Located in the elegant Hotel Teatro, Restaurant Kevin Taylor, flagship restaurant of restauranteur Kevin Taylor (duh) was my third and final dinner during my trip to Denver.  I almost overlooked this restaurant in favor of Mizuna, because KT did not have a chef prepared tasting menu.  Since Mizuna was closed, my friend and I chose KT instead.
<BR><BR>

The restaurant is quite small and in constructed in the hotel in an interesting fashion: a small L shaped dining area that has room for 10 or so tables and a bar/private dining area upstairs.  Judging from the dress and general appearance of the patrons, the restaurant is a popular choice for business dinners and special occasions.  I must admit I felt my friend and I received a cold greeting when we arrived as we were not even acknowledged by the host when we arrived.  It was actually our waiter who ended up greeting and seating us.
<BR><IMG src=Decor.jpg>
<BR><BR>

When dining at KT, patrons can order a la carte or 4, 5, 7 course menus of their choice with optional wine pairing.  Since my friend and I like to try as many courses as possible, and aren't adverse to sharing this resulted in 14 dishes plus an amuse and petit fours as well as 14 wine pairings.  For each course, the dish I ordered is the the first of the two although for photographing purposes we ended up eating the other dish first.  I must say the sommelier selected a nice variety of wines and was extremely generous maybe even giving us full 5oz pours as a result one can get quite tipsy over the course of a 7 course meal.
<BR><BR>

We were offered 3 varieties of bread to start: olive, rustic Italian, and sourdough.  I thought the olive flavor was too intense;  the sourdough was too mild; and the rustic Italian had a brilliant bouquet of fresh bread.
<BR><BR>

<B>Tasting of Asparagus</B><BR>
The amuse for the evening consisted of asparagus prepared 4 ways.  The base was a asparagus wasabi puree, topped with asparagus butter cream, with sprinkled asparagus relish, finished off with a sprig of truffled asparagus chip.  We were advised to thoroughly mash the ingredients together.  I thought this was atypically complex yet nicely tied together with a common ingredient.  The flavor of the mix tasted something like a rich guacamole.
<BR><IMG src=Asparagus.jpg>
<BR><BR>

<B>1a. Meyer Lemon King Crab Escabeche</B> - Avacado Crab Salad, Brown Butter Gelee and Tomato Consomme<BR>
<I>Francois Cazin, Cheverny, Loire, 2005</I><BR>
The crab was a very cool and tart dish with strong hints of tomato.  The avocado had a nice richness that went well with the gardeny flavor of the tomato.  The wine was a sauvignon blanc, with strong hints of fresh fruit and acidity and a light crisp flavor.
<BR><IMG src=Crab_Escabeche.jpg>
<BR><BR>

<B>1b. Spiced Coconut Sushi Grade Tuna Ceviche</B> - Daikon Radish Slaw, Summer Squash Paint and Soy Caramel<BR>
<I>Walter Hansel, Estate Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, 2005</I><BR>
I thought this was very different from the Ceviches I had the night before.  The sauce and flavors were sweet and delicate ensuring that the fish was still the star of the show.  I must say I was a bit surprised they paired a chardonnay but this was not a typical chard.  The wine was fruitier than I expected and that fruit was highlighted nicely by the tuna.
<BR><IMG src=Tuna_Ceviche.jpg>
<BR><BR>

<B>2a. Cocoa Dusted Seared Grade "A" French Foie Gras</B> - Brioche French Toast, Pickled Cherries, Cherry Vanilla Gastrique<BR>
<I>Château Suiduiraut, Sauternes, 1er Cru, 1998</I><BR>
The foie gras was a touch gamy but paired very well with the warm cherries and the sweet cookie-like brioche.  And as one expects from a top sauterns producer, the wine was complex with flavors of candied lychee, ripe fruit, honey and a hint of boytris the classical pairing for a slab of seared foie gras.
<BR><IMG src=Foie_Gras_1.jpg><BR><IMG src=Foie_Gras_2.jpg><BR><IMG src=Foie_Gras_3.jpg>
<BR><BR>

