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We recently had dinner and took in the show at the Adams Mystery Playhouse in Denver, CO (2406 Federal Blvd). The tickets to the show were a birthday present for Crystal, and we ended up going with a group of 6 people. Tickets were $39 per person (including our add-on group members). The show we attended was “Murder at an Irish Wake,” and the entire experience was fun. The ‘theater’ is actually a converted house, which according to the staff at the show, used to be a mortuary. The way they have the place setup is actually pretty cool; before the show starts the audience is brought into a parlor/waiting area with a cash bar, and anyone interested is given a scavenger hunt to complete while they wait. The scavenger hunt is simple, but it kept us entertained before we were seated.
During the pre-show mingling time, the cast of the show is also interacting and talking with the audience. I personally talked to ‘the priest’ - gave a confession, and had fun chatting with him for a few minutes. Crystal was given an audience role, as were a handful of other audience members, to encourage audience interaction. A pretty large area of the house was converted into a dining room with a small stage. Once we were allowed into the dining room to take a seat, the staff started bringing one table at a time over to go through the buffet of catered food, while they sang a few Irish and Scottish songs, and kept everyone entertained.
The catered dinner choices were actually more limited than I imagined they would be, but were decent quality. We had salad, fruit trays, rice pilaf, baked chicken, and bread to choose from. I took some of everything, and although basic, it was satisfying. I had been expecting at least two choices of dinner entrees, and I was somewhat disappointed to only find chicken. The rice was very tasty. On the tables were pitchers of lemonade and water, and alcoholic drinks and sodas were available for purchase at the cash bar in the parlor. For desert we were offered coffee along with brownies and pirouline type cookies on trays.
The show lasted from about 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm, and was very funny and entertaining. The entire cast was good, and had excellent comedic timing as well as commitment to their roles. The plot of the “murder mystery” was actually surprisingly complex, and all of the audience involvement helped get people in the mood for solving the crime. The Irish theme of the show was fun, and fit well with the recency of St. Patrick’s Day. At the end of the show we were all asked to form our tables into teams and decide which of the characters was the culprit. The entire experience was fun, and there was a mood of relaxed humor throughout the night.
I enjoyed the entire production, and I was satisfied, if not impressed with dinner. I enjoyed the effort and commitment that many of the cast put into their roles, and I would definitely be interested in seeing what other shows they come up with in the future. I am not sure if I would be willing to pay $39 per person on a regular basis to enjoy these shows, but I can see it being a fun outing every few months. If you are looking for a unique way to spend a fun evening in Denver, I would recommend checking out what’s playing at the Adams Mystery Playhouse.
Adams Mystery Playhouse (Denver, CO):
4/5
4/5
Have you ever been to a dinner theater?
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Tonight we decided to check out a newer restaurant near our house here in Fort Collins called Maya Cove. The Maya Cove website (which could definitely use a facelift) describes the restaurant as contemporary Caribbean/American cuisine in a relaxing Island atmosphere - I would say that this is a quite accurate description of the place, except that it also features a bar. The menu is diverse, with a range of sandwiches to steaks and pastas, most with a slight tropical spin. The atmosphere is very laid back, with a selection of wooden barstool-height tables and relaxed patio furniture to sit in, as well as tropical decorations and signs on the walls. The atmosphere was almost too relaxed, seeming more like a bar and grill than a sit-down restaurant. The food on the other hand was delicious and diverse, and definitely gave Maya Cove back some of it’s true restaurant credit. The Island atmosphere is successfully implemented, but some of the decor seemed a bit cheap.
To start out, we shared an artichoke dip appetizer ($8), which was pretty tasty. The dip came with freshly-fried tortilla chips that were very crunchy, as well as fresh vegetables. The dip didn’t stand out as anything unique, but tasted good. We ran out of chips well before the dip was gone, unfortunately. Crystal ordered a french dip sandwich ($8) for her entree, which was served with french fries and a pickle wedge. She enjoyed the french dip, citing it’s quality meat, and she particularly liked the french fries. I ordered a Buffalo Shrimp Po’Boy sandwich ($10), which contained 4 buffalo-sauce-dipped tiger shrimp of pretty decent size on a sandwich with lettuce, ranch, and tomatoes. The tomatoes were fresh and juicy, as were the shrimp. The sandwich as a whole was delicious, but very messy to eat (shrimp kept flying out of my sandwich, and my hands were nearly constantly covered in either buffalo sauce or ranch dressing). I had never had shrimp on a sandwich before this Maya Cove offering, and I was pleasantly surprised at the result. They also serve fish tacos, something I haven’t been brave enough to try in the past, but might have to return to Maya Cove for in the future. My sandwich was also served with french fries and a pickle wedge. We unfortunately didn’t sample any of the tropical drinks being offered on the drink menu this time around. We also didn’t have any desert, as they didn’t seem to offer any.
