Even with a so-so review, I'm a fan of Fanz

We ran a review of Will's Sports Pub featuring Fanz Bistro in Go! today. Aside from the ungainly name, I'm really a fan of this place. Yes, many of the high-end dishes are a little off, but the bar food is great and the place has great service. I hope the Will's/Fanz relationship will prosper for many years.
To read the review here.

What was your last visit to Will's/Fanz like? Leave a comment below.

Mother's Day brunch, anyone?

Mother's Day isn't until May 13, so you still have plenty of time to make reservations for that special brunch ... if you want to eat at the corner greasy spoon.

If you're looking top-of-the-line: Broadmoor, Cheyenne Mountain, Briarhust, Sunbird ... you're just about out of luck. Very few seatings are available at these spots.

Maybe you should forgo the buffet and go for some of fantastic off-the-menu brunches. Plate World Cuisine is doing their first Easter brunch, and we always love The Margarita at PineCreek.

Anybody have any other suggestions?

Don't fear the soup

The Gazette reviewed a nice little Mexican spot this week called Tino's. One of the highlights was the seafood-rich siete mares soup.

Read the review here.

Has anyone else been to Tino's? What were your impressions?

Calamari -- beter with or without tentacles

I've been chowing on a lot of different calamaris recently, and I've noticed there are basically two schools of restaurants. Those that will serve the tentacles along with the rings, and those that just serve rings. Rings only definitely has less of and ewwwww factor, but I've got to say, there is something I like about eating a little tentacle. Sure, it tastes the same, but maybe it's a texture thing. In my searching, Plate World Cuisine wins the tentacle contest hands down. I had a whole squid bottom, deep friend, with three sauces to choose from. It was a little over-breaded, but otherwise awesome.

What are some other great calamaris in Colorado Springs?

I like Fuse. I like the Blue Star. Who else?

A humble response to Tomo

I applaud Tomo's owner for his gracious response, and am sure Tomo will get over its initial growing pains.
A brief explanation is needed for readers.There have been a range of opinions over the descriptions I used when reviewing Tomo Sushi.Let me briefly explain how they came about.
1. People were angree that I wrote that it was a good thing I didn't say Konichiwa to the sushi chef, because he was probably Korean. This was not meant to be a judgement of Koreans, but a realization by me that it would be inappropriate to assume that a skilled sushi chef is Japanese, since Koreans (and Hawaiians for that matter) have been eating sushi for generations. I certainly meant no offense.
2. Many have said the sweatshop comment was an insensitive caricature of Koreans. I was inspired to make the comparison because as Mr. Lee toiled, with his eyes never lifting from his work, he was literally sweating. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was Korean. Indeed, as far as I know, sweat shops are not a Korean problem. They are an element of other, less developed Asian countries. I hope this illuminates where I was coming from. Believe me, you can't love food and hate other cultures. The two are one. I mean no offense and hope I can regain the trust of readers I offended.

Who loves Samba?

We just ran a review of Samba Brasil (http://www.sambabrasil.us/)
It's a great place I've been going to since it opened.
Exciting news: Rich, the owner, is refurbishing the kitchen so he can expand the menu this summer. He doesn't yet know what he'll add, but it should be worth checking out.
What do other people think of this little hideaway?

New sushi place

A new sushi joint Yoo Mae has opened at 21 E. Kiowa St., taking the place of what had been a tiny Japanese place and a bakery.

I checked it out this weekend, and it was very good. A simple, clean look with lots of bamboo, and JJ from Fujiyama behind the sushi bar.

I tried the Dragon Roll and a bunch of others. The service was very friendly and prompt. The fish was fresh and delicious.

The only issue I had was the seaweed. It was a bit chewy and the rolls tended to fall apart as my teeth pulled away from them. (I know you're supposed to just pop the whole thing in your mouth, but some of these new rolls are just too big.)

Anyway, I think Yoo Mae will be a contender on the downtown scene.

