Looking for tex-mex with serious flavor? Not the “fry your tongue” spicy of some places, Agave Grill has cornered the high-end, perfectly spiced dishes.

We came here for our anniversary and were treated to a back table. The large bar area at the front of the restaurant was a little intimidating, but the intimacy grew as we were lead to our table at the back of the restaurant. The hardwood floors and the mexican tapestry fit with the perfectly set tables…it let us know right away that we were in for something a little different.

My wife is Mexican, so I was looking for a nice dinner on the spicy side. Agave Grill fit the bill. We started with the rock shrimp and crab cake apps. While the rock shrimp was very spicy for my taste, my wife raved about the flavor. The rock shrimp was nested between two corn cakes and accented with a spicy red sauce. She loved it. The crab cakes were awesome, accented with a mild, avocado sauce.

The cauliflower and jalapeno soup was awesome – very creamy with just the slight jalapeno taste. The beet salad was also very, very tasty. The beets are nestled underneath a mound of arrugula (rocket) and accented with a tangerine chili vinaigrette. The best part of the salad was the sweet corn encrusted goat cheese. It was warm, and soft and perfect.

My wife enjoyed the special : flat iron steak with pasta-less mac and cheese. The cheesy mix included chick peas which had the flavor of traditional mac and cheese, but no pasta. The flat iron steak was perfectly cooked.

I enjoyed the double cut pork chop. Not served with mashed potatoes, but a mound of “mescal spiked celeriac puree” which looked like potatoes, but tasted like mashed turnips! Completely surprising, but amazingly good. The pork chop has a light, slightly sweet, slightly tart strawberry glaze.

We made reservations early, so we didn’t have a problem getting a seat. However, when we left, there were still open tables. I would still call ahead, as they are getting good press in the Denver area and may start to pack out.

Service was almost perfect (forgot to fill my empty wine glass, but ran over when I picked up the bottle myself), and the atmosphere was romantic after they dimmed the lights at 6:30.

If you want boring dinner fare, don’t come here. If you want to try new spices, interesting south-west flavors and a little heat, make your reservations and get ove to Agave Grill. We will be back and we will rave to our friends. Great place for the adventurous eater!

I wanted a nice night out but didn’t want to spend a fortune. Looking through the Bent Fork menu, it is a different spin on the classic American menu: Buffalo pot roast….elk sausage in a spicy mac and cheese etc. I figured “Why Not”.

I was a little disappointed by the location and the look of the restaurant. It was a little too “Dennys” for my taste. Lots of dark wood tables and booths around the outside of the room. Also, way too many kids. Rather than bail, we decided to give it a shot.

I am really glad we stayed. The food was really good…very homestyle…comfort food. I enjoyed the Prime Rib (good, but nothing to write home about), but my wife had the Lobster Macaroni. She absolutely loved it, and it made us wonder about the other dishes we didn’t try.

This place has won numerous awards and their burger has been voted “best” several years running. We will be back to try some of the more “exotic” (LOL) dishes.

If you are expecting a “high class” location, Bent Fork isn’t for you. If you want to go and get great food, and not be embarassed to bring the kiddos, then this place deserves a look.

I really enjoy going to Piatti. The place serves up some great Italian and everything here is very, very fresh.

The best pasta dish on the menu is (BY FAR) the Ravioli with the lemon cream and citrus gremolata. I have had guests finish this in its entirety, and then swirl their spoon in the final bits of sauce to get it all in. It is that good.

The grilled pork chop is very good as well, and if you like seafood, they make a great Cioppino. Cioppino’s should be light, and Piatti makes a great one.

Their wine list is good, but not huge. There are some yummy ones here: 2005 Flowers Pinot Noir ($98.00) and the Bonterra Viognier ($38.00) are my favorite red and white here.

Piatti is in near the heart of Cherry Creek so don’t expect to find parking. They have a tiny, tiny parking lot in front, but they do have Valet service for both lunch and dinner. I recommend reservations for both lunch and weekends. They seem busier during the day than at night, but I still recommending calling ahead.

Fantastic food, fresh fish and chilled saki. While the service is always slow, it is becuase they are always swamped. Pricing is on the medium-high side, but you are always getting GREAT cuts of fish.

Always call ahead to make reservations – even if its just one and you want the sushi bar. This place is always busy.

Tries to be a high-end Denver restaurant and falls way short of the mark. The wine list is nice and the apps yummy, but all the main courses were bad. I had the rib eye – medium rare. What came out was looked like scraps…all well done. My wife had the scallops and salmon…all were over salted to the point of being inedible.

The service was outstanding however, and they addressed our concerns. The owner, very proud of the quality of the meat, professed displeasure when he saw the steak come out of the kitchen. He comped our wine, but I was still thinking – “Why did you let the ribeye come to the table if you saw it wasn’t looking good?”

Still a new restaurant working out the kinks…we’ll see if they can get it together.