Monday, September 28, 2009
Saturday, September 29, 2007
A Hot Spot for Dinner!
This year, for our Anniversary, Anthony and I headed downtown to The Melting Pot. Yes, I know The Melting Pot is a chain restaurant, and is therefore barred from the Fine Dining label, but I think they deserve the title, at least honorarily.
The Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant—it’s not for the germ-o-phobe who is afraid of sharing food, but for the less squeamish, it’s a culinary adventure. The restaurant is in an elegant plaza near fancy boutiques and other upscale restaurants. Inside, the restaurant is dark and quiet, simply but gracefully decorated. The dining room isn’t an open area full of tables. Instead, private, high-walled booths are arranged in a maze of hallways, perfect for intimate dining.
A cook top is built into the center of each table. Controls on the end of the table allow the server to turn it on or off or change the temperature to accommodate different kinds of fondue.
We decided to try the Fondue Feast, which included a cheese fondue, a salad, a main-course fondue, and a dessert fondue. Most of the courses were prepared tableside. The server brought out a metal pot and added the ingredients, explaining the fondue recipe and cooking recommendations for the various dippers as he stirred the concoctions and brought them to the perfect temperature.
We started with the Cheddar Cheese appetizer fondue, which was served with a few different types of bread, celery, carrots, and Granny Smith apples. The tart/sweet apples made the most flavorful combination with the dip—they were quite tasty. The cheddar was good, but not as good as the Spinach Artichoke Cheese fondue that we had on a previous visit.
For our entree, we selected the Coq au Vin, a broth with herbs, mushrooms, garlic, spices, and burgundy wine. This fondue was served with variously marinated cuts of beef, shrimp, pork, chicken, stuffed pasta, and vegetables. We were also provided about six different sauces to enjoy with the cooked bits. The broth was a nice change from the traditional Bourguignon, an oil-based fondue. The oil-based fondue is tasty but much heavier, so you get full long before you’ve had a chance to sample everything.
Finally, we enjoyed the seasonal special dessert fondue—dark chocolate raspberry. This was served with strawberries, bananas, cheesecake, pound cake, brownies, and marshmallows. It was rich, with a slight tang from the raspberries, and I think it would have been better with some fresh raspberries to dip, but next time I’ll probably go back to a pure chocolate. I like a lot of flavor, but even my taste buds can get overwhelmed sometimes.
If you’re interested in trying something different, check out The Melting Pot. Once you get past the annoying music on the home page, you can find a location, make a reservation, and check out their tantalizing menu. When you go, be sure to plan on spending a few hours—it takes a long time to cook all that food one bite at a time, but it’s worth it!
The Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant—it’s not for the germ-o-phobe who is afraid of sharing food, but for the less squeamish, it’s a culinary adventure. The restaurant is in an elegant plaza near fancy boutiques and other upscale restaurants. Inside, the restaurant is dark and quiet, simply but gracefully decorated. The dining room isn’t an open area full of tables. Instead, private, high-walled booths are arranged in a maze of hallways, perfect for intimate dining.
A cook top is built into the center of each table. Controls on the end of the table allow the server to turn it on or off or change the temperature to accommodate different kinds of fondue.
We decided to try the Fondue Feast, which included a cheese fondue, a salad, a main-course fondue, and a dessert fondue. Most of the courses were prepared tableside. The server brought out a metal pot and added the ingredients, explaining the fondue recipe and cooking recommendations for the various dippers as he stirred the concoctions and brought them to the perfect temperature.
We started with the Cheddar Cheese appetizer fondue, which was served with a few different types of bread, celery, carrots, and Granny Smith apples. The tart/sweet apples made the most flavorful combination with the dip—they were quite tasty. The cheddar was good, but not as good as the Spinach Artichoke Cheese fondue that we had on a previous visit.
For our entree, we selected the Coq au Vin, a broth with herbs, mushrooms, garlic, spices, and burgundy wine. This fondue was served with variously marinated cuts of beef, shrimp, pork, chicken, stuffed pasta, and vegetables. We were also provided about six different sauces to enjoy with the cooked bits. The broth was a nice change from the traditional Bourguignon, an oil-based fondue. The oil-based fondue is tasty but much heavier, so you get full long before you’ve had a chance to sample everything.
Finally, we enjoyed the seasonal special dessert fondue—dark chocolate raspberry. This was served with strawberries, bananas, cheesecake, pound cake, brownies, and marshmallows. It was rich, with a slight tang from the raspberries, and I think it would have been better with some fresh raspberries to dip, but next time I’ll probably go back to a pure chocolate. I like a lot of flavor, but even my taste buds can get overwhelmed sometimes.
