Harry’s Chop House
www.harryschophouse.com
When I envision a great chop house, two different sceneries typically run through my mind; the dark paneled old boys clubs of the old lawyer movies; and the simplistic “we’re just here for the food” setup of the old cowboy movies. Where does Harry’s fit in? Neither of these actually. Harry’s is a cozy neighborhood “IT” spot. The ambiance is stylish yet warm; the dining area features dark-wood furnishings, snug booths and walls mounted with amber-hued sconces. It’s a Thursday night, the house is packed and the show has been rewritten, rehearsed and is ready for applause. On with the show!
Act One: Appetizers
Scene One.
For starters I tantalized my taste buds with Yellowfin Tuna Tartare served with Shitake Mushroom Pot Stickers and a Curry Vinaigrette. The presentation is beautiful, simple yet playful. The Tartare was superb, thin and tender, perfectly seasoned. The Pot Stickers are crisp, sweet and savory. The combination of the light, refreshing Tartare with the savory Pot Stickers is unexpected yet delightful. Diva’s Dish: 7/10 Diva Stars
Scene Two.
Harry’s classic Shrimp cocktail. The Shrimp cocktail features jumbo shrimp cooked and chilled to perfection. The shrimp are firm yet tender. The sauce is a Horseradish Crème Fraîche, Herbed Tomato Coulis. The flavors are muddy, and are reminiscent of a child’s first experimentation in the kitchen, dumping everything he can get his hands on into the mix. This sauce is so awful that I would rather eat ketchup! Diva’s Dish: 4/10 Diva Stars
Act 3: The Main Course
And for the Marvel of a main course I was entertained with a 14 oz blackened Rib Eye served with Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Mushrooms with a gorgonzola fondue. The steak is seared to perfection; the spice rub is alluring, the right balance of the beef’s natural flavors and a custom blend of spices. The mashed potatoes are creamy, buttery and melt in my mouth. The sautéed mushrooms are bursting with flavor. The gorgonzola fondue is the star of this act, rich and creamy, with earthy flavors it is a perfect companion to the blackened Rib Eye. Diva’s Dish: 8/10 Diva Stars
Diva’s Dish on Harry’s Chop House: This is a show worth a second run.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Yia Yia's Euro Cafe
YiaYia’s Euro Café
www.yiayiasdenver.com
What’s the latest Denver hot spot that makes this Diva say yum yum?
Yia Yia’s of course!
YiaYia’s décor is reminiscent of a 18th century Swiss castle. The décor features open pine trusses, stone pillars, quilted walls featuring a mix of sage and mustard panels with a light iris pattern, stone tile floor, cozy booths covered with a variety of tapestry patterns mixed with dark leather and faux marble table tops. The rustic yet stately interior is completed with rod iron & merino glass chandlers. The atmosphere is completed with phenomenal service. Overall, Yia Yia’s is cool yet cozy especially on a frigid Colorado night! To experience the phenomenal service ask for Christian.
On cold Colorado nights, one must warm up the taste buds before delving into the main course. We started our Divalicious meal with warm goat cheese fondue. Now as you well know, I love cheese, all cheese, so without batting an eye I order the fondue. My faithful dining companion however is not so sure about the goat and responds with “goat?” “eww!”. At this time I educate him on the difference between a goat and a ewe, explaining that a ewe is a sheep and a goat is well a goat! (I also take this opportunity to explain that wool comes from sheep and cashmere comes from goats.) Seriously! For as much as this man likes to eat he knows nothing about food!
Anyway, back to the fondue! The warm aromatic goat cheese was served with crispy fried artichokes, toasted bread, and topped with oven roasted tomatoes. The goat cheese was warm and full bodied; the artichokes were fresh and crisp. This goat cheese fondue is a must do!
Diva’s Dish: 9/10 Diva Stars
Now that my taste buds have been warmed and stimulated I am ready to move on to my Grilled Atlantic Salmon served with shrimp ravioli, crisp asparagus tips and sweet onions in chardonnay-shrimp butter reduction. If this salmon was in the wild it wouldn’t have made the trip upstream, instead it would be lackadaisically relaxing in a pool of cool water content with just being alive. Although the salmon was sushi-grade it was a little soft and rather bland. In the words of Mr. Jim Carrey in Liar Liar “I’ve had better”. The shrimp ravioli however was amazing. The succulent tender shrimp was enfolded in a fresh and tender pasta dough to form perfect luscious raviolis. Although the sweet onions were a little bitter, the chardonnay reduction was superb. The reduction was warm and rich without being heavy or starchy. Next time hold the salmon and make the ravioli the main attraction.
