Restaurant: Nordy’s BBQ & Grill
Cuisine: Barbeque/American
Last visited: October 9, 09
Area: Loveland, Colorado
Address: 4360 St. Cloud Drive
Price Range: $10-20USD

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Beer & BBQ
• Best baked beans EVER
• BBQ meats were just ok
• Homemade desserts
• They don’t waste – use leftover meats for baked beans
• Use leftover cornbread for croutons
• Busy/crowded/line-ups
• Casual, lively atmosphere
• Family/kid-friendly
• M-F All you can eat lunch buffet $9.50USD

**Recommendation: Aunt Judy’s Beans, Maple syrup cornbread muffins, croutons

As you can see, none of my recommendations were their BBQ meats. There are a million of these BBQ joints in North America and I’ve been to a handful – I almost always order the “feed a tiny country” platters. So I’m quite familiar with my barbeque. I do like Texas BBQ, but this was various styles of barbeque and not really authentic to any particular region. I’ve generally had better tasting versions of all of the meats Nordy’s offered. It was packed with locals and you can tell it’s a local favourite, so I’m assuming it’s one of their best barbeque houses in the area.

I was a bit frustrated that the portions on the platter was a bit off too. They gave hardly any beef brisket and pulled pork and it was just loaded with ribs and chicken and the ribs weren’t that great. You needed a bite of everything to enjoy this platter, but it didn’t help that the brisket and pork ran out way before the others.

Restaurant: Grandma’s Mountain Cookies

• Since 1998
• Specializes in really soft 1/4 pound cookies
• Baked daily fresh from the oven
• Sandwich cookies available
• Very limited seating – eat it, maybe 1 table and a few chairs
• Online ordering available
• An expensive cookie

** Recommendation: Muffins…you were expecting me to say cookies? I thought the muffins were better. If you want to try a cookie just depends on what you like.

Put the words “Grandma” in your restaurant name and I’m half way sold! With the name “Grandma’s Mountain Cookies” and it’s cottage like exterior and homey interior it was impossible not to try it out. It’s on a touristy strip in Estes Park where there’s tons of cute candy stores surrounding it – the word grandma and cookies…couldn’t resist.

On the table:

• **Macadamia Mango Muffins 5/6
  • I know what you’re thinking…who goes into a COOKIE store and buys a muffin? It didn’t even look that appealing. It was very home baked, wrapped in plastic wrap and sitting on the shelf.
  • The reason I went for the muffin is because I’ve never heard/seen/tasted a Macadamia Mango Muffin! It’s so exotic and unusual I just had to try it…where else am I going to find this? Except for maybe in Hawaii?
  • Well let me just say I’m glad I got it because this was delicious!! The texture of this muffin is just insane. It tastes and feels like cookie dough! It’s the softest muffin I’ve ever had! It was so moist…perfectly baked! Nice and fluffy…I have no idea how ‘grandma’ makes them this soft! Just holding it, my hand was sinking into it!
  • The negative is that it didn’t taste like mango at all. I think they used a mango syrup, but there were no pieces of mango at all. It just had the colour of mango. There was lots of pieces of Macadamia in it though which was nice. It also had giant crunchy sugar crystals on top. Nice and nutty but not too sweet, the sugar crystals I could do without though.
  • 
• Mocha Chocolate Cookie 2.5/6
  • I must say I was kind of disappointed. This 1/4 pound cookie cost $2.25USD and to be honest those English Bay cookies you get from the vending machine are bigger and better.
  • YES it was incredibly soft – just like the muffins. It was -6 degrees and I bought this cookie from their display case set up outside and it was still warm and gooey!
  • The points go to it being soft, because the flavour wasn’t great.
  • 
  • It’s an odd colour, kind of green/blackish because they use actual espresso or coffee grounds. It was more espresso than mocha tasting. It gave it an odd texture…it was so soft already that the grounds made it extra delicate and crumbly. They should have added a shot of espresso to the batter. The grounds made it distracting and overpowered the chocolate instead of enhancing it.
  • They also added too much salt to the batter…to the point where the cookie actually tasted salty.
  • Overpriced at $2.25 too…and 1/4 pound isn’t actually that big although it sounds big.

