On the Banks of the Colorado

Someone was asking me the other day about the best meal I had ever eaten, and it really got me thinking. I love food (good food) and I don't take it for granted (or I try not to), so to say something is the best holds a lot of weight with me. There have been many dishes from places that I would say I absolutely love and that I would definitely get again, but that doesn't make them the BEST. Best is like- WOW. Best is a term I really am not even that fond of because it implies I can only pick one, and if you know me, picking just one ultimate food seems downright unfair. Honestly I don't even think I would/could pick one best food, but best meal- I have decided- is something I can pick. June 15, 2009: Best. Meal. Ever. Zach and I were on vacation in Colorado, and on this particular day we visited Glenwood Springs. I had researched it thoroughly and read about this restaurant called Rivers that I decided we would be fools not to visit. Problem was, when it came time for dinner we could not find this place anywhere. And Glenwood Springs is not a big place. At all. There is no reason it should have been that difficult but the restaurant was nowhere to be found. We stopped looking for Rivers and started looking for a visitors center. When we finally found one, inside of some bank, there were no real people- just a computer. Which didn't work. On the brink of giving up (soooo glad we didn't!) we asked someone at a gas station who gave us crazy directions that led a little ways out of town. If we had not been following instructions, there is no way we would have stumbled upon this place, but when we did...my oh my. Before I even touch the food aspect, lets just take a look at location.

May not look like much here, but wait for your view from the back of the restaurant...

Ah yes, I do believe anything would taste better here ;)
Now for those of you who care nothing for lengthy food descriptions...feel free to tune out here. You know the expression "melts in your mouth"? Heard it applied to meat before? I had and thought it was not possible. Guess what? IT IS. I ordered a New York Steak at Rivers and was in heaven for the next 22 bites. This steak was a god among steaks, an absolute meat miracle. Think I am exaggerating? Well chances are you aren't going to eat at Rivers anytime soon so my opinion stands :) This steak cut like butter and the flavor was impeccable. The side of piped wasabi mashed potatoes made for a really great combination with just the right amount of heat to it. Not to mention the presentation was flawless all the way down to the onion carved into a flower.

Zach had the elk which he also really enjoyed (though it didn't hold a candle to my steak)

Finally we ended this meal with a caramel fried cheesecake served with real vanilla bean ice cream. Yes, there is an absolute difference in REAL ice cream- in the texture, the flavor, all of it.

Again, really nice presentation.

So, like I said... Best. Meal. Ever.


JORDAN