All of the restaurants featured in this section are some of Brandon's favorite places that he has personally experienced. Only the best of the best, the most delectable, authentic, and those establishments that are rather quite unique are featured here. Each listing provides you with some of Brandon's thoughts, feelings, and experiences from each, along with an image and the basic details for more information.
I hope that if there's ever a point in time that you find yourself traveling to a place that I've been before, that you will look up one of these great establishments! =)
*Please note: I feature some of my restaurant experiences on this list, and while every experience has its ups and its downs, I always focus on the positives, as I do within my own life. However, do know that if I ever had a moderately bad experience at one of these restaurants, I have either stated so below in my description, or I have decided to withdrawal the facility from the E&P Restaurants section.
I hope that if there's ever a point in time that you find yourself traveling to a place that I've been before, that you will look up one of these great establishments! =)
*Please note: I feature some of my restaurant experiences on this list, and while every experience has its ups and its downs, I always focus on the positives, as I do within my own life. However, do know that if I ever had a moderately bad experience at one of these restaurants, I have either stated so below in my description, or I have decided to withdrawal the facility from the E&P Restaurants section.
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Black Bart's Steakhouse,
Saloon, & Musical Revue 2760 East Butler Avenue Flagstaff, AZ 86004 (928) 779-3142 www.blackbartssteakhouse.com Ocean Prime Larimer Square, 1465 Larimer Street Denver, CO 80202 (303) 825-3663 www.ocean-prime.com TAG Restaurant Larimer Square, 1441 Larimer Street Denver, CO 80202 (303) 996-9985 www.tag-restaurant.com |
Black Bart's is a rarity among the American food and entertainment culture – it's not only a steakhouse, but a musical revue too. Throughout your dining experience, the very same staff that had sat you, taken your order and have served your food show off their singing (and sometimes their dancing) skills. At Black Bart's, they do it right – the food is fantastic, the entertainment is spectacular, and the atmosphere is authentic, good ol' Western.
Ocean Prime by Cameron Mitchell may be the best restaurant experience that I've ever had. Hands down, Ocean Prime offered the best steak (though the Ore House in Durango could compete), shrimp/seafood, and overall complete menu that I can remember. I had the Sunday Surf & Turf filet, shrimp scampi, with truffle mac & cheese, along with a few other varying dishes, and I have to say, everything was magical – truly, I'm not kidding, truly amazing meal!
For a more adventurous eater who may find themselves simply bored of traditional meals out, then the vibrant TAG restaurant would be the perfect dining selection. Eating at TAG is an experience – an experience unlike any dining experience I've had. My meal began with a lovely bottle of wine, Kobe Beef Sliders and Crispy Duck Leg, followed by the popping Flash Seared Hamachi (complete with pop rocks), and the Scottish Salmon – A bit different, but very, very good!
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The Ore House Restaurant 147 East College Drive Durango, CO 81301 (970) 247-5707 www.orehouserestaurant.com La Marmotte French Restaurant 150 West San Juan Avenue Telluride, CO 81435 (970) 728-6232 www.lamarmotte.com Rustico Ristorante 114 East Colorado Avenue Telluride, CO 81435 (970) 728-4046 www.rusticoristorante.com |
The Ore House should be the cookie cutter for every steakhouse in the world. Hands down! – It's the best steak, the best service, and the best bartending I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. That may sound like a plug, but I promise you! The Ore House's bartender is both extremely knowledgeable and passionate, as well as talented and crafty. I was entertained, illuminated, and fed extremely well. Top quality, free range meats and local grown goodness!
La Marmotte is a modern French-influenced restaurant in the awesome town of Telluride. The restaurant is classy and relaxed, with a lovely staff. The second level of the building is where the prep happens, but on the ground floor there is a kitchen suspended above the main dining floor, where you can watch the magic happen. I would suggest the Scotland Salmon. One of the best seafood meals I've had far away from the ocean – A must stop in Colorado!
What can I say that won't sound like hyperbole? Seriously, the Rustico in Telluride, Colorado is a sterling gem. I was impressed with the knowledge, friendliness and service of the staff. But it was the food that was the true star. I haven't had this authentic of Italian cuisine, prepared to perfection since my time in Italy. Just wow! I recommend a stop at the Rustico – be sure to try the Fettuccine Mare, it's heavenly, and the steak filet should also be grouped in a like category. YUM!
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Tucanos Brazilian Grill 110 Central Avenue SW Albuquerque, NM 87102 (505) 246-9900 www.tucanos.com |
Quite the pleasant surprise at the Tucanos Brazilian Grill as I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Once I was sat, my waitress explained the entire process – I knew it was going to be a good night! Tucanos starts you off with a buffet of salad, snacks, and various small dishes. They specialize in serving a variety of meats and seafood, skewered and grilled over an open flame. You can have as much as you want, so plan accordingly. AND yes, it is as good as it sounds!
