duck was cold, no flavor. The broccolini was pathetic looking. Brown, withered, and resembling the stuff you find at the bottom of the pot that no one wants to eat. There were no hearts of palm or grilled arugula. We ate the meal for less than ten minutes. It was inedible.
The waiter knew we weren't happy, and dropped off the $0.00 check. We did tip, cause that would have been tacky on our part. The manager barely offered an apology, and I can promise you that even if he had, I wouldn't be going back to Mel's ever again. Even with the reduced check, the price was too high to waste our time and our taste buds.
It was 7:30 when my mom and I pulled into the lot for Mel's in Greenwood Village. We walked into the dining room and were seated right away. I'd say the place was about 60% full in the front room. We would later find out there was a private party of 40 in the back.
Menus were dropped and the young girl in charge of water and bread came to the table, filled me up and got my mom's order for a coke. She was so quiet, I could barely hear her say she wasn't our waiter. Good thing, I thought, or we'd really be in trouble.
The waiter finally came over, and asked if we needed anything. Ummm, yes, we would like to order! My mom chose the Confit of Duck Leg, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Hearts of Palm, Grilled Arugula. I chose the Classic Roast Chicken with Mashed Potatoes,Spinach, Tarragon Butter. We both switched our potatoes out for veggies- asparagus for me, broccolini for my mom. Then we sat, shared some olive bread, and waited. And then we waited some more. And some more. After twenty minutes, we finally got the waiters attention and asked where the meal was. He went to the kitchen, checked, came back and informed us that the order had been put in twenty minutes earlier and that it was inexcusable to take that long. We agreed. Our order had apparently been fired right after the 40 person private parties entrees had been put through, but ours would be up very soon. Ten more minutes, and we were about to get up and leave when the manager finally came towards out table with two plates. He put them down, said how sorry he was, made some stupid joke that he had cooked them himself, and offered glasses of wine on the house. Dude, we've been here almost forty minutes and haven't been drinking. Too little, too late! He walked away, and we dug in- to cold food. How could it possibly be cold?! What the hell were they doing back there with it?
My chicken's skin was greasy and thick, nothing about it resembling crispy and roasted. My asparagus was ice cold with ridiculous grill marks decorating it. The spinach didn't have it's stem trimmed, some of the greens were hot and withered, while other leaves were crisp enough to be part of a salad. There was no seasoning at all. And that Tarragon butter. Disgusting. It was more of a heavy cream, glopped over the chicken, and flavorless. I avoided it as much as possible. As for my mom's dish- her duck was cold, no flavor. The broccolini was pathetic looking. Brown, withered, and resembling the stuff you find at the bottom of the pot that no one wants to eat. There were no hearts of palm or grilled arugula. We ate the meal for less than ten minutes. It was inedible.
The waiter knew we weren't happy, and dropped off the $0.00 check. We did tip, cause that would have been tacky on our part. The manager barely offered an apology, and I can promise you that even if he had, I wouldn't be going back to Mel's ever again. Even with the reduced check, the price was too high to waste our time and our taste buds.
June 5, 2008
Ramen Noodles Don't Always Cost $0.10
In college, I would wait for the 10 packages of Top Ramen Noodles for $1.00 sale at King Soopers, and I would stock up on all the flavors. It's not that they tasted that good, cause they didn't. But they were cheap and easy, and could be made in my ghetto dorm room. That was all I needed.
Nowadays, I don't eat the ramen from a package all that often, but when I heard about a place in Denver that makes fresh ramen noodles every morning, I knew I needed to try it. So last week, my mom and I headed to Oshima Ramen on Hampden. It's in the same center as Whole Foods, but once you step through the door, you feel worlds away. If you're big on ambiance, you should just skip Oshima completely. There is nothing good looking about the inside of this place. We sat down at the linoleum counter, and the young woman working brought us a menu. I should probably also mention at this point that along with lacking good looking decor, there is also a serious shortage of customer service and personable people working at Oshima.
We both ordered the same bowl- ramen noodles with seafood. While we waited for the bowls, we kick started the meal with some Gyoza, which we both liked. The seafood ramen arrived, and consisted of two mussels, 4 shrimp, and some Krab. That's not a mis-spelling. This was not the real stuff. The bowls were $13.95- each!! That's a lot of money for some not real krab! There was also some shredded cabbage in the mix. . As for the bowls, they were very tasty. There are some fixings on the counter in front of you- white vinegar, chili oil, soy sauce and some dry spicy seasonings. We both added some of the red spiciness, and I also added some soy. Everything about the bowl was yummy. The noodles were perfect, with good flavor, and the seafood tasted good, even if it was sparse. Overall, we really liked it, but with one soda, two noodle bowls, and one order of Gyoza, dinner came in at almost $40! Next time, I'll just drive on up to Federal and hit up Lao Wang's Noodle Shop. I could feed all my family and friends for $40 there, and their Gyoza is about the best in town!
