01/05/09

Indulge yourselves at the Palace Arms

by kcmccolorado

For an enticing culinary experience, ask for the chef's choice tasting menu in the Palace Arms, and have the very able sommelier match wines to each course. You will be delighted at the sheer creativity and symphonies of flavors, and the portions are keyed to an extended evening of pleasure. Surprises in every bite, and very high quality ingredients.

We recently had our 25th anniversary dinner there; the well-selected treat was a blend of traditional (escargot soup, table-side caesar salad) and innovative (pork belly and poblanos; white fish in suberb sauce, etc. etc.). Everything was seasoned and garnished to perfection. The staff was attentive, and the chef Thanawat Bates came over to see how we liked every course.

Save up your pennies, and instead of going with the regular menu items, make it fun and very memorable for yourselves AND the kitchen staff.

11/24/08

Amazing aptmosphere, amazing food but do not expect cutting edge.

by BKT1113

While not the absolute most luxurious meal I have ever had (that would go to Cyrus (child of French Laundry) in Napa, the entire package is clearly up there in terms of dining experiences. Trust me, the food is amazing, rich, and, to my delight, many items retain their more traditional French approach to cooking.

Diners who are expecting the type of experimental cuisine coming from other Denver hot spots will be let down. But the Palace Arm's is not meant to amaze you with the ability to create some sort of Green Tea reduction foam glazed with the syrup from some ancient fruit from Djibouti. Instead, the Palace Arms continues (and I hope will continue) to maintain a level of sophistication and (dare I say it), pretentiousness that sometime, we foodies crave when we go out to a fine meal. Sure, Limon is great, and Rioja is a gem, but sometimes you look over, and some jean clad imbecile is sitting next to you chugging their wine while chatting about what they saw on TMX. Guess what - occasionally, I want to eat only with people who both love wine, understand food, and also carry with them an understanding of both the proper decibel for his/her voice as well as the idea that it is okay occasionally to dress better than you would if you were going to Chilis that night.

The staff is amazing. When my wife and I were discussing the issues we have with California Sav. Blanc, the sommelier brought out, complimentary, two glasses of a French Sancerre for us to try. In addition, they placed a rose on my wife's plate (complimentary) for our anniversary (which was that evening).

• Pros: Amazing decor, aptmosphere, service and food.
• Cons: Menu Classic overall, but attempts at experimentation lead to a lack of a theme. I would suggest either sitck with tradition, or let the chef take over.

08/11/08

At least the decor is interesting

by JonHart

When I take clients to an impressive dinner I certainly think about where to go. Based on reviews I decided to try the Palace Arms again (it has been a few years) I was quite disturbed by the direction this restaurant has taken. First of all it was dusty, and for a place of this caliber that is truely unacceptable. First impressions are hard to overcome. At best I can say the menu has a few traditional items but mostly it is just confusing and strange, it was difficult to find something to chose. Too many intricacies, the food wasnt allowed to be interesting , just confusing. Perhaps the sign of poor judgement or plain and simply, an inexperienced chef. Has even even heard of "The Pure Food's Movement" ??? There were four of us dining and not one person at the table enjoyed their meal. Now, we are not talking about 20 something or even the 30 something crowd. These are all polished individuals who , in many circles are considered epicureans. I suppose in a town filled with "cutting edge wanna-be chefs" the Brown Palace has fallen victim to the trend. Avoid the Palace Arms unless you like spening a great deal of money only to be sorely disappointed.

• Pros: The room is charming
• Cons: too expensive, dirty, nobody there