Our service was great, which wasn’t a surprise, as there were very few customers around. The bar area had a few patrons, hanging out to watch hockey and basketball, but our server, Chris, had enough time to check on us multiple times, as well as tend the bar, and keep everyone happy. He seemed to really enjoy hanging out at the restaurant, and knew many of the coming and going customers by name. I definitely enjoyed the friendly and relaxed atmosphere created by the staff and other customers - maybe a true extension of Caribbean ambiance?
Overall, we were a bit surprised by the atmosphere of Maya Cove, but we enjoyed the relaxed feel, as well as the food. The pricing wasn’t cheap, but couldn’t be considered expensive either, and I was happy with the variety of choices on the menu. The great service and friendly staff definitely made us feel welcome. I recommend Maya Cove Restaurant to anyone looking for a unique dining experience in Fort Collins.
Maya Cove Restaurant (Fort Collins, CO): 4/5
4/5
Have you eaten at Maya Cove? What do you think about their menu choices on their website?
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For Valentine’s Day, Crystal and I celebrated by dining together at East Moon Asian Bistro here in Fort Collins. We had reservations at 8:30 pm, and therefore had almost no wait time once we arrived at 8:15, despite the crowded waiting area. Never having been to East Moon before, I was a bit surprised at the small size of their dining area, but our table was large, not squashed in with other tables, and seemed private enough, despite the abundance of people seated around us. This restaurant would likely benefit from a larger establishment - but as it is, it does feel quaint. I like the modern artsy decorations found in East Moon, a nice break from the cheap (and dare I say corny?) decorations often found adorning other Asian restaurants. The lighting is nicely done, a bit moody but not too dark, and I found the atmosphere to be very pleasing.
Our service was moderately good. There were a few minor communication difficulties with the staff. Our waitress seemed very high strung, yet somewhat cheerful and energized at the same time. This combination caused her to speed through everything, including taking our orders. It was entertaining to watch her go, but her hurry did cause her to make a few minor mistakes. For example, Crystal ordered a virgin Piña Colada but instead ended up with a normal rum-included drink. Luckily, the alcohol was not very strong, and the drink tasted just fine, but I think we would have rather paid the cheaper alcohol-less price. Despite this, we decided to not bother our waitress with the problem - she was likely too hurried and singularly focused for us to catch her attention anyway.
The food turned out quite well. We ended up ordering some sushi as a starter, we were also served a house salad with our entrees, and we each ordered something somewhat unique that we had never tried before off of the menu, just to try out a few new things. Unfortunately, neither of us happened to have our cell phones or cameras with us, so I was unable to take any pictures of our food or the restaurant for this review. If I return in the future, I will make sure to get a few pics to share.
We ordered two six piece sushi rolls, an Unagi Maki (eel and cucumber) and an East Moon Maki (shrimp, avacado, and cucumber), very reasonably priced at $4.50 each. Both types were tasty, but as I am not a sushi buff in any respect, I can’t say much about the quality compared to other restaurants.
As an entree, Crystal ordered Shitake Mushroom Duck, and I ordered Saigon Soft Shell Crab. Both entrees were pricier than most of the menu at about $12-$13 (most other entrees didn’t exceed $10 for dinner). The Duck dish was very tasty, with a lot of duck meat, and good mushrooms. The Soft Shell Crab was a bit odd, as it was fried crab meat which had been mostly shelled, but not entirely, so I had to be careful not to eat pieces of shell but still find all of the delicious crab meat. The crab was laid on a bed of very thin cold noodles (not sure what they are called), salad, and vegetables, which all seemed somewhat decorative, but rounded out the meal at the same time. The chile-lime sauce that came on the side of my crab meal was really tasty, but only in tiny proportions, as it was very spicy. We had both entrees substitute fried rice for steamed rice, and the fried rice was basic but delicious as well. Both meals were presented very nicely, with their own style, including unique serving dishes and food arrangements. We didn’t end up eating any dessert.
