The Warehouse

Drove down to the Springs for a date at Warehouse on a Wednesday night. The restaurant at 7:30 was pretty much deserted, which sort of put a damper on the vibe for the evening.

I have a confession. I...love....carpaccio. Knowing this about myself I jumped on the opportunity to try bison carpaccio for the first time. The plate was gorgeous and full of little delectables to complement the bison. The bison had been smoked, which imparted a lovely bbq-ish richness, however it wouldn't have been better had they used a cold smoking process. The smoking cooked the outer inch or so of the meat, ruining its cold raw flavor.

For my main I ordered the boar with chipotle clementine glaze. The plate looked lovely, but the first words out of my mouth were, "Wow, that's a lot of food." For the $27 I expected something more refined. I'm always about quality, not quantity (see my review of Beatrice and Woodsley). Half of the plate was covered in polenta sticks, and the boar itself was pretty dang tough. Now I know that boar by its nature is a tougher meat, but with proper and loving cooking it can be fall off the bone tender. This was not. I though I was going to break my knife trying to get through it. The flavor though was good. My biggest annoyance is that the plate was full of stuff that wasn't even mentioned on the menu. Steamed baby carrots, broccoli, etc. A glance at my date's plate showed me that these are the default veggies that go on every plate. I hate that. It's just plain lazy cooking. Everything on the plate should mean something. Every element should contribute to one perfect bite. This plate was just busy.

On a brighter note, our waitress was wonderful. Attentive and charismatic. They also have a great selection of local Colorado wines. I should mention that the whole menu is local, but local or not, it should still be inspired.

In the end, I will never go back; even if my car breaks down a block away in the Springs. It's just not worth it.