I won't be picking up any packages of Top Ramen in the near future, but I'm not sure when I will return toOshima's either. The taste may be good, but the price is a high one to pay for a place that could really use a makeover. It's not like they aren't bringing in the money to do so!
Nowadays, I don't eat the ramen from a package all that often, but when I heard about a place in Denver that makes fresh ramen noodles every morning, I knew I needed to try it. So last week, my mom and I headed to Oshima Ramen on Hampden. It's in the same center as Whole Foods, but once you step through the door, you feel worlds away. If you're big on ambiance, you should just skip Oshima completely. There is nothing good looking about the inside of this place. We sat down at the linoleum counter, and the young woman working brought us a menu. I should probably also mention at this point that along with lacking good looking decor, there is also a serious shortage of customer service and personable people working at Oshima.
We both ordered the same bowl- ramen noodles with seafood. While we waited for the bowls, we kick started the meal with some Gyoza, which we both liked. The seafood ramen arrived, and consisted of two mussels, 4 shrimp, and some Krab. That's not a mis-spelling. This was not the real stuff. The bowls were $13.95- each!! That's a lot of money for some not real krab! There was also some shredded cabbage in the mix. . As for the bowls, they were very tasty. There are some fixings on the counter in front of you- white vinegar, chili oil, soy sauce and some dry spicy seasonings. We both added some of the red spiciness, and I also added some soy. Everything about the bowl was yummy. The noodles were perfect, with good flavor, and the seafood tasted good, even if it was sparse. Overall, we really liked it, but with one soda, two noodle bowls, and one order of Gyoza, dinner came in at almost $40! Next time, I'll just drive on up to Federal and hit up Lao Wang's Noodle Shop. I could feed all my family and friends for $40 there, and their Gyoza is about the best in town!
I won't be picking up any packages of Top Ramen in the near future, but I'm not sure when I will return toOshima's either. The taste may be good, but the price is a high one to pay for a place that could really use a makeover. It's not like they aren't bringing in the money to do so!
Bistro Vendome Comes Through!
Don't you love it when you go back to a much loved restaurant and the service and food make you realize why you love it, and even if you've had a bad experience, you then forget all about it?!? Well, that's just what happened at Bistro Vendome on Mother's Day!
My parents arrived on time, I was five minutes late. The table would be about ten minutes till it was ready, but they were very nice about it, and really, it was not a big deal. We were seated at a great table in the middle of the dining room. It was light and bright gorgeous outside, and they had the windows open. It felt like the perfect warm Spring day.
We started off with some cocktails, cause really, is there a better way to kick off a brunch?? My mom and I both had the Poire Royale, while my dad imbibed in a Volga 5- basically, a Bloody Mary. We sipped away, noshed on some bread and decided on our mains.
My mom order the Pain Perdu, the french toast with citrus honey. I tried a bite of it, and it was delicious. Made from a brioche, it was heavier than a typical french toast, but the flavors were great, and the citrus honey syrup really made it special. My dad made the wise decision to have the entree sized portion of the Quiche, which was a composed of egg custard, black truffles, smoked ham, scallions, wild mushrooms and then a spinach salad on the side dressed in a warm bacon vinaigrette. I had a bite of his, and if he had left the table for even a minute, I probably would have stolen his plate and eaten the rest of his. It was heaven, and I will definitely order it the next time I go. I ordered the Omelette aux Champignons, a mushroom omelette that I had wanted with Gruyere cheese, but the kitchen messed up and put Mimolette on instead. The highlight of mine was, of course, those to die for pommes frites. I've talked about them before, and they never disappoint. The omelette, on the other hand, was a bit of a disappointment. It was a little dry, and the mushrooms were a little soggy, but it was still tasty. Just not what I was hoping for.
We finished the meal with a trio of sorbets- watermelon, coconut and raspberry, I believe- and they were all very good. One pot of french press coffee, and we were on our way. The service was far better than the last visit, and the food was generally very good as well. I look forward to returning and sitting on the beautiful patio a few more times this summer. There really is no place in Denver quite like Bistro Vendome.
My parents arrived on time, I was five minutes late. The table would be about ten minutes till it was ready, but they were very nice about it, and really, it was not a big deal. We were seated at a great table in the middle of the dining room. It was light and bright gorgeous outside, and they had the windows open. It felt like the perfect warm Spring day.
We started off with some cocktails, cause really, is there a better way to kick off a brunch?? My mom and I both had the Poire Royale, while my dad imbibed in a Volga 5- basically, a Bloody Mary. We sipped away, noshed on some bread and decided on our mains.