Lighting made it difficult to take pictures.

Restaurant: Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
Cuisine: American
Last visited: October 9, 09

• Chain restaurant (I was unaware)
• Casual and lively atmosphere
• Line-up/crowded at peak hours
• Friday-Sunday $12.99 Prime Rib dinner available
• 3 course menu deals: $12-18USD
• 90% of menu made from scratch
• Known for beers and steaks
• Menu has a Tex-Mex flair
• From the creators of Chicago Pasta & Pizza chain
• Happy hour
• Offers mini desserts for under $3
• Lighting made it difficult to take pictures

**Recommendation: Classic Mac n’ Chicken, Overnight Braised Short Rib, Steaks, Stout BBQ Ribs (didn’t get to try), handmade beer bread (served with Asiago dip, didn’t get to try)
This wasn’t the original choice for dinner, but it started snowing and out of convenience it was the first thing we saw that looked good. Being from Vancouver, I didn’t know Rock Bottom was a chain restaurant although it could have been easily assumed from the exterior and interior design/set-up. It had that big chain restaurant feel: large space located in a strip mall with other chain restaurants, crowded bar, energetic atmosphere, large advertisements and promotional materials. Nonetheless I was still excited to try it, after all 90% of their food is made in house and that is something to salivate about.

The menu consisted of standard chain restaurant items: BBQ meats, steaks, pasta all they typical stuff, so naturally my eyes kept coming to items with the words “homemade”, “famous for”, and “signature”. I was actually quite impressed with the standard of food for what we were paying – it was moderately priced, homemade and made upon order. The food wasn’t outstanding or really creative, but I do appreciate a chain with a focus on homemade food without being overpriced…I’d say it’s a pretty solid choice.

On the table:

Lighting made it difficult to take pictures.

• **Classic Mac n’ Chicken 6/6
  • This is their famous Mac n’ Cheese. It’s your classic homestyle mac n’ cheese except loaded with chicken!

• • I made a special request to order it as a side because I didn’t want it as an entree – they happily honoured the request.
  • The cheese sauce was homecooked and really good! It’s creamy instead of stringy so you could tell the cheese was cooked into the sauce rather than thrown in last minute. I think they used a combo of sharp White and Orange Cheddar cheese. It was rich and decadent and there were chunks of juicy baked chicken throughout, not one piece was dry. They used a good amount of freshly cracked black pepper in the sauce so it really enhanced the cheesiness.
  • It also had this baked Parmesan breadcrumb crust that was almost nutty and very very cripsy! It was saucy from top to bottom and not dry at all.
  • One of the best traditional mac n’ cheeses I’ve had.

Lighting made it difficult to take pictures.

• **Overnight Braised Short Rib 4/6
  • Slow-roasted boneless short rib on a bed of White Cheddar mashed potatoes (can’t tell in the picture because it’s too bright), fire-roasted tomatoes, peal onions with roasted mushroom sauce.

• • The rib was really tender and it was obvious that it was well marinated and slow roasted because it was falling apart.
  • The roasted mushroom sauce was really hearty and rich. It was a little heavy on the balsamic vinegar and with the added fire-roasted tomatoes it was a bit too tangy for my liking. However, together with the White Cheddar mashed potatoes and ribs it all came together quite well…especially since the potatoes were dry. They definitely needed the mushroom gravy.
  • They used fresh parsley to garnish it, but I think they should have used something else because it didn’t go with the sauce or flavours of the dish very well.
  • 
• Mahi Mahi Tacos 1.5/6
  • Mahi Mahi, pineapple slaw and cilantro wrapped in white flour corn tortillas served with pico de gallo, black beans, and rice.

• • This was really disappointing. It sounds really good on the menu and it was recommended, but it wasn’t good. They were going in all sorts of wrong directions with the flavours.
  • Mahi is a sturdy fish, almost like halibut so it tastes like chicken. It’s also a tropical fish so it’s good with tropical flavours. Therefore the pineapple was a good idea, but making it a slaw was not. They should have kept it nice and light and served it with pineapple salsa if they wanted to keep it fusion.

Lighting made it difficult to take pictures.

