Broadmor

Broadmor. Colorado Springs--still trying to figure out how this amazing resort is located in the Springs. And, yet, it is and has been for years.

I have cocktailed, there, twice, in the last 6 months. Mentally, it has been added to places that I frequent and will frequent regularly. If only, in Denver....you know?

So, I spent my Thanksgiving there instead of with friends or family in Denver. In the past, I have enjoyed the holiday with friends (co-workers) and family. Bryn, my aunt, has an amazing family in Denver. They spend Thanksgiving, together, at her parent's house. I have attended many of these gatherings and have always been pleased with the conversation, food, and pie.

My co-workers are fun, but it always goes south fairly quickly. I remember, one year, Brian and I went to Tiffany's new condo. He and I had been drinking red wine, but the minute we arrived at her place, it hit him. We walked in to her place and were surrounded by my co-workers/friends. Brian had been skiing, recently, and wanted to talk about his epic day.

Instead of putting his wine glass down so that he could gesticulate, he mimicked his moves with a full glass of red wine in tow. Everytime he moved to demonstrate his skill, he spilled red wine on her white carpet. I was horrified; yet, unable, to stop the destruction. He really wanted to tell everyone about his day.

In hindsight, it wasn't that bad. Any, ironically, that is the one story that everyone remembered of Brian. How much he loved skiing and his desire to talk about the day.

This year, I wanted to do something different. My friends, Steve and Sarah (Pocketsize), raved about the Broadmor and how amazing Thanksgiving can be there. I thought about it and decided, months ago, that that is how I wanted to spend my Thanksgiving.

I approached Sara Jo. Interested; although, her work demanded that she work at some point on Thanksgiving. There would be no way around it. I asked her to work on it. Alter her hours and make it work. The 3 pm to midnight shift would not work for either of us.

She tried. I know that she did, but no one would work for her or switch a shift.

Undeterred, I decided to approach Steve and Sarah, again, and see which night they were staying. I really wanted to spend Thanksgiving at the Broadmor. I suppose that the prospect of cooking and/or any clean up was a huge motivator for me. I wanted to enjoy the holiday, not work it.

I decided to make reservations and make it happen. Of course, at this point, the dining reservations were full. The Golden Bee seemed like the only option unless there was a catastrophic downpour and I somehow managed to make it to the Broadmor unscathed and hungry.

Anyways, we checked in and inquired about the dining options. The clerk told us she would check on the Penrose Room if we were interested in dining there. I knew that a jacket was required and left it to my companion to decide if he felt comfortable dining there. He did; although, he had left his jacket in Denver along with his shoes as I would find out later.

The Broadmor considered Thanksgiving a "resort" day and opted to overlook the lack of jacket for the Penrose Room.

At 5, we arrived. Seated near a lake view, we perused the menu and opted for the 4 course tasting menu. I knew that he did not like seafood, but our options were limited to a choice of three salads, raviolis, crab bisque, scallops, or maine lobster salad. We had to try the scallops and crab bisque. Of the four, the scallops stood out. Decadent and prepared correctly, I didn't want to share with him.

The crab bisque was too rich. One bite was enough.

Goat cheese salad with pistachios was my first course. Beets accompanied the greens and it was lovely. I would have enjoyed more beets, but in reality, the first course was approachable and satisfying.

The mesclun green salad with crispy root vegetables was okay. I did enjoy the bitterness of the greens, but the root vegetables were all potatoes. Sorta lame.

Blue crab bisque--too rich. I did pick out the crab.

Scallops were perfect. Thank Goodness for that!

Our entree selections--traditional turkey menu and a beef tenderloin with a cippolini onion and risotto. I opted for the tenderloin since I knew my friend would enjoy it. He is a meat and potatoes sort of person.

He chose the turkey. Dry.

I did like the stuffing, but the turkey was dry.

Dessert arrived--green apple terrine for me and pumpkin tart for him. According to him, the marshmellow topping tasted like snot. Enough said.

The apple terrine had a dulce de leche ice cream--delightful! Of the desserts, mine rocked!

All in all, the entire experience was lovely. No clean up. No family craziness or awkwardness and yes, I have exprienced both. Instead, I had a wonderful meal at a 5 Diamond Resort. Amazing!!!!