Fifteen Twentyone

We finally had our opportunity to eat at Fifteen Twentyone. I took advantage of the weekend and took Joshua out for dinner. When we arrived just before 7:00, the restaurant had about 8 tables seated (of probably 20 tables). During the course of the dinner, almost all of them filled up. Business has been pretty steady, according to Nancy.

We sampled the soup -- celery and smoked mussel and the bibb salad for starters. Then we ordered a seared salmon on risotto and the Colorado lamb.

After the starters, we waited for our dinner and started chatting about our next steps in our careers. I'm looking at different Dietetic Internships, and we talked about the options, pros, cons, and risks.

Nancy, co-owner of Fifteen Twentyone, brought us an appetizer plate of shrimp wrapped in prociutto balanced atop lemon vinaigrette spinach and fresh tomatoes. Delish! Even better, they were compliments of the chef -- probably because I admire their work so much and had written a dazzling review of the restaurant for That's Natural and The Pueblo PULP.

We were talking and talking... and didn't really realize that the dinner was taking a long time. The tables around us filled up, and their starters arrived. Then our server, laden with a large bowl, approached and placed the dish in front of us. It was teaming with mussels that had been steamed in a light white wine, roasted tomato and basil sauce. He explained that the lamb was taking longer than the chef intended and that the mussels were complimentary. Woohoo!

The lamb was medium rare, garnished with a light balsamic vinaigrette, tender and moist. The typically unpopular mutton taste was not even in the background. It was accompanied by a Gorgonzola mashed potato -- rustic and flavorful. Eating the two items together brought the sense of wild mountain fields to the lamb, which was sweet, and the Gorgonzola potatoes, which were just mashed enough to be called mashed potatoes but still possessing the heartiness of a perfectly-cooked potato. The beets that rested alongside the salmon were fresh and earthy -- but in the

Josh's salmon dish was brightly colored, crispy, and sweet. It was garnished with a squash puree which gave the plate a whimsical artsy appearance. The risotto was dense in flavor, sweet, and rich. The rice was firm to the bite but settled smoothly into the cream. I admit to stealing more than just a few bites.

Well, the rest was history, and it was absolutely splendid. We ended the perfect dinner with cups of dark coffee lightened by heavy cream.

I can't wait to go back!