Alex and Aki were leaving Keyah Grande for the relative comforts of the East Coast. My last meal was outstanding but my car foiled me from enjoying Keyah a second time. Given that it could take 1-2 years to open a new restaurant, I decided to book the flights to Durango and enjoy one of the final Keyah Grande meals prepared by Alex and Aki.

The meal was as good as the last – Alex & Aki are some of the better chefs in the country. For creativity, I’d say they are right up there w/ Ludo (former Bastide) – their food is more grounded in real flavor than, say, WD-50 or Moto. The other difference is ingredient quality – they are using top-notch ingredients whereas the other experimental places skimp on that front (and hopefully they can keep this up w/ their next venture.)

1. Sourdough Ice Cream – wild arctic char roe, blueberries, red mustard
Very creamy ice cream – slight sour note followed by a creamy saltiness thanks to the roe. Meanwhile, the blueberry’s acid and the sharp mustard leaves cut it. Wonderful texture as it turns from creamy to the popping roe. Excellent.

Read the rest of this entry »

As you know, Las Vegas is a weird city. It’s a city that was founded on nothing; and continues to develop thanks to nothing. You can gamble in nearly every state yet LV brings in the majority of that past-time’s tourism.

It nearly works the same way for food too. Top chefs from around the world hear LV’s cash registers and get invited to open an outpost. However, don’t expect to properly experience the chef’s cuisine in LV because it works just like New York, New York – it’s an often watered-down mechanized version of the food fit for the average American palette.

Alex is one of the lone exceptions. His LV restaurant is his only restaurant and he cooks there. I ate here on the 2nd-to-last meal of the road trip. I was expecting something a lot richer (from previous reviews) than I got. Went w/ the tasting menu.

It was a good meal but overpriced at $175. If i went back, I would create my own tasting menu that focused on the richer side of things – namely foie gras.

Read the rest of this entry »

(Note: The chefs have left Keyah Grande since this review was written.)

Like a great Michelin-starred French restaurant, Keyah Grande is tucked far away on a hill in the middle of nowhere. It’s located a few miles outside of Pagosa Springs, Colorado; a city apparently famous for its hot springs. As you drive down the road, there is a only a large gate with the letters – KG.Press the call button, the gates open, and you drive 2-3 miles down a dirt road up the hill. Twisting and turning until suddently:

Read the rest of this entry »