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| - So, my beloved boyfriend had suggested this place one night for dinner and I love trying new things. The ambiance is dim lit and Spanish styled. Lit with many candles and chandeliers, this restaurant exudes a sense of exotic culinary romance. The mosaic brick-tiled accent wall is a nice touch as well.
The staff here seemed knowledgeable but a bit robotic for my taste. I prefer the conversation between server and servee to be organic. Aside from that, to begin, we ordered a bottle of the El Coto Rioja Crianza 2007. After taking our time to enjoy some conversation and the wine, we then moved on to the table side mixed guacamole. While delicious, it is kinda pricy and most definitely worth your calories for the whole week! Ha
We were given chips and salsa along with their tasty house made guacamole. The salsa they give you with the chips was super disappointing. I felt like we were dipping our chips into a bowl of cheap store bought watered down tomato sauce. I know that sounds pretty harsh but for this venue, they should know better. It is what it is.
We then chose an appetizer to continue our culinary experience. We shared the Colorado lamb with the rice and lamb chirizo. It was very impressive in both presentation and flavor profile. I was blown away at how the flavors paired so well with one and other. Simple ingredients which are prepared correctly in order to allow the natural flavors to come through are the best, I think. I almost felt that instead of ordering an entree, we should of just had more of this delicious lamb dish!
We did agree upon an entree that we both thought intriguing: the Chirizo Porchetta (pork shoulder, chorizo, fresh rosemary, cotija, white bean puree, sweet garlic crema w/chirizo gastrique). It was pretty tasty, however, we both agreed that the pork was a bit dry. I do believe that it either was not basted properly or it was just over done a bit. Regardless, the essence and aromas present were amazing.
To summarize, atmosphere is a 5, cleanliness 5, food/wine 4, service 3/4 and yes I would recommend this place to others.
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