<B>2b. Snake River Farms Kobe Steak Tartare</B> - Truffled Pomme Frites, Fried Quail Egg and Indonesian Ketchup<BR>
<I>Jean Louis Chave, Mon Coeur, Côtes du Rhône, 2005</I><BR>
Incredible, the tartare was easily my favorite course of the evening.  The beef wasn't the fattiest which was to be expected coming from Snake River.  Yet when paired with the mustard sauce something brilliant happened that would require too much effort to describe.  I can see why Agawara in Tokyo serves their Kobe beef solely with mustard and pepper.  The Indonesian Ketchup had a flavor reminiscent of Indian curry coupled with a thick sweetness of ripe tomatoes.  It was a brilliant pairing for the truffled fries sadly there were only 4 of them, not nearly enough.  The wine was a grenache blend with notes of spiced raisins and earth.
<BR><IMG src=Kobe_Beef_4.jpg><BR><IMG src=Kobe_Beef_1.jpg><BR><IMG src=Kobe_Beef_2.jpg><BR><IMG src=Kobe_Beef_3.jpg>
<BR><BR>

<B>3a. "Manhattan" Lobster and Sweet Corn Chowder</B> - Grilled Porcini, Smoked Corn Gelée, Pea Shoots<BR>
<I>Kunin Pape Star, Central Coast, 2005</I><BR>
The chowder was actually finished at the table.  Our server brought a bowl with the ingredients than proceded to pour hot chowder over them natually mixing them into a single uniform soup.  I felt the soup was a bit uniform in flavor as the mushrooms gelee and shoots were overshadowed by the smoky flavor of the soup.  The wine was a very simple wine, easy to appreciate although I did not think the food added much to it
<BR><IMG src=Lobster_Chowder_1.jpg><BR><IMG src=Lobster_Chowder_1.jpg>
<BR><BR>

<B>3b. Chilled Golden Gazpacho</B> - Basil Foam, Smoked Paprika Almonds and Olive Grissini<BR>
<I>Günter Triebaumer, Sauvignon Blanc, Austria, 2006</I><BR>
Another very uniform soup, the gazpacho was made from yellow tomatoes giving it a beautiful golden color.  The flavor was overly monolithic and not very appealing to me.  The two soup courses were definitely my least liked.  The wine was another sauvignon blanc that got sweeter when paired with the soup.
<BR><IMG src=Gazpacho.jpg>
<BR><BR>

<B>4a. Chilled Peach and Mache Salad</B> - Salted Foie Gras Terrine, Toasted Pistachios and Licorice Vinaigrette<BR>
<I>Marcel Deiss, Muscat, Alsace, 2005</I><BR>
This was quite the surprise.  The terrine was not the most tender I have had, but the ingredients coupled together created a sweet, rich, herbal, and nutty combination that I have not had elsewhere.  As one would expect, foie gras warrants another sweet wine, althoughI thought the peach was a touch too sweet for the wine.
<BR><IMG src=Peach_Mache_Salad.jpg>
<BR><BR>

<B>4b. Chilled Maine Lobster Salad</B> - Chilled Asparagus Succotash, Pickled Pepper Salad, Bouillabaisse Vinaigrette<BR>
<I>Schlumberger, Riesling, Saering Grand Cru, Alsace, 2004</I><BR>
I was not impressed with the lobster salad.  I felt the texture of the meat left something to be desired as did the flavor.  Although the actual salad part of the dish was fairly good.  The wine was off-dry, minerally with a tart acidity.
<BR><IMG src=Lobster_Salad_4.jpg><BR><IMG src=Lobster_Salad_1.jpg><BR><IMG src=Lobster_Salad_3.jpg>
<BR><BR>

<B>5a. Crispy Seared New Zealand Grouper</B> - Pineapple Spätzle, Caramelized Peach Palm, Citrus Fruit, Ginger Froth<BR>
<I>Yalumba, Viognier, Eden Valley, 2006</I><BR>
Grouper is one of my father's favorite fish and it is easy to see why.  The fish was prepared perfectly, with the heavy flakes of meat separating easily.  The texture of the fish is its strongest point, firm and dense, with a tender vibrance and a subtle savoriness.  I thought the pairings were a nice combination of sweet that went very well with the saltiness of the fish.  The ginger froth added a very Asian flavor to the dish.  The viognier paired with the fish was floral and spicy on the nose, quite sweet and citrusy a perfect pairing for the fish.
<BR><IMG src=Grouper_1.jpg><BR><IMG src=Grouper_2.jpg>
<BR><BR>

