What: Restaurant Kevin Taylor
Where: Inside of the Hotel Teatro on 14th Street
Don’t Miss: Their Fall Tasting Menu filled with in-season vegetables and meats that are cooked to perfection.
As Denver’s only four star and four-diamond restaurant, Restaurant Kevin Taylor has always been on my “must-try” list. But since my boyfriend and I are normally a pizza and beer kind of couple, it was a little hard for us to justify heading to the city’s theater district for an upscale night. Things quickly changed as soon as we were served our first course of Restaurant Kevin Taylor’s new seasonal tasting menu. Everything was superb and it was just the beginning.
Throughout the night we were treated to a delicious 6-course meal filled with fresh and flavorful food and libations. The ambiance of Restaurant Kevin Taylor was extravagant, making it a very romantic place for a date. There was an abundance of mood lighting from the beautiful Swarovski crystal chandeliers and light classical music that provided a calming experience. Their cocktail list was filled with traditional martinis and concoctions. I ordered the Bulleit Mule, a Moscow Mule made with Bulleit bourbon (a favorite of mine), ginger beer, pomegranate juice and fresh lime. It was served in a traditional copper mug, which definitely added to the allure.
Restaurant Kevin Taylor’s Fall Tasting Menu was released last week, so we were able to be some of the first people to taste it. The menu is full of dishes made with in-season fresh vegetables and the combinations were unique yet appealing. The Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad was absolutely delicious and had many different textures. There was a combination of grilled Brussels sprouts, Chanterelles mushrooms, and Confit yolk. The Confit yolk was especially tasty with the sprouts and was a combination that I wouldn’t normally think about eating.
Executive Chef Ryan Taylor also uses another popular fall vegetable in a not-so-traditional way. The Butternut Squash Custard was served cold and had a sweet, yet salty taste. The custard was topped with oat graham cracker, caramelized whey, pinenut and apple. Once my boyfriend and I got over the initial confusion of, “Is this a custard? A soup? Are we not fancy enough for this?” the dish was extremely enjoyable.
My favorite entrée dish was the Vadouvan Pork Short Rib. It was by far the perfect dish for a fall menu. Served with Fennel-Sage Arincini, Rainbow Chard, and topped with a Chai sauce, the pork gave off an amazing smell that embodied fall. The pork tasted like it was prepped for hours and cooked perfectly. The dish was served with lightly fried risotto balls. They made for a perfect side to this seasonal plate.
During our dinner, we heard one of the servers exclaim, “More champagne to table fourteen for an anniversary please!” This confirmed my suspicion that Restaurant Kevin Taylor is the perfect place to go for any special occasion. Not only was the food great, the ambiance was flawless. The spacing between courses was perfect and I didn’t feel rushed or overly full. The point of the Fall Tasting Menu is to savor each bite and we definitely did. So even if your “special occasion” is making it through the workweek, Restaurant Kevin Taylor is the perfect place to take a date to celebrate.
Photos provided by BPublicRelations.