Overall, our dining experience at East Moon Asian Bistro turned out well, despite my ‘interesting’ entree. I definitely didn’t leave hungry, and as an added bonus, Crystal was presented with two pink roses along with the traditional fortune cookies and check once we were done eating. The atmosphere was inviting, and unique, and the staff was cheerful and definitely tried hard to serve us well. I hope to return to East Moon at a later date, to try their rendition of more familiar (and less expensive) dishes.
East Moon Asian Bistro (Fort Collins, CO): 4/5
4/5
Have you ever eaten at East Moon? What did you think? What’s your favorite Asian restaurant? How about your favorite Asian dish?
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I recently went with my girlfriend and a variety of her family members to The Cheesecake Factory on the 16th Street Mall in Denver, CO. It was an interesting experience, not only because I was with a large group whom I don’t usually go to dinner with, but it was also the eve of Christmas Eve, so we were expecting to wait a while for a table. The mall itself wasn’t busy at all, but the restaurant definitely was - it took a while just to edge our way through the crowd of people to get up to the hostess podium. The hostesses gave us an estimated wait time of 60-70 minutes, which seemed just about right for a group of eight. Unfortunately, all of the big groups before us ended up eating for much longer than expected, and our actual wait was 90+ minutes. By the time we were finally seated, each of us knew exactly what we planned to order off of the very expansive menu, because we had such a long time to decide before being seated.
The restaurant was very large, moodily lit (making it very hard to take good pictures with a camera phone) and decorated nicely. There was nothing incredibly impressive about the atmosphere, but it was welcoming and roomy (if you ignored the huge crowd in the waiting area). Our table was somewhat secluded by light-up glass dividers, but we were still next to a busy hallway.
None of us had ever eaten at The Cheesecake Factory before, and we really had no idea what kind of food to expect (besides cheesecake) - my guess was that they mostly served Italian food (based on the style of the decorations), but as it turned out, they had a full range of dishes, spanning from pizza and burgers to chinese and pasta. Basically, they had americanized versions of all the most popular and favorite dishes from all genres of food. Because of this fact, it took me utterly too long to finally make a decision on a meal - but I was glad to have the selection.
As we waited for our food, I explained to the group that I planned to write this review, and I asked for everyone’s input. It was observed that the butter served with the appetizer bread was very cold, making it impossible to spread. Crystal’s uncle explained that if he ever ran a restaurant, his butter would be softer and much easier to spread - a good tip for any restaurant that doesn’t want to frustrate it’s diners right off the bat. The appetizer bread was tasty and had a good variety of 3 different breads, but wasn’t anything amazing. Also noticed during the initial survey of the restaurant was the cold temperature in the dining area, I left my jacket on during the entire meal because it was quite chilly.
Our server didn’t do a great job, she forgot minor things including refills on bread, and a few people who asked for water did not get it without asking twice. I got the general impression from her that I often get from servers who are serving a large group - she didn’t seem to pay as much attention to us as she should have, and she didn’t care, because she knew her tip would be automatically added to our bill. This kind of attitude always makes me angry, and I wish restaurants would discontinue the stupid policy of an automatic tip for large parties, just for this reason alone. I expect a certain level of service from a server, and if I don’t get it, they sure as hell should not be getting a decent tip.
I ended up ordering pasta, because that’s what I expected at the restaurant, and that’s what I was craving at the time. I got the fettucini with chicken and sun-dried tomatoes, in a garlic-parmesan cream sauce. The first thing I usually do with any meal is salt my food, so I was once again frustrated by a minor detail - the salt shakers on the table barely released any salt, and I spent at least a minute dealing with the salt shaker, instead of diving into my food. Once I actually started eating, I enjoyed my pasta. The chicken pieces weren’t the best quality, quite a few of them had gristle and fat that I would have rather avoided, but for the most part it was edible. The sauce was delicious, but could have been more garlicky. The fettucini was cooked perfectly, and added a good color variety to my plate (there were white and green noodles). The sun-dried tomatoes were very flavorful, and juicier than I am used to, but at the same time, they were a bit too chewy - almost giving the texture of raisins to my meal. Overall, it was an average pasta dish.