• • The “pineapple slaw” was plain old cole slaw. I didn’t see or taste one piece of pineapple. It was too rich and creamy because they went overboard with the mayo.

• • Then they decided to serve it with Mexican condiments and sides.
  • So you had the creamy cole slaw and then pico de gallo – which tasted like relish instead of fresh tomatoes, onions, limes & chillies. They also added pickled jalapenos so it wasn’t as spicy, but it made it taste very preserved or a couple days old…maybe it was. It tasted even more preserved because they put capers in it too…for I guess a Mediterranean twist? It was weird. The whole thing was wrong and didn’t go well with the tacos at all. It was creamy cole slaw with pickled salsa…ick.
  • Was it Hawaiian? Mexican? Mediterranean? They were fusing a bunch of flavours together and all in the wrong way. The only good thing was each taco came with 2 big pieces of Mahi Mahi.
  • 
• **Filet Mignon 4/6 (If they don’t overcook it!)
  • Centre hand-cut aged 8oz filet rubbed in in house seasonings and topped with creamy roasted garlic butter.

• • I ordered mine medium rare with the White Cheddar mashed potatoes, veggies and a side of roasted mushrooms. The veggies were the frozen kind….not impressed.
  • The roasted mushrooms were more like sauteed mushrooms. They were heavy on the black pepper and tasted like they were reduced with balsamic vinegar…just like the sauce that was served with the braised short rib. It worked with the steak more than the ribs.
  • My steak was cooked mediumand not medium rare like I requested..that was a real bummer! However my friend’s was cooked to medium rare and his was really good. The dry rub was not bad, but also not memorable. The filet was served on a giant onion ring which was a nice surprise. It was only for presentation though and it got really soggy so I didn’t even eat it.
  • The steak itself isn’t a stand out, but I also couldn’t complain.
  • It was quite good for a brewery, but also not nearly as good as a steakhouse steak.
• White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes 2/6
  • Mashed potatoes were really dry and sturdy. They really emphasize it as a restaurant favourite, but I don’t know why. I could stick my fork it in and it would hold straight up. They weren’t creamy, fluffy, or cheesy. They make it with cream, White Cheddar cheese and sour cream, but I didn’t taste the richness of any of those.
• Genovese Pasta 3/6(soon to be off the menu)
  • Grilled chicken, sundried tomatoes, walnut pesto, fresh basil, Parmesan cheese on penne.

• • I couldn’t get a picture because it was too far down the table.
  • I was very intrigued by the walnut pesto…but I think this was “too weird” for most, that’s why they’re taking it off the menu.
  • Unfortunately it didn’t taste like walnuts at all. It looked and tasted like plain old pesto. As pesto, it was good. But as a “walnut pesto” it was not.
  • The pasta was very pesto-y. I really like pesto so it didn’t bother me. It was kind of oily so the tartness of the sundried tomatoes and freshness of the basil was good.
  • 
• Asian Ahi Tuna Salad 4/6
  • Seared sashimi grade ahi tuna with cabbage, red bell pepper, bean sprouts, carrots, spinach, baby corn, edamame and crunchy noodles. Served with light ginger citrus dressing.

• • I have to say I was quite impressed with this! The ingredients were nice and crunchy and fresh. The tuna was really top quality. It was a bright red colour and they seared it perfectly! The garnish was green sesame seeds (I’ve never seen before) and I think it was a sea salt/lemon pepper crust…? It was really good!
  • 
• Blackened Salmon Caesar 4/6
  • A Caesar salad topped with a Cajun-spiced salmon and Parmesan Caesar dressing.

