Notes on Nosh
This morning I gave Nosh the top rating for a restaurant, 5 Stars. Read the review here. It came after careful consideration and discussion, and I truly think the new restaurant, which specializes in small, inventive plates, deserves it.
I'm sure some people out there who will argue with me, and I invite them to make their case by commenting below. But here's my take: Almost everything on the Nosh menu is good. I'm not particularly down with the cheesy Duck empanadas (They taste like Superbowl half-time snacks), and I think the breading on the croquettes and the crab cakes tastes a bit too much like a McDonald's hashbrown, but in general, it's a great restaurant that provides inspired meals at a price almost anyone can afford, and does it while using a slew of local ingredients. What more can you ask for?
Is it the fanciest, finest restaurant in town. Clearly not. It's a hip casual place, but when I took this job, I decided I wouldn't award stars like Mobil does: with the top rating only going to the most rarified restaurants. I would give five stars to a hotdog stand if it was truely and inspired, exciting place.
What does it mean to be a five star restaurant? For me, here's the test: Four stars means great food, dependable service, a good value -- basically a place that makes me yearn to go back. Five stars means all that, plus taking the local dining scene to places it hasn't been before. With great prices, a smattering of local food, and a sense of humor, Nosh does that. It's something downtown Colorado Springs needed, and with luck, it will prompt other restaurants to change for the better.
I lift a glass of the $2.50 sangria and say cheers to all who brought it to be.
I'm sure some people out there who will argue with me, and I invite them to make their case by commenting below. But here's my take: Almost everything on the Nosh menu is good. I'm not particularly down with the cheesy Duck empanadas (They taste like Superbowl half-time snacks), and I think the breading on the croquettes and the crab cakes tastes a bit too much like a McDonald's hashbrown, but in general, it's a great restaurant that provides inspired meals at a price almost anyone can afford, and does it while using a slew of local ingredients. What more can you ask for?
Is it the fanciest, finest restaurant in town. Clearly not. It's a hip casual place, but when I took this job, I decided I wouldn't award stars like Mobil does: with the top rating only going to the most rarified restaurants. I would give five stars to a hotdog stand if it was truely and inspired, exciting place.
What does it mean to be a five star restaurant? For me, here's the test: Four stars means great food, dependable service, a good value -- basically a place that makes me yearn to go back. Five stars means all that, plus taking the local dining scene to places it hasn't been before. With great prices, a smattering of local food, and a sense of humor, Nosh does that. It's something downtown Colorado Springs needed, and with luck, it will prompt other restaurants to change for the better.
I lift a glass of the $2.50 sangria and say cheers to all who brought it to be.
posted by Nathaniel Glen at 7:06 AM
5 Comments:
Congradulations to Nosh, they are too a favorite of mine. It's refreshing to have such creativity and fearlessness. Lovely review. Also cafe 36... couldn't agree more.
yeah right,... communal dining might work in a real city but probably not here...bit too trendy and close....heard its kind of uncomfortable in there at Nosh.
and cafe 36 is headed south too....hope they get some good help soon...
You wrote mostly everything was good, well in my book to get five stars everything better be real good. Nosh does a good job but is in no way the best or one of the best restaurants in town. It is new, exciting, and in a necessity for downtown colorado springs, but lets not forget what a five star restuarant should be. Top notch food, top notch service and a top notch atmosphere, original food, original concept, does it need to have valet, table-clothes, and crystal stem-ware to be five stars in my book...no, but it better be excellent, not mostly good.
tried Nosh, I would give it three and a half stars. Borollo Grill in Denver gets 5!
I went to nosh twice, the first time I waited about 10 minutes before acknowledged by a frazzled server. Yes, the baklava was delicious, but the filet steak seemed tough, even cooked at mid rare. I highly doubt it was a filet at all.
Post a Comment
<< Home