Diva’s Dish: 8/10 Diva Stars
As always, I am required by my title (Queen Diva of the Denver Dining World) to sample all food that is placed upon my throne, I mean table. So naturally I had to sample the pan seared scallops served with seafood ravioli in a light creamy tomato sauce. The scallops were light and buttery, the ravioli was bold and tangy. Amazingly the seafood ravioli and the shrimp ravioli taste nothing alike! This proves that the chef at Yia Yia’s is indeed a true chef. The sauce was a light creamy tomato with a kick of roasted pepper, a little too much of a kick for my taste, but good none the less. Although this dish was delish, to make the perfect meal I would take the scallops and add them to the shrimp ravioli, that would be a perfect 10!
Diva’s Dish: 7/10 Diva Stars
On to dessert!
There are certain delicacies that are difficult to find. As such, the rule is as follows: if you see a hard to find item on a menu you must order it! One of the hard to find dining delights is in fact a dessert, chocolate soufflé. Soufflé is one of those to die for desserts that are so difficult to make that many pastry chefs would rather die than make the tricky little dessert. So the rule goes if the chef is willing to cook chocolate soufflé you must order it!
The chocolate Soufflé at Yia Yia’s is served with fresh strawberries, vanilla ice cream and a sweet yet tart strawberry sauce. The soufflé is warm and decedent, the outer edges have a perfect flaky texture which compliments the full and multi-dimensional center. The soufflé is dynamic and worth every last calorie!
Diva’s Dish: 9/10 Diva Stars
Diva’s Dish on Yia Yia’s: yum yum!
www.yiayiasdenver.com
What’s the latest Denver hot spot that makes this Diva say yum yum?
Yia Yia’s of course!
YiaYia’s décor is reminiscent of a 18th century Swiss castle. The décor features open pine trusses, stone pillars, quilted walls featuring a mix of sage and mustard panels with a light iris pattern, stone tile floor, cozy booths covered with a variety of tapestry patterns mixed with dark leather and faux marble table tops. The rustic yet stately interior is completed with rod iron & merino glass chandlers. The atmosphere is completed with phenomenal service. Overall, Yia Yia’s is cool yet cozy especially on a frigid Colorado night! To experience the phenomenal service ask for Christian.
On cold Colorado nights, one must warm up the taste buds before delving into the main course. We started our Divalicious meal with warm goat cheese fondue. Now as you well know, I love cheese, all cheese, so without batting an eye I order the fondue. My faithful dining companion however is not so sure about the goat and responds with “goat?” “eww!”. At this time I educate him on the difference between a goat and a ewe, explaining that a ewe is a sheep and a goat is well a goat! (I also take this opportunity to explain that wool comes from sheep and cashmere comes from goats.) Seriously! For as much as this man likes to eat he knows nothing about food!
Anyway, back to the fondue! The warm aromatic goat cheese was served with crispy fried artichokes, toasted bread, and topped with oven roasted tomatoes. The goat cheese was warm and full bodied; the artichokes were fresh and crisp. This goat cheese fondue is a must do!
Diva’s Dish: 9/10 Diva Stars
Now that my taste buds have been warmed and stimulated I am ready to move on to my Grilled Atlantic Salmon served with shrimp ravioli, crisp asparagus tips and sweet onions in chardonnay-shrimp butter reduction. If this salmon was in the wild it wouldn’t have made the trip upstream, instead it would be lackadaisically relaxing in a pool of cool water content with just being alive. Although the salmon was sushi-grade it was a little soft and rather bland. In the words of Mr. Jim Carrey in Liar Liar “I’ve had better”. The shrimp ravioli however was amazing. The succulent tender shrimp was enfolded in a fresh and tender pasta dough to form perfect luscious raviolis. Although the sweet onions were a little bitter, the chardonnay reduction was superb. The reduction was warm and rich without being heavy or starchy. Next time hold the salmon and make the ravioli the main attraction.
