Black Cat - Boulder, CO (05/16/08) - 86

The Score

• Food - 18


• Service - 5 (ouch!)


• Ambiance - 8


• Wine - 5


• Total - 86


• Price - $$$$

The Meal

• Starter - Chilled, Cream Fennel Soup - Awesome!


• Appetisers - Beet salad, Bibb lettuce Salad


• Main - Study of Rabbit (YES!!); Surf and Turf (Scallops and beef brisket)


• Dessert - Cheese plate - (Humboldt Fog!!!)
• Wine - 2004 Atlas Peak, Napa Valley Cab - great stuff!

The Skinny

http://www.blackcatboulder.com/ Wow, these folks can cook! There was very little to say about the entrees and the entire meal except what an exceptional bouquet of flavors! Portions, while smaller than most, didn't strike me as too small. For some it would be but this isn't an all you can eat joint - it's a place to try eclectic flavors from the small French Bistro style. Everything that my father and I had was eyebrow raising and smile inducing. So, if you like food and don't care much about service...then this is your place.

The ambiance is quite comfortable too. It's small, ony 12 tables in the entire restaurant (plus a bar) and has a cool vibe, but not tragically hip (to quote a friend of mine). It's intimate enough given the size and very well done. Some tables (4 out of the 12) have couches where love sick couples can snuggle, put on public displays of attention and look out on all the other patrons. However, one table has got to go! We first got seated at this table and had to move given the proximity to the kitchen and food pick-up station. It was hot (cus of the proximity to the kitchen), tight and really uncomfortable. But once we changed tables, no problem.

The serivce was not good. They forgot to serve bread, forgot the tea, and didn't check in enough to see if we needed anything. Usually I like to be left alone, but we needed things. It shouldn't have been that hard given that there was 4 servers, each with three tables, but somehow it just didn't work. We saw the major flaw being that there was no floor manager ensuring the quality of the service. Had they invested in a floor manager, I think things would have run much smoother. Again, here is a restaurant that should have scored in the mid to high 90s if they would focus on the service.

The wine list is a little thin. There are some highlights, but I think they need to pay more attention to it and invest in a wine manager who will roam and educate. People still don't know wine well and they need to help make it a little more approachable. I do believe what they had was good, but there seemed to be little consistentcy. Too fragmented and directionless for my tastes and seemed to be a little of an after thought. But not a deal breaker at all.

All in all this is one of Boulder's finest restaurants. Pay atention to the service, stop trying to do everything with students and you might have something that would fair well on the national stage.

Boulevard - San Francisco (5/5/08) - 94

The Score

• Food - 17
• Service - 13
• Ambiance - 9
• Wine - 5
• Total - 94
• Price - $$$$

The Skinny

http://www.boulevardrestaurant.com/

Went to Boulevard with Phil Battat and Erin. Shaffer 1.5, Crab Salad, Halibut with risotto (had a glass of pinot gris with the fish). Great example of how good company makes the experience fantastic. Phil and Erin and great friends who love to laugh and have fun. Its makes for a great atmosphere.

And despite that, Boulevard stands on its own as a real San Francisco gem. Located at Stewart and Mission it's perfectly situated to cater to the crowd who wants to grab dinner right after work. Walking distance from most downtown locations.

It's very French bistro inside. The food, service and atmosphere provide a nice respite to a long work day. The well trained staff take care of you and you can relax without worrying if there is anything you might need. They even think of things you might not have considered. Nothing went wrong with this evening - a lot of that is attributed to how well run this restaurant really is. Nice job Boulevard!

Ozumo - San Francisco (5/4/08) - 87.5

The Score

• Food - 17
• Service - 8 (Yikes!)
• Ambiance - 7.5
• Wine - 5 (Largest Sake menu I've ever seen)
• Total - 87.5
• Price - $$$

The Skinny

http://www.ozumo.com/

Not good to forget to put in the food order when you're a waiter. :)

We went to Ozumo on the early side and were some of the only people in the restaurant. Sadly, they didn't put us near the window to look out on the bay views. Maybe it was the way I was dressed, but it surely doesn't help to be placed in a dark corner. To be fair, we went in without a reservation, so there is only so much to say.

I really have no complaints about the food at Ozumo. It was consistent, interesting and brought together a variety of electic tastes that really worked. The only thing I think they may want to revist is the seaweed salad. A little too much vinegar.

Ozumo has, quite possibly, one of the most extentsive sake menus I've ever seen. Should I ever want to understand sake, I'm heading back to this restaurant.

