R&R Coffee Cafe

Date Visited: Saturday, June 18^th, 2011
Heard About Via:  Twitter

R&R Coffee Cafe
11425 Black Forest Road #6
Colorado Springs, CO 80908
(719) 494-8300
http://www.rnrcoffeecafe.com/

Attire:            Casual
Company:      My Husband

RATING – 4/4 Stars

The Coffee/Baked Goods:      4 – Gotta Go!
Service:                                   3.5 – Savor It…
Atmosphere:                           4 – Gotta Go!
Cost/Value:                             $ - Got a few bucks

Ratings Key

General                                               Cost/Value (based on a party of 2)
1 – No go…                                         $ – Pinchin’ pennies (less than $10)
2 – Try it…                                          $$ – Got a few bucks (less than $20)
3 – Savor it...                                       $$$ – It doesn’t hurt to drop a few (less than $50)
4 – Gotta go!                                        $$$$ – I just got a bonus ($100 +)

Greeted by an old western building, R&R Coffe Café sits right off of Black Forest road in the heart of a large bed of trees.  Upon our arrival, we could hear the conversation and laughter into the parking lot, as one of their dining areas had open walls.  The coffee shop was endearing and charming upon entering, with coffee permeating the air.  We were greeted by a small line of eager customers ready to order their morning coffee and breakfast.  Like any savvy store, tempting baked goods lined the wall in which the line was formed.  Between the cake, scones and blueberry muffins, we decided to sink our teeth into the blueberry muffin.  As I approached the register, I was greeted with a very kind smile and helpful attitude, I could tell that they were all very busy and focused on ensuring the timely delivery of their customer’s meals and coffee drinks.  I ordered 2 cups of coffee with a blueberry muffin.  The cashier directed me to the coffee dispensers that stood behind me and handed me a bag and a sheet of plastic to grab my blueberry muffin from beneath the glass display dish.  While all of this was going on, I started to hear bluegrass in the background, I thought they must have turned on the radio, nope, I turned around to find a group of young teenage boys playing instruments and singing in the corner of the dining room.  They sounded amazing and it tied the whole wonderful experience together!

The Coffee/Muffin
The coffee was excellent, I had to sample all of the roasts and really enjoyed the Costa Rican decaf, but there was no way that I was going to be drinking decaf, so I went for the Forest Mist Blend.  This blend was sweet & mellow, with tones of roasted oak.  It was soo smooth and silky, very good blend and I am tempted to purchase a bag of it next time I am up at R&R.  We had to get the muffin because #1 it looked amazing and #2 I was not counting calories on Saturday (shhh…don’t tell my trainer).  The blueberry muffin was extremely MOIST, not too sweet and was baked to perfection!

So Great…
The atmosphere!  This coffee shop embodies the Colorado western charm that everyone hears about and wants to experience when in Colorado.  This is a MUST for locals and a place you need to bring any family and friends who visit you while in Colorado Springs.  The coffee bean bags draped on the ceiling, the red, warm paint, the locals coffee mugs hanging above the barista stand, the music, the outdoor setting and so much more really make this an experience that cannot be missed!

The Bummer…
The ordering process.  Like most small joints, the ordering process still resorts to a pen and paper, nothing against that, but I felt because of that, there was a bit of disorganization.  I am sure it is not like that when they are slammed like they were this past Saturday, but my steamed soy milk ended up at the back of the line behind 15 mocha lattes.  I ended up waiting almost 15 minutes to get some steamed soy milk, I think a POS system and communication between the casher and the barista would have helped.  The only other change I would make would be to add MORE blueberries to your blueberry muffins.  They are AMAZING, but lacked the flavor of the blueberries throughout the yummy muffin.

Great Job you guys, it was fun!

El Padrino - Tequila Lime Cream Sauce, Yum!