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El Farol Restaurant & Cantina 808 Canyon Road Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 983-9912 www.elfarolsf.com |
Santa Fe, New Mexico is one very interesting town, full of history, art, shopping, and wonderment. While there are many 'must sees' and 'have to check outs' in Santa Fe, I found that one of the (perhaps) lesser known attractions is the El Farol Restaurant and Cantina. The reason that the El Farol is such a fine establishment is because of its authenticity – the food is nice and the atmosphere is intriguing, but it's the Flamenco show that's worth stopping for – it's legit!
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Benihana – LVH 3000 Paradise Road Las Vegas, NV 89109 (702)732-5334 www.benihana.com |
Ah, Benihana's... An American (Japanese) institution for 50 years. Like most American Japanese Teppanyaki style restaurants, Benihana's seating layout consists of around ten chairs that surround a large iron griddle. You're served starter soups and salads, until it's time for your chef to appear and begin cooking. The food at Benihana's was pretty tasty overall, but the chef's bad jokes were a bit too much – haha.
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Ferraro's Restaurant and Lounge 4480 Paradise Road Las Vegas, NV 89169 (702) 364-5300 www.ferraroslasvegas.com |
Ferraro's on Paradise has been a staple of Las Vegas' fine dining and night experience since 1985. Gino Ferraro, the owner, has staked his family's reputation on his promise of serving the highest quality of home-style Italian cooking outside of Italy. The atmosphere of Ferraro's is a mix of a smooth jazz lounge with high end fine dining. I was astonished at the quality and purity of the night's fare, as well as with Gino's lovely manner and accessibility. Magnifico!
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Pizza Cottage 969 Mount Vernon Road Newark, OH 43055 (740) 366-5747 www.pizza-cottage.com SOHO Kitchen & Bar 1889 West 25th Street Cleveland, OH 44113 (216) 298-9090 www.sohocleveland.com The Refectory Restaurant and Bistro 1092 Bethel Road Columbus, OH 43220 (614) 451-9774 www.refectory.com The Guild House 624 North High Street Columbus, OH 43215 (614) 280-9780 www.theguildhousecolumbus.com |
While the original started in Buckeye Lake, the quality control throughout their new expansions is top quality. Let me just tell you straight up about the pizza at Pizza Cottage – you will be hard pressed to find a better modern American style pizza joint in most of the USA, let alone simply in Ohio. It's hard to choose one favorite pizza place, with Donatos and Michaels, among other greats in the area, but Pizza Cottage takes home the gold in my book!
SOHO Kitchen & Bar in Cleveland is one of the best places I've eaten, where they specialize in recreating and one-upping traditional southern cuisine. SOHO took fried chicken to a whole new level, of which I never knew existed on this amazing, finite planet of ours. Seriously, their fried chicken is out of the world awesome; and their other dishes are fanciful interpretations that are also must tries. The modern stylings complement the bar with its wide-ranged menu.
The Refectory is one of Columbus' best restaurants. It's classy, with moody lighting and a fine dining look and feel. The chefs took my significant other and I along for a journey of taste for nearly three hours. We sampled the seafood terrine, roasted duck breast and the salmon pavé. Each dish had an explosion of flavor, many unique, as there were endless combinations, several of which that I had never tried nor thought to combine, yet came together in a flurry of fluidity.
One of the finest dining experiences I've had was at the Guild House in Columbus. Why? Simply put, they served the most savory flavors along with the finest ingredients, culminating into a fantastic onslaught of the taste buds. It didn't stop with the dinner nor the delicious deserts, as the bar was perhaps one of the biggest surprises. Amazing! Try the Blossom drink and start with the Tuna Ribbons. Finish off the meal with a very fine Sea Bass in lobster broth.
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Max's Wine Dive 4720 Washington Avenue Houston, TX 77007 (713) 880-8737 www.maxswinedive.com |
Max's Wine Dive mixes comfort food – served in creative and tasty ways – and fine dining. But this isn't your rich aunt's fine dining, mind you – it's the type of comfortable hipster, dive bar-esque feel, without the hipsters, the PBR, the mildew smell, nor the bad service. Max's has wicked good food (I had the Lobster Fries) and a fine wine menu in a chill, relaxed setting – with all the positives, and barely (if) any of the negatives of most dives.
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Alamo Drafthouse Park North
618 NW Interstate 410 Loop Frontage Road San Antonio, TX 78216 (210) 677-8500 www.drafthouse.com |
Besides live song or dance, I can't think of many things that can improve one's dining experience, than a night out at a quality dinner theater – because that's exactly what the Alamo Drafthouse specializes in. I've been to a few dinner, movie combos, and the food typically falls short of what I would call a 'nice dinner.' But the Alamo exceeded my expectations, as the menu offered variety, the food was tasty, and the service was spot on.
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If any of the presented information is incorrect or has gone out of date, please contact Brandon here – thank you.
*Eye & Pen does not take responsibility or copyright or ownership over the images used in this reference guide, where unless Brandon had created the images, then normal E&P copyrights remain in place.
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