If you’re interested in trying something different, check out The Melting Pot. Once you get past the annoying music on the home page, you can find a location, make a reservation, and check out their tantalizing menu. When you go, be sure to plan on spending a few hours—it takes a long time to cook all that food one bite at a time, but it’s worth it!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Que Syrah, Syrah
A few posts ago, I mentioned a wine that was the best I had ever tasted. My husband has a “dutch uncle” who likes to take us out and treat us to a nice meal when we are in town, so when we went back to Vegas for Spring Break, he took us to a fancy steak house just off the Strip. With our dinner, he ordered a bottle of Fess Parker Syrah. Being a bit of a shiraz snob, I didn't think there was such thing as a good syrah, so I wasn't thrilled with the choice, but I tried some, to be polite. I am so glad I did! The wine was incredible--full-bodied with a mouthful of fresh berry and cherry flavors, but not overly sweet or acidic. I usually prefer a cleaner finish, but this wine had a nice, lingering finish that meshed perfectly with my filet mignon. I could have drunk a whole bottle myself!
I haven’t been able to find the wine locally, but I looked through Fess Parker’s website and think I may have found it: http://www.fessparker.com/html/01_rodney_s_syrah.html. Fess Parker has several syrahs under their label though, so I’m not completely sure. I guess I’ll have to order a few and find out...
I haven’t been able to find the wine locally, but I looked through Fess Parker’s website and think I may have found it: http://www.fessparker.com/html/01_rodney_s_syrah.html. Fess Parker has several syrahs under their label though, so I’m not completely sure. I guess I’ll have to order a few and find out...
Saturday, September 15, 2007
The Bourne Ultimate Supreme Identity, with nuts and a cherry
I’m going to take a break from restaurants this week and give you a review of the most recent movie I saw. The Bourne Ultimatum is the third in a series of action/adventure movies about Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), a super spy whose CIA special training has made him virtually impossible to catch or kill.
In Ultimatum, Bourne has flashbacks about his pre-CIA identity and digs around to find out more about the top-secret training program that made him what he is. Like its predecessors, this movie is packed with appealing characters, clever escapes, and insane stunts. The energy never lets up as Bourne matches wits with CIA bigwigs, a room full of trackers at CIA headquarters, and a field agent who’s been through the same training he has. The plot has some interesting twists, but nothing that will knock you off the edge of the theater seat you’ll be perched on for most of the movie.
Two things I didn’t like:
First, the third movie uses some of the same film techniques as the second, with the camera bouncing along after Bourne as if it were in the chase car. The second movie was full of scenes like that, turning what could have been a good movie into a nausea-inducing debacle. Thankfully, Ultimatum only uses the technique in one or two scenes, but one scene is pretty long. I spent ten minutes of the movie staring at the back of the seat in front of me.
Second, since this was the last book in the series, I expected the movie to wrap things up pretty well, but they couldn’t resist throwing in an unanswered question or two and a cliffhanger ending, leaving us wondering. Maybe they’re planning to make another one twenty years down the road, like the four or five 1980s movie series that have recently been added to. This was a good series, but I think Jason Bourne has been through enough and should be allowed to retire in peace!
In Ultimatum, Bourne has flashbacks about his pre-CIA identity and digs around to find out more about the top-secret training program that made him what he is. Like its predecessors, this movie is packed with appealing characters, clever escapes, and insane stunts. The energy never lets up as Bourne matches wits with CIA bigwigs, a room full of trackers at CIA headquarters, and a field agent who’s been through the same training he has. The plot has some interesting twists, but nothing that will knock you off the edge of the theater seat you’ll be perched on for most of the movie.
Two things I didn’t like:
First, the third movie uses some of the same film techniques as the second, with the camera bouncing along after Bourne as if it were in the chase car. The second movie was full of scenes like that, turning what could have been a good movie into a nausea-inducing debacle. Thankfully, Ultimatum only uses the technique in one or two scenes, but one scene is pretty long. I spent ten minutes of the movie staring at the back of the seat in front of me.
Second, since this was the last book in the series, I expected the movie to wrap things up pretty well, but they couldn’t resist throwing in an unanswered question or two and a cliffhanger ending, leaving us wondering. Maybe they’re planning to make another one twenty years down the road, like the four or five 1980s movie series that have recently been added to. This was a good series, but I think Jason Bourne has been through enough and should be allowed to retire in peace!
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Swing...and a miss
In July, Anthony and I snuck out for a rare date night, and headed for the Savoy. No one we know has been there, so we didn’t know what to expect. We chose it because we had driven by it a few times and it looks nice from the outside—a little fancier than typical Albuquerque dining spots, but not snooty.
In Albuquerque, just as in Vegas, you don’t have to dress up to go out to a nice dinner. You can, if you want, but you won’t usually be snubbed or turned away if you’re wearing jeans and tennis shoes. The Savoy was no exception. They were polite, despite our casual attire, but not quite friendly, like the staff at the Artichoke Cafe.
