Restaurant Fifteen Twentyone - one of the best ever

Very few restaurants and fewer menus can shock me. Brand new Restaurant Fifteen Twentyone did just that. It has set up a neighborhood bistro that is anything but ordinary. Professionally-trained and highly-experienced Chef Duy Pham and Nancy Nguyen bring big city dining to our smaller city and offer selections that both tantalize the senses and enhance the natural qualities of ingredients presented. Not only does the menu feature Colorado’s finest products from our varied region, Chef Duy expertly layers the ingredients in such a way that each one can be experienced as it exists alone and as it enhances the dish. State gourmet treasures such as Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy cheese, Pueblo County vegetables, and Colorado lamb are featured on the menu, which changes daily. Even better, these resources are not squandered on run-of-the-mill dishes but are crafted in a way that exemplifies the expertise of chef and farmer while still exceeding all expectations.

Seasonality of food and traditional values of classical French cuisine fuse seamlessly under the light touch of Chef Duy, and modern values of conscientious consumption and contemporary health concerns are honored without the all-too-frequent loss of flavor and pleasure. The offerings that appear on each night’s menu reflect the season and bounty of our land, and local businesses – farmers, ranches, and product-based business men and women - can rejoice that their work is being enjoyed within a few miles of their homes. Not only are edgy, eclectic items offered, Fifteen Twentyone also provides comfort foods such as burgers and meatloaf dishes. However, don’t walk into the restaurant expecting average dishes, even the simplest item will stimulate every sense and your palette will never have a chance to fatigue.

The dish I was honored to sample seemed like a humble enough item: Celery Root and Blue Point Oyster Soup. The luxuriously rich, pale cream soup teemed with flavor, and the scent of sweet celery, rich chicken stock, and fresh oysters mingled with the bright minced chives and chive oil. The whole oysters, nestled in the velvety soup, were moist and tender, and although the soup seemed rich enough to wash me away in creamy fat, there were no extraneous ingredients or excessive portions of butter. Only a few players were selected for this smash-hit dish, and careful tasting could allow for a relatively accurate guess at the contributing ingredients. Chef Duy scratch-cooks all of his dishes, and short cuts are not found in his kitchen. Even the oysters and mussels are shucked to order, and no partially cooked foods languish in the refrigerator.

Few restaurants could satisfy the desire for fine dining that many have felt obligated to travel to Denver to appreciate, but Fifteen Twentyone changes all of that. Chef Duy and Nancy were invited as Guest Chefs of Chef Ben Bedard during April’s Pueblo Junior League Chef Tasting Fundraiser. “We fell in love with the peacefulness,” Chef Duy explained, “and we wanted to establish a restaurant in a city that had long term potential.” So Chef Duy and Nancy left the popular Aqua Restaurant in Denver and came to Pueblo. The Colorado Springs Independent recently ran an article expressing the shock of loss that Denver’s restaurant-goers are feeling, and the question “Why Pueblo” has been foremost in their minds. Welcomed from the beginning, Chef Duy and Nancy asked, “Why not Pueblo,” as they worked hard to renovate a historical building to become the fine bistro it is. And if anyone wondered about the selection of the name, it is a reminder of a Parisian restaurant that inspired them to open their own restaurant and share their passion for food and relationship with others. We are privileged that they selected our town. “Where else can you really get to know your customers but in a smaller community?” Nancy added.

The renovations in the building were extensive, but they were remarkably able to stay within a reasonable restaurant start-up budget. The general contractor they selected worked closely with them and was able to develop the vision they had in mind, and they also preserved the integrity of the building by maintaining the lovely hardwood floor and original layout. The challenges faced by Chef Duy and Nancy in opening the restaurant were “normal issues in opening the restaurant,” Chef Duy explained, “and this was the first time that I opened a restaurant independently.” Now that they are opened, “the challenges are behind us,” Nancy said.

The menu will enthuse a guest to try something unfamiliar, and Chef Duy even indulges special requests from the guests. Don’t even think of asking him to recreate a favorite from another’s kitchen; all of the offerings coming from Fifteen Twentyone are originals. However, feel free to notify him in advance if there is a special occasion or particular dietary restriction that needs consideration. Imagination and innovation are not strange to him. A true culinary artist, Chef Duy creates his masterpieces in his mind before he even steps into the kitchen. “I know the flavor profiles and qualities of ingredients and techniques before I use them, and I develop recipes all the time.” Guests in his restaurant will have the opportunity to sample his creations in upcoming events.

Chef Duy and Nancy plan on hosting Chef Tastings, much like the occasion that brought them to Pueblo. Selecting from the best ingredients in the house, Chef Duy will compose a feast that is holistic in its offerings – spanning from light to heavy, from cold to hot, and from soft to crisp. Each item will allow the guest to enjoy the tastes, never fatiguing the palette or numbing the taste buds.

The vision for Fifteen Twentyone is to share the passion of food with guests, and Chef Duy and Nancy masterfully offer their expertly created dishes that bring a much needed fine dining experience to the developing downtown of Pueblo. The linen tables, Parisian bistro décor, the potted food plants, and jazzy music work together to develop the big city experience in our fresh neighborhood fine dining bistro. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., seven days per week. Dinner is provided Sunday through Thursday from 4:30 to 9:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4:30 to 10:00. Orders can be taken to go. Reservations for special events are highly encouraged. Fifteen Twentyone is located at 123 N. Main and can be contacted at (719) 542-9999.