Milwaukee has a Capital Grille. We never made it there because we discovered Carnevor (yes, that's how they spell it) and there was no reason to ever go looking for a different steak in all of Milwaukee. (I just discovered that Carnevor has a second location in...Florida. That's sort of boring.) I digress, since we love a damn fine steak and we had already tried the absurdly overrated Elway's, we thought the Capital Grille was a great spot to target during Denver Restaurant Week (it should be "Weeks" since it is really two weeks).
I must admit to being skeptical of the Capital Grille for a while because it is a chain. This is another reason we waited until restaurant week to go there. If it sucked, then we only spent $52.80 on food. If it was awesome, then we only spent $52.80 on food. It's a bit of a win-win situation.
Capital Grille is all about the pretentious style that I just hate (and I always seem to run into it at steakhouses except Texas Roadhouse places, but I don't go there when I'm searching for quality red meat). The interior of the Grille is dark with lots of wood paneling and funny little lamps here and there. The servers wear a sand-colored shirt, which doesn't look unique, it just kept me thinking, why not wear white? When you're at a place like the Grille it's pretty easy to spot the regulars. They're at the bar, of course, and they call the servers by name and some of them look down their nose at people who are walking into the Grille for the first time. Well, they tried, but I'm 6'9" so they couldn't look down on me. They had to tilt there heads at a funny angle to do so.
Alright, food. I had the clam chowder for a starter. I found it to be disappointing because I expected better from the Grille, but had I been served this chowder at Chili's I would have been very impressed. Are you catching my drift? I mean, at a place like this you should get what you pay for? I know we were paying at a discounted rate, but they do want us to return, right?
The bread and butter served with dinner was average. I always appreciate when restaurants spruce up the butter, the Grille didn't.
The drinks were decent, but a little pricey for their lack of kick. I know a place you can get a $4 margarita that is better and more potent than the $12 martinis the Grille has.
The filet mignon I chose was a good piece of meat, but it might have been very slightly overcooked. We shared potatoes and vegetables. The potatoes were, unfortunately, held to the standard of Carnevor's truffled mashed potatoes, the best starch I've ever tasted. That said, they were decent.
I had the flourless chocolate cake for dessert. My wife had the creme brûlée. Both were actually quite good and we have high standards for creme brûlée since my father-in-law makes the meanest creme brûlée from scratch, kitchen torch and all.
So, it may seem like I came down pretty hard on the Capital Grille. I guess I did, even though we had a decent experience there. It's just that I don't see myself going back there anytime soon and paying full price for anything. That experience would be too painful on the wallet and not pleasurable enough for the tastebuds.
Dined March 3, 2012.
Written by B.
Tamayo is owned by Richard Sandoval restaurants, who also owns the nearby La Sandia in Northfield Stapleton and Park Meadows. We've dined at La Sandia and we thought it was decent (we've been back a couple times), but in the fall of 2011 we tried Tamayo. It was amazing! I was skeptical at first, having tried La Sandia and Sandoval's Maya Modern Mexican Food in NYC, but Tamayo is in a whole other league. I don't know what they have there that they don't have at the other places I have tried, but it's something great.
We returned to Tamayo for Denver Restaurant Week on February 28. They had their $52.80 (for a couple) menu online earlier in the month and it whetted our appetite. Despite the 5280 entree portions being a tad bit smaller than the full-priced versions, you still get plenty of food. Each person got an appetizer (I chose the ceviche), an entree (skirt steak for me), and a dessert (it's been a while and I honestly can't remember...but I know it was delicious). All three were excellent and there was still plenty of perfectly cooked medium-rare steak on my plate for a full meal. Tamayo continues to impress and we will definitely be going back.
The only complaint that I have about this experience is that the waitress was really pushing the drinks. I get it, it's restaurant week and the bill isn't going to be as much as usual and you want to make as much money on drinks to make up for that, but asking every few minutes if I want another $6 Corona is just freaking annoying...almost as annoying as ordering even one of those beers at such a price. Ugh. So servers, ask us once or twice if we want a drink or another drink, but after that, give up...please. I'm likely to leave you more money if you ask once and I politely say no than if you ask every ten minutes thinking I've changed my mind. I'll let you know when I change my mind.
Dined February 28, 2012.
Written by B.
I appreciate the inventive dishes that Rioja serves, and I can say that the scallops and fresh bacon from the appetizer menu are divine. The PBJ dessert was a great blend of flavors for an adult with grape jelly and sorbet, peanut butter mousse and peanut brittle--a sophisticated taste of a beloved childhood tradition. The Monkfish was enjoyable, but light with the sides and not worth the price for what was served. The Wagyu beef short ribs tasted heavenly, but the croquettes served with it left something to be desired. Overall, I am happy to have eaten here, but feel the value for what you get isn't always there. I would recommend others try this restaurant, because it is worth the experience, but I won't be going back for awhile.
Dined February 3, 2012.
Written by K.
I must add that Rioja's entrees start at $22. I almost feel like the pricing there is jacked up just to give it a prestigious feel. The restaurant must realize that people probably aren't leaving their meals thinking it was worth it, but instead feeling like they have been had a bit. And I suggest that they have to an extent because it's Larimer Square. Restaurants get away with a lot on Larimer Square and the worst offender is Ocean Prime. And, in a wildly bad judgment, 5280 magazine named it Denver's best seafood restaurant in 2011. Perhaps I will write about our experience at Ocean Prime last year, but without a doubt, we won't be dining there this year. That said about Rioja, there are a couple dishes there that I've really enjoyed: the fresh bacon starter and the Petaluma chicken entree.
Written by B.
Milwaukee has a Capital Grille. We never made it there because we discovered Carnevor (yes, that's how they spell it) and there was no reason to ever go looking for a different steak in all of Milwaukee. (I just discovered that Carnevor has a second location in...Florida. That's sort of boring.) I digress, since we love a damn fine steak and we had already tried the absurdly overrated Elway's, we thought the Capital Grille was a great spot to target during Denver Restaurant Week (it should be "Weeks" since it is really two weeks). 