We decided to splurge on a bottle of wine, so we ordered the Fess Parker Pinot Noir, 2005. We had a Fess Parker Syrah about a year ago that was easily the best wine I’ve ever had, so I had high hopes for this wine. The Pinot Noir did not compare to the Syrah though. It was rich and fruity, with maybe a hint of chocolate, but a little too acidic for my taste. I prefer a smoother finish.
We split the sesame crusted ahi tuna sashimi appetizer, served with a cucumber miso salad, fresh wasabi, and a balsamic-soy reduction. You would think with all those garnishes, that this would be a taste adventure, but the ahi was slightly overcooked (it was supposed to be sashimi!?), the wasabi didn’t have much kick, and overall, it didn’t have much flavor.
We both ordered the filet mignon with sour cream mashed potatoes, string beans, red wine sauce, and foie gras butter. I was a little hesitant about the foie gras butter—I’ve never been even slightly tempted to try pâté—but with a little liquid courage, I decided to risk it. It was a good decision. The savory foie gras and wine sauce livened up the medium rare steak, almost compensating for the lackluster appetizer.
We completed our meal with the blackberry-chambord ice cream and the crème brule with almond biscotti. My ice cream was very tart, more like a sorbet than an ice cream. I also made the mistake of tasting Anthony’s creme brule, which was sweet and creamy, making my ice cream taste all the more tart and icey.
Our server was friendly—a little too friendly. She talked too much, taking every opening as a chance to tell us a story. Since we were there to dine with each other and not with her, it became a bit annoying. Despite her attentiveness when she was at our table, the service was painfully slow. We were there for almost three hours!
The Savoy’s website, http://www.savoyabq.com/, reflects the inattention to detail that we experienced during our dinner. The menu sublinks on the home page don’t work, so you have to go to another page with sublinks embedded to get to the menus. And there are no personal touches, like the About page and Gallery on the Artichoke Cafe’s website (http://www.artichokecafe.com/about.html). In fact, the Savoy’s “Our Story” page just describes the atmosphere of the restaurant. Where’s the story?
The Savoy wants to be a sophisticated wine-country style restaurant, and on the surface, it seems to be. But the hit-or-miss flavors, bland decor, and slow service don’t quite live up to expectations. Overall, I would say this is the spot for people concerned more about appearances than about enjoying great food and wine.
In Albuquerque, just as in Vegas, you don’t have to dress up to go out to a nice dinner. You can, if you want, but you won’t usually be snubbed or turned away if you’re wearing jeans and tennis shoes. The Savoy was no exception. They were polite, despite our casual attire, but not quite friendly, like the staff at the Artichoke Cafe.
We decided to splurge on a bottle of wine, so we ordered the Fess Parker Pinot Noir, 2005. We had a Fess Parker Syrah about a year ago that was easily the best wine I’ve ever had, so I had high hopes for this wine. The Pinot Noir did not compare to the Syrah though. It was rich and fruity, with maybe a hint of chocolate, but a little too acidic for my taste. I prefer a smoother finish.
We split the sesame crusted ahi tuna sashimi appetizer, served with a cucumber miso salad, fresh wasabi, and a balsamic-soy reduction. You would think with all those garnishes, that this would be a taste adventure, but the ahi was slightly overcooked (it was supposed to be sashimi!?), the wasabi didn’t have much kick, and overall, it didn’t have much flavor.
We both ordered the filet mignon with sour cream mashed potatoes, string beans, red wine sauce, and foie gras butter. I was a little hesitant about the foie gras butter—I’ve never been even slightly tempted to try pâté—but with a little liquid courage, I decided to risk it. It was a good decision. The savory foie gras and wine sauce livened up the medium rare steak, almost compensating for the lackluster appetizer.
We completed our meal with the blackberry-chambord ice cream and the crème brule with almond biscotti. My ice cream was very tart, more like a sorbet than an ice cream. I also made the mistake of tasting Anthony’s creme brule, which was sweet and creamy, making my ice cream taste all the more tart and icey.
Our server was friendly—a little too friendly. She talked too much, taking every opening as a chance to tell us a story. Since we were there to dine with each other and not with her, it became a bit annoying. Despite her attentiveness when she was at our table, the service was painfully slow. We were there for almost three hours!
The Savoy’s website, http://www.savoyabq.com/, reflects the inattention to detail that we experienced during our dinner. The menu sublinks on the home page don’t work, so you have to go to another page with sublinks embedded to get to the menus. And there are no personal touches, like the About page and Gallery on the Artichoke Cafe’s website (http://www.artichokecafe.com/about.html). In fact, the Savoy’s “Our Story” page just describes the atmosphere of the restaurant. Where’s the story?