Service was mediocre at best. The waiter was not attentive and even forgot to put in our order. If you notice, had their service been better, this restaurant would have scored quite highly. But, and I'm being nice here, that waiter sucked! He didn't even apologize for his poor, poor service when he forgot to put in the order. I'd have given him props had he said, "I totally forgot your order and I'm going to give you a free beer why you wait!" That's service. So you see, it's not if you make a mistake, but rather how you respond to it.

Col Terra - Niwot, CO - 91.5

The Score

• Food - 18
• Service - 11
• Ambiance - 9
• Wine - 3.5
• Total - 91.5
• Price - $$$$

The Skinny

http://www.colterra.com/

What can I say...I love this place. Nestled into the cute downtown space of Niwot, CO you find what in my opinion is one of the best restaurants on the front range. Beautiful outside seating, great food and a casual atmosphere are the simple elements that make this place great and keep you wanting to come back time and again.

I've been twice to Col Terra and both times found the experience to be consistent with their mission - fresh, seasonal food with a variety of options. If you like restaurants you have to visit this place. As I understand it, CT under went a shift in ownership. Well thank God. I was at the restuarant that CT replaced and always felt it was a shame that such a great space was being wasted on mediocrity.

My only complaint is that the wine list is a little limited and the experience level of the wait staff is only average - boith in terms of wine knowledge and high-end service. And, forgive me for this, but the wait staff should not be complaining about working there to the patrons. I don't care how unsatisfied you are, don't bring your crap to work and lay it on the patrons. It makes us uncomfortable.

Everything I've tried on the menu is well done. Visit...see for yourself how pleasant Col Terra is.

The Empire Lounge - Louisville, CO - 81.5

The Score

• Food - 12
• Service - 8
• Ambiance - 9
• Wine - 2.5
• Total - 81.5
• Price - $$$

The Skinny

http://www.theempirerestaurant.com/

The Empire Lounge is an example of a place having the right face and the wrong substance. Man, this place is cool. The bar, the scene....it all says "get ready for a nice evening!" Sadly thought the service and food don't meet the expectations. Both entrees we had were bland. We even had to send back for different sauces just to try and dress is up ourselves.

Of course, I finished my meal, but that was more a function of being hungry than being blowing away. They need to pick it up a little or this place isn't going to be something people return to. I spent over $130 on dinner and left disappointed.

One thing that surprised me was the wine list. I didn't think it was exceptional but thought that it should be given what this place is supposed to represent.

The ambiance is the main reason to go. The place has been renovated since the last place was there. I love what they've done. I will give this place another try, especially since summer is coming around and it's the kind of place you can wear flipflops and still get really great food.

Appetizer - Onion

Entree - Lamb, Enchilada, Mole - bland; Chicken w/ olive polenta - bland

4580 - Boulder (April) - 79.5

The Score

• Food - 12
• Service - 10
• Ambiance - 4
• Wine - 3.5
• Total - 79.5
• Price - $$$

The Skinny

http://www.restaurant4580.com/

I'm not sure what to say yet about 4580. It is in a great location in Boulder, but there's something that's just not sitting right. The service wasn't that spectacular and the food was only average, but they are pricing it on the mid/high range. Not sure the experience justifies it.

The table we sat at was also not ideal - right in the middle of the room with narrow space between table. It was like eating in a train station. IF I ever go back, there is no way I'm sitting there again. I really dock points for restaurants who don't think through the experience that each table will have. If you're gonna do that, then make it a pub and let people expect to have to sit close and have people pass by you every second.

Also, for a restaurant that is attached to a wine shop I felt as though they didn't have someone who was an expert and could guide the wine experience. The owner, bless his heart, is doing the best he can, but struck me as a first time owner/operator of an eating establishment. Also, put your wine list online. The fact that the wine list is obscure (can be a good thing) is reason enough. Many of us want to look up the wines prior to coming to the restaurant.

The wait staff didn't give us silverware for atleast 10 minutes after they gave us the appetizer. And we couldn't seem to get anyone's attention. Oh, and they screwed up my order. Ah well, there's other, better places to go.

Harsh, absolutely. But then I spent $160 on the meal and expected much better. Shape up or it's not gonna work out.

Luna Park - San Francisco (5/1/08)

The Score

• Food - 18
• Service - 13
• Ambiance - 9
• Wine - 3
• Total - 93
• Price - $$

The Skinny

http://www.lunaparksf.com/

TBD