I dined at Mesa Grill (in Table Mountain Inn, downtown Golden) about 15 years ago, and still remember it fondly. I was delighted to return there with my husband and find the food and atmosphere just as good as I remembered. The decor is rustic southwestern, with colorful Fiestaware dishes, bandana napkins, and lots of natural wood. The food is simply wonderful, a very sophisticated take on Southwestern cuisine. My pinon-crusted chicken with pinon nuts and dried cherries was absolutely fantastic -- the flavors were perfectly balanced, the (unidentified) sauce was just the right touch, the chicken was tender and juicy. My husband's striped bass with black bean sauce was also delicious, and the roasted corn potato cake was especially tasty (sounds a bit weird, but it really was good). We had a wonderful appetizer of crab-stuffed mushrooms (with serrano chile and lime, and a bacon and morney sauce), where again the flavors were perfectly balanced, the mushrooms juicy, presentation very good. Our dessert of apple chimichanga with cinnamon ice cream was less memorable, but not bad. All in all this was a wonderful dinner, with great ambience and service, not inexpensive but an excellent value for the price.
Pros: food, service, ambience, price
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