Date Visited: Tuesday, June 15, 2011

Heard About Via:  Friend's Recommendation

El Padrino
13425 Voyager Parkway
Colorado Springs, CO 80921-7648
(719) 487-2727
http://www.facebook.com/pages/El-Padrino-Mexicano/144516582052

Attire:            Casual
Company:      My Husband

RATINGS

The Grub:                    2 – Try It…
Service:                         3 – Savor It…
Atmosphere:                2/3 - Try it/Savor It…
Cost/Value:                  $$ - Got a few bucks

Ratings Key

General                                               Cost/Value (based on a party of 2)
1 – No go…                                         $ – Pinchin’ pennies (less than $10)
2 – Try it…                                          $$ – Got a few bucks (less than $20)
3 – Savor it...                                       $$$ – It doesn’t hurt to drop a few (less than $50)
4 – Gotta go!                                        $$$$ – I just got a bonus ($100 +)

REVIEW
What a beautiful place, in a brand new building, El Padrino sits right on the corner of North Gate and Voyager.  The outside of the restaurant looks very up-scale, romantic and draws you in.  My favorite part upon arriving, was being greeted by HUGE Spanish doors that sit on the inside of the main entrance.  They were exquisite.  As you enter the restaurant, the room is split before you the dining room on the left and the bar on the right.  It is not huge and definitely has a “cozy” feel.  I did not get the opportunity to see if they had a patio, but if so, it would be with incredible views.  This restaurant seems like a great place to hang out with friends on a warm summer day and sip on margaritas…I did not get the chance to try a margarita last night, but maybe we will go back just for that some time!

The Grub
The value was decent, the food arrived fast after ordering.  I ordered the tequila lime chicken (~$11), good presentation with a wonderful melody of vegetables in the calavacitas on the side.  They mixed in bacon for the meat, which gave the side dish a nice smoky flavor, I pushed a majority of the bacon to the side but the residuals of its effects were tasty.  The tequila lime cream sauce draped over the chicken was phenomenal, but the rice left much to be desired.  It was overcooked and the tomatoes did not taste fresh.  Overall the food was decent with a few excellent flavors in select items, yet there was a lack of cohesion amongst the playing parts in the dish. 

So Great…
The tequila lime cream sauce!  Wow…very well done El Padrino.  The service was also phenomenal, my water did not remain empty for more than 2 minutes and all of the staff was all very friendly and accommodating.  The atmosphere also provided a warm and cozy feel.

The Bummer…
The chips & salsa.  Beyond the amazing service and scrumptious tequila lime sauce, the chips and salsa were the most disappointing to me.  Again, lack of fresh flavors left me wanting more.  The hot salsa was pretty good, but lacked personality and complexity.  The mild salsa was “pasty” and watery…missing salt, garlic and cilantro for that extra pop.  I also have to say that my chicken was a bit tough and the chicken breast itself was pretty small (there is something kind of funny about this sentence….)…I am being serious, but I really don’t know how else to write this sentence, haha… J

Great Cabernet for Dinner Tonight

337 - 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
http://www.337wine.com/Wines/

From: Lodi, California

Ratings:
Wine: 3 - Savor It...
Value: $ - Pinchin' Pennies (~$12)

Where to Buy in Colorado Springs?
http://www.337wine.com/WTB/




Review

Right off the top I get the aroma of dark cherries, as I swirl the wine around in the glass…as soon as I take a sip the flavor of spice hits every taste bud on my tongue, followed by an intense blackberry flavor.  The finish is smooth after the flood of mocha flavor that hits the back of your palate, while the intense spice still sits on your tongue.  A must try at a great value!

Musings - the story behind the selection...
I love sending my husband to shop, not just for food, but for wine as well, his reasoning for picking out the wine is hilarious and whimsical, I love it.  9 times out to 10, he ends up landing some great wines and he did with the 337.  We admittedly ran out of our “2 Buck Chuck” (blush blush) and I went to grab a nice wine to pair with our dinner and I grabbed this one.  When I asked my husband why he picked that particular wine his response was, “I recognized the label, we’ve had it before.”  After a somewhat frank and witty conversation, I had to relent and pretend like I thought we had it before, but I still don’t think we have…

This point leads to my next, which is my amazement at how “programmable” we can really be when it comes to purchasing a bottle of wine.  I see it all the time, a guy all dressed up, hair slicked back, cologne permeating the isles…scanning back and forth down every isle from every region and country, just looking for a bottle of wine that “looks good” and isn’t too cheap, I doubt his dinner date will know the difference anyway…   Labels sell, and I think this one got my husband, because it is a sleek label and man they make the wine sound good on the back!