My mom order the Pain Perdu, the french toast with citrus honey. I tried a bite of it, and it was delicious. Made from a brioche, it was heavier than a typical french toast, but the flavors were great, and the citrus honey syrup really made it special. My dad made the wise decision to have the entree sized portion of the Quiche, which was a composed of egg custard, black truffles, smoked ham, scallions, wild mushrooms and then a spinach salad on the side dressed in a warm bacon vinaigrette. I had a bite of his, and if he had left the table for even a minute, I probably would have stolen his plate and eaten the rest of his. It was heaven, and I will definitely order it the next time I go. I ordered the Omelette aux Champignons, a mushroom omelette that I had wanted with Gruyere cheese, but the kitchen messed up and put Mimolette on instead. The highlight of mine was, of course, those to die for pommes frites. I've talked about them before, and they never disappoint. The omelette, on the other hand, was a bit of a disappointment. It was a little dry, and the mushrooms were a little soggy, but it was still tasty. Just not what I was hoping for.
We finished the meal with a trio of sorbets- watermelon, coconut and raspberry, I believe- and they were all very good. One pot of french press coffee, and we were on our way. The service was far better than the last visit, and the food was generally very good as well. I look forward to returning and sitting on the beautiful patio a few more times this summer. There really is no place in Denver quite like Bistro Vendome.
May 9, 2008
Who Knew There Was Coolness In Old Town Littleton?
When I think of areas in Denver with great places to eat, I have to admit that Old Town Littleton does not come to mind frequently, if at all. I mean, I think of Main Street, and immediately, La Fondue comes to mind. Not cool. I can now say that I've been wrong! This past Wednesday, I made my second trip to Opus Restaurant. I had been once before with my parents for a birthday dinner and the food was incredibly good. Its location was the only thing that kept me away, and that's just foolish. This time we drove on down for the special evening they had put together with other merchants from the street, most notably the best spice store EVER, Savory Spice Shop. I have yet to go into the shop on Main Street, but I absolutely love the one on Platte. If you haven't visited them yet, it's a must! So, what made this dinner interesting was that Chef Michael of Opus went on down to his friendly spicy neighbor and picked up some herbs of interest and created a menu around that. Great premise, and for the most part, and really good meal. Oh and the other merchants involved, since I'm sure you want to know, and I love to promote local businesses were Lido Wine, which provided some excellent grape juices, table decor from Ambiance de Provence, and artwork from Pinon Fine Art. What a great way to show off neighbors and build up the community, I just love the idea!
Anyway, onto the food. We were seated- I was with my parents again- and were brought champagne by an incredibly funny and personable waiter that absolutely loved my mom. He was wonderful throughout the meal. After about a half an hour, and my mom getting ready to eat the tablecloth, some bread was brought out to smear some of the Black Olive Tapenade on. Yum. Shortly after, the Savory Spice Cured Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallop over Potato Leek Cake and Smokey Cheddar Butter. For me, I like my bacon done. I mean done. I don't like seeing the white fatty part on my plate, much less putting it in my mouth. But the simple fact that it was wrapped around the scallop and would have made the seafood the consistency of an eraser, the bacon was fatty. So, I took it off and ate everything else on the plate. So tasty! We were also poured our first glass of wine, a 2005 Treana Marsanne Viognier from the Mer Soleil Vineyard. I'm not much of a white person, but I really enjoyed this wine, and it paired very well with this dish.
The dish it was really supposed to go with was a Pink Peppercorn Spiced Slow Roasted Colorado Pork with Plantain Galettes & Avocado Sauce. I was not as big of a fan of this. My pork was really spicy, so much so that I left quite a bit of it on my plate. I did enjoy the plantains and the Avocado Sauce, but in not liking the main feature, I'm sure I missed out.
I can't say that the dish that followed pleased me much either, but the wine was fantastic! We were poured a 2006 Martin Ray Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County. It was fabulous, and I'm so happy that my dad put in an order for 6 bottles. I can't wait to pop one open again soon. The food, though, was the most underwhelming of the night. It was a Terragon Poached Western Slope Chicken Breast Over Endive Salad, Vine-Ripe Tomato and Haystack Farms Goat Cheese. I honestly have no recollection of Endive being on the plate, and the chicken was cold. None of us anticipated it would be, and we actually asked one of the waiters if it was supposed to be warm and he rebounded quickly and said it was meant to be a salad course. There was little flavor to the chicken, though it was cooked well, but the whole thing was just boring. Except the cheese- I love goat cheese and could eat it all the time. But if you're at a wine dinner, it's not goat cheese you're looking for. So, a thumbs down from all of us went to this dish.
