Inside: Solera

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The fact that Chef Christian Sorensen wasn’t present at this particular tasting was a bit of a disappointment. I was excited to meet the man who championed so much of the Denver culinary circuit, spring boarding from such successes as Mel's Bar & Grill, Starfish and several others, to his latest conquest: Solera, a remarkable feat of wine and comfort food sprinkling even more eclectic spice onto Colfax’s beautifully schizophrenic strip of dining.

Sorensen, or Goose as he is affectionately called, was still nowhere to be found. After asking if he was one of those restaurateurs who merely puts his name on a place and moves on, I was quickly checked into place by our gem of a waiter, Maghan Camara. As it turns out, if Goose isn’t on deck, only one of three places will account for his whereabouts: 1) In Wisconsin serving as a Wisconsin Cheese Ambassador for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (partly the reason the cheese plates are never named on the menu, as the Cheese Head brings in literally thousands of pounds of different cheeses monthly). 2) Fly fishing in Wyoming (this is apparently just for a little R&R, as neither of his staple watercourse’s on the menu, the grilled Atlantic salmon or coriander pepper Ahi tuna, can be caught in the rivers of Flaming Gorge.) Or 3) Taking his entire staff to tastings in European vineyards to further educate them in the fermented arts. It turns out Goose was catching up on some well-deserved fishing.

Drinks: The ship was run meticulously even in the absence of its captain. The general manager courted us immediately and began quizzing us politely on how we wanted to approach the daunting vino selection; did we want to be bold and picky, or have our hand held by his deep well of experience? I reached up for his hand, which ended up being a glass of magnificent Juvé & Camps sparkling rosé. If you want the perception of being a little more decisive, each dish already has a wine recommendation paired with it on the menu.

Décor: The backyard is one of the focal points of the restaurant when warm weather arrives; where the occasional live music set comes together, and the more common tastings spread a few good words. Inside the long narrow bar encased in wine bottles of every shape, size and color, the after-work crowd swirl a couple glasses of the bartenders recommendation with no thought of dinner. Downstairs, in the conjoined dining room is where the fun really starts.

Food: Don’t make the same mistake we did. Even though we were tipped off early by Goose’s propensity for aged milk fat, and bamboozled by the amazing cheese plate (that was rushed out almost as fast as we sat down along with our second glass of wine, this time a brilliant A to Z Chardonnay,) apparently the hint still hadn’t dropped: This guy knows his cheese, moreover the mac and cheese. Save room.

We foolishly delighted in a crisp butter leaf salad, of which the intentionally thin-consistency buttermilk bleu cheese is drizzled perfectly onto every bite; then we gorged on the maliciously crafted Thai-style calamari, which had nearly enough chili sauce to jolt the squid back to life, but was saved from setting our mouth ablaze with a nice compliment of mint and cilantro. We even had the audacity to try and complete our entrees: The Solera Paella and the black Quinoa pilaf. The paella was sewn together by a generous selection of fish, mussels, clams and Spanish chorizo. While never one to complain about portion size, especially of the main course, this one could have actually used a little less meat. Not for any lack of taste either– the complete opposite. All of the flavors were fine individually, but when muddled together the juices all take refuge as one in the saffron rice, creating a brilliant blend making your mouth go crazy for more. The pilaf is a perfect veggie option if you or your date is of that breed, but even for the carnivores it houses plenty of flavor. The color of the dish isn’t as remarkable as others flying out of the kitchen, but is up to par with the taste. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that we screwed up, bad. For whatever reason, we decided to wait and try the mac and cheese for last—we’re fools.

It’s listed as a side but could easily become the focus of the entire meal if you can handle the richness. Using white truffles to set the noodles up for greatness, you are already getting excited about the next bite before finishing the one you are on.

The mac was by far one of the best things we tried that night, and the epitome of comfort food and what Solera stands for as a whole: traditional dishes amplified with expertise and craftsmanship to a whole new gastronomic level; taking solid wines and simple yet remarkably fresh seasonal ingredients and making them fly.

Truly, you can’t go wrong in Solera, that is, unless you save the mac and cheese until last.

Solera
5410 E. Colfax Ave.
Denver, CO 80220
303-388-8429

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