The rest of my party enjoyed their meals, the teriyaki chicken (which was tried by nearly everyone) was especially good. Of course, the thing that everyone was really waiting for during the whole meal, was dessert. Eating at The Cheesecake Factory basically ensures the fact that you need to eat cheesecake for desert, and most everyone at the table ordered a slice to try. I opted to share with 2 other people, trying the godiva chocolate and brownie sundae flavors. The godiva chocolate was my favorite, it was an incredibly rich chocolate that tasted wonderful. The brownie sundae had sundae toppings on it, including whipped cream, hot fudge, and nuts. The brownie was baked on the bottom and tasted pretty good, but I would have enjoyed more brownie, and less nuts.
Overall, The Cheesecake Factory had good food, especially dessert. It was a bit pricey, but that was expected, and we picked a horrible day to go to dinner, which is probably what accounted for the extremely long wait. We also got mediocre service, and had a lot of small gripes about our experience, but it wasn’t entirely bad by any means.
The Cheesecake Factory (Denver, CO): 3/5
3/5
Have you ever eaten at The Cheesecake Factory? What did you think? What’s the longest you’ve ever had to wait for a table at a restaurant?
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Today I had the pleasure of eating at Jay’s Bistro in downtown Fort Collins. It was an incredibly convenient place to eat lunch, because I happen to work in the offices next door. My boss and I decided to eat there for a lunch meeting - but we also decided that it might as well count as our “holiday party” too (it’s still quite a small company). This was my first dining experience at Jay’s, but I have heard a lot of positive things about them in the past, so I had high expectations. I was surprised by how many people were dining there for lunch, and the crowd made for a good atmosphere - the people gave the restaurant a warm, inviting, and energetic feeling.
We sat in a booth in the back corner of the restaurant, and even though there were plenty of people seated around us, it felt more private than most restaurant booths, and we were able to carry on a conversation without really hearing other people’s conversations. The atmosphere in Jay’s is very stylish, and they went a little overboard with their Christmas decorations (think formally dressed dolls), but it was warm and welcoming.
The staff were all very nice and polite. Our server gave us excellent service, he checked on us regularly to refill drinks and find out if we were doing well.
We were served freshly baked bread as an appetizer, and it was very soft, fluffy, and enjoyable. Included with the bread was a tray with plain butter, some sort of spicy butter, and what I think was a fruit jam. I tried the spicy butter and it was pretty good, but I didn’t try the jam.
The menu had a great variety of choices, so many good things in fact that I seriously had a hard time deciding between 2 or 3 different dishes, but I finally settled on “The New Yorker” ($9). The New Yorker is a sandwich described on the menu as, “Our popular Seasoned Corned Beef Reuben with Housemade Sauerkraut, Gruyere Cheese on Pumpernickel with Russian Dressing and Fries” (check out the website menu). 
I believe my sandwich had marble rye bread, and not pumpernickel, but it was delicious anyway. The corned beef was seasoned very well, and tasted great. Although I am usually not a fan of sauerkraut (even on ruebens), it was the perfect compliment to this sandwich, and it had a unique taste. The gruyere cheese was very melty and added a lot to the sandwich, as did the russian dressing. Overall, this sandwich was the perfect combo of quality ingredients, and every bite was scrumptious. The fries were a good compliment to the sandwich, they were seasoned well, and didn’t even require salt. I ate everything on my plate, and even though my appetite was satisfied, I was left craving more.
My boss ordered Linguini with Clams, which she described as, “very, very good.” We decided not to get any dessert, as we were both too full to eat any, but I would love to return to Jay’s sometime in the near future to try their famed chocolate raviolis.
This isn’t necessarily a cheap place to eat for lunch, all the entrees ranged from $8 to about $13, but it was definitely worth the experience, especially since the business paid for my meal :) I plan to go back to Jay’s in the coming months to experience their dinner menu as well, and I will give you all an update when I do.
Atmosphere: 4/5 (would be a 5, if the creepy christmas dolls weren’t sitting above my table)
4/5 (would be a 5, if the creepy christmas dolls weren’t sitting above my table)
Service: 5/5
Food: 5/5
Price: 3/5 (slightly pricey for lunch)
Overall Rating:
Have you ever been to Jay’s? What did you think? Have any restaurant recommendations for me?
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