<B>5b. Butter Poached Maine Lobster</B> - Soft Egg Ravioli, Honey Mushrooms, Black Truffle Emulsion<BR>
<I>Louis Latour, Meursault, 2004</I><BR>
Again the texture of the lobster was disappointingly soft, but this time the flavor compensated for the minor weakness.  The black truffle emulsion created a intense flavor as did the honey mushrooms paired with the lobster.  The wine was well balanced combining oak with citrus and I felt the lobster intensified the flavors of the wine nicely.
<BR><IMG src=Lobster.jpg>
<BR><BR>

<B>6a. Roasted Colorado Bison and Bison Short Rib</B> - Cheddar Broccoli Gratin, Foie Gras Fries, Pommery Mustard Peppercorn Jus<BR>
<I>Produttori del Barbaresco, Nebbiolo, Langhe, 2005</I><BR>
Being in Colorado one must simply have bison at some point.  They have bison burger fast food stands for crying out loud.  My previous experiences with bison have been mixed but mostly negative.  I find the meat too lean and gamy.  The gaminess was still present here but milder than in past instances.  As for the texture, the short rib was extremely fatty and heavy while the roasted bison was a bit too dry but had a nice smokiness.  I thought the flavors of the Barbaresco were surprisngly faint although the wine was still very pleasing in a muddled sort of way, perhaps reflecting my state of mind at the time.
<BR><IMG src=Bison.jpg>
<BR><BR>

<B>6b. Kobe Beef Ribeye Steak</B> - Black Truffle Mashed Potatoes, Summer Vegetable Confit, Red Wine Butter<BR>
<I>Two Hand, Gnarly Dudes, Shiraz, Barossa Valley, 2005</I><BR>
This is the 5th time I had Snake River Kobe Beef in 2 days.  As expected the meat had medium fattiness, a high compliment for American Kobe.  I thought the sides were a touch too strong although I really enjoyed the intensly opulent mashed potatoes.  The shiraz was a typically spicy wine with a lovely inky ruby color and a very easy pairing with the beef.
<BR><IMG src=Kobe_Beef.jpg>
<BR><BR>

Prior to dessert, Chef Wojtowicz came to our table and sat down with us.  He even recommended a nearby sushi restaurant whose name eludes me now.  I thought he looked very young for a head chef and we found out he was around our age, quite an achievement running a restaurant of this caliber at such a young age.  I expect to hear more about him in the future.
<BR><IMG src=Chef.jpg>
<BR><BR>

Then he took us back and personally gave us a tour of the kitchen pointing out various stations.  The place was surprisingly small and shared with another restaurant in the hotel, Prima.
<BR><IMG src=Kitchen_1.jpg><BR><IMG src=Kitchen_2.jpg><BR><IMG src=Kitchen_3.jpg>
<BR><BR>

<B>7a. Hawaiian Pineapple and Mascarpone Napoleon</B> - Lace Cookies, Pineapple Nougat, Root Beer Ginger Foam<BR>
<I>Villa la Selva, Vin Santo, 2001</I><BR>
The pairing of tart and sweet pineapple with crunchy buttery cookies is always a winner for me.  Toss in a bit of sweet nutty nougatine and you get a very nice toffee flavor.  The wine was done in the Amarone  style wich entails using straw mats to dry and press the grapes to concentrate the flavors.
<BR><IMG src=Pineapple_Napoleon_2.jpg>
<BR><BR>

<B>7b. Lemon Curd "Baked Alaska"</B> - Black Currant Meringue, Meyer Lemon Syrup, Lavender "Bubbles"<BR>
<I>Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Muscat, Beames de Venice, 2005</I><BR>
Tart ice cream with a delicious toasty meringue crust, rich and buttery easily made this dessert one of the best I have had in a while.
<BR><IMG src=Baked_Alaska.jpg>
<BR><BR>

<B>Petit Fours</B><BR>
Sadly we each only got to try one, I had the white chocolate with dark chocolate cookie crumbs and my friend had the chcolate mousse with "crunch layers"
<BR><IMG src=Petit_Fours.jpg>
<BR><BR>

I am proud to say my friend and I were the last two diners to leave the restaurant.  In fact most of the staff had already left.  When Chef Wojtowicz came to talk to us he told us he and most of the cooks were heading out for their bowling league.
<BR><BR>

The winner of my brief Denver food tasting Restaurant Kevin Taylor.  I would wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant to any who appreciate fine dining and have an hour or 3 to spend on dinner.
<BR><BR>

<a href="http://www.tangmeister.com/">Home</a>