Now, to give my husband and all the other guys out there a break, I have to admit, I was very driven by the wine labels and the statement that they made, until I started getting more into wine and reading Wine Enthusiast.  After this slight paradigm shift in my thinking, a majority of my purchasing became dictated by the prestigious pallets of the Wine Enthusiast.  I slightly struggle with this and try to venture out because I feel that a lot of those wine ratings are “political,” therefore I try to “follow my…nose?” 

Gold Hill Java

Date Visited: Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Heard About Via:  The Independent Newspaper

Gold Hill Java
332 N. Tejon St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Mon – Wed: 6am – 7pm
Thur – Sat: 6am – 9pm
Sun: 8am – 7pm
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gold-Hill-Java-Downtown/189475914431289#!/pages/Gold-Hill-Java-Downtown/189475914431289?sk=info



Attire:            Casual
Company:      Just me!

RATINGS
I wish I had the time today to try their delectable fudge and food, but I didn’t.  Just ran in to get a quick cup of joe, I will be sure to be back to try the rest of their goodies!




Coffee:                         3 – Savor It...
Service:                         3 – Savor It…
Atmosphere:                2/3 - Try it/Savor It…
Cost/Value (Coffee):   $ - Pinchin’ pennies


Ratings Key
General                                               Cost/Value (based on a party of 2)
1 – No go…                                         $ – Pinchin’ pennies (less than $10)
2 – Try it…                                          $$ – Got a few bucks (less than $20)
3 – Savor it...                                       $$$ – It doesn’t hurt to drop a few (less than $50)
4 – Gotta go!                                        $$$$ – I just got a bonus ($100 +)

REVIEW

I am not going to pretend to use fancy terms so that I might blow your mind with my knowledge of coffee, but what I can tell you is that I have been drinking way too much of it for way too long, and this cup of coffee was GOOD.  I don’t think that we acknowledge enough that a lot of our impression about the food/drink hits us the second we walk into the door.  We are making a snap judgment about the joint that we just entered and BOOM – 30 seconds, the food or drink is GOOD before I try it.  Ok, ok, maybe that is a little bit extreme, but that is what happened to me today…

The Cup of Joe

It was HOT!!!  Kinda number one when we’re talking about coffee here.  I can’t tell you how many places I have been in town when all I want is a hot cup of coffee, yes even on days like today, and the darn thing is cold.  Um, excuse me, but if I pump coffee out of this dispenser, I want to see STEAM buddy?!  Well, today at Gold Hill Java, I got STEAM!  To top it off, my cup of coffee was only $1.50, I asked for soy milk because I am lactose intolerant and I was not charged an extra $3.00 to add soy.  Oh the joy that stuck me at the register…  I dabbled in all of the flavors that were before me and settled on the “Wildhorn Blend.”  I like my coffee dark and rich, I also really enjoy a BOLD pop on each sip.  This coffee delivered may great flavors upon first sip: smooth, smoky, small hints of vanilla and roasted nut…mmm…very good.  Lacking?  BOLDNESS.  I wish there was more depth to this blend…but overall, very good!!!


So Great…

Great location, I am pretty much anything downtown is in a good location, only because there is where I am 80% of my week…  No, I am kidding.  This is a great location because it is right on the corner, the sign is easy to spot and I absolutely adore the building this coffee shop sits in.  When you walk in you don’t feel cramped or suffocated, their remodeling has certainly brought an “airiness” to the place over the old stagnant feel of the past coffee shop.  It is very contemporary now, I kind of felt like I walked into someone’s kitchen, but in a good way.  Cozy, no.  Feelings of calm and clean, and oh yea, I think I need some fudge with my coffee today?  Yes. 

The Bummer…
I really did not spend enough time in here today to fairly rate this.  I would suggest to them, that for having a grand opening, it is a shame that they were not offering a promotion of some sort to drive in customers…  I will be sure to return!

The Mediterranean Café

Date Visited: Monday, June 6th, 2011 @ 12 p.m.

