Dining critic candidate No. 8

#1 The Ranch House on Garden of the Gods Road. My husband and I shared an appetizer, a salad, and an entree. The appetizer was their Coconut Shrimp....five butterflied shrimp, that were really, really good. The one word that comes to my mind is "fresh". The salad was next , and it was fine! I am a very picky person, and for me to say "fine" really says something! Then we shared the baby back ribs. Definitely enough on this entree for two people. Ribs were thick and juicy. And good. You could say "delicious".

#2 Sonterra Grill on Teton. We went there to compare the baby back ribs entree with Ranch House. Started out with salads. Mine was fair...nothing to write home about. When I cook, at home, I go through my lettuce greens with a fine tune. Sonterra did not do this. The ribs, however, were every bit as good as The Ranch House. I liked them better as a matter of fact. They were not as thick and juicy. But some people (like me) appreciate ribs that are not thick and juicy. They were good though - really good!

Now comparing the two restaurants, here's some interesting comparisons: No parking problems with The Ranch House. At Sonterra Grill, there could be problems - like finding a decent parking meter that isn't too far away. After dinner, if you're at Sonterra, you can walk around town. Always a great way to end a meal - in my opinion. If you're at the Ranch House, though, you've got one option - get in your car and probably go home.

Price-wise, with two glasses of house vino, at Happy Hour prices, both restaurants came out the same. Overall: if you want quiet, go to The Ranch House. If you want not loud, and can cope with that, go to Sonterra. Both have excellent food!