• • It had real Parmesan curls instead of the shredded kind so that was nice.
  • The star was really the salmon though. It had this really flavourful dry rub that was spicy but not overly spicy…it was just right.
  • It wasn’t overly charred and it was seared perfectly with a juicy and moist centre. It’s so easy to overcook salmon and they didn’t do it with this one – it was such a thick piece I was almost sure it was going to be too.
• Side Garden Salad

In-house smoked bbq pulled beef brisket

• Since 1980
• Casual family style diner
• Beautiful view from deck
• Extensive menu
• Serves breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Smokes their own meat
• Homestyle American classics
• Offers everything from meatloaf, bbq, steak and seafood

**Recommendation: BBQ Beef Brisket, BBQ Pork Sandwich, “Smokin Al’s Specials”
The main reason we chose Claire’s is because of the name. I was with my cousin whose name is also “Claire” so it was more for fun. It looked like a quaint little diner and we happened to find parking right in front of it so it was out of convenience too. It wouldn’t have been my first choice, but it’s Mom and Pop style gave me hope that we were trying a local gem. The food was a little more than expected for a diner. I did appreciate the fact that the meats were smoked in house though, however that’s as far as effort goes. The recipes and selection are all really simple and the execution of each dish is a no brainer. I do give props to the in house smoked meats and bbq sauce though, but the quality of ingredients for everything else was very average or even a tad below.

On the table:

• Crab Cakes 4/6 just for the crab cakes, not for the sauce
  • Homemade crab cakes served with “roasted red pepper sauce”

• • I was really surprised with this dish. I really like crab cakes so I didn’t hesitate too much on ordering them mainly because it said “homemade”. I thought they’d be 50% shrimp, but they weren’t. There was lots of crab in them which I’m glad because it was $10.50USD which is on the expensive side. They were nice and flaky and fried until golden brown and crispy.
  • On the other hand the “roasted red pepper sauce” tasted like red pepper relish mixed with 80% regular relish. It was pretty gross and did not suit the crab cakes at all. I think it ruined them actually. I would rather eat these plain, but plain they were a little dry on their own.
• Fried Gnocchi 1/6
  • Deep fried potato dumplings deep fried and served with marinara sauce.

• • This was really disappointing. I was excited for them too!
  • The potato dumplings were definitely the packaged shelf ones. Cook and serve gnocchi. It taste like deep fried balls of plain dough – not even potato. I would have preferred fries…at least those have seasoning and flavour.
  • The marinara sauce was straight from a jar…a crappy watery brand too.
  • This was a 5 min. grocery store meal and it tasted that way too.
• **BBQ Beef Brisket 3.5/6
  • Mesquite smoked pulled beef brisket served on Ciabatta bread with homemade bbq sauce.
  • Claire’s definitely prides itself on smoking their own meats and now I know why. I was quite impressed with their recipe and cooking method. The brisket was quite tender and it had this hickory smoked flavour that was nice. It was on the dry side though and the meat didn’t look like it was tender enough to be easily shred. But on the whole it was still very good for the restaurant’s standards.
  • A nice drizzle of bbq sauce was the perfect touch, however I didn’t want to add to much because I didn’t want to overpower the natural flavour of the smoked meat.
  • The bbq sauce was nice and thick, probably heavy on the molasses. It was served warm and it has a nice kick at the end. The kick wasn’t really spicy, but kind of tangy, I’m pretty sure they put Worcestershire sauce in it. This homemade bbq sauce was the perfect match for their smoked meat.
  • This sandwich was piled with lots of meat and it came with a side of lettuce and tomatoes to complete the sandwich fixings. I didn’t even eat it with any veggies because the meat was really good on its own.
  • I would have preferred it on a softer bread rather than the ciabatta. Since it was pulled meat I think it would have tasted better on a bread that wasn’t as chewy.
• **BBQ Pulled Pork 3/6
  • This was the same as the bbq pulled brisket except with pulled pork. The flavours were the same, except I found the brisket to be a little more flavourful. Probably because beef has a stronger and richer flavour than pork.
  • We got both sandwiches with sweet potato fries and these were good too.
• Brie Sandwich 2/6
  • Melted brie, arugula, and strawberry jam on a steak roll.

• • This was a sweet and savoury sandwich served warm.
  • The quality and portion of ingredients should have been much better. They could have given more brie especially since they call it a Brie sandwich. The sandwich was assembled together quite roughly, so it had more potential.
  • The strawberry jam had a few actual strawberries in it, but not that many. It’s really smooth – a poor brand that was syrup based rather than real fruit based.
  • I would have preferred this one on a toasted ciabatta bun rather than a steak roll since the ingredients are a bit more gourmet.
  • We ordered this one with potato salad, which was very mediocre. I don’t even really remember it.