2013 Dining Reviews Archive Stories

Coquette’s Bistro and Bakery is absolute proof that a gluten-free restaurant can offer delicious food that appeals to everyone. The entire menu, from soup to nuts, appetizers to deserts, can be ordered with the security of knowing you aren’t getting any gluten, but you are getting darn good food. I didn’t have to be glu

That rumbling noise to the east of town on the weekends is not thunder. Not yet. It’s the crowds of people filing in and out of Dion’s.Why are people braving long waits at the traffic light to visit Dion’s? This Albuquerque-based chain offers sandwiches, pizzas and salads. The service is friendly, even when the crow

Palmer Lake is a small town with a lot of restaurants. The histories of and connections between them all mimic a William Faulkner novel: One needs a family tree just to keep track of who started where and worked with whom.Take the B&E Filling Station, which was a local favorite from its opening in 1996 until it became Folie a Deu

I’m a sucker for the idea of a tavern. A place where you can take your kids and have a bite to eat without feeling like a bad parent. A place you can get a good burger for lunch, meet your friends for happy hour, or take your parents for dinner. I ask a lot, I know. And McCabe’s Tavern mostly meets the mark, even though some of the d

I enter every new restaurant with optimism and enthusiasm, looking for a lost chord of flavor that I’ll only recognize when I taste it. I like to ask the waiter what his or her favorite dish is, and I like to order the special. I especially like to order things I’m too busy or too lazy to make at home, along with dishes I make all th

Before you start the angry letter brigade berating me for spending a review on a chain restaurant, let me explain. Sometimes a chain restaurant comes along that is so different from everything we already have that it deserves our attention. The menu, the style or the service stands out in a way we think you should know about. Bonefish Grill is o

March 29 Caspian Cafe You need a sense of adventure to arrive at Caspian Cafe, tucked away at the north end of Sinton Road near Garden of the Gods. It's a little off the beaten track, but they aren't kidding when they recommend reservations for dinner. Even on a Sunday night, the parking lot is full and the restaurant filled with devoted

When I moved to Colorado Springs in 1992, one of my first culinary adventures was discovering Korean food. I’m not sure what I expected, but a whole new world opened up for me, with flavors and textures I’d never encountered. Cold noodle soups. Rice cakes and fish cakes. Noodles made from sweet potatoes. Cabbage combined with chilis

True story: I once trapped myself in the downtown Il Vicino. I was about 11 months pregnant at the time, and I went to Il Vicino for lunch a little early, to beat the rush. The restaurant was new, it was popular, it filled up fast while we were eating. When I stood to leave, I realized all the tables and chairs around me had filled, leaving me n

How do you judge a good diner? On its breakfast? Presence or absence of blue plate specials? Runniness of over-easy egg yolks? Desserts? The quality of the French fries? No matter what yardstick you hold up, The Pantry in Green Mountain Falls is homemade, comforting diner food at its best. More than slightly off the beaten track, the Pan

I lived a lot of years without visiting a wine bar. What was wrong with me?I cured that failing when I ventured into 2South.It’s a welcoming place, whether you want a glass of wine with friends or a quiet dinner. The restored Victorian house in Old Colorado City has a casual, cozy vibe with refinished hardwood floor

The Warehouse is a charming, inviting space no matter what time of day you visit. The warm wood echoes in the wainscoting, the pillars, the tables and chairs. The brick sides of the bar support a softly glowing, copper counter. The earth-toned walls are accented with brick, and the local artwork in the restaurant brightens the whole space.

Do you remember the first time you ever had Chinese food? I do. I was 14 years old and traveling to Illinois with my stepbrother Calvin and his wife. We stopped for Chinese food and I ordered Moo Goo Gai Pan, probably because it contained chicken and sounded safe. My fortune read, "Your future will be built on firm foundations." Calvin s

We all know that parents are not supposed to choose favorites. Even when one has given you her last bite of chocolate and the other just started a kitchen fire, we’re supposed to love them equally. Does the same hold true for restaurant siblings? Because the owners of Colorado Mountain Brewery are giving their newest location some

There are two food subjects I will never argue about: pizza and barbecue.Pizza people are fanatical about thickness of crust, depth of sauce, correct proportion of cheese and whether or not the pizza tastes good cold.The barbecue argument has even more variables and can get even more heated. I maintain that everyone has t

The night was cold, the hour was late and we were hungry. So we stepped into Jorge's Mexican Restaurant in Old Colorado City,  not knowing what to expect. I knew Jorge's had been closed for the better part of a year while undergoing a half-milllion do

January is the cold, dark heart of winter. The frigid air and short days make us crave warmth and comfort, and there's no better place to find that than Rocco's Italian Restaurant. The brick walls, padded booths and red-checked tablecloths may say "kitsch" to some, but the food tastes like there's an Italian Grandma in the kitchen. Rocco