The Mediterranean Cafe
118 East Kiowa Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Monday - Saturday - 11:00 a.m. - unspecified
http://www.medcafe-co.com/

Attire:            Business Casual
Company:      Lunch with Mom

RATINGS

Food:                           2 - Try it...
Service:                       2 - Try it...
Atmosphere:               2 - Try it...
Cost/Value:                 $$ - Got a few bucks

Ratings Key

General                           Cost/Value (based on a party of 2)
1 – No go…                      $ – Pinchin’ pennies (less than $10)
2 – Try it…                     $$ – Got a few bucks (less than $20)
3 – Savor it...                 $$$ – It doesn’t hurt to drop a few (less than $50)
4 – Gotta go!                $$$$ – I just got a bonus ($100 +)

REVIEW

The Dish

Greek Salad with Chicken and a plain pita on the side

I have to start with the fact that I am highly disappointed in the Med Café… the food was just not good today…  Today I got the Greek salad with chicken as pictured above, one of my favorites due to the amount of veggies piled HIGH and the fresh chicken with Tzatziki sauce and a yummy vinaigrette.  This salad also comes with a pita, dressed with olive oil and wonderful spices.  I always get my pita plain, and really don’t eat it half the time, but like to just have it there in case I want to get the last goodies at the bottom of my salad bowl filled with feta cheese and left over Tzatziki sauce.

Today my tomatoes were stale, it almost made me not want to finish the salad.  My pita tasted like it was taken off the steamer and staged on a wet rag, while the rest of my food was being served up.  I then tried my mom’s pita bread which was dressed with the olive oil and spices, and it was salted way to heavily.  I have tried these before, and they have tasted much better seasoned in the past.

It breaks my heart to write this review, as it has been one of my favorite cafes in our area for over 8 years, I have never had a bad experience until today with the food, normally the food is at least a “3.”

In these situations, when I have a not so great experience, I would like to give the restaurant 1 more try, that could be over the course of a year, it all depends, but I know just like us, restaurants can have their “off” days…

So Great…
This is the perfect little café located in the heart of downtown, the perfect location that puts you close to the movie theater and Starbucks for a treat after dinner.  I really enjoy the casual feel right when you walk in, it is clear where you go to place your order and the menu is readily available for your review.  You will find the specials of the day clearly written out to your left on a large white sheet of paper.  Great selection of different Greek foods and easy to follow menu, you really can’t go wrong in looking for the dish that is just right for you, from light to good portions. The service is usually very fast (under 5 minutes today to get our food) and the staff fares to be friendly, there is a young guy in there who always has a smile on his face.  Ample seating for such a tight space, but with the vaulted ceilings it feels very spacious and does not get too noisy.

The Bummer…

The chief complaint I have about the Med Café is that it does not appear to be clean.  It feels that wherever I sit down, I can spot grime that seems to have been in it’s exact place for at least a week or so, whether on the floor, in the window sills, on the seats or under the glass top on the table cloth.

What is a "foodie"?

Ahhh yes, what a great question!  This was my very question when I was accused of  being a "foodie" by a co-worker last year.  Perhaps if I lived in San Francisco or Chicago at some point in my life, I might know what this term meant, but I didn't.  I was offended at first, thinking that it associated me with being someone who eats too much, but much to my surprise, that was not the definition of this term.  As I understand it, a "foodie" is one who:

1)  Does not enjoy eating any food that comes from a restaurant in which you can drive up to and get your dinner through a window from a teenager with a microphone on their head

2)  Has not enjoyed a hot dog since they were 6 years old

3)  Understands the different herbs and flavors in food, makes noises when they get a pop of such flavors, and have to announce to the table of their friends what the "secret ingredient" is

4)  Is terrified of any food that comes in a can, sauces that are packaged in a packet, eggs or meat that expand when mixed with hot water

I do believe that the list can go on and on, but basically my co-worker accused me of being a "food snob."  Thank you anonymous...

But I must say, that when you have had good food and enjoy eating healthy and you are a bit of a picky person in general, "foodie" just might suite you for a definition quite well!

We live in a small city, Colorado Springs, a far cry from the culinary adventure that one might find in the larger cities, but there are still plenty of restaurant owners that have moved her to pursue their dreams of living at the bottom of a 14,000 foot mountain and cooking up their favorite dishes.  We have plenty of privately owned restaurants here in town to explore and it is something that my husband and I love to do.  Join us as we take you on our "undercover" foodie journey throughout Colorado Springs, to bring you the best recommended restaurants in town.  And from there, we might venture reports to you in our travels...

Eating with you soon...