Still in Denver

Saturday night, we had a good meal at a place called Alto - they definitely had the customer service thing down. The problem was they also had live music that seemed to get louder and louder as the night went on. We started with a cheese fondue, that was gorgonzola, and probably cream cheese, or maybe it was gorgonzola dolce - it was very mild and rich and creamy with just a hint of blue cheese flavor - served with toast and apples and roasted fingerling potatoes. I got a beet salad, which like the night before's duck, was served somewhat deconstructed - the beets in a pile, the walnuts in a pile, and the cheese in a pile all next to a pile of dressed greens. After that, I ate boneless buffalo short ribs on top of a parsnip puree with a few more of the roasted fingerlings scattered around the plate. The band took a break to give us time to eat our entrees, which was most accommodating, but the waist of my skirt was less so - uncomfortably tight on the walk home.

On Sunday, we had probably the best meal measured by the food, but the worst measured by the treatment. We had a reservation at 7:45 at Tamayo, an upscale Mexican joint. We got there maybe 5 minutes early, and the host said the people at our table were finishing up, had paid their bill, and we'd be seated soon. We stood around for forty-five minutes, with more and more promises of soon, soon, from the two nice young girls running the front. The five of us crowded into a couple of tables at the bar, but it was freezing. Finally, Mark told the host in no uncertain terms that she needed to go back and tell the other party that she needed the table. She hesitated, but did it. As soon as we were seated they brought us chips & salsa & quacamole, and a free round of drinks. I had chipotle shrimp, and got them to sub in a square of poblano-potato gratin - that I wanted to make for Thanksgiving, but ended up doing other potatoes instead - for the black beans. I shoulda tipped the waiter $30 probably; I did $20 on the credit card and then felt guilty and left another $5 on the table.