Six89, Carbondale, CO: outstanding!

Just got back from a great week in the Roaring Fork valley. We had a number of enjoyable meals in area, but I wanted to give a specific huge rave to Six89 in Carbondale. Dinner here was so stunningly good that we moved various parts of our trip around to allow for a second visit.

The cooking managed to be at once technically adroit, laid-back, and playful. The cuisine was global in style, with a strong primary nod to Italy in terms of recipes and technique. On both visits, we ordered the "random acts of cooking", a fun riff on a tasting menu, where each course is prepared as a shared plate for the table. Nearly all ingredients are local, from the heirloom tomatoes (from Glenwood Springs) to the homemade pork salami on the charcuterie plate (raised in Redstone) to even the wine (a surprisingly good Riesling from Sutcliffe Vineyards in Cortez).

Out of nearly a dozen plates we tried, nearly everything was outstanding, but a few of the brightest highlights were:

* a composed salad with wild mushrooms, asparagus, and pecorino romano cheese over a bed of pan-fried ricotta gnocchi
* an unbelievably tender filet in a madeira reduction with playfully upscale riffs on creamed spinach, tater tots, and onion rings
* a simple heirloom tomato salad with a balsamic vinagrette where the chef had the preternaturally good sense to just get out of the way and let the sublime local tomatoes speak for themselves

Also a great addition is wine served by the "quartino", a quarter-bottle carafe, allowing for several great wine pairings (and the wine director clearly knows his stuff), without having to worry about drinking too much before hitting the road.

Service mirrored the rest of the experience; everyone was knowledgeable, attentive, and friendly.

Desserts, while acceptable, were a bit of a low point, working a little better on paper than on the palate.

Our more expensive dinner, including six courses, four wines, and tax, was just south of $130 for two people before tip.

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Six 89 Restaurant
689 Main Street, Carbondale, CO 81623