Table 79, Steamboat Springs

Posted on October 13, 2018 by melsmosaic

Last time I was in Steamboat Springs, CO was able to visit one of the local restaurants, Table 79.

They have a nice variety of tapas/small plates on the menu, as well as some entrees. I love having lots of things to nibble on so we chose a few on the smaller options to check out.

SMOKED ELK & CHORIZO MEATBALL / 4 // sweet corn succotash, sun dried tomato aioli

You do indeed get 1 meatball, but it’s a good size. The corn was delicious, as was the main part of the dish.

DEVILED EGG SALAD / 10 // spicy greens, cornichons, snow peas, pepita brittle, paprika champagne vinaigrette

They told us it was sort of a disassembled salad…what? They don’t just kind of mash up a hard boiled egg with a bunch of stuff. They nicely spread it out on a plate. Very unique and really good!

TUNA POKE / 11 // toasted sesame, pineapple, fiery sticky rice, avocado

The sticky fried rice the tuna sat on was quite nice, great presentation. Good taste overall.

CRISPY BRUSSELS SPROUTS / 7 // table spice

I love Brussels sprouts and this didn’t change that thought, just reinforced it.

So, great experience. We also sat outside on a lovely evening. Service was wonderful, as well. Check it out if you’re in the area. Cheers.

Laundry

Posted on April 20, 2018 by melsmosaic

Laundry doesn’t normally sound like a good thing. But in Steamboat Springs, CO it’s something that is not so bad. Visited Laundry Kitchen & Cocktails one evening to check out the latter part of their name.

We arrived not long after they opened and (nonetheless) had to wait awhile for a couple seats at the bar. Fortunately that gave us some time to pour over the menu. So, when we were able to snag some seats, we were ready to place our orders.

We opted for:

Fresh & 43 — Berry infused vodka, licor 43, fresh lemon juice, orange bitters, soda water, fresh fruit garnish

Smoke & thyme — Finlandia vodka, pear/apple puree, St. Germaine, mezcal, fresh lemon juice with a raspberry, thyme sprig garnish

Both were amazing. So fresh, so much flavor. Definitely unique. One of the best parts was watching the bartender make them. One of those seasoned guys who can make any and everything and has a great time doing it. We would have loved to stick around for longer and even order some food, but had to get back to the house for dinner. Will definitely head back there for another round and to check out the dinner menu. Cheers!

Bloody Relaxation

Posted on April 19, 2018 by melsmosaic

You know, skiing can be so hard. So, when 2pm or so comes, it’s time to refuel. And what does that mean? A Bloody Mary, of course! The first time I went to Steamboat, I was told about the best of these drinks. They were served at Four Points Lodge (which can be a bit of work to get to if you’re at the wrong spot on the mountain). This place is ‘located atop the Four Points chairlift on Storm Peak, the Four Points Lodge is a unique mountain retreat restaurant nestled 9,716 feet above sea level.’

(photo source: steamboat.com)

In this 2 o’clock hour, it can take some time to get the bartender’s attention. Then after what seems like forever, you get to place your order. You are asked how spicy you want your concoction. I tend to go for the milder end, one of the others with me did as well, then another wanted kick. Then the drinks arrive. The adornments are priceless. You normally get an olive, celery and/or piece or citrus at bars. Oh, not here…olive, lime, pickled green bean, pepperoncini, pepper jack cheese, slice of bacon and celery. And, yes, there really is drink there, too.

Then for the enjoyment. Walk outside, shining sun, and plop down in an Adirondack chair. Have some Bloody Relaxation with adult tomato juice. Can’t get much better than that. Then, just have to get motivated to ski down the hill…

La Fiesta Grill & Cantina

Posted on December 14, 2016 by melsmosaic

Awhile back I checked out a great Mexican place in Steamboat Springs, CO — La Fiesta Grill & Cantina. What drove me there? The coupon that was on the back of the receipt from the grocery store. I guess those things actually work!

Some of the required drinks were ordered, margaritas. But, after some discussion with the waitress I changed from my normal, or I guess just what is normally served, and got one with white tequila. Ok, that’s my new favorite.

Had some simple stuff for lunch between the two of us there. I had one of my staples — ceviche, and the other had chicken tortilla soup.

The ceviche was good, but not quite the normal. It was almost like a gazpacho. There was tomato juice in there. Not saying I didn’t like it, but totally not what I was expecting. The tortilla soup was just perfect!

With the coupon, we got one of the margaritas free, too. Heck yeah! Worth checking out if you’re in that town.

Cugino’s

Posted on December 11, 2016 by melsmosaic

While in Steamboat Springs, was looking for some lunch and came across a sort-of-hidden Italian place, Cugino’s.

Italian food sounded good and their lunch options sounded even better! For under $10 you could get a small pizza and beer (not sure if they have seasonal menus and I was not there during ski season). That was almost too good to be true. And the beer was good stuff, not just some boring macrobrew.

The service was a bit slow but the waiter was very apologetic. And we were sitting outside enjoying the weather so that helped.

When the food came out, well worth the wait! I went for pizza with no cheese (lactard) and some other great toppings, the other pizza at the table did have the nice melted stuff. Perfect crust, perfect size, absolutely delicious.

Will definitely check this place out again next time I’m in the area.

Game of Elk

Posted on November 30, 2016 by melsmosaic

I love game meat. In fact, it’s about the only red meat my body can digest. I have enjoyed venison for ages. And when I travel to great places around the world I love trying new stuff. Now, there is also ‘domestic’ game meat — as in the stuff we have here. I say that because we don’t have my favorite, warthog, which I enjoyed in South Africa, here.

Anyway, last time I was in Colorado, Steamboat (Springs) to be precise, I enjoyed a very nice dinner at Mahogany Ridge Brewery & Grill and was able to expand my game tastes/tastings.

After looking over the menu several times, the elk was calling my name but the cost was not exactly low ($40). But, decided I had to give it a try. After speaking to the server, she mentioned the portion was quite hefty, so the two of us at the table decided to split that along with a house salad, oh and some vino (which of course came out well before the food)!

The elk was nice, traditional game meat. Very chewy, much more so than venison. It was not my favorite game meat ever but would definitely eat it again if offered.