Tasting Notes from "Four" by Brother Luck
For an early birthday present, we took drive down to Colorado Springs for the weekend to visit a restaurant that's been on our list for some time: Four by Brother Luck. No joke, the chef's name really is Brother Luck, and he is one of the chefs competing on Season 15 of Bravo's Top Chef, which was actually taped here in Colorado. We have been fans of the show for a really long time, and are always eager to check out the restaurants owned and operated by these chefs. After reading the tasting menu for Brother Luck's restaurant, we knew we had to check it out.
The concept of "Four" was developed by Brother, who noted that "there are four key people who I need to work with to source amazing ingredients: hunters, gatherers, farmers and fishermen.” Each of the four tasting menus were geared towards foods that would be associated with each of these professions. However, these were just suggestions -- you can pick and choose items from each of the menus and make your own combination (and this is what we did).
Below are our individual comments on our menu selections and the restaurant itself. In a nutshell: we WILL be back for the chefs table tasting in the near future.
JENNY
Starter (Top Left): Blue Cornbread with Wojapi Sauce, Pueblo Chile, and Creme Fraiche
Second Course (Top Right): Spiced Pork Belly with Chipotle Grits, Sorghum, Pickled Leeks
Entree (Bottom Left): Oyster Mushrooms with Swiss, Root Vegetable, Dumpling, Purple Mustard
Dessert (Bottom Right): Beignets with Whipped Milk, Orange Sugar and Espresso Syrup
One would think that such fancy and delicious food would only be served in a restaurant with white tablecloths - not the case here. The restaurant was very cozy, inviting, somewhat rustic and overall semi-formal.
From the first course I was very impressed: the blue cornbread dish was one of the most unique combination of flavors I've ever tried. It was sweet, savory, tart and spicy all at once: very unusual but surprisingly delicious. The pork bellies were melt-in-your-mouth delicious and the grits seemed under-seasoned at first but then it hit you with a delightful, light spice after a few seconds. There were even a few kumquats to add some sweetness to the otherwise savory dish. The main entree - oyster mushrooms - was divine, with a couple pierogis amid some sweetness from the compote. Lastly, the beignets were quite possibly the best I have ever had! The sauce and the flavors just worked perfectly -- way beyond the pale of just powered sugar.
CARSTEN
Starter (Top Left): Serrano Jamon Toast with Goat Cheese, Everything Spice, Capers
Second Course (Top Right): Charred Octopus with Soy Caramel, Squid Ink, and Kalamata
Entree (Bottom Left): Rabbit Pot Pie with Root Vegetables, Confit Potatoes and Bechamel
Dessert (Bottom Right): Horchata Creme Brulee with Rice Pudding, Puffed Rice, Cajeta and Pepitas
I loved the starter. The goat cheese was not overwhelmingly "goaty". The capers were not overwhelmingly "capery" and the whole dish came together perfectly. I thought though that the Serrano should not have been crisped. Serrano -like Prosciutto di Parma- is a ham best served raw.
The Octopus was brilliant, everything came together perfectly in this dish. The black Squid Ink was a fun addition elevating the charred Octopus from very good to exceptional. I was a little disappointed by the Rabbit Pot Pie. I thought the veggies in the dish were a little too crunchy for my taste and the gravy was a little to watery. The concept of the dish was excellent and the saving grace was the crust which was exceptional.
The Creme Brulee was silky smooth but maybe a little too dense for my taste, I usually like it a little lighter. There were also some bigger chunks of sugar on top of the creme that I did not understand conceptually. The Rice Pudding was perfect. Not to sweet, well cooked through and fun to eat together with the Cajeta (Mexican Caramel Sauce).
Overall a very creative and tasty meal for a great value considering the quality of food delivered.