Diva’s Dish: 8/10 Diva Stars
As always, I am required by my title (Queen Diva of the Denver Dining World) to sample all food that is placed upon my throne, I mean table. So naturally I had to sample the pan seared scallops served with seafood ravioli in a light creamy tomato sauce. The scallops were light and buttery, the ravioli was bold and tangy. Amazingly the seafood ravioli and the shrimp ravioli taste nothing alike! This proves that the chef at Yia Yia’s is indeed a true chef. The sauce was a light creamy tomato with a kick of roasted pepper, a little too much of a kick for my taste, but good none the less. Although this dish was delish, to make the perfect meal I would take the scallops and add them to the shrimp ravioli, that would be a perfect 10!
Diva’s Dish: 7/10 Diva Stars
On to dessert!
There are certain delicacies that are difficult to find. As such, the rule is as follows: if you see a hard to find item on a menu you must order it! One of the hard to find dining delights is in fact a dessert, chocolate soufflé. Soufflé is one of those to die for desserts that are so difficult to make that many pastry chefs would rather die than make the tricky little dessert. So the rule goes if the chef is willing to cook chocolate soufflé you must order it!
The chocolate Soufflé at Yia Yia’s is served with fresh strawberries, vanilla ice cream and a sweet yet tart strawberry sauce. The soufflé is warm and decedent, the outer edges have a perfect flaky texture which compliments the full and multi-dimensional center. The soufflé is dynamic and worth every last calorie!
Diva’s Dish: 9/10 Diva Stars
Diva’s Dish on Yia Yia’s: yum yum!
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Strings; music to the taste buds!
Strings
http://www.stringsrestaurant.com/
What is the latest divine dining experience? Strings, celebrating its 30th year in business (for a very good reason!). This popular, yet slightly egocentric restaurant was bustling with excitement, people coming and going hugging and laughing. Strings is the type of place old friends meet to catch up, newlyweds splurge on “date night” and the usuals stake out at their favorite table. The mood is fun and lighthearted, but the atmosphere is sheer elegance. The service is exceptional, with a staff that will go out of their way to complete your dining experience. The menu is creative, focusing on new American cuisine, with a funky twist and daring and creative flavors.
Are you hungry yet?
As you well know, my preferred way to start a meal is with Tartare.
The Tartare at Strings is an Ahi Tuna Tartare, mixed with avocado and a lemon-ginger vinaigrette, served with crispy wonton chips. The Tartare is presented on a chilled glass window block; very art deco. Many times it seems the better the presentation, the worse the food…this is not the case at Strings. The simple, yet sheik presentation is right on par with the pure refreshing flavor and texture of the tartare.
Diva’s Dish: 8 /10 Diva Stars
Next in the starting line up is Strings' Rock and Roll Shrimp Jumbo shrimp cocktail. The jumbo shrimp were cooked to perfection, however the sauce didn’t make the cut for the JV squad. A good cocktail sauce should be light, refreshing and full of bold crisp flavor. String’s cocktail sauce defiantly was not rockin’ or rollin’. The sauce was heavy, almost muddy, the flavors didn’t blend well, and in fact the only discernable flavor was the retched Middle Eastern herb horseradish. Yeck! However, the shrimp were fresh, flavorful and saved the dish.
Diva’s Dish: 6/10 Diva Stars
Which entrée met my discriminating taste? Seared Scallops served with sweet potato flan, asparagus and a sage cream. The scallops were seared to a heavenly perfection, crisp on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside. These melt in your mouth scallops were paired with a warm aromatic sage cream that enhanced every bite. The asparagus was grilled to perfection and delicately poised on the sweet potato flan. Sweet potato flan you ask? Well it is tantalizing; warm and velvety, yet earthy and fresh. These seemingly different flavors blend together to make a divalicious dish! All in all this is by far the best dish to date!
Diva’s Dish: 9/10 Diva Stars
And what kind of Diva would I be if I didn’t sample other’s food? On this particular occasion, my newly engaged sister and her fiancé joined us for dinner. Her fiancé being the smart man he is, followed suit and ordered the Seared Scallops, my sister on the other hand, a youthful adventurer chose the Braised Veal Osso Buco.
The Braised Veal is served with rosemary jus, gremolata, roasted pepper polenta. It is a very rare occasion when I am at a loss for words, but the thinking of the veal my mind keeps repeating the same thing, “Mom’s crock-pot pot roast”, and “yuck”. I have never seen veal prepared quite like this before…a hunk of bone, surrounded by a chunk of meat, drenched in au jus and surrounded by muddy pepper polenta. The muddy flavor and anodyne veal are a dismal disappointment.
