OK, I admit it. I got a little behind on my blog posting. But here is brief wrap up of some of the restaurants covered, movies seen, and books read throughout the month of January. And remember, you can always listen to any shows you missed on the station podcasts.
Lunch Bunches for the month, all in Colorado Springs, included Culver’s ButterBurgers & Frozen Custard, Hacienda Villarreal Mexican Restaurant, and Colorado Smokehouse BBQ. But in addition, I got an opportunity to visit a couple of new, and very good, establishments in the Springs area. The first, Provecho Fresh Mexican Grill, is featuring old family recipes from the de la Fuente family. The dishes are unique in this casual, but slightly upscale, restaurant. A picture of the pozole is included here. Reasonably priced and don’t forget to check out one of the three house margaritas.
Posole at Provecho Mexican Grill.
The second, Prime 25, is a very upscale prime aged steakhouse at 1605 South Tejon in a corridor that is slated for extensive development including an Italian eatery, a boutique hotel, and more. No expense has been spared in the building exterior, interior décor, and the table settings. The New York steak was fabulous and the mashed potatoes memorable. A picture is included here.
Impressive dinner at Prime 25.
In Denver, a listener suggested I try Surena Persian Cuisine in the old Samurai Japanese Restaurant location at East Arapahoe Road and Dayton. The Diba family, after migrating from Iran years ago, started an international market, had success, and decided to expand into the restaurant business. They will walk you through the menu and explain the differences between Persian food and other Middle Eastern cuisines. The décor has been completely redone. Bright, airy, with tables set for either casual or special occasion dining. Yes, they offer a full service bar. A picture of my chicken kabob lunch is included.
Chicken kabob at Surena Persian.
Three other places that really impressed me were Brio Tuscan Grill (two locations), Grimaldi’s Pizza (Vista at Park Meadows), and City & Country Deli on South Downing. Chef Brett (pictured) has turned out a new menu at Brio. The “Don” pizza at Grimaldi’s (pictured), accompanied by a great Caesar salad, was more than enough for two people. And the hot pastrami sandwich, the Businessman, at City & Country got rave reviews from callers to the show.
Don’t skip the desserts at Brio.
The Don at Grimaldi’s.
For movies, three movies I never would have seen had listeners not suggested them – Lion, Hidden Figures, and Silence – were all powerful. Lion was moving. Hidden Figures, which has won many awards, was a great look at the early days of our space program and the contributions of three young black ladies to its success. Silence was thought provoking, and as powerful a movie as any I have seen since Passion of the Christ. I also saw, and loved, Patriots Day with Mark Wahlberg.
Finally, I am never without a book, but two I really enjoyed were The Silver Baron’s Wife, a Colorado history and the story of Baby Doe Tabor, and Good Vibrations, My Life as a Beach Boy by Mike Love, an original member of one of the most successful rock bands in history.
