Crystal Park Cantina - 2.75*

Crystal Park Cantina
178 Crystal Park Road
Manitou Springs, CO 80829
(719) 685-5999
http://crystalparkcantina.com/ (not working)


Attire:            Casual
Company:      My Husband

RATINGS
The Grub:                    2 – Try It…
Service:                         4 – Gotta go!
Atmosphere:                3 - Savor It…
Cost/Value:                  $$ - Got a few bucks / Value 2 (O.K.)

 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
Nestled on the east end of Manitou Springs, right in the heart of a residential neighborhood, a great location for the locals and tourists.  This Spanish style building sits on the side of Crystal Park Road, leading up to one of my favorite neighborhoods in the area.  The new owners did a number on the inside of the restaurant, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere, it was beautiful.  I immediately funneled out to the massive patio with tons of seating to enjoy the beautiful summer weather.  Although the patio does overlook the road, it was surprisingly quiet and peaceful.  We were greeted right away by our server who provided excellent service and was great at exploiting the menu to its fullest.  Overall, the experience was very nice.  Friendly staff and beautiful atmosphere!

The Grub
Was O.K.  The chips and salsa, superb!  I have to give this cantina props on their salsa, it was beautifully complex and full of flavor.  The chips were fresh and crispy, and the salsa added a spicy pepper flair, with a great balance of cilantro and garlic.  My fish tacos were good, I was happy that I was able to get the fish grilled instead of fried.  I was missing a nice fruit salsa to top the fish tacos, the cabbage with fish was somewhat bland.  The tacos came with rice on the side as well as beans, and a dapple of salsa (pico) and guacamole.  The beans were lacking in smokiness, but entertained a slight pork flavor.  The rice, strange, to say the least…I did not find the rice drenched in butter to fit a Mexican restaurant.

So Great…
The salsa and chips, great job!  Perfect balance of flavors in the salsa and the chips were hot and fresh.  The service, very friendly and attentive staff and beautiful atmosphere and location!

The Bummer…

My expectations after the flavors I encountered with the salsa were high for the main course.  I found the flavor combinations in the beans and rice to be strange and non-harmonious at all.  I would highly recommend creating signature salsas for your dishes, especially a mango salsa for your fish tacos.  Let me know when it is on the menu! J

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