Diva’s Dish: 2/10 Diva Stars
Diva’s Dish on Strings: music to the taste buds!
http://www.stringsrestaurant.com/
What is the latest divine dining experience? Strings, celebrating its 30th year in business (for a very good reason!). This popular, yet slightly egocentric restaurant was bustling with excitement, people coming and going hugging and laughing. Strings is the type of place old friends meet to catch up, newlyweds splurge on “date night” and the usuals stake out at their favorite table. The mood is fun and lighthearted, but the atmosphere is sheer elegance. The service is exceptional, with a staff that will go out of their way to complete your dining experience. The menu is creative, focusing on new American cuisine, with a funky twist and daring and creative flavors.
Are you hungry yet?
As you well know, my preferred way to start a meal is with Tartare.
The Tartare at Strings is an Ahi Tuna Tartare, mixed with avocado and a lemon-ginger vinaigrette, served with crispy wonton chips. The Tartare is presented on a chilled glass window block; very art deco. Many times it seems the better the presentation, the worse the food…this is not the case at Strings. The simple, yet sheik presentation is right on par with the pure refreshing flavor and texture of the tartare.
Diva’s Dish: 8 /10 Diva Stars
Next in the starting line up is Strings' Rock and Roll Shrimp Jumbo shrimp cocktail. The jumbo shrimp were cooked to perfection, however the sauce didn’t make the cut for the JV squad. A good cocktail sauce should be light, refreshing and full of bold crisp flavor. String’s cocktail sauce defiantly was not rockin’ or rollin’. The sauce was heavy, almost muddy, the flavors didn’t blend well, and in fact the only discernable flavor was the retched Middle Eastern herb horseradish. Yeck! However, the shrimp were fresh, flavorful and saved the dish.
Diva’s Dish: 6/10 Diva Stars
Which entrée met my discriminating taste? Seared Scallops served with sweet potato flan, asparagus and a sage cream. The scallops were seared to a heavenly perfection, crisp on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside. These melt in your mouth scallops were paired with a warm aromatic sage cream that enhanced every bite. The asparagus was grilled to perfection and delicately poised on the sweet potato flan. Sweet potato flan you ask? Well it is tantalizing; warm and velvety, yet earthy and fresh. These seemingly different flavors blend together to make a divalicious dish! All in all this is by far the best dish to date!
Diva’s Dish: 9/10 Diva Stars
And what kind of Diva would I be if I didn’t sample other’s food? On this particular occasion, my newly engaged sister and her fiancé joined us for dinner. Her fiancé being the smart man he is, followed suit and ordered the Seared Scallops, my sister on the other hand, a youthful adventurer chose the Braised Veal Osso Buco.
The Braised Veal is served with rosemary jus, gremolata, roasted pepper polenta. It is a very rare occasion when I am at a loss for words, but the thinking of the veal my mind keeps repeating the same thing, “Mom’s crock-pot pot roast”, and “yuck”. I have never seen veal prepared quite like this before…a hunk of bone, surrounded by a chunk of meat, drenched in au jus and surrounded by muddy pepper polenta. The muddy flavor and anodyne veal are a dismal disappointment.
Diva’s Dish: 2/10 Diva Stars
Diva’s Dish on Strings: music to the taste buds!
Friday, December 29, 2006
The Cork House
The Cork House
http://www.corkhousedenver.com/
Where to begin? The ambiance of the Cork House could be so right, but something was just wrong…the dining area features the warm glow of an open brick fireplace, hand trawled walls in a warm clay shade. The walls are flanked with French prints and the overhangs feature antique wine bottles and corks. However, the tables were covered with a hideous overbearing busy floral print, so awful that not even a muumuu wearing grandmother would choose this print! And the number one no-no in creating the perfect ambiance – TVs!!! Yes, you read that correctly, this beautiful little wine bar and restaurant has been violated by the placing of several TV’s mounted throughout the dining room!
Luckily for the Cork House, first and foremost, I am here for the food.
It is time to admit that Tartare is not my only food crush, in fact I have another food crush, which may even be greater than my love of Tartare…I will share my main obsession with you on one condition…you don’t tell the Tartare. Ok, now that my secret is safe from the Tartare…my number one food love is cheese. I love cheese! Soft cheese, hard cheese, fresh cheese, vintage cheese, American, Italian, French, Spanish, Swiss, cow, goat, buffalo, I love it all!!! I love cheese so much that on a recent trip to Oregon I rented a car and drove over 100 miles out of my way to visit the Tillamook farm and factory! Ok enough of my obsessing, let’s eat!