That location, by the way, was home to one of my favorite Asian restaurants: Singapore Sate. Anybody else remember that place?

The chow fun, a huge noodle dish, was phenomenal.

One day I was eating at Singapore Sate and there was some kind of fish and noodle special. I ordered it, and the waitress told me, "I don't think you'll like it."

She said non-Asians find it too pungent. I considered myself more of an adventurous diner than most, so ignored the suggestion. ... and pushed the plate aside after one bite.

Proposed: the taco triangle

I have a geographical generalization to make: 90 percent of all authentic, immigrant-owned Mexican restaurants in Colorado Springs occur in a triangular area between these three intersections: Union and Platte, Platte and Academy, and Academy and Hancock. Can anyone help me make those points more specific? Are there notable outliers?
Oh, by the way, here's a tattoo of a flying taco:

Adam's Mountain Cafe is not vegetarian

Despite what my column in the Gazette said today, Adam's only refuses to serve RED meat. The place has lovely chicken, salmon and shrimp. A line was taken out during the sausage-making that is the editing process. Even with the mistakes, I on our part, let me say again that I give Adam's high marks in every category. The place is beautiful. The food is beautiful. The service is beautiful. Just make sure you get a reservation.

Did we bash Koreans?

Nathaniel's review of Tomo Sushi prompted a few angry comments about what's been perceived as an anti-Korean bias.

Here's the main line in question from the review:

For all the attention he gave the fish, he paid none to us. Not so much as a “konnichi wa,” which is good because I’m pretty sure he’s Korean.

Here's an email we got that took issue with that line and others....

First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Olivia Olson, and I've worked at Ai Sushi for over two years. I decided to get a second job at Tomo Sushi about 2 weeks ago. I don't normally complain, and to be honest, I don't really enjoy it, but that article that was in the GO! Section of the Gazette, on March 30th 2007 about Tomo, was absolutely terrible. It's not because I work there, because every person is entitled to their own opinions, but the racial comments in that article, I could not ignore. I am half Korean, and the statement that Nathaniel Glen had made about the sushi chef not even saying "konnichi wa" and that which is good, because he was pretty sure that the sushi chef was Korean, was absolutely horrifying. I understand if you simply wrote about your terrible experience, but he collected "facts" including that the Japanese would pay one hundred dollars for the perfect watermelon, that is just uncalled for. I do not understand how that is tied in his experience. The whole sweatshop comment was absolutely disgusting to not only me, but every Asian that I know. There are still countries in Asia that have sweatshops...these comments are racial.
Not only did he offend the Asian community, but he went on about the deep fried rolls that Colorado Sushi Joints offered, and basically offended people from Colorado because we add calories to calories. The comments made by the ex-sushi waitress that Nathaniel Glen constantly brought up doesn't know what she is talking about. I do not understand why her opinions were published and made to sound like facts. "The Sashimi should be thinner," no acutally it depends on what fish should it be cut thinner, and in Japan, they cut the sashimi into cubes. Overall the article was atrocious. I, personally, was very offended.


WAS THE REVIEW RACIST OR UNFAIR?

Tell us what you think.

What's a Taqueria? Tongue is part of it.

A reader just asked a very good question. In a post below, I asked for votes on the best Taqueria in Colorado Springs, and he asked, "what counts as a taqueria."

The lines are blurry. Literally a taqueria means a place for tacos. Practically, I would say it is a small Mexican restaurant with a limited menu that caters to Mexican immigrants, not Gringos.

It will have tacos with various kinds of beef and pork including tripe and cow tongue (I told you it doesn't cater to Gringos.) It may also have things besides tacos, including shrimp cocktail. It is usually in a strip mall, but sometimes in a roving truck. It rarely has a wait staff.A good salsa and toppings bar is a must.

That said, where is the best taqueria in town?

Tomo getting a tune-up

Since we ran our review of Tomo Sushi Friday, the owner has called to say the restaurant is getting more sushi chefs, which should improve the flow of service.
Have other folks had similar poor service there? What are your impressions of the place.