Thankfully, what followed was delicious! Placed before us was a County Clare Spiced Beef Ribeye Roast atop Savory Cabbage and Bistro Stout Jus. Wow. It was so good. Every part of it. We all cleared our plates. The wine was a 2005 Caravan Cabernet Sauvignon by Darioush from Napa Valley. I'm not a big Cab drinker, so I only had about half my glass, if that much. Nothing against the wine, it's just me. But the food... ooh, that was good.
We finished the meal with a dessert that I think my dad and I would have licked the plate of, given the chance. It was a Chocolate Chip Cookie Spring Roll with Zanzibar Curry Anglaise and Strawberries. They were nice enough to replace my Strawberries with Plums, making the whole thing to die for. A crispy Spring Roll with warm, gooey chocolate yummyness inside. A Dutschke Old Codger Tawny Port from Australia was poured, making the end of the meal a Diabetics nightmare. Unless you're my mom and pretend you don't like warm chocolatey goo, and you only eat the fruit. Then, you're safe.
Overall, the meal was very good, with the few exceptions, but the staff and atmosphere made it an incredibly enjoyable night. The wine guy, Jeremy, was great to talk to, and everyone else was friendly and welcoming. While I have forgotten about Opus in the past, it is a place I look forward to returning to in the near future now.
Anyway, onto the food. We were seated- I was with my parents again- and were brought champagne by an incredibly funny and personable waiter that absolutely loved my mom. He was wonderful throughout the meal. After about a half an hour, and my mom getting ready to eat the tablecloth, some bread was brought out to smear some of the Black Olive Tapenade on. Yum. Shortly after, the Savory Spice Cured Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallop over Potato Leek Cake and Smokey Cheddar Butter. For me, I like my bacon done. I mean done. I don't like seeing the white fatty part on my plate, much less putting it in my mouth. But the simple fact that it was wrapped around the scallop and would have made the seafood the consistency of an eraser, the bacon was fatty. So, I took it off and ate everything else on the plate. So tasty! We were also poured our first glass of wine, a 2005 Treana Marsanne Viognier from the Mer Soleil Vineyard. I'm not much of a white person, but I really enjoyed this wine, and it paired very well with this dish.
The dish it was really supposed to go with was a Pink Peppercorn Spiced Slow Roasted Colorado Pork with Plantain Galettes & Avocado Sauce. I was not as big of a fan of this. My pork was really spicy, so much so that I left quite a bit of it on my plate. I did enjoy the plantains and the Avocado Sauce, but in not liking the main feature, I'm sure I missed out.
I can't say that the dish that followed pleased me much either, but the wine was fantastic! We were poured a 2006 Martin Ray Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County. It was fabulous, and I'm so happy that my dad put in an order for 6 bottles. I can't wait to pop one open again soon. The food, though, was the most underwhelming of the night. It was a Terragon Poached Western Slope Chicken Breast Over Endive Salad, Vine-Ripe Tomato and Haystack Farms Goat Cheese. I honestly have no recollection of Endive being on the plate, and the chicken was cold. None of us anticipated it would be, and we actually asked one of the waiters if it was supposed to be warm and he rebounded quickly and said it was meant to be a salad course. There was little flavor to the chicken, though it was cooked well, but the whole thing was just boring. Except the cheese- I love goat cheese and could eat it all the time. But if you're at a wine dinner, it's not goat cheese you're looking for. So, a thumbs down from all of us went to this dish.
Thankfully, what followed was delicious! Placed before us was a County Clare Spiced Beef Ribeye Roast atop Savory Cabbage and Bistro Stout Jus. Wow. It was so good. Every part of it. We all cleared our plates. The wine was a 2005 Caravan Cabernet Sauvignon by Darioush from Napa Valley. I'm not a big Cab drinker, so I only had about half my glass, if that much. Nothing against the wine, it's just me. But the food... ooh, that was good.
We finished the meal with a dessert that I think my dad and I would have licked the plate of, given the chance. It was a Chocolate Chip Cookie Spring Roll with Zanzibar Curry Anglaise and Strawberries. They were nice enough to replace my Strawberries with Plums, making the whole thing to die for. A crispy Spring Roll with warm, gooey chocolate yummyness inside. A Dutschke Old Codger Tawny Port from Australia was poured, making the end of the meal a Diabetics nightmare. Unless you're my mom and pretend you don't like warm chocolatey goo, and you only eat the fruit. Then, you're safe.
Overall, the meal was very good, with the few exceptions, but the staff and atmosphere made it an incredibly enjoyable night. The wine guy, Jeremy, was great to talk to, and everyone else was friendly and welcoming. While I have forgotten about Opus in the past, it is a place I look forward to returning to in the near future now.
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