We began our meal with the 3 cheese flight. The flights come in various sizes and are served with pears, apples, candied walnuts, olive oil dried bread, and a raspberry reduction. My choices included Colorado Rouge (Fort Collins, CO), Manchego (Spain) sheep; Tarino (Italy). The presentation and the cheeses were wonderful. Each unique cheese was so tantalizing that my mouth is watering just reminiscing about it.
Diva’s Dish: 9/10 Diva Stars
On to the next course: apple walnut chicken salad. This salad features sautéed chicken breast, green apples, candied walnuts, tomatoes, eggplant, broccoli, and fresh tortilla strips in a spring mix, drowning in a roasted pepper vinaigrette. I am an optimist and I believe that this salad could be very good, in fact the few bites I found that were not drowning in vinaigrette were good. This is the type of salad that greens hope to become, the type of salad that even a child would eat without dressing, the flavorful, creative, health conscious salad…but in this case the dream was cut short when it was assaulted with two pints of vinaigrette.
Diva’s Dish: 5/10 Diva Stars
For the main course I enjoyed a small plate delight, the Sesame crusted scallops. This dish features scallops crusted w/white & black sesame seeds served with flavorless watery vegetables & a sweet & spicy mae ploy sauce. The scallops were seared to perfection, warm and buttery. The sauce was a little watery and had an odd kick to it, the kind of kick that isn’t what you would call good. The vegetables were overcooked and tasted like the elementary school lunch lady prepared them, watery with all the nutrients steamed out.
Diva’s Dish: 7/10 Diva Stars
On to dessert!
Chocolate mousse tower. This decedent dessert features dark chocolate mouse, milk chocolate mouse and white chocolate mouse, artfully layered into a tower of chocolate paradise. Each mouse had a slightly unique flavor and texture which was a perfect compliment to the other flavors.
Diva’s Dish: 8/10 Diva Stars
http://www.corkhousedenver.com/
Where to begin? The ambiance of the Cork House could be so right, but something was just wrong…the dining area features the warm glow of an open brick fireplace, hand trawled walls in a warm clay shade. The walls are flanked with French prints and the overhangs feature antique wine bottles and corks. However, the tables were covered with a hideous overbearing busy floral print, so awful that not even a muumuu wearing grandmother would choose this print! And the number one no-no in creating the perfect ambiance – TVs!!! Yes, you read that correctly, this beautiful little wine bar and restaurant has been violated by the placing of several TV’s mounted throughout the dining room!
Luckily for the Cork House, first and foremost, I am here for the food.
It is time to admit that Tartare is not my only food crush, in fact I have another food crush, which may even be greater than my love of Tartare…I will share my main obsession with you on one condition…you don’t tell the Tartare. Ok, now that my secret is safe from the Tartare…my number one food love is cheese. I love cheese! Soft cheese, hard cheese, fresh cheese, vintage cheese, American, Italian, French, Spanish, Swiss, cow, goat, buffalo, I love it all!!! I love cheese so much that on a recent trip to Oregon I rented a car and drove over 100 miles out of my way to visit the Tillamook farm and factory! Ok enough of my obsessing, let’s eat!
We began our meal with the 3 cheese flight. The flights come in various sizes and are served with pears, apples, candied walnuts, olive oil dried bread, and a raspberry reduction. My choices included Colorado Rouge (Fort Collins, CO), Manchego (Spain) sheep; Tarino (Italy). The presentation and the cheeses were wonderful. Each unique cheese was so tantalizing that my mouth is watering just reminiscing about it.
Diva’s Dish: 9/10 Diva Stars
On to the next course: apple walnut chicken salad. This salad features sautéed chicken breast, green apples, candied walnuts, tomatoes, eggplant, broccoli, and fresh tortilla strips in a spring mix, drowning in a roasted pepper vinaigrette. I am an optimist and I believe that this salad could be very good, in fact the few bites I found that were not drowning in vinaigrette were good. This is the type of salad that greens hope to become, the type of salad that even a child would eat without dressing, the flavorful, creative, health conscious salad…but in this case the dream was cut short when it was assaulted with two pints of vinaigrette.
