Solera

OK, to be honest this was during 5280 Restaurant Week so maybe our expectations were too high. We've been going to Solera since they first opened and had followed the chef from Mel's in Cherry Creek. I liked the Scallops and Mac&Cheese, but our other guests were not as impressed with the food.

The wine list is OK, but nothing to write home about. Add to that, our waitress didn't even ask us if we wanted a drink with our meal. When we asked another waiter for wine, his knowledge of the wine list was limited.

The waitress was unhelpful overall and got rude when we asked to have the bill split. This is not acceptable behavior at a fine restaurant.

I asked for the manager when I saw that a 20% was automatically added to the bill. He only offered excuses that it was 5280 Restaurant Week and implied that we should accept substandard service. He took the 20% gratuity off the bill and left the tip decision to us. I still tipped way too much.

I probably won't be back and our guests will definitely not be back. Sad that after all these years to not return, but Denver has to many great restaurants to visit to risk another bad experience.

Who is has two thumbs and is fully and happy after a dinner at Solera?  This girl.

Solera was my first venture (of many) for restaurant week.  I live only a few blocks away and have been intrigued by the presence of a nice, contemporary restaurant on my endearingly sketchy Colfax.  The interior of Solera is kind of a rustic Western/Spanish theme.  Which sounds like it doesn't go together, but it totally flows.  The lighting is soft, but not too dim and the waitstaff was very friendly.

But really, on to the food!  I ordered the red curry and tomato soup, which had the right amount of spice and was perfect to be sopped up with bread.  For my main course, I had the flat iron steak with spinach, creamy potatoes, and Romesco sauce.  Delicious!  The steak was perfectly cooked, the potatoes were melt in your mouth and I think I could drink the Romesco sauce by the gallon.  My two dining partners felt the same about their pork tenderloin and wild mushroom risotto.  For dessert, I opted for the cheese plate which came with slightly-too-salty crackers and a peach compote.  The best was definitely the sharp goat cheese.  The other dessert we tried was the shortcake with strawberries and vanilla bean ice cream.  A great ending to a fantastic meal.

I'll be back, Solera.  And I'll come prepared with more forgiving clothing so I can eat even more of the goodness you have to offer!

I love this place!  They have amazing food and incredible service.  I keep coming back for more.  We had exceptional service last night during the Wed wine tasting.  The only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is because we only tasted 3 of the 5 wines.  It was very busy so I'm sure it was an oversight.  They accommodated us in the dining room since the bar was full, and I wasn't sure how many wines they were tasting so I didn't say anything, I should have.  The wines we did taste were wonderful!  The food was delicious!  Ryan was a fantastic waiter!