A-Grades Awarded to Red Lobster and Blue Moose
Catherine Mahrholz
After the blast of cold and snow the other day, the weather did what it often does this time of year here in Colorado…Sunshine and warmer temperatures prevailed the following day!
My husband and I did what we occasionally do as spring begins to arrive. We traveled down to Colorado Springs for a look at the trees beginning to leaf out, the grass greening up and even some flowering shrubs along Hwy. 24, near 21st Street. Yay!
On a whim, as it was about time for some dinner. We decided to celebrate our recent decision to renew our promise to each other to love and take care of each other.
One of our favorite places to dine is Red Lobster, a restaurant that has been in Colorado Springs for many years. It is located at 4925 N. Academy Blvd. not too far from Union, and has ample off-street parking.
An iconic dining destination, Red Lobster has always been a friendly and fun place to spend a special evening. The restaurant features a stunning array of seafood options as well as other tempting entrée selections. The emphasis is on freshness and quality.
And as someone who lived along the coast for many years in San Francisco, California and also in a large coastal city, Salvador Bahia, Brazil, I can assure you the seafood selections at Red Lobster are outstanding! The vegetables and salads are also fresh and tasty.
We shared the Butter Biscuits that Red Lobster is famous for. They were delicious; so tender and fluffy.
On this most recent visit to Red Lobster my husband chose the Cajun Shrimp Trio with a generous side salad and he also selected mashed potatoes and pasta. At Red Lobster you can choose your entrée and then pair it with two sides of your choice.
My selection was the Sesame-Soy Salmon Bowl with Orzo Rice, a small salad, and included a sprinkling of something new to me, edamame; which I can best describe as a cross between a bean and a pea. I found them deliciously crispy and fresh. The blackened salmon was delightful, cooked to perfection. In addition, my dinner included something new to Red Lobster, grilled, fresh from the farm, brussel sprouts, and these were delicious with the soy-ginger sauce that was drizzled over everything. I requested and promptly received some lemon wedges to “kick it up a notch” as a noted TV Chef used to say!
The young man who attended to our needs at the table was an absolute joy to interact with! My husband and I so enjoyed having moments of conversation with him where in we learned that his name is Will, followed by perhaps an ancient Celtic name…very interesting, it means “Son of a Robber.”
This was especially amusing and interesting to me because my name, a German name dating back to the Middle Ages is Mahrholz, which translates to “Legend of the Wood.”
As it turns out, Will is studying to be a pilot with the goal of becoming a commercial airline pilot. He flies out of the Colorado Springs Airport in small airplanes, so far mostly flying east of the city.
Suffice to say, our celebratory dinner was a huge success. All of the staff at Red Lobster strive to be friendly, helpful, courteous and congenial.
And Red Lobster has an official association with the “Make A Wish Foundation” a well-known long established charitable organization.
But wait…that’s not all! On our way back up Ute Pass, we detoured through the town of Green Mountain Falls so we could stop at the Blue Moose and see if perhaps I could snag a copy of the April Fools edition of The Mountain Jackpot (The Mountain Crackpot) but alas, not a single copy could be found.
What we did find, however, was live music at the Blue Moose! (Blue Moose was rated as the best place for Live Music, in the 2023 Best Of the High Country contest, sponsored by TMJ.
As I entered the establishment, I listened with absolute delight and pleasure to a band that bills itself as Colorado’s Premier Classic Rock Band. “Swell” is their moniker and they were playing a rendition of a song titled “All Night Long” originally performed by the 1970s band ACDC. And, truth be told, I enjoyed this version by Swell better than the original by ACDC.
All in all, this was a terrific evening out for my husband Don and me. He turns 68 next month and I will celebrate (yikes!) 75 later this year.
In closing, allow me to say that I see hope on the horizon. Troubles abound all over the world, but for one night, right here in our beautiful Pikes Peak region, for me, hope reigned supreme. We encountered friendly hard working people who were kind, courteous and just plain fun to be around.