Diva’s Dish: 5/10 Diva Stars
For the main course I enjoyed a small plate delight, the Sesame crusted scallops. This dish features scallops crusted w/white & black sesame seeds served with flavorless watery vegetables & a sweet & spicy mae ploy sauce. The scallops were seared to perfection, warm and buttery. The sauce was a little watery and had an odd kick to it, the kind of kick that isn’t what you would call good. The vegetables were overcooked and tasted like the elementary school lunch lady prepared them, watery with all the nutrients steamed out.
Diva’s Dish: 7/10 Diva Stars
On to dessert!
Chocolate mousse tower. This decedent dessert features dark chocolate mouse, milk chocolate mouse and white chocolate mouse, artfully layered into a tower of chocolate paradise. Each mouse had a slightly unique flavor and texture which was a perfect compliment to the other flavors.
Diva’s Dish: 8/10 Diva Stars
Monday, November 27, 2006
Wash Park Grille; a Diva Delight
The latest dining delight? Wash Park Grille
www.washparkgrille.com
The ambiance was uptown dining meets neighborhood grill. A warm glowing fireplace meets you at the door, along with a rich dark wood bar. The décor offers exposed brick, dark wood, fresh flowers and a crackling fire.
The service was superb, with the exception of a slight mix up where the table behind us ordered the exact same entrees and their server cut in line, and served them our entrees…
Enough with the page filling, on with the food!
For starters we selected the Baked Lobster Mac & Cheese. The sauce was rich & creamy with a hint of chipotle sauce. The dish featured large pieces of succulent lobster, steamed broccoli, and seasoned breadcrumbs.
Diva’s Dish: 9/10 Stars
As I am sure you are beginning to notice, I have a food crush, a new obsession that I must have, that I can’t get enough of…my crush? Tartare. So of course I had to sample the delightful offering of Tartare at the Wash Park Grille!
Tartare Wash Park Style features a perfect ahi tuna, avocado, cucumber, red onion, wasabi aioli, & hard boiled egg, served with crisp tortilla strips. The flavors of this tartare blend together in a magical way that enhances each individual flavor, as well as a fantastic overall aromatic taste. Although the tartare had a little too much cilantro for my taste, it was still a success.
Diva’s Dish: 7/10 Stars
On to the main event: Lobster & Shrimp Linguine. This dish featured sautéed lobster and seared shrimp with crisp broccoli, in a Parmesan Romano cream sauce. This sauce was a culinary masterpiece, a perfect combination of decadence and airy. I was impressed by the ability to make such a rich & creamy sauce so surprisingly light.
The linguine tasted as if it was pulled of the drying rack moments before hitting my plate.
The combination of the fresh linguine, perfectly seared seafood and the decadent sauce makes this dish a culinary delight.
Diva’s Dish: 9/10 Stars
www.washparkgrille.com
The ambiance was uptown dining meets neighborhood grill. A warm glowing fireplace meets you at the door, along with a rich dark wood bar. The décor offers exposed brick, dark wood, fresh flowers and a crackling fire.
The service was superb, with the exception of a slight mix up where the table behind us ordered the exact same entrees and their server cut in line, and served them our entrees…
Enough with the page filling, on with the food!
For starters we selected the Baked Lobster Mac & Cheese. The sauce was rich & creamy with a hint of chipotle sauce. The dish featured large pieces of succulent lobster, steamed broccoli, and seasoned breadcrumbs.
Diva’s Dish: 9/10 Stars
As I am sure you are beginning to notice, I have a food crush, a new obsession that I must have, that I can’t get enough of…my crush? Tartare. So of course I had to sample the delightful offering of Tartare at the Wash Park Grille!
Tartare Wash Park Style features a perfect ahi tuna, avocado, cucumber, red onion, wasabi aioli, & hard boiled egg, served with crisp tortilla strips. The flavors of this tartare blend together in a magical way that enhances each individual flavor, as well as a fantastic overall aromatic taste. Although the tartare had a little too much cilantro for my taste, it was still a success.
Diva’s Dish: 7/10 Stars
On to the main event: Lobster & Shrimp Linguine. This dish featured sautéed lobster and seared shrimp with crisp broccoli, in a Parmesan Romano cream sauce. This sauce was a culinary masterpiece, a perfect combination of decadence and airy. I was impressed by the ability to make such a rich & creamy sauce so surprisingly light.