The Savoy wants to be a sophisticated wine-country style restaurant, and on the surface, it seems to be. But the hit-or-miss flavors, bland decor, and slow service don’t quite live up to expectations. Overall, I would say this is the spot for people concerned more about appearances than about enjoying great food and wine.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
The Artichoke Cafe
A few weeks ago, Anthony (my husband) and I accidentally found ourselves enjoying one of the best meals we've had since we moved here. Hunting for something close to the UNM campus, we stumbled into the Artichoke Cafe. Despite our slightly dented car, grad-student-worthy attire, and cranky toddler, we were greeted pleasantly by the staff and treated as nicely as if we had arrived in a Mercedes, dressed for the theatre.
The menu at the Artichoke Cafe reminded us of one of our favorite restaurants in Las Vegas, Table 34 (formerly Wild Sage Cafe). You can see it in all its glory at their excellent website, http://www.artichokecafe.com/, where you can also make reservations, review a gallery of pictures, and explore their catering services.
Although we had just stopped in for a quick dinner, we had to try the signature artichoke appetizer--afterall, they named the restaurant after it. The artichoke was served with three dipping sauces: a rasberry vinaigrette, a garlic aoli, and drawn butter, each of which had its merits, but my favorite was the simple drawn butter. It brought out the subtle flavor of the artichoke, one of my favorite vegetables, without overpowering it.
The entree I chose was equally well-balanced and flavorful. I enjoyed a pork loin wrapped in pancetta and served with a mustard pan sauce and carmelized onions that gave it just the right touch. Anthony informed me that while he enjoyed his Veal Marsala, he would have preferred my choice, were it not for the onions (he loves onions but, sadly, is allergic to them).
Our server knew enough about the relative merits of two wines I had picked out to help me decide which I'd like better. I enjoyed a glass of the Mr. Riggs Shiraz, which was a bit sharp but went well with the rich flavor of the pork.
By the end of the meal, we were full and our toddler was out of patience, so we passed on dessert. We're looking forward to celebrating our next special occasion with a return visit.
The menu at the Artichoke Cafe reminded us of one of our favorite restaurants in Las Vegas, Table 34 (formerly Wild Sage Cafe). You can see it in all its glory at their excellent website, http://www.artichokecafe.com/, where you can also make reservations, review a gallery of pictures, and explore their catering services.
Although we had just stopped in for a quick dinner, we had to try the signature artichoke appetizer--afterall, they named the restaurant after it. The artichoke was served with three dipping sauces: a rasberry vinaigrette, a garlic aoli, and drawn butter, each of which had its merits, but my favorite was the simple drawn butter. It brought out the subtle flavor of the artichoke, one of my favorite vegetables, without overpowering it.
The entree I chose was equally well-balanced and flavorful. I enjoyed a pork loin wrapped in pancetta and served with a mustard pan sauce and carmelized onions that gave it just the right touch. Anthony informed me that while he enjoyed his Veal Marsala, he would have preferred my choice, were it not for the onions (he loves onions but, sadly, is allergic to them).
Our server knew enough about the relative merits of two wines I had picked out to help me decide which I'd like better. I enjoyed a glass of the Mr. Riggs Shiraz, which was a bit sharp but went well with the rich flavor of the pork.
By the end of the meal, we were full and our toddler was out of patience, so we passed on dessert. We're looking forward to celebrating our next special occasion with a return visit.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Fine Dining in Albuquerque, New Mexico?
When we moved to Albuquerque last summer, my husband and I were happy to be in Albuquerque but very sorry to be leaving behind the fabulous array of dining choices in Las Vegas (NV, not NM). I put myself through college (the 2nd time around) working at a semi-fine dining establishment on the Las Vegas Strip, and since then, my husband and I have acquired a taste for fine dining and wine that goes rather poorly with our current grad student budget. Nevertheless, on rare occasions such as our anniversary, we do like to splurge on a fancy meal.
Last August, knowing nothing about ABQ, we took a recommendation and headed out to the Texas Land and Cattle Company to celebrate our fifth anniversary. Let me first say that for what it is, the Texas Land and Cattle Company is not a bad restaurant; however, it was not at all what we had in mind. Despairing at the thought that it was the finest establishment that ABQ had to offer, we nearly packed our things and headed back to Vegas. However, sanity prevailed and we started looking around for better options.
Next time: better options!
Last August, knowing nothing about ABQ, we took a recommendation and headed out to the Texas Land and Cattle Company to celebrate our fifth anniversary. Let me first say that for what it is, the Texas Land and Cattle Company is not a bad restaurant; however, it was not at all what we had in mind. Despairing at the thought that it was the finest establishment that ABQ had to offer, we nearly packed our things and headed back to Vegas. However, sanity prevailed and we started looking around for better options.
Next time: better options!
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