The linguine tasted as if it was pulled of the drying rack moments before hitting my plate.
The combination of the fresh linguine, perfectly seared seafood and the decadent sauce makes this dish a culinary delight.
Diva’s Dish: 9/10 Stars
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
My first Diva Review! Sambuca Jazz Cafe
This weekend’s dining delight?
Sambuca Jazz Café in LoDo
http://www.sambucarestaurant.com
The atmosphere is dark and sultry. The designer Holly Forsthe’s vision is incredible. The décor melts perfectly with the smooth jazz and raspy blues floating from the stage.
Exposed brick, mustard yellow hand trawled walls, dark wood fixtures, glowing chrome light fixtures, the warm glow of candles. Rich yet funky. To add to the décor, the walls are lined with Siberian tiger print seating, rod iron sculptures and smoked mirrors.
The service definitely makes my top 10 list. If I didn’t know any better, I would think our server Carley owned the place, her warm presence and extensive knowledge of the menu made her the crème de la crème of servers.
Enough fluff, let’s eat!
We began our meal with the “Dueling Tuna” featuring ahi seared tuna & tuna Tartare
The ahi seared was in fact seared to perfection, seared in a pepper rub which made a perfect balance warm buttery tuna w/a kick of pepper. The rub embraced the fresh & tender ahi tuna like long lost friends lost in an embrace.
The tartare was well not top top, the tuna was over cooked (who cooks Tartare anyway?), minced so small it very well may have come from a can. It was overpowered with so many herbs and spices I couldn’t distinguish a single taste…well except the taste of yuck!
In this duel the ahi wins hands down.
Diva’s Dish: Ahi 8/10 Diva Stars; Tartare ½/10 Diva Stars
Next up “Shrimp & Crab Bisque”. The rich bisque rolled over the tongue, tantalizing the taste buds with a warm comfort that was somewhat new and exciting. The base was a little too crabby for my liking, but still had good depth once you got through the crab. The rich buttery base was full of large pieces of crab meat and shrimp.
The body & aroma of this rich bisque made it worth every calorie.
Diva’s Dish: 6/10 Diva Stars
On to the main event! “Seared Scallops on Risotto Coins”
The scallops were placed on 1½ inch tall risotto towers, beneath these beautiful towers were tiny rivers of smoked tomato cream sauce. Floating in the river where beautiful asparagus tips, rolled in sesame seeds.
The scallops were seared to perfection, they had that melt in your mouth buttery texture, most places keep you longing for. The risotto was warm, full bodied and rich with flavor, the smoked tomato cream sauce was rich yet surprisingly light. The asparagus tips grilled with sesame seeds were crisp and flavorful. This dish was worth every calorie & earns a
Diva’s Dish: 9/10 Diva Stars.
So the lowdown on LoDo’s Sambuca?
Smooth music & Jazzed up food make Sambuca a must eat!
Sambuca Jazz Café in LoDo
http://www.sambucarestaurant.com
The atmosphere is dark and sultry. The designer Holly Forsthe’s vision is incredible. The décor melts perfectly with the smooth jazz and raspy blues floating from the stage.
Exposed brick, mustard yellow hand trawled walls, dark wood fixtures, glowing chrome light fixtures, the warm glow of candles. Rich yet funky. To add to the décor, the walls are lined with Siberian tiger print seating, rod iron sculptures and smoked mirrors.
The service definitely makes my top 10 list. If I didn’t know any better, I would think our server Carley owned the place, her warm presence and extensive knowledge of the menu made her the crème de la crème of servers.
Enough fluff, let’s eat!
We began our meal with the “Dueling Tuna” featuring ahi seared tuna & tuna Tartare
The ahi seared was in fact seared to perfection, seared in a pepper rub which made a perfect balance warm buttery tuna w/a kick of pepper. The rub embraced the fresh & tender ahi tuna like long lost friends lost in an embrace.
The tartare was well not top top, the tuna was over cooked (who cooks Tartare anyway?), minced so small it very well may have come from a can. It was overpowered with so many herbs and spices I couldn’t distinguish a single taste…well except the taste of yuck!
In this duel the ahi wins hands down.
Diva’s Dish: Ahi 8/10 Diva Stars; Tartare ½/10 Diva Stars
Next up “Shrimp & Crab Bisque”. The rich bisque rolled over the tongue, tantalizing the taste buds with a warm comfort that was somewhat new and exciting. The base was a little too crabby for my liking, but still had good depth once you got through the crab. The rich buttery base was full of large pieces of crab meat and shrimp.
The body & aroma of this rich bisque made it worth every calorie.
Diva’s Dish: 6/10 Diva Stars
On to the main event! “Seared Scallops on Risotto Coins”
The scallops were placed on 1½ inch tall risotto towers, beneath these beautiful towers were tiny rivers of smoked tomato cream sauce. Floating in the river where beautiful asparagus tips, rolled in sesame seeds.
The scallops were seared to perfection, they had that melt in your mouth buttery texture, most places keep you longing for. The risotto was warm, full bodied and rich with flavor, the smoked tomato cream sauce was rich yet surprisingly light. The asparagus tips grilled with sesame seeds were crisp and flavorful. This dish was worth every calorie & earns a
Diva’s Dish: 9/10 Diva Stars.
So the lowdown on LoDo’s Sambuca?
Smooth music & Jazzed up food make Sambuca a must eat!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Let the Picky Eating Begin!
I was born a picky eater.
In my childhood being a picky eater meant a hatred of foods and a refusal to eat a long list of items, by age 4 I had my very own black list. This black list included my hatred of condiments, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise. Also on the black list of my childhood: cauliflower, canned vegetables, canned fruit, french fries, nuts, fish, potato chips and candy with the exception of Reese peanutbutter cups and Hershey’s with almonds.
In my teens I black listed foods like peanut butter, hamburger, tuna, wild meat, such as deer, elk and moose, and pudding. Items like mayonnaise, canned fruit and canned vegetables and potato chips remained on the black list.
Thankfully, my parents did not believe in force feeding. If I didn’t want to eat it I didn’t have to, so long as I tried it (this usually invoked a reenactment of the old Life Cereal commercial “try it Mikey, you’ll like it”). All in all this sampling process has proved to be a great thing, it provided just enough tolerance to try any food “just once” and the knowledge that if food isn’t worth eating, it isn’t considered a waste if you don’t eat it.
This sampling approach to food has created many food phases, including a love of brussel sprouts through most of my teen years…(which turned into a severe aversion in adulthood)
I still have my black list (which is much to long to share here), but my pickiness has become more of a discriminating taste. Now, instead of black listing tuna, I black list canned tuna, frozen tuna, tuna casserole, tuna salad and poorly prepared tuna of all sorts. My food philosophy? If it’s not good don’t eat it. The human body can go days without food, that’s what it was made to do. So why eat bad food? I’ll never understand…
My love – hate relationship with food has made me sort of a food snob, no not snob – critic – no not critic, aficionado? no more like a diva, yes, a dining diva. So here I begin my tales of dining in Denver, Diva Style.
In my childhood being a picky eater meant a hatred of foods and a refusal to eat a long list of items, by age 4 I had my very own black list. This black list included my hatred of condiments, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise. Also on the black list of my childhood: cauliflower, canned vegetables, canned fruit, french fries, nuts, fish, potato chips and candy with the exception of Reese peanutbutter cups and Hershey’s with almonds.
In my teens I black listed foods like peanut butter, hamburger, tuna, wild meat, such as deer, elk and moose, and pudding. Items like mayonnaise, canned fruit and canned vegetables and potato chips remained on the black list.
Thankfully, my parents did not believe in force feeding. If I didn’t want to eat it I didn’t have to, so long as I tried it (this usually invoked a reenactment of the old Life Cereal commercial “try it Mikey, you’ll like it”). All in all this sampling process has proved to be a great thing, it provided just enough tolerance to try any food “just once” and the knowledge that if food isn’t worth eating, it isn’t considered a waste if you don’t eat it.
This sampling approach to food has created many food phases, including a love of brussel sprouts through most of my teen years…(which turned into a severe aversion in adulthood)
I still have my black list (which is much to long to share here), but my pickiness has become more of a discriminating taste. Now, instead of black listing tuna, I black list canned tuna, frozen tuna, tuna casserole, tuna salad and poorly prepared tuna of all sorts. My food philosophy? If it’s not good don’t eat it. The human body can go days without food, that’s what it was made to do. So why eat bad food? I’ll never understand…
My love – hate relationship with food has made me sort of a food snob, no not snob – critic – no not critic, aficionado? no more like a diva, yes, a dining diva. So here I begin my